Tafelberg – Language Teaching Centre | LTC

What activities to do in and around Cape Town

LTC Team — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 13:04:49 +0000

Are you either going to have a fun day at one of the many wine farms around Cape Town, being active while hiking table mountain or rather sniff some culture at Robben Island?

Township tours Cape Town

There are a lot of things to do in Cape Town. A great way to experience Cape Town on its best is via organised tours. There is the Red Bus tour, Wine tours, Robben Island tours and in this case… the Township tour!

What are Townships exactly?

Townships are living areas on the edge of the city, which were supplied for ‘non-white’ inhabitants until the end of the Apartheid. The living conditions are far below average, but after the end of the Apartheid and the new government there are major projects busy to improve their house-and living conditions. Cape Town is a beautiful city with many sightseeing’s and a beautiful nature. This is also why Cape Town is the number one tourist destination around the world! I think it’s also very important to make people aware of the other side of Cape Town. Their house-and living conditions, the high unemployment rate and the homeless.

Township tour

I’ve been to the Townships and I found it an unforgettable experience. I’ve had good conversations with the people and we played and laughed with the children. The people are very friendly, hospitable, funny and simply amazing! It’s good to see that there are projects busy with building apartments and houses for these people so they can develop and improve themselves.

With a township tour you are going with a few people and a guide to the townships. He/she will tell you about their history, their living conditions etc., and they will walk with you through the Township. I can’t recommend this eye-opening experience highly enough to anyone who’s visiting Cape Town.

Besides of this amazing experience, there are a lot other things to do in Cape Town. Recommended is to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was kept as a prisoner by the apartheid regime of South-Africa.

Robben Island

About

Robben Island is located 12 kilometres from Cape Town. During the Apartheid, it functioned especially as a prison for political troublemakers who were against to Apartheid for over 400 years. The water around the island is ice cold because of the cold see current that comes through here. In these 400 years, only 3 prisoners managed to escape from the island and survived their flight to the coast.

Why is Robben Island so famous?

Robben Island has become famous worldwide because of the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela during the Apartheid. Nelson Mandela and a few other anti-apartheid fighters had to work in a limestone mine to win limestone. This was the only place where they could talk to each other. However, they were not allowed to talk about politics. The prison closed in 1996 when the last criminal was transferred.Robben Island tours

With the Robben Island tours you will make a 30 minute trip with a double-decker boat, leaving from the Nelson Mandela gateway. The Nelson Mandela gateway can be found near the V&A Waterfront Clock Tower. A lot of the tours a guided by former political prisoners from the Island. In this way you will get the best view of the prisons history, but also their personal story. The highlights of the tour are the Nelson Mandela prison and the Limestone Quarry. The tour will be 4 hours and the first thing you will do is visit the former most secured prison. After this, a 45 minute bus tour will guide you around the island details such as the military base, hospital and leper colony.

There are a lot of tours organised in Cape Town. This is one of the best ways to visit Cape Town and learn about it at the same time. Besides of the Robben Island tours, there is the Red Bus tour, the Township tour, Wine tours and more!

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

About

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world. It’s also known as the most beautiful garden in Africa. The area is named after Johann Friedrich Kirsten who managed this area in the 18^th century. The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is not only a garden. It’s part of a nature reserve, which contains protected forest and fynbos. The botanical garden covers 528 hectares of ground with a very diverse flora. The garden includes plants from different regions, including fynbos, savannah and vegetation from the Karoo.

Trails & Paths

There are different paths which can be walked when visiting the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The Braille trail is a 15 minute unassisted walk in the forest for people who can’t see. It starts and ends in the Fragrance Garden. The Boekenhout trail is a 30 minute walk which starts at the Old dam. This trail is known for its unusual views of the Table Mountain. The Stinkwood trail will take about 50 minutes to walk. You can explore the oldest parts of the forest with the largest trees here. The yellowwood trail will take about 1,5 hour to walk and will also take you to the skeleton waterfall. The Silvertree trail is the longest walk, is 7.7km long and will take about 3 hours. It starts and ends at the Rycroft gate and you will see the silver trees, the gardens irrigation dam and also on this path you will have spectacular views of Table Mountain.

Activities

The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has the perfect setting for a good musical concert, a picnic, but also for a hot chocolate and some shopping. With the beautiful nature and the diverse of plants and birds, this garden is the best place to have a picnic with friends and family!

Sometimes there a musical concerts organised, where you can enjoy a lovely night of music at the Kirstenbosch amphitheatre. These concerts are on Sundays during the summer months from December until March. Even Michael Bubble, Bryan Adams and Katie Melua have performed here!

In the visitor’s centre you can go shopping in various outlets or go for a coffee in their coffee shop. At the information desk you can receive a lot of information about the garden, different maps, but also about other things to do in Cape Town.

