Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer

photos by Janet Silvera:Table Mountain heritage site in Capetown, South Africa.

Cape Town, South Africa:

The most magnificent mountains form the backdrop while the ocean plays the role of the balcony to South Africa's oldest city, Cape Town, which prides itself on being home to six icons of the motherland.

The tourism Mecca, which has the distinction of receiving 60 per cent of South Africa's nine million tourists last year, is home to attractions such as the incredible Table Mountain, Cape Winelands, the renowned Robben Island - where Nelson Mandela remained in captivity for 27 years - Cape Peninsula, Kirstenboch Gardens and the animated Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

Boasting a population of 3.5 million people, one third of whom are Muslims, and having earned the right to the name 'The Mother City', Cape Town's rich history allows it to define its coloured people as the glue that keeps blacks and whites together.

The coloured people are descendants of the Dutch whose procreation of the black women resulted in the lighter-skin people who were given preferential treatment over their brothers and sisters of a darker hue.

As important as shade is to the four groups of blacks, whites, Indians and coloured inhabitants who call Cape Town home, some of the most spectacular things in this magnificently beautiful region are the natural attractions that continue to bring financial benefit to the large populace.

On arrival in Cape Town, each mountain range beckons and seemingly dips forward, saying "Welcome to Paradise". The most pronounced and most famous Table Mountain sits between Devil's Peak and Lion's Head - whose rump has been tagged Signal Hill, while a group of smaller peaks lays claim to the name the 'Twelve Apostles'.

World renowned

Cars, vans and tour buses line the mountainside entrance that plays host to the world-renowned Table Mountain, as cable cars wait patiently for persons sensible enough to realise that climbing these magnificent slopes would require a lot of stamina and fitness. Like standing on top of a table, from the various look-out points on this mountain, there are breathtaking views of the city below, the peninsula and Robben Island.

Situated on the south-western tip of Africa, Cape Town can safely be classified as being among the most beautiful destinations on earth. Long, sandy beaches offer unlimited opportunities to relax, unwind and destress, while the friendly people, mild climate and rich cultural heritage make this an unforgettable year-round holiday destination.

The beauty of this province is that it offers its own eclectic mix of experience that will leave you refreshed, revived and rejuvenated.

If it's strolling through Kirstenbosch Gardens, awakening the senses with the gastronomic delights for which Cape Town is famous, or accessing the throbbing heartbeat of this 'viby' cosmopolitan culture, there is something to tempt everyone that visits these shores.

Whether it is nightlife, shopping or jazz, the many Germans, English, Dutch, Americans and Chinese tourists now flocking Cape Town will have seen this town's rich character.