Overshadowed by Table Mountain and teeming with soccer fans here to watch the World Cup, Cape Town is a vibrant city at the tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors to get the most out of a 48-hour visit to a city in the feverish grip of Africa's first World Cup. Day 1 Kick off your stay with sundowners or hot chocolate at Wakame Asian sushi restaurant in Beach Road, Mouille Point, enjoying an uninterrupted vista of the ocean as the waves break meters away. Even in winter, the sun pokes out its brilliant head periodically and this is an ideal spot to relax as the fading light becomes one with the ocean darkness. It's soccer World Cup time and the inner-city undergoes a regular metamorphosis as streets are blocked or opened to assist thousands of fans attending matches at Green Point Stadium. The stadium, within walking distance of the city's central business district, is adjacent to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a mega-mall that offers something for everyone. Situated at the V&A is Nelson Mandela Gateway (+27 21 413 4217), where you can buy tickets (200 rand p/p return) to visit Robben Island Museum and see the cell which held South Africa's first black state leader for 26 years. There are usually four tours a day during winter ending 3 P.M. daily, (including Sundays and holidays). To cater for increased demand during the World Cup tournament, there are an extra two boat trips at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. The island is a World Heritage site and a former leper colony. All trips are weather dependent. Day 2 If the weather forecast is good, the more adventurous can try a tandem paragliding flight off Signal Hill or Lions Head, offering amateur pilots a bird's eye view of the city, before landing at the trendy Camps Bay or Sea Point suburbs. Call Manu, a qualified flight instructor, on +27 76 892 2283 for bookings or try paraglide.co.za. Alternatively, take a scenic drive about 45 km (27.96 miles) along the False Bay coast, dotted with coastal towns each with its own idiosyncratic appeal, to the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Use the “Flying Dutchman” funicular to reach amazing vantage points just below the lighthouse overlooking the meeting point between the mighty Indian and Atlantic oceans, or read a map to track some of the shipwrecks dotting the infamous Cape of Storms, such as the French pirate ship Le Napoleon which was wrecked after being chased ashore by the Royal Navy frigate Narcissus on Christmas day, 1805. If you intend to stick around the city center, make your way toward the Pan African Market in Long street, where you can haggle with traders selling a selection of African art and curios. Pick up an exquisitely carved chess set, hand-made jewelry or elaborate wooden decorative masks at reasonable prices. Hop into a taxi and drive to the historic Bo-Kaap or Cape Malay district, where many of the predominantly Muslim residents are descendants of the slaves captured in Indonesia and Sri Lanka during the 17th and 18th century. Roll back to the CBD and go shopping in Long Street with its excellent book shops, bric-a-brac stores and designer clothing outlets. Go past the Turkish baths at the top end of the gently inclining road before taking a left and walk one block down past the planetarium and into the shaded paths of the Company Gardens (Queen Victoria Street), established by the city's founding father Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to passing ships. See colorful Koi fish or check your watch against a 1787 sundial. The gardens are surrounded by several museums and the country's national parliament, a few blocks up from the Castle of Good Hope (Buitenkant and Strand streets), a pentagonal fortification built by the Dutch between 1666-1679 and South Africa's oldest surviving building. Day 3 Head for Table Mountain, the flat-topped range which has been looming over you since your arrival in the city. Take a 5 minute trip by cable car (purchase tickets online at www.tablemountain.net to avoid queues or call +27 21 424 8181 for info) with its rotating floor ensuring visitors a 360 degree view of the city. If you have the energy, walk to the 1,086 meter summit via one of the numerous hiking trails, such as the strenuous Platteklip Gorge route. Note that cable car trips are weather dependent. Take a taxi back to the city center and head to the newly opened five star hotel The Pepper Club, corner of Loop and Pepper streets. Get a full body African inspired massage at the Cayenne Spa to soothe tired muscles ahead of the journey home. With special African Intonga sticks, skilled therapists literally drum the body, which has been warmed up using heated oils containing the essence of Rooibos, Marula, African potato and Aloe Vera, all extracts from African plants. Pre-bookings are essential for Sundays. Call +27 21 812 8812.
