Best of IgoUgoThe Table Had No Cloth
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Cape Town has one of the most dramatic settings of any city in the world with the flat topped Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill as its back drop and the Atlantic Ocean to the front. Cape Town is a very cosmopolitan colourful city welcoming 60% of South Africa’s tourists.No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a trip up Table Mountain and the day after we arrived it was a fantastic sunny, clear day so we headed for our visit as it is not always clear and the views both of the Mountain from the bottom and the views of Cape Town from the top are obviously best enjoyed when it is clear and Table Mountain has not got its table cloth covering it. Luckily we had no trouble getting to the cable car as the Peninsula...
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From journal South African Road Trip
Best of IgoUgoStunning from the Bottom and the Top!
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Table Mountain is probably the most widely recognised landmark of South Africa and no trip to Cape Town would be complete without seeing the city from the top.The mountain looks unique due to its steep sides and its fairly flat top, the summit plateau is about 3km wide. The mountain base is partly granite with the majority of the mountain being sandstone. The summit of the mountain is sometimes covered by cloud and this is, occasionally quite flat and is then referred to as the "tablecloth", this particular cloud formation is referred to as orographic cloud. The highest point of the mountain is towards then eastern end and it is 1085m above sea level. The cableway ascends the western end that is 1067m above sea level.The majority of...
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From journal Visiting the Cape Peninsula
A Beautiful View
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Table Mountain is a flat top mountain rising 1086 m (3563 ft) above sea level. It is a great destination for both young and old. The mountain is a prominent site from almost anywhere in Cape Town There are numerous trails for the avid hiker to walk up the mountain; however, most visitors take the aerial cable car to the top. The car is quite different than most, as it has a floor that rotates 360° as it ascends the mountain. This way, no matter where you stand, you have an equal panoramic view from many different angles looking up the mountain, down to the waterfront and Table Bay, and vistas in each side of the mountain. If you prefer, you may sit or stand in the middle of the cable car and not make the circle. At the summit...
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From journal Wonderful Cape Town
Best of IgoUgoTable Mountain - Two Stories
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Table Mountain rises up south of Cape Town and offers great hiking trails and stunning views over the city and its surroundings. ** SEA DRAGON According to a legend, the mighty sea dragon Nganyamba tried to prevent Qamata, an African mythological figure responsible for the creation of the world, from creating dry land. Djobela, a one-eyed earth goddess, assisted Nganyamba. She casted a spell that created four giants to guard the north, south, east, and west. ** WATCHER OF THE SOUTH Many battles raged and eventually the giants were defeated. Before dying, the giants asked earth goddess Djobela to turn them into mountains to watch over the area. The Watcher of the South, Umlindi Wemingizimu, became Table Mountain. ** 50 MILLION YEARS...
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From journal Table Mountain, Devil's Peak & Lion's Head welcome you to Cape Town!
Climb Table Mountain, Get the Cable Car Down
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We decided to burn off some of the rich South African food by climbing Table Mountain. We decided to take the Platelip Gorge route. It is very poorly signposted – I wonder if this is deliberate so people use the overpriced cable car (ZAR 570). The start of this hike is off the Talfelberg Road, about 1km past the lower cable-car station. The Lonely Planet guide said that you have to be reasonably fit – I would argue that you have to be very fit. My sister is a triathlete, and she found it tough. All the usual advice applies – bring enough water, sunscreen, and a jacket.
The view from the top is worth it. It’s great to feel you climbed to the top of one of Africa’s best-known landmarks. We walked across the massif to Maclear's Beacon,...
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From journal At The Foot of Table Mountain
Best of IgoUgoTable Mountain
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Cape Point juts into the southern Atlantic Ocean and forms the tip of the peninsula’s rugged mountain chain, which stretches from Table Bay, soaring out of the sea to a height of 1,087m above sea level, dwarfing the high-rise buildings of the city and its surrounding suburbs. A scenic drive leads to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which offers hiking and mountain biking trails. The less energetic can ride the funicular to a lighthouse and superb views.
The Cape Peninsula’s most prominent feature, Table Mountain, has been a welcome landmark for travellers. Its impressive front wall, as well as the surrounding buttresses and ravines, is a spectacular natural wonder. The rock formations and twisted strata indicate turbulent geological...
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From journal Two Oceans ~ One Hope
Best of IgoUgoTable Mountain
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To experience Cape Town is to be cradled by earth, sky and sea. Table Mountain, so named because its top is a large plateau, rises 3520 feet above the center of the city. The mountain and its neighboring peaks, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, are part of the consciousness of the city in the way Corcovado is part of Rio de Janeiro. And like Rio, there are huge shanty towns on the outskirts on the city and beach culture is a big part of life.
This is one of the prime tourist attractions in Cape Town, and so I was a bit reluctant to go, being one of those people who take pride in getting off the beaten track. The steep vertical climb of the cable car to the summit is no joy ride for those who are afraid of heights. I learned on my way up...
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From journal Cape Town: A Paradise Complete with a Serpent
Best of IgoUgoMajestic Table Mountain
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Undoubtedly the most memorable and striking sight in Cape Town is the majestic natural wonder of Table Mountain, dominating and making a splendid backdrop from almost everywhere that you look in the city.
It’s flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east, the Lion’s Head and Signal Hill to the west, and the Karbonkelberg to the southwest. Further along are the Twelve Apostles, running south along the coast (through small beach-side suburbs like Clifton). (The best view of them is from a sailboat – there are various operators which you can book from the V&A Waterfront, like the Tigresse catamaran – (021) 425 5457.) Table Mountain looks for all the world as though its maker has sliced off the top of the peak, hence the name the Dutch arrivals...
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From journal Cape Town Pt 1 - City by the sea
Table Mountain
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This world-renown icon lies within the new Cape Peninsula National Park and forms a dramatic backdrop to the city. Take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway to get to the top (if you're not feeling energetic enough for one of the several steep walks up). The cableway runs every day (weather permitting). The mountain offers something for everyone -- magnificent views, hiking, serious rock climbing, incredible botany, birding, geology, and for the thrill seekers, absailing and paragliding.
The cable car is operational different times of the day. From February 1st to April 30th the first car up is 8:30am, the last car up at 7:30pm, and the last car down at 8:30pm.
If you figure on walking one way and riding the other, the cost for an...
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From journal A piece of paradise
Best of IgoUgoTable Mountain
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Table Mountain is among the world’s most familiar landmarks, rising in all its majesty above Cape Town and one of the first things we saw upon arriving. It is a nature reserve, providing spectacular climbing opportunities and a haven to dassies (hyraxes). This sandstone plateau is almost 2 miles wide and 3,560 feet above ground level at the highest point. The steep cliffs and rocky outcrops provide homes to a number of animals, including the ghost frog and rock monitor. The weather can be unpredictable; if it is clear and sunny, even though you had not planned to visit that day- VISIT. The next day the mountain could be covered with clouds.
There are two ways to the top, climb or take a cable car. Only the very daring and brave choose...
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From journal Cape Town, South Africa's Mother City
What Others Are Saying About Table Mountain:
- The Attraction
- Fantastic...great! - full attraction review at Yahoo! Travel
- The Views
- You have to do-it, realy beautiful views. - full attraction review at Yahoo! Travel
- The Views
- The revolving cable car shows you stunning views from the... - full attraction review at Yahoo! Travel