Visit Cape Town

Cape Town is on the south-western coast of South Africa in the Western Cape Province.

The setting of the town is simply superb, with the sea to the front and table mountain rising behind the city. There are many highlights in the town, and at least a week will be needed to even begin to scrape the surface of the city.

Some of my favourites included:

- the vantage point on Table Mountain for some great views across the city and out to sea, and reached by cablecar. Nearby Signal Hill also has fine views across the city.

- the boat trip out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. The visit included a tour of the island, and a visit to the prison itself, and to see the small cell where Mandela spent so many years. I found this to be a very poignant place, given Mandela's crucial role in the long struggle against apartheid. the trip leaves from...

- the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, in the dock area of Cape Town. Based around the historical pier and tower, the Waterfront is a large, modern shopping centre also with various restaurants and with good views across the harbour. It is a popular eating, shopping and meeting place, and there is also an impressive aquarium in the complex.

- the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens were also very impressive. The gardens are best known for the proteas (impressive tall spiked plants with flowers that look rather like a birds head, but not in flower when I visited, unfortunately), but certainly very highly recommended any time of year for the stunning location and plant collection.

Coloured houses, central Cape Town

- I was taken to see Boulder's Beach a little way out of Cape Town. The beach itself wasn't especially exciting, but it was remarkable to see the large colony of penguins living in such a warm climate.

- also outside Cape Town it is recommended that you visit a couple of the vineyards and sample some of the very high quality wines produced in the region

- one amazing experience was at False Bay where we saw whales in the ocean...from the mainland, not a boat trip.

- the drive along the coast and down to the Cape of Good Hope was very lovely, albeit extremely windy on the Cape itself! The Chapman's Peak Drive, a little south of Cape Town, is particularly impressive as it hugs the cliffs along the coast (this is now a toll road requiring payment).

There are also numerous high quality beaches in and around Cape Town, with varying surfing conditions and temperature (some face the Atlantic and some the Indian Ocean). The beaches at Clifton in Cape Town are among the best.

There are certain considerations before visiting Cape Town, including potential security risks to be aware of, but a visit is very highly recommended.