SYDNEY

Sydney   is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. It is on Australia's south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population. The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Captain Arthur Phillip. The city is built on hills surrounding one of the world's largest natural harbours, Port Jackson, which is commonly known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are prominent structures. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches, including the famous Bondi and Manly beaches. Within the city are many parklands, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

In the year ending 2012, Sydney received a total of 10.5 million international and domestic visitors, which injected $11.7 billion into the state of New South Wales' economy. Other attractions include   Luna Park, Darling Harbour, some 40 beaches and Sydney Tower.  The New South Wales Government operates two programs relevant to Sydney as part of the NSW Tourism Strategy, they are: Brand Sydney   and Visit Sydney. Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Sydney Harbour

It is the natural harbour of Sydney. It is known for its amazing natural beauty, and in particular as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The area around the harbour foreshore contains pockets of bush land which was once common around Sydney, containing a surprising range of native animals.

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most unique and famous 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour , close to the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic Australian image.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the main crossing of Sydney Harbour carrying rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD). The dramatic water vista of the bridge together with the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia.     

Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour was redeveloped from an industrial wharf to a major tourist and retail precinct in 1988, and is home to a number of major public facilities and attractions, including:

Darling Harbour

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Sydney's Chinese Gardens

Tumbalong Park

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

Australian National Maritime Museum (featuring museum ships including HMAS Vampire)

The Star casino

Sydney Aquarium

the IMAX theatre

Wildlife World

Hyde Park

Hyde Park contains well-kept gardens and approximately 580 trees; a mixture of Moreton Bay Figs, Palms and other varieties. It is famed for its magnificent fig tree lined avenues, a peaceful haven in the business heart of the city. At the park's southern end is the ANZAC War Memorial and a monument consisting of a 104-millimetre gun from the German light cruiser . The Royal Botanic Gardens are the largest of three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney. Admission is free and it is open to the public every day of the year.

Bondi Beach

Sydney's most famous beach attracts large numbers of tourists to Bondi throughout the year with many Irish and British tourists spending Christmas Day there. Bondi Beach features many popular cafes, restaurants and hotels, some with spectacular views of the beach and surrounding headlands. The beach itself is approximately one kilometre long.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park is one of the most popular parks in Australia. The majority of tourists to the Blue Mountains see the National Park from one of the many lookouts between Wentworth Falls and Blackheath, and many of these never actually set foot in the park.

Despite this, there are many activities for the visitor. Short walks to impressive lookouts above cliff and waterfalls abound. Overnight and longer walks allow access to some of the more remote areas of the park. Other popular activities include canyoning and mountain biking.

San Francisco

San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on theSan Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 63,632 at the 2010 census. South San Francisco lies north of San Bruno and San Francisco International Airport in a small valley south of Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, and San Bruno Mountain, east ofPacifica and the hills of the Coast Range, and west of the waters of San Francisco Bay. Most of the valley faces San Francisco Bay, affording bay views from higher levels.

South San Francisco has mild winters and dry cool summers. The hills to the west shield the city from much of the fog that prevails in neighboring areas. Population has tripled since World War II with the opening of such subdivisions as Buri Buri, Winston Manor and Westborough on the slopes west of El Camino. It has grown from 4,411 in 1920 to 61,824 in 2006.

Sign Hill, which rises to the north of the city bears large white letters that proclaim: "South San Francisco, The Industrial City," which refers mainly to the flat land east of the Bayshore Freeway (US 101). Locals often refer to the town as "South City," in much the same way that San Francisco is called "The City." People unfamiliar with the area often mistake "South San Francisco" as the southern part of the city of San Francisco. In fact, the city of South San Francisco is not even contiguous with the city of San Francisco, due to the city of Brisbane being between it and San Francisco itself.

San Francisco is   a tourist town. There are so many cool things to do in San Francisco, it has become one of the nation's top destinations for travelers. From the barking seals and seafood at Fisherman's Wharf to the cafes and bistros in North Beach to the gardens and museums of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco attractions have become brand-names recognized the world over. Our online San Francisco guide includes tours for those so inclined, as well as lots of information about the restaurants, hotels and nightlife that make a trip to the City by the Bay unforgettable.

