• Bo-Kaap. . This neighborhood, located on a hill south-west of downtown is the area historically inhabited by mainly Muslim descendants of slaves from South-East Asia (hence an older term for the area - 'Malay Quarter'. It's a common location for film shoots, as there are some very colourful buildings, quaint streets, mosques. views over Cape Town and some great food sold on the side of the street. It's well worth wandering around for an hour or so, as well as visiting the Bo-Kaap Museum (a view of a prosperous Muslim family from the 19th Century).

• The Castle of Good Hope, Buitenkant Street, ? +27 (0)21 464-1260, [30]. Popularly called 'The Castle' by locals, it has extensive displays of historical military paraphernalia, a history of the castle, an art collection and the William Fehr Collection (including old Cape Dutch furniture). You can eat inside the Castle at the restaurant or café, as well as buy wine. R20 entrance free.

• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Rhodes Drive, Newlands, ? +27 (0)21 799-8899, [31]. Open daily 8AM to 6PM (7PM September to March). View the hugely diverse and beautiful plants and flowers of the Cape flora in one of the most stunning botanical gardens in the world. Plants from all of the regions of South Africa are on display, including rare succulents from the Richtersveld, a giant baobob tree, and interesting medicinal plants. Numerous paths wander through the grounds situated on the back side of Table Mountain. Several restaurants, a gift shop and indigenous nursery are also available. At various times of the year concerts are performed in the open air amphitheater. Art is frequently on display, including large Shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe. The gardens are also home to the National Biodiversity Institute. R27.

• Robben Island, ? +27 (0)21 413-4200, [32]. Robben Island is located just off the coast from Cape Town, this was the location used during the apartheid days to hold political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela and the late Walter Sisulu. Some of the tour guides were themselves political prisoners so they have plenty of insight about what went on there. Tours run several times per days, seven days a week from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. R150.

• Rhodes Memorial, ? +27 21 689 9151 (roy@rhodesmemorial.co.za), [33]. Build in recognition of the contributions of Cecil John Rhodes to the Southern African region.

• South African Parliament, [34]. Cape Town is the legislative seat of South Africa (the Presidential seat is in Pretoria and the Supreme Court is at Bloemfontein). A tour of this compound will acquaint you with South Africa's recent history and its political system. The tour includes visits to the National Assembly, the National Council of Provinces and the old apartheid-era assembly which is now only used for caucus and committee meetings. Tours are offered a few times per day in various languages. Free entrance and tours.

• Two Oceans Aquarium, V&A Waterfront, ? +27 (0)21 418-3823 (aquarium@aquarium.co.za), [35]. Open 9:30AM to 6PM. An excellent modern aquarium. R70 entrance fee.

• Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, ? +27 (0)21 408-7600, [36]. A huge shopping and entertainment area at the slopes of Table Mountain, next to the harbour. It is very popular with tourists, because of the high density of shops, restaurants

• Cable Car to the the top of Table Mountain, Lower Cable Station, Tafelberg Road, ? +27 (0)21 424 8181, [50]. Open 8AM to 10PM, last car down is at 9PM. Both the cable car and the pathways on top of the mountain are wheelchair accessible. Always take something warm to wear when going up the mountain, even if it is a nice toasty 30C at the bottom of the mountain. Weather conditions at the top of the mountain are not the same as at the bottom. If you're feeling fit, try climbing the shortest route to the top Platteklip George. It's a steep 2 hours but well worth the effort and you can jump in the cable car back down to spare your knees. Table Mountain is the home of a small animal, the 'Dassie,' whose closest relative, DNA-wise, is the elephant. Take water, sunblock, hat and jacket. The cloud comes down unannounced and the temperature could plummet. Poorly equipped hikers often have to be rescued. R150 return ticket.

• Cape Peninsula. Go to the Cape of Good Hope via Simon's Town and the african penguin colony at Boulders. Visit Cape Point in the Table Mountain National Park, maybe have lunch there before taking a hike in a quieter part of the reserve to immerse yourself in the essence of the landscape. Then take Chapman's Peak Drive through Hout Bay and along the trendy atlantic seaboard via Llandudno and Camp's Bay, stopping off at one of Clifton's famous four beaches.

• Ratanga Junction, ? +27 (0)21 550-8504 (info@ratanga.co.za), [51]. Open 10AM to 5PM, but not open all year round. Usually open during summer, easter and winter holiday periods. Enjoy a day with your kids at this theme park. R25 to R100 depending on what rides you want to do.

• Swimming. Beaches on the warmer False Bay side of the peninsula are the most popular with swimmers for obvious reasons. St James has the most picturesque tidal pool on the stretch between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, while Clovelly and Fish Hoek beaches wrap around a sheltered bay with soft, white sands. Fishing boats, hobie cats and kayaks launch from here too. Bravehearts can sun-worship and swim naked in the freezing water of this isolated and breathtaking nudist beach Sandy Bay near Llandudno. Major spot for gay tourists as well. There's a 1.5km walk down from the parking lot.

• Surfing. Cape Town is one of the best places to surf. Muizenberg is a good place for beginners to learn to surf, Gary offers reasonably priced lessons from a shop facing the beach. If you're an experienced surfer, try the reef break at Kalk Bay, Outer Kom near Kommetjie or Misty Cliffs on the coast road near Scarborough. You could head up the west coast and sample Milnerton, Table View or Big Bay, although Big Bay is often crowded with people Kite Surfing due to the windy conditions.

• Winelands. Tour the Constantia Valley wine estates Groot Constantia, Buitenverwagting, Klein Constantia and Constantia Uitsig before checking out the Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and

As one of the main tourist spots is the V&A waterfront, you will find a broad range of restaurants, but they are often crowded and expensive. Another highlight is the area around Long Street with its many cafés and restaurants (frequented by a multi-ethnic clientele), while the trendy area of De Waterkant between Bo Kaap and Green Point above Somerset Road also boasts good food and a great vibe. Dine with supermodels and other beautiful people in Camps Bay, which has many hip eateries and nightspots overlooking the beach along Victoria Road.

Farther afield, Hout Bay at the west side of the Cape Peninsula is very good for fresh crayfish (lobsters - they have become quite expensive, around R300, though). Kalk Bay on the east side of the peninsula offers a big variety of fresh fish, do check out The Brass Bell. The restaurants in nearby Simon's Town are also good.

Do not neglect the Cape Winelands for food if you have a car. In Stellenbosch, Spier has several restaurants, including the fun, afro-chic Moyo, and many wine estates offer food of different types and quality. The village of Franschhoek is the culinary navel of the wine region, with Le Quartier Francais a perennial five-star winner, but only one of many excellent restaurants. In the Constantia Valley, Constantia Uitsig has three great restaurants, The River Cafe, La Colombe and the Constantia Uitsig Restaurant, upmarket, but worth it.

Caveat Emptor: make sure you know what the price is before you order rare delicacies in restaurants as there have been a few rare but high-profile cases of heinous overcharging where the price is not on the menu, particularly for perlemoen (abalone) and crayfish (similar to lobster).