CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF THIS TOUR, WE MAY EXPERIENCE SOME QUEUING FOR THE CABLE CAR.

A cable-car ride up the World Heritage Site of Table Mountain is a highlight of any visit to Cape Town, and it is the centrepiece of today’s tour.

We will drive directly to the majestic Table Mountain where we will ascend to the top, weather permitting, by the new revolving cable car. The 5 minute journey will take us up to 1067 metres. Here we’ll see wild flowers and the famous silver tree, and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city and its beaches. On a clear day it is even possible to see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Our guide will give us a brief tour of the mountain top where we will also have the opportunity of exploring the paths and enjoying the mountain with some free time.

Table Mountain is famous for its extra-ordinary floral biodiversity, mainly fynbos. Table Mountain alone has over 1500 species of plants, roughly the same number as can be found throughout the entire British Isles. This National Park is the richest corner of the Cape Floristic Region and richest single floristic area in the world. We can expect to encounter dassies (rock hyrax) at the top of Table Mountain. The dassie is about 50cm in length and resembles a rabbit. The dassie however, is not a rodent and in fact, anatomically is a close living relative of the elephant.

The indigenous birds that can sometimes be seen are the Black Eagle, Rock Kestrels and Sunbirds. Not indigenous to the mountain, but certainly the most likely to be seen are the Red-winged Starling and Black-winged Starlings. These handsome birds nest on cliff faces so they are right at home among the steep crags of Table Mountain.

This tour involves a moderate amount of walking over relatively level terrain. There may be a few steps to negotiate. The cable cars are fully wheelchair accessible as they have rotating floors. It can be chilly on the mountain so it is advisable to bring a light coat or fleece. This tour is very dependent on the prevailing weather conditions. Strong winds or fog can cause the closure of the cable-car operation. A bottle of mineral water will be supplied.

TEXT IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PUBLISHING