You must have seen pictures or videos of Tabletop Mountains in Cape Town. You might have gone there as well. It is a wonderful feeling to stand at the summit of the mountain top and take in the whole panorama that stretches sprawls here. You cannot see its start or ending point. Table top is but one of the mountain in the entire range of mountains that is commonly called the Cape Peninsula. This huge chain runs from Signal Hill in Cape Town to Cape Point in the South. The Atlantic ocean lies in the west of it while it is flanked by the False bay in the east. It has some of the best natural features in the whole of South Africa. The Table Mountain with their cloud covered top will enthrall you. The Cape of Godd Hope and the Cape Point are the other two important destinations here. The whole area because of its bio diversity and ecological significance has been taken under the National Park.
Take a drive through the whole stretch of Cape Peninsula to understand the true beauty of this unspoiled region. From its most Southern tip to the last point in the North it is a 70 kilometers drive. While you are at it you will pass through mountain ranges, forests, small villages, virgin beaches and mountain passes. Start from Sea Point and pass Clifton, Camps Bay and Hout Bay on your way. You will be taking the Beach Road and then the Victoria Road. You will see the change of scenery as you pass from one area to the other. The Chapman Pass is a must see here.The serene locale with its breath of fresh air is a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town. The sight of the 6 kilometer stretch of Noordhoek Beach will leave you breathless. A good place to stand for a while and stare! Horse rides are common here. You will be continuing in the M6 highway and then into M65 road. The quaint village of Kommetjie is truly a wonderful place with the Kommetjie Bay. Take a detour to the Lighthouse road to see the Slangkop shaped like a snakes head. The lighthouse here was one of the most powerful one in the African coast with parts of it shipped from Britain. Stop at the scenic town of Scarborough just to see how the locals live their daily lives here if not to shop. You are still on M65 and continuing towards Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve before heading to Cape Point. This reserve is a rich wild life population of zebra, springbuck, eland and baboon. Also there are about 1800 species of plants here. If you have time on your hand and physically charged up then try out the magnificent trails in between the Nature Reserve and Cape Point. On way you can check out the Thomas Tucker Shipwreck Walk. This ship was wreaked in 1942. Your final destination in the Cape Peninsula is the tip of Cape Point called as Cape Maclear. The sea cliffs here are dangerous and amongst the tallest in the world. Check outs some of the ancient caves in this area the biggest being 51 meters wide. Some of the beaches are nearby here. You can take your sun lotion and your swimming clothes and head straight for the beach.
The must see spots in Cape Peninsula are
Chapman’s Peak
Noordhoek Beach
Slangkop Point Lighthouse in Kommetjie
Scarborough Village
Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve and Cape Point
While on your way you might see a group of people staring at the sea in wonder. In all probability they might have spotted a whale. False Bay is one such place where whales come in horde. Another stopover place is Simon’s Bay. The Boulder Beach is totally an isolated spot and tourists are not aware of its population of African penguins.
If you want to cover the whole stretch of Cape Peninsula properly and not halting stops then it will take you atleast 7-8 days with 3 days in Cape Town. The Table Top Mountains and the National Reserve needs the most time. If you have a thing for hiking the Tabletop mountain is the best place to try out. The Daise walk, Agama walk, Klipspringer walk, gives you a wonderful view of the sea cliffs and the surrounding panorama. Ships can be seen anchored afar. You will also notice that the waves at the base of the mountain is very turbulent and cluttered with huge rocks. If you have time also visit the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, and the Silvermine Nature Reserve here. The main vegetation here is fynbos and there is atleast 2000 specimen of the plants here. If you have decided to hike contact the Cape Town Tourism Visitor Information Centre which is located at the Lower Cableway Station.
