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Culture on Demand: Capetown Calling
The pride of South Africa is a joy for the world
By STAN STALNAKER
December 30, 2000
Web posted at 2:50 p.m. Hong Kong time, 1:50 a.m. EDT
Groovy, baby! That's the best way to describe one of the world's hidden gems
- Capetown. Located on the southwestern tip of South Africa, Africa's most
beautiful city has the best of all worlds, especially this time of year.
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ASIAWEEK |
Intelligence
The story behind today's news from the editors of Asiaweek
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If you're becoming a bit bored with the beaches of Thailand, the throb of
Tokyo, and the questionable food in central China, South
Africa deserves consideration for your next transcontinental trek. Located
about 10-12 hours from major hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong, Capetown is
serviced regularly by most major airlines at prices that are reasonably
comparable to flying to London or North America.
Now is the time to visit - not just because the summer sun warms the beaches
and mountains (and gorgeous gym-toned bodies) to a healthy glow
this time of year. The currency has dropped in value by 70-80% since 1994,
at the end of apartheid. The result is a very well developed country with
amazingly low prices. Food, accommodation and transportation are all
fantastically cheap, and the tourism industry offers a wide
variety of activities - cage diving with great white sharks, abseiling down
steep cliffs, and extensive day tours of Stellenbosch and other famous wine
farms of the Cape region.
Chief among Capetown's charms is Table Mountain, the dominant landmark in the
Cape peninsula and home to the "table cloth," a blanket of white clouds that
slip over the top of the flat mountain. After you've climbed two hours to reach
the top (lazy ones can take a revolving cable car), it's time for sundowners
with one of the world's only 270-degree views - south toward Antarctica, west
toward Rio de Janeiro, and north across the low lying veld of Africa.
After hours, the city comes alive with nightlife that rivals the best cities in
the world. Something about the local culture has ingrained a sense of
relaxation and free spirit into just about everyone, which means that it
is easy to mix and mingle with everyone. From the aforementioned
sundowners, through dinner at one of the city's many restaurants, and onto
late night entertainment at one of the two dozen bars and clubs that
dominate the city center. Here the atmosphere is warm and friendly, and
with the currency so low, locals are grateful for the few tourists who are
around.
Isolated violence and other negative factors have made South Africa a black
mark on the world's consciousness. But the Cape itself is safe for the smart
traveler - making it a good bet for a unique and interesting detour from the
normal Asia scene. Check it out!
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