Golden Gate Park

 Golden Gate Park is an oasis of towering eucalyptus trees and lush rolling lawns. This place is provide so many tourist activities like Rent a pedal boat on Stow Lake. This park has meander the paths of the Japanese Tea Garden. Visitors can enjoy exotic blooms in the Conservatory of Flowers. Golden Gate Park offers a multitude of activities. In addition to its vast natural wonders, the park also hosts sporting events, concerts, numerous festivals, and two world-famous museumsóthe California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museumóboth of which have undergone extensive recent renovations.

de Young Museum

it is situated in the heart of Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum primarily showcases American, Pacific, and African art. However, as one of the major art museums in the Bay Area, it also regularly hosts special exhibitions of some of the most well known art works in the world, such as the riches of King Tut and Impressionist masterpieces from France.  The top of the tower  is provide a  360-degree view of San Francisco’s rolling hills, the Bay, and the world famous Golden Gate Bridge.

Academy of Sciences

It is located directly across from the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is a small slice of heaven for science buffs. This  having recently undergone an extensive remodel, there are no more dusty dioramas here; in addition to a planetarium and natural history museum, visitors will find a rainforest habitat, an aquarium full of fascinating sea life, and the academy’s already famous ìliving roof.î The Academy also offers an adults-only experience every Thursday with music, drinks, and special themes.

Chinatown

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America, springing up in the mid-1800s as people from all over the world came to California seeking their fortunes. Though it was almost entirely demolished in the 1906 earthquake, Chinatown quickly re-built and continued its role as a center for the Chinese community in San Francisco. The streets of Chinatown are packed with open-air markets, souvenir shops, and the delicious scent of dumplings. For those who want a deeper look at Chinatown’s fascinating history, the Chinese Culture Center offers a Chinese Heritage Walk.

Haight-Ashbury

The home neighborhood of the original hippies, Haight-Ashbury is still a center of counterculture in San Francisco. In addition to head shops and tie-dye, the Haight is filled with vintage clothing stores, restaurants and cafes. Stop by Amoeba Records, enjoy a cappuccino, or pick up a stylish second-hand shirt while you soak in the 60s vibe.

North Beach

North Beach is the ìlittle Italyî of San Francisco, its rolling hills filled with gelato shops, pizza parlors and Italian bistros. Enjoy a steaming cappuccino or a slice of tiramisu at one of the many sidewalk cafes or soak in some sun on the grassy expanse of Washington Square. Those with literary leanings can find old beat poets' haunts, including like City Lights Bookstore and Vesuvio bar.

Cable Cars

The cable car may be the ultimate San Francisco icon. Featured in nearly every film set in San Francisco, these pieces of moving history have been running up and down the steep hills of the city since 1873. Today, three routes remain to take tourists and commuters alike back and forth from the waterfront and downtown.

Fisherman's Wharf

World famous for its fried fish, clam chowder, and the famous San Francisco sourdough and fabulous bay views, this international tourist hotspot also hosts Musee Mechanique, home to more than 300 antique mechanical items and games that still work. Get a roll of quarters and go nuts with Laffing Sal, fortune tellers, mechanical monkey bands, foosball, and 1980’s arcade games. Nearby sights include historic ships, Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Golden Gate Bridge

It is no longer the longest suspension bridge in the world, but the Golden Gate Bridge is certainly still the most famous. Joining Marin County to the City of San Francisco, the bridge has seen untold numbers of tourists and commuters across the water since its completion in 1937. Bicycle lanes and footpaths make the Golden Gate Bridge a great attraction for those who want a more leisurely experience.

Alcatraz

Alcatraz was at various times home to such famous criminals as Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Mickey Cohen. A guided tour of the prison reveals cramped cells and a creepy hospital wing, along with stories of fantastic escape attempts and the prison’s famous personalities. But Alcatraz is more than just a prison; it has been a lighthouse, a military fortification, and for 19 months between 1969 and 1971, it was occupied by Native Americans wanting to build an education and cultural center there. Explore its fascinating history while enjoying gorgeous views of San Francisco.

MIAMI

Miami  is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County. The 42nd largest city proper in the United States, with a population of 408,568, it is the principal, central, and most populous city of theMiami metropolitan area, and the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the United States, with a population of around 5.5 million.

Miami is a major center and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2010, Miami was classified as an Alpha- World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory.  In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked thirty-third among global cities.  In 2008,Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets and city-wide recycling programs. According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power.  Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America",  is the second-largest U.S. city (after El Paso, Texas) with a Spanish-speaking majority, and the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.

Downtown Miami and South Florida are home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and is home to many large companies both nationally and internationally.  The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, andbiotechnology industries. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World," has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world, accommodating some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is currently the busiest in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.

