The mountain rose due to tectonic movements deflected down by the granite. The mountain has been slowly rising ever since, yet also eroded by the action of water, fire, wind and ice.
The mountain itself really isn't so big - it is only 1086 meters, Everest is 8,850m! - it is the positioning and shape that makes Table Mountain so spectacular. Situated on the coast there are no other large mountains close by to complete with, the sea has receded over the years and the area known as the cape flats surround the mountain.
The flat top of the mountain is a unique sight and when covered by the 'tablecloth' - a layer of cloud that just sits on the mountain - it really is a wonderful sight. The Table Mountain National Park is wonderful for walking and for those interested in flora of the area is a real treat. The mountain is home to approximately 1470 types of plants; more than the entire British Isles! Complimenting this vast array of flora is a amazing range of animal life, like the Table Mountain Ghost Frog which is found nowhere else in the world.
The initial cable car which carried tourists up and down the mountain was first built in 1929, extensive reconstruction took place in 1997, new equipment was installed which increased the passengers capacity by almost 3 times. On both the old and new cable cars there is an impeccable safety record. During clear days the cable cars are very busy, advance booking is advised after watching the daily weather! If you choose to walk up the mountain, be sure to tell someone where you are going and expected arrival time; remember the wind can pick up extremely quickly and clouds can bear down on the mountain as if from nowhere.
South Africa Tourism
From watching the Big Five in one of the world’s biggest national parks or enjoying night game drives at a private lodge to relaxing on one of the many Blue Flag Beaches or surfing some of the world’s best waves in two oceans, South Africa Tourism has action, adrenalin and visual beauty. All this will ensure that visitors to this country are always enthralled and return over and over again.
Choose from South Africa’s varied cultural and wine routes or opt to experience the varied World Heritage Sites. Tourists may come to South Africa for the sightseeing and for the wildlife but they leave with the sounds of South Africa ringing in their years, the taste of its cuisine on their tongues and the warm smiles of its people in their hearts.
Visitors can select how they prefer to travel – first class all the way with accommodation in luxury hotels, resorts and lodges or they can do it the family way in self-catering accommodation or budget hotels and B&B’s. Backpackers will be delighted with the excellent facilities across the country and caravaners and campers will tell you that the location of the caravan parks in South Africa are the best in the world.
Five South Africa Tourism suggestions:
* Explore South Africa in Cape Town
Cape Town, known as the “Mother City,” sprawls at the foot of the African continent with Table Mountain towering above the city. Robben Island, in Table Bay was the home of former President Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners for many years during the apartheid regime – it is now open to visitors. This cosmopolitan city, with beaches on both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, is perfect as a base for tours of the Western Cape, the Winelands and the Garden Route.
* Explore South Africa in Durban
Durban with its sub-tropical climate has 340 days a year sunshine. It’s a vibrant holiday city - beaches with white sand and rolling surf. This modern city of 3, 5 million, where East meets West in Africa is geared for tourists. Start here to explore Kwazulu-Natal.
* Big Five, Wildlife and Safari Experiences in South Africa
Safaris, game parks, reserves - most visitors come to South Africa to experience the wildlife. There are as many ways to do this as there are rhino in the Umfolozi Game Park.
- Self drive. Rent a car and drive yourself and your family through one of the Game Reserves like Kruger National Park or Umfolozi. Make sure you book in advance.
- Visit a private lodge or game reserve. Fly in or drive to a private Game Lodge where you get pampered and taken on game drives.
- Package tour. This could include either of these or a combination.
* Wild Coast – taking a step back in time
The Wild Coast, on the East Coast of South Africa is a place of unspoiled beauty where waterfalls tumble directly into the warm sea. The Wild Coast offers endless opportunities for adventure travelers and anglers. Relax into a slower way of life in the small coastal towns of Port St Johns and Coffee Bay. Accommodation ranges from fisherman’s hideaways to fully serviced hotels.
* The Garden Route – fragrant and scenic
The Garden Route stretches on the southern coast from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River in the Cape Province. The region provides a study in contrasts. It is an eco-destination like few others in the world, situated about 280km from Cape Town and is one of South Africa's richest botanical treasures. Along the way, every kind of adventure activity is possible; scuba diving, abseiling, fishing and more.
Source: Suite101.com
Camps Bay And The Beach
If one were interested in paying a visit to Cape Town, Camps Bay would be a prime area to find a place to stay temporarily as it offers some excellent accommodation that will put one somewhere between the Mountain and the beach. With a vast choice of villas, flats, cottages and guesthouses, one would not be deprived of finding perfectly suitable luxury lodging. The houses in Camps Bay stretch from the steeps down to the stunning beachfront. The scenery as you look down from Kloof Nek is breathtaking. The jagged and precipitous Twelve Apostles sweep down to a rocky shoreline. A long, wide and perfectly white beach breaks this shoreline. You feel that you would not be surprised to see a Spanish galleon taking provisions on board, moored in the bay. In contrast to the neighboring Clifton the beach is not hemmed in by steep slopes and has a very open atmosphere. Table Mountains, the cableway and the Twelve Apostles provide a majestic backdrop. The promenade of palm trees adds an ambience of a by-gone era where ladies carried parasols and held on to their lovers elbow. The beach is spacious and not usually very crowded. It is popular with families who can be seen with all their paraphernalia of happiness – deck chairs, cool boxes, colourful beach towels and umbrellas and children with their buckets and spades. A nearby sports field provides bored husbands with interest diversions, and the beach is backed by a number of shops, restaurants, chemists and banks to assuage your every need. There is as tidal pool beside a neatly mown grass verge, with shady trees and braai spots. A large tidal pool provides sheltered bathing for young children. This allows you to have the feeling of being on the beach without getting sand in your teeth and sandwiches.
You can get to the beach from Kloof Nek if you take the main road that leads down to the Atlantic side. After winding backwards and forwards you will find yourself looking at a beach trough palm trees. Alternatively from Sea point, take the beach rd (Victoria) past Clifton through to Camps Bay. Parking can be found on the road that runs past the beach. Parking is at a premium and on good summer’s days be prepared to park in a side street and walk down. The beach is separated from the road by a short grassy verge. Activities such as swimming and sunbathing are the main pastimes on this beach. The surf is usually strong and the beach shelves steeply so keep an eye on children. Surfers usually congregate at the adjacent Glen Beach. At Camps Bay the waves dump and are useless for paddle skiers or surfers. Camps Bay has been the take off point for long haul windsurfers en route to Hout bay or Milnerton on regatta days. Even a competent board sailor would not attempt this trip without crew. The accommodation near the beach is more than abundant and prices range but can go quite low, considering what one gets from staying in this picturesque coastal suburb. The nightlife is fun and various clubs, restaurants and pubs remain open until late, to accommodate the thriving community.
By: Dylan
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