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Shopping
in Cape Town and Area With the current exchange
rate of 8 Rand to 1$ US it is a good time for
visitors to go on a shopping spree while enjoying
the attractions of Cape Town and area. Here's part
of what Cape Tourism has to say. There's more on
their web site (below). 'Shopping till you drop' is
not an uncommon phenomenon in Cape Town, where your
hunt for that special something can lead you on a
trail right around the mountain and
back... Saturday, Sunday or
week-day, plot a course that includes such retail
pleasuredomes as the Victoria Wharf at the V&A
Waterfront complex and Cavendish Square in the
leafy Southern Suburbs. One should not, of course,
forget the enormous Tyger Valley Centre and the
opulent Somerset Mall - a short drive from the city
centre. Victoria Warf at the
Victoria and Albert Waterfront offers world-class
shopping. Cape Town is famous for its
beautiful antiques - from art nouveau jewellery to
rare books and precious objets - which can be
discovered in the stalls along paved Church Street,
or behind the shop fronts of the original Victorian
buildings lining Long Street and its surrounds. A
block or two further, the dazzling colours,
textures, smells and sounds of Greenmarket Square,
the city's favourite fleamarket, enthrall all who
experience it. Weekday or Saturday,
Greenmarket Square is great for
browsing. The cosmopolitan city centre
is alive with informal markets and pavement
traders, selling a vast array of bargain items,
original curios and collectables, clothes and food.
The sound of djembe drumming or children singing
often fills the air, giving one the sense that this
is, indeed, the heart and soul of Cape
Town. Don't forget to drop in at
Heritage Square for a stylish rendezvous, or the
Pan African Market and other specialist African art
stores such as African Image for the best
indigenous craftwork. After stopping for a breather
or quick espresso at one of the many little coffee
shops lining the streets, continue your hunt for
collectable wines, jewellery or ostrich leather
goods - all to be found in close proximity to most
hotels. You may want to visit the
Khayalitsha Craft Market - for a range of uniquely
crafted items - or the Philani Flagship Project in
Crossroads for hand-printed fabric. For further
details contact Cape Town Tourism. Shopping in the city is
essentially on foot, but, if you don't have a car
at your disposal, getting to any of the malls or
larger centres is as easy as hopping onto a taxi,
bus or train. Cape Town Tourism:
http://www.cape-town.org Photos at top of page:
(Cape
Views)
Selwyn Davidowitz, I Love Cape
Town |
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Retail
therapy is one of Cape Town's favourite pastimes,
enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike,
mesmerised by the sheer variety of goodies to be
purchased. One of the best things about shopping
here, however, is the enjoyment to be had from
browsing itself - the city's intricate streets,
enticing markets and cool, glamourous malls offer a
splendid way to wile away entire days! 