South Beach

South Beach is the most popular tourist attractions in Miami Florida located at east of Miami city, proper between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses all of the barrier islands of Miami Beach south of Indian Creek. The beach is the ideal place for a breath of fresh air beachstyle. It is perfect place for sunbathing, shopping or just watching people passing by on the beach. At night, South Beach comes alive with crowds dressed in party-casual chic.

Miami Seaquarium

The second tourist attractions in Miami you have to know is Miami Seaquarium. If you like beaches with luxury and party. The Miami Seaquarium located in the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is located near downtown Miami. It is the Longest operating oceanarium in the United States. In Addition to the Marine Mammals, the Miami Seaquarium also houses for Various fish, sharks, sea turtles, birds, Reptiles and manatees. The park offers eight different marine animal shows and presentations daily and attracts over 600,000 visitors per year. In Miami Sequarium you can swim  with the dolphin and kiss it.

 Monkey Jungle

The other popular tourist attractions in Miami is Monkey Jungle. The park is located in Cutler Bay at South 216th Street/Hainlin Mill Road near West 147th Avenue. This park has about 400 primates of 30 different species running loose. Guests walk through a series of tunnel cages. Its tagline is "Where the humans are caged and the monkeys run wild". It includes an Amazonian rainforest, the only semi-natural tropical rainforest found in North America. The zoo with a format very similar to the original, most monkeys had benign allowed to accompany you to roam around in it. You even can directly feed the monkeys.

Parrot Jungle

Parrot Jungle was a zoological park south of Miami. Parrot Jungle Island has more than 1000 animals and 500 species of plants. Here you can see all sorts of exotic birds fly freely in nature. Beside parrots and other birds, there will also penguins, orangutans, crocodiles, tigers and many others. This place is great, especially if you take your children for educational enhancements. you can see trained bird show at the Parrot Bowl, and an exhibition of reptiles, penguins, flamingos and other animals at the Serpentarium.

Miami Children's Museum

The Miami Children's Museum was founded in 1983 and moved to its latest location in 2003. Educational and entertainment exhibits are designed to appeal to children's curiosity and creativity. Interactive exhibits at the Miami Children's Museum include a variety of themed galleries that revolve around arts, culture, community, and communication.

The museum is located in a 56,500 square-foot facility with galleries, a 200 seat auditorium, restaurant, and gift shop.

Miami River Historical Jungle Tours

Here visitors will follow the Jungle Tour which provides an opportunity tolearn about history through modern facilities of Miami. Visitors will be brought to use artificial river boats and the scenery surrounding the model of Miami. The tour be held for two and a half hours and will be provided for consumption.

 Coral Castle

The other name is 'Rock Gate', located between Miami and Florida this place was built by a Latvian immigrant named Edward Leedskalnin who died in 1951. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones (mostly limestone formed from coral), each weighing several tons. It currently serves as a privately-operated tourist attraction.

new york

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. New York is the 27th most extensive, the 3rd most populous, and the 7th most densely populated of the 50 United States. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the west and north, and Quebec to the north. The state of New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.

New York City, with a population of over 8.1 million, is the most populous city in the United States. It is known for its status as a center for finance and culture and for its status as the largest gateway for immigration to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors.  New York exports a wide variety of goods such as foodstuffs, commodities, minerals, computers and electronics, cut diamonds, and automobile parts. New York City is the leading center of banking, finance and communication in the United States and is the location of the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume. Many of the world's largest corporations are based in the city.

Tourism in New York City includes nearly 47 million foreign and American tourists each year. The city is also home to many of the finest haute cuisine restaurants in the United States.

  

Main New York City Attractions

Statue of Liberty - An icon for democracy, Lady Liberty held up her torch to welcome immigrants to America over a century ago. It  is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad. n 1984, the Statue of Liberty was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The UNESCO "Statement of Significance" describes the statue as a "masterpiece of the human spirit" that "endures as a highly potent symbol—inspiring contemplation, debate and protest—of ideals such as liberty, peace, human rights, abolition of slavery, democracy and opportunity."

Times Square -   Times Square is a major commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Times Square – iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", The Center of the Universe",  and the "The Great White Way" – is the brightly illuminated hub  and one of the world's busiest walker intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.  According to Travel + Leisure magazine's October 2011 survey, Times Square is the world's most visited tourist attraction, hosting over 39 million visitors annually.  Approximately 300,000 people pass through Times Square daily. 

Formerly Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in April 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly erected Times.  

Empire State Building - The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan. It stood as the world's tallest building for 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's. The Empire State Building is generally thought of as an American cultural icon. 

