Walk the town, or sample the wild, or go it alone

April 11, 2004|James F. Smith, Globe Staff

Here's how I would enjoy a week in greater Cape Town.

Day one: City center

A good starting point is the Slave Lodge, housing the collections of the Cultural History Museum, a worthwhile stop for an introduction to the sweep of the Cape's history. The adjacent Government Avenue, now a shady pedestrian park, is set amid the original gardens created by founding settler Jan van Riebeeck to provision the ships of the Dutch East India Company. One section survives, and is part of the National Botanical Gardens, which feature indigenous plants. Along the avenue are the Houses of Parliament (the galleries are open to the public during sessions), the president's residence, and a series of museums. The South African National Gallery mustn't be missed. Along with treasures of South African art, it often has temporary exhibits of modern South Africa, including bold displays on apartheid. We saw a powerful show of AIDS-related art, much of it critical of the government's slow response to the crisis.

The South African Museum is good for children: whale and dinosaur exhibits and a planetarium. And just off the avenue is the striking new Cape Town Holocaust Centre, impressive for the way it integrates South Africa's racial oppression into a display on Nazi Germany's atrocities against Jews.

A couple of hours of museums will leave you thirsty. Even if you can't afford to stay at the stately Mount Nelson Hotel at the top of Government Avenue, be sure to have tea or a cocktail on the patio. It's the essence of Cape Town colonial splendor.

Walk back to town along Long Street (used-book stores, cafes, antiques shops) and the nearby Burg Street, and check out the excellent African crafts market at Greenmarket Square. Goods here are from all over Africa, thanks to South Africa's reintegration with the continent (though some South Africans resent the influx of Central and West Africans). The Bo-Kaap Museum explains the Cape's Muslim culture.

Visit the pentagon-shaped Castle of Good Hope, excellent for children. This was once on the shore until landfill projects created the high-rise offices of the new (and forgettable) business district. Back along Strand Street, visit the Koopmans-de Wet House, a home built in 1701.

Day two: Waterfront and Robben Island

Until the 1980s, the old port buildings were run-down or abandoned. Now they are the vibrant center of social life for the city, on a network of connected wharves. Pier-side restaurants, indoor shopping, and five-star hotels throb with life, day and night. The South African Maritime Museum has good exhibits for children, such as a ''discovery cove." Children also love the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Cape Grace Hotel hosted President Clinton during his state visit in 1998.