Boulders Bay

Boulders Bay, also called Boulders beach, is one of Cape Town’s many beaches. Boulders Bay is part of the Table Mountain National Park, which is a park that protects the wild and botanical all around Cape Town. It is a popular tourist destination because a colony of African penguins settled here back in 1982. It is located in the Cape Peninsula near Simon’s Town in Cape Town. It is possible to observe the penguins from a close range, which can’t be done in many places. The colony has grown to over 3000 penguins nowadays!

You can also hang out at Boulders Beach and False Bay where you can swim in the warm and calm waters. The 540 million old granites provide some shade against the sun and shelter for the big waves. Boulders Bay is the only place in the world where you can actually swim among the penguins. We have to warn you to not feed or touch the Penguins. They seem very nice and cute, which they are, but if they feel threatened, they will bite the odd finger with their beaks as sharp as razors!

The African penguins

The African Penguin, also known as Jackass Penguin, is the only specie who settled at the African continent. They are often called Jackass Penguin because of their donkey-like bleating call. Penguins are very ancient births who evolved about 65 million years ago. Normally penguins are well adapted to the cold. The African penguin has found various ways to deal with the sun. The Penguins weigh about 2-4 kilo and their average age is 10-11 years but sometimes they get older and reach as much as 22 years. Did you know the African Penguins are listed as an endangered species?

Whale watching Cape Town

About

One of the best places in the world for whale watching is South Africa. You can do it from land or from boats, you will definitely see them. Every year, these whales migrate from Antarctica to warmer places such as South Africa. They reach South Africa in June. And that’s where the whale season begins!

Where to go?

There are different places to go whale watching in Cape Town. You can go by yourself but there are also various boat trips organised by qualified and registered whale guides who know the best places to watch whales. The best viewing places are Walker Bay, with Hermanus on its north and Gansbaai on the south, which are known as one of the best places in the world! You can also go various ways from Simon’s town or Seal Island to watch whales, sharks and dolphins. You can even go shark cage diving!

Facts

There can be found at least 37 species of whales and dolphins in the waters of South Africa. Estimated is that there are about 3000-4000 southern whales present in South Africa. You can notice them in various ways:

Breaching: this is when the whale comes out of the water with a backflip and falls on his back. It is not yet proven why they do this. Men think they do this to shake parasites of their skin, or maybe as a way to communicate.
Blowing: As whales reach the water surface to breath, you will see it as white splash, which can be caused by water resting on the top of the blowhole.
Lob-tailing: It appears to be a way of communication when whales slap their tales on the surface.
Spy hopping: when a whales comes to the surface and holds a vertical position out of the water. In this way he can actually see what’s happening nearby the surface. It often occurs when you go whale watching.

I would recommend whale watching in Cape Town as a must see activity for everyone!

Table Mountain

LTC Team — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 13:37:16 +0000

Table Mountain

La Montaña de la Mesa o Table Mountain, también conocida como Tafelberg en afrikaans es la montaña más famosa de Ciudad del Cabo. Es una importante atracción turística y mucha gente disfruta de su teleférico o haciendo senderismo hasta alcanzar la cima, desde donde puede disfrutarse de una vista espectacular de la ciudad. De hecho desde la cima pueden verse:

La Cabeza de León
La Isla de Robben
La Colina de Signal Hill
La península
La Bahía de la Mesa
Los picos de las montañas vecinas

El teleférico de Table Mountain

Aunque se puede subir a Table Mountain caminando, llegar a la cima no requiere de mucho esfuerzo ya que con el teleférico – que lleva funcionando desde hace ochenta y cinco años – uno puede alcanzar la cima sin cansarse en un viaje que dura unos cinco minutos. Las cabinas suben y bajan cada 10-15 minutos, de lunes a domingo. En la parte superior, existen una serie de caminos que conducen a los miradores desde los que se disfrutan impresionantes vistas.

Hacer senderismo

En la cima, comenzando en la estación del teleférico existen tres rutas diferentes de senderismo para descubrir el resto de la montaña. La abundante vegetación de Table Mountain incluye 1460 especies de plantas y un gran número de insectos, aves y reptiles.

Las tiendas en Table Mountain

Una vez que se llega a la cima, no se preocupe si tiene un poco de hambre, hay un restaurante que ofrece aperitivos, platos combinados, bebidas y postres. Además antes de subir la montaña es recomendable preparar un buen picnic para no desfallecer en el parque nacional de Table Mountain. Para los amantes de los recuerdos, no dude en curiosear en la tienda de souvenirs.