 Central Park –  It is a public park at the center of Manhattan in New York City. The park initially opened in 1857, on 778 acres. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States and the park  receives approximately thirty-five million visitors annually.  The park offers several lakes, theaters, ice rinks, fountains, tennis courts, baseball fields, many playgrounds and other facilities. It is also home to the Central Park Zoo,  the Metropolitan Museum of Art and there are a number of enclosed playgrounds for children. Especially during the weekends, when cars are not allowed into the park, Central Park is a welcome oasis in this excited city.

The Museum of Modern Art - MoMA, as it's usually called, boasts the world's greatest collection of painting and sculpture from the late 19th century to the present, including everything from Monet's Water Lilies, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avigno, and Klimt's The Kiss to later masterworks by Frida Kahlo, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and many others.  It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world.  he museum's collection offers an overview of modern and contemporary art,  including works  of architecture and design,  drawings, painting,  sculpture, photography,  prints, illustrated books and artist's books, film, and electronic media.  Museum 's library and archives hold over 300,000 books, artist books, and periodicals, as well as individual files on more than 70,000 artists. The archives contain primary source material related to the history of modern and contemporary art. It also houses a restaurant.

Grand Central Terminal - Sometimes mistakenly called Grand Central Station, this is no simple train terminal. Grand Central Terminal is used by more than 150,000 commuters each day. This place refurbished in the 1990s, the terminal is a must-see attraction offering a variety of restaurants, shopping, and ample opportunity for people-watching. Grand Central Terminal is one of the greatest railway stations in the world. Grand Central Terminal is a beautiful   building in midtown Manhattan. First opened in 1913, Grand Central Terminal underwent a massive restoration to restore it to its former glory, and is now both a transportation hub, as well as a destination in itself for visitors to New York City.

World Trade Center site (Ground Zero) -  Since 2001 in the United States, especially in the media, "Ground Zero" is generally understood to mean the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.   The six-hectare (16-acre) work site that has emerged from the rubble of the twin towers has come to symbolize the dreadful events of September 11, 2001 when almost 3,000 people lost their lives.   Millions now come to pay tribute at the site and witness the devastation from one of the viewing sites.

The American Museum of Natural History - It is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world and it was founded in 1869. The American Museum of Natural History presenting exhibits to the general public in the Central Park Arsenal building more than 30 years ago, American Museum of Natural History has been devoted to bringing the public cutting-edge anthropological and natural history information and displays - profiling both the past and present. The Museum has extensive anthropological collections: Asian People, Pacific People, Man in Africa, American Indian collections, general Native Americancollections, and collections from Mexico and Central America.  The collections contain over 32 million specimens and averages about five million visits annually. 

Fifth Avenue -  This is lined with prestigious shops and is consistently ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Fifth Avenue as being the most expensive street in the world. This historic street is home to extraordinary museums, businesses and stores, parks, luxury apartments, and historical landmarks that are reminiscent of its history and vision for the future. There are enough over-the-top shopping opportunities on Fifth Avenue to satisfy everyone's taste. Women will love browsing and buying at stores like Bergdorf-Goodman, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Emanuel Ungaro, Gucci, Ferragamo, and Versace. Men can check out Bergdorf Men, Brooks Brothers, the NBA Store as well as the famous Apple Store. Place to looking for something shiny or sparkly such as jeweler to the stars, Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany and Company, Van Cleef and Arpels, and Fortunoff.

MONTREAL

MONTREAL

Montreal   is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the largest city in the province, the second-largest in the country (after Toronto) and the fifteenth-largest in North America. Originally calledVille-Marie, or "City of Mary", named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, or Mont Réal as it was spelled in Middle French (Mont Royal in modern French). The city is located on the Island of Montreal, which took its name from the same source as the city, and a few much smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard.

As of 2011, the city of Montreal had a population of 1,649,519. Montreal's metropolitan area (CMA) (land area 4,259 square kilometres (1,644 sq mi)) had a population of 3,824,221 and a population of 1,886,481 in the urban agglomeration of Montreal, all of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal included. 

French is the city's official language  Montreal is the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. 

Montreal was called "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle and recently was named a UNESCO City of Design.  Historically the commercial capital of Canada, it was surpassed in population and economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s. Today it remains an important centre of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, culture, tourism, film and world affairs. 

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS OF MONTREAL

The City Hall  - The City Hall  was designed by Perrault with an eye to the French Empire style of Napoleon III. Built between 1872 and 1878 it had to be restored following a fire in 1922.

