car hire Cape Town

Cape Town, today South Africa’s legislative centre, made its first strides as a city in 1652, when it became a way-station for boats being sailed to the Dutch East Indies by the Dutch East India Company. Cape Town eventually came under the rule of the British Empire, in 1814. As the 20th century dawned, Cape Town found itself more and more at the centre of the anti-apartheid movement, and when Nelson Mandela delivered his historic speech in 1990 (his first public appearance in decades), he spoke from Cape Town City Hall’s balcony. Thanks largely to the movement’s progress in Cape Town, South Africa held its first democratic election in 1994.

Shoppers on holiday will not come up empty-handed in Cape Town, with a plethora of crafts available from virtually every area of South Africa. A day spent browsing the city’s shops will yield Ndebele crafts, Venda woodcarvings, Zulu beads, and much more. The beadwork at Monkeybiz is particularly popular, and most it is crafted by local women. What’s more, the revenue goes toward funding the Monkeybiz Wellness Clinic for women with HIV/AIDS.

Cape Town’s outlying areas are best explored by car hire. You can pick up your rental in the terminal at Cape Town International Airport. A popular short road trip is to Groot Constantia, where wine aficionados will find much to please their palates. This area is just a half-hour drive away, and boasts the Cape’s most venerable wineries, including Klein Constantia, Uitsig, and Buitenverwachting. The beloved dessert wine called Vin de Constance can be procured at Klein Constantia – in fact, it’s the only place you can buy it.

You won’t be disappointed in Cape Town’s plentiful nightlife options. Green Dolphin, whose goal is to preserve and nurture the art form of jazz, has gone about achieving that in a record-setting manner: This club owns the world record for putting on the most consecutive nights of live jazz. Live marimba music and a variety of excellent game dishes are the draw at another popular spot, Mama Africa. Planet is a trendier night out, offering up 250 different kinds of champagne, and an array of exotic cocktails.