Tafelberg

LTC Team — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 12:36:27 +0000

Der Tafelberg, der auch auf Afrikaans Tafelberg heisst, ist der bekannteste Berg in Kapstadt. Er ist eine bedeutende Touristenattraktion. Viele Leute nehmen die Seilbahn oder wandern/klettern auf den Tafelberg, um die atemberaubende Rundumsicht zu geniessen. Von der Bergspitze aus sieht man:

Lion’s Head (Löwenkopf)
Robben Island
Signal Hill
The Peninsula
Table Bay
Die Bergspitzen der naheliegenden Berge und vieles mehr

Die Tafelberg-Seilbahn

Mit der Seilbahn, die seit 85 Jahren problemlos funktioniert, können Sie mühelos auf den Tafelberg fahren und werden sanft und schnell auf das Plateau transportiert. Die Fahrt dauert etwas mehr als 5 Minuten und die Seilbahnen fährt alle 10 – 15 Minuten während sieben Tagen die Woche. Auf dem Plateau gibt es gekennzeichnete Wege, die Sie zu den atemberaubenden Aussichtspunkten führen.

Wandern

An der oberen Seilbahnstation befinden sich drei unterschiedliche Wanderwege, auf denen Sie das Plateau weiter erkunden können. Mit 1460 Pflanzenarten, vielen Insekten, Vögeln und Eidechsen bietet der Tafelberg eine der vielfältigsten Vegetationen auf der ganzen Welt.

Tafelberg-Gastronomie und -Souvenirs

Auch für Ihr leibliches Wohl ist auf dem Tafelberg gesorgt. Das Restaurant hat eine grosse Auswahl an Essen und Trinken, wobei es neben kleineren Mahlzeiten auch möglich ist, ihr eigenes Picknick auf dem Tafelberg zu geniessen. Im Shop werden Sie sicher auch etwas finden, das Sie an diesen fantastischen Ausflug erinnert.

Table Mountain

LTC Team — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:28:44 +0000

Table Mountain

Table Moutain, appelée Tafelberg en afrikaans, est la montagne la plus célèbre de la ville Cap. C’est une attraction touristique importante pour plusieurs personnes pour y jouir d’une vue magnifique sur la ville. Les gens font la randonnée vers le haut ou empruntent l’élévateur téléphérique afin d’arriver au sommet. À partir du haut, vous pouvez voir:

Le Lion’s Head
Le Robben Island
Le Signal Hill
La péninsule
La baie de la table
La proximité de pics de montagnes environnantes, et beaucoup plus.

le funiculaire de Table Moutain

Bien que vous puissiez marcher sur les gradins de la montagne, arriver au sommet ne devrait pas exiger beaucoup d’efforts. Avec le funiculaire (un service qui fonctionne depuis 85 ans), vous pouvez aller lentement mais surement vers le haut. Le trajet ne dure qu’un peu plus de 5 minutes et l’élévateur monte et descend chaque 10 à 15 minutes, sept jours par semaine. Là au-dessus, il y a un réseau de chemins d’accès que vous pouvez emprunter afin d’explorer les meilleurs points d’observation pour la plupart des vues extraordinaires.

Faites une randonnée

Au niveau supérieur de la station du téléphérique est tissé un réseau de trois sentiers différents par lequel vous pouvez commencer à explorer le reste de la montagne. Vous pouvez y voir une multitude d’insectes, d’oiseaux et de lézards ainsi qu’une variété de beaucoup de végétation comptant au moins 1460 espèces.

Le marcher de la montagne de la Table

Vous pourrez avoir faim une fois que vous vous trouvez à la partie supérieure de la montagne. Ne craignez pas, il y a un restaurant offrant des aliments délicieux et des boissons, au besoin, des desserts et des vins. Vous pouvez également amener vos savoureuses friandises et pique-niquer au parc national de la montagne de la table. Pour emporter des souvenirs de votre voyage, veuillez parcourir la surprenante boutique de bibelots.

Table Mountain

Erin Hartogh — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 12:10:00 +0000

Table Mountain, also known as Tafelberg in Afrikaans, is the most famous mountain in Cape Town. It is a significant tourist attraction, and many people take the cable car or hike to the top, where you have a beautiful view of the city. From the top you can see:

Lion’s Head
Robben Island
Signal Hill
The Peninsula
Table Bay
The nearby peaks of surrounding mountains, and much more.

Table Mountain Cableway

While you can hike up Table Mountain, getting to the top doesn’t have to be a lot of effort. With the Table Mountain Cableway (a service that has been running for 85 years), you can go gently but quickly to the top. The journey takes a little over 5 minutes and the cable cars go up and down every 10-15 minutes, seven days a week. At the top, there is a network of paths you can take to explore the best lookout points for the most breath-taking view.

Go for a hike

At the upper cable station there are three different hiking trails to start exploring the rest of mountain from. There is a lot of vegetation, with 1460 species of plants and plenty of insects, birds, and lizards to be seen.

Table Mountain Retail

Once you get to the top, you may get hungry. Never fear, there is a restaurant offering yummy food and drinks, snacks, desserts, and wines. You can also pack a tasty picnic to enjoy at the Table Mountain National Park. For mementos of your glorious trip, browse the curio shop.