Its hall of honor is resplendent with marble and bronze, and has a bust of Jacques Viger, Montréal's first mayor in 1833. It was from the balcony of City Hall that, during his visit to Canada in the summer of 1967. 

 The Olympic Park - The Olympic Stadium, at its center, holds between 60,000 and 80,000 spectators and is nowadays used for baseball, festivals, fairs and shows. Looking like a great seashell, the bowl can be covered over against the elements by a roof attached by cables to the mast looming above it. A platform at the top of the mast reached by a lift affords a magnificent view, in fine weather, over the city and its surroundings.

The Olympic Stadium, one of the most visited sports arenas in North America, is the home of Montréal's famous baseball team, the "Montréal Expos".

 Mont-Royal - Mont-Royal rises 233 m   above the city and is the green lung near the city center. A stroll through this lovely park enables the visitor to see monuments from Jacques Cartier to King George VI, to spend some time by the Lac-aux-Castors and to have a look at the cemeteries on the western slope where the city's different ethnic groups have rested in peace together for centuries. From the summit, or rather from a platform below the cross, there unfolds a magnificent panorama of the whole of the 51 km   length of the Île de Montréal and the St Lawrence. On clear days the view extends to the Adirondack Mountains in the USA.

Center Canadien  For Architecture  - This  is an attraction of a rather special kind - the Center Canadien d'Architecture. This quite exceptional museum, housed in an elegant post-modern building by Phyllis Lambert and Peter Ross, boasts an unusually comprehensive collection of architectural drawings and photographs, together with a library and archive.

The Center Canadien d'Architecture hosts a variety of temporary exhibits. The extensive Collection enables the CCA the be a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding, and widening thought on architecture, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today.

Botanical Garden North America's leading botanical garden, the lay-out of which is wonderfully imaginative. At the Jardin Botanique, visitors are drawn in particular to the Japanese Garden. The glasshouses too are exceptional, especially the displays of orchids and bonsai. The gardens contain in all some 22,000 species of plant.

The huge Arboretum covers 40 ha and includes approximately 7,000 trees and shrubs. Most of these bloom from May to July, with beautiful displays of rhododendrons and cherry trees. Visitors can learn about the trees and their roles at the "Tree House".

The Botanical Gardens also have ponds which support a variety of birds. Also on site is an Insectarium with live and mounted insects.

CAPE TOWN

Cape Town is the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. Today it is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa.

Cape Town is not only the most popular international tourist destination in South Africa, but Africa as a whole. This is due to its good climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure. The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably Table Mountain. Many tourists also visit Cape Town's beaches, which are popular with local residents. Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Though the Cape's water ranges from cold to mild, the difference between the two sides of the city is dramatic.

Both coasts are equally popular, although the beaches in affluent Clifton and elsewhere on the Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a particularly vibrant strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the beach at Camps Bay. Boulders Beach near Simon's Town is known for its colony of African Penguins. Surfing is popular and the city hosts the Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing competition every year.

The city has several notable cultural attractions. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, built on top of part of the docks of the Port of Cape Town, is the city's most visited tourist attraction. It is also one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Part of the charm of the V&A, as it is locally known, is that the Port continues to operate and visitors can watch ships enter and leave. The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which ferries depart for Robben Island.  It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to Hout Bay, Simon's Town and the Cape Fur Seal colonies on Seal and Duiker Islands. Several companies offer tours of the Cape Flats, a mostly Coloured township, and Khayelitsha, a mostly black township. An option is to sleep overnight in Cape Town's townships. There are several B&Bs where you can spend a safe and real African night.

Cape Town is noted for its architectural heritage, with the highest density of Cape Dutch style buildings in the world. Cape Dutch style, which combines the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Indonesia, is most visible in Constantia, the old government buildings in the Central Business District, and along Long Street. The annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, also known by its Afrikaans name of Kaapse Klopse, is a large minstrel festival held annually on 2 January or "Tweede Nuwe Jaar" (Afrikaans: Second New Year). Competing teams of minstrels parade in brightly coloured costumes, performing Cape Jazz, either carrying colourful umbrellas or playing an array of musical instruments. The Artscape Theatre Centre is the main performing arts venue in Cape Town.

The city also encloses the 36 hectare Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden that contains protected natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds. There are over 7,000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species of the Cape Floristic Region. In 2004 this Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other destinations within the province. The Cape Winelands and in particular the towns of Stellenbosch,Paarl and Franschhoek are popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and wine tasting. Whale watching is popular amongst tourists: Southern Right Whales and Humpback Whales are seen off the coast during the breeding season (August to November) and Bryde's Whales andKiller Whale can be seen any time of the year.[66] The nearby town of Hermanus is known for its Whale Festival, but whales can also be seen in False Bay. Heaviside's dolphins are endemic to the area and can be seen from the coast north of Cape Town; Dusky dolphins live along the same coast and can occasionally be seen from the ferry to Robben Island. 

The only complete windmill in South Africa is Mostert's Mill, Mowbray. It was built in 1796 and restored in 1935 and again in 1995. The mill is open to the public on one Saturday a month.

Approximately 1.5 million tourists visited in Cape Town during 2004, bringing in a total of R10 billion in revenue. The forecasts for 2006 anticipate 1.6 million tourists spending a total of R12 billion. . 

Attractions

Table Mountain (1087m/3566ft), the flat-topped hill to the south of the city center, is the great landmark and emblem of Cape Town. Its summit plateau is frequently covered by a layer of clouds, the "tablecloth". Since weather conditions here are very changeable it is advisable to arrange your trip to the summit, either on foot or by road, immediately when you see it clear of clouds. The ascent is rewarded by an immense prospect of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. On weekends Table Mountain is floodlit after dark. The best view, and the best place from which to take a photograph, is from the road up Signal Hill.

Table Mountain, built up from massive beds of sandstones and slates, forms the northern end of the Cape Peninsula. It is flanked on the east by Devil's Peak (1001m/3284ft) and on the west, beyond a wide depression, by the Lion's Head (669m/2195ft). It extends southward as a broad plateau and then falls steeply down to Orange Kloof (200m/650ft). To the east it rears above the suburb of Newlands and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; to the west, in the crags known as the Twelve Apostles, it looms over the bathing resorts on the Atlantic coast.

Situated as it is between the Atlantic and False Bay, Table Mountain has a mountain climate with high rainfall. Most of the annual rainfall of 1400mm/55in. occurs in the winter months, between May and September. Two reservoirs on Table Mountain (the source area of many streams) contribute to Cape Town's water supply. The particular climatic conditions have produced a varied flora (over 2200 species) and fauna. Sir Edmund Hillary, the celebrated climber, called Table Mountain one of the world's natural wonders. But it is threatened by soil erosion, the loss of native plants and invasion by alien species, uncontrolled bush fires and large numbers of visitors. In order to stop this deterioration the Table Mountain Nature Reserve was established, taking in, in addition to Table Mountain itself, Signal Hill and adjoining areas.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is an entertainment quarter with something of the atmosphere of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and London's Soho. It extends round two inner harbor basins, constructed in 1860, and named after Queen Victoria and her second son Alfred (later Duke of Edinburgh). Only a few years ago this was a rather squalid and rundown fishing harbor: it is now one of Cape Town's leading attractions, lively and bustling all day and much of the night. It now draws more than 13 million visitors per year, attracted by its numerous shops, jazz spots, restaurants and hotels, its two theaters (including the Dock Road Theatre, housed in a former power station), a drama school, cinemas and museums.

Wherever possible old buildings have been preserved and restored: a three-story warehouse has become a luxury hotel, a pumping-station and a former prison is now the Business School of Cape Town University. New construction is kept in the style of the surrounding buildings.

Castle of Good Hope

This is the oldest surviving stone building in South Africa, built in 1666-79 as the residence of the Governor and for the protection of the early settlers, though in fact the castle, which is in the form of a five-pointed star, was never exposed to attack.

The main gate leads into an inner courtyard. The range of buildings with an elaborate columned balcony, originally used for ceremonial and official occasions, now houses the William Fehr Collection. The collection includes pictures, porcelain, fine glass, ceramics and furniture of the 17th-19th C from South Africa, Europe and Asia.

Other parts of the castle can be seen only on conducted tours. Visitors are shown various prisons and store-rooms (in which archaeological finds are displayed) and taken up on to one of the bastions. Much of the castle is closed to the public, since it is the provincial headquarters of the South African army.

 South African Maritime Museum

The South African Maritime Museum, on the Alfred Basin, has sections devoted to the history of the port and plans for future development, the fishing industry, shipping lines and shipwrecks. The collection includes many ship models.

Also part of the museum are a number of old ships, moored in various parts of the harbor, which are open to visitors. In front of the comfortable Victoria and Alfred Hotel is the "Alwyn Vincent", a steam tug launched in Venice in 1859. The SAS "Somerset" is the only surviving submarine guardship in the world.