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Mother City splendour: Cape Town travel highlights

A visit to Cape Town always surprises tourists. Preconceived ideas about South Africa, which are usually negative, can be transformed in one trip to Cape Town. Cape Town is a popular tourist destination, offering travellers splendid holiday accommodation, activities, sights, and more. Travel in style, luxury or backpack – whatever your preference, Cape Town has the best of everything a tourist would want in a holiday destination. To follow is a brief description of the top, not to be missed attractions in Cape Town.

The first and most obvious attraction in Cape Town is the stately and historic Table Mountain. A visit to Table Mountain will allow you to take in the expanse and visual delights of the landscape. Enjoy a hike up to the summit of the mountain or take the cable car. Table Mountain is an impressive attraction and backdrop to this beautiful coastal city.

The city itself has many interesting museums and the castle is worth a visit. Take a day to enjoy the V&A Waterfront, where shopping is of a world class standard. The V&A Waterfront has some of the best cafés, restaurants and clubs. The aquarium at the waterfront is great for family visits. Visitors can also take boat trips from the Waterfront to see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during the apartheid era. Take in the culture and vibe of Cape Town’s Greenmarket Square, buy African clothing and souvenirs and enjoy exploring the artistic work that this cosmopolitan environment inspires.

Out of the city centre, take a drive to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where you can enjoy the indigenous plants of this region in a most magnificent setting. The Botanical Gardens are found on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The Gardens have cafés and galleries, healthy hikes, and in the summer, local and international music artists perform to sold-out audiences. Not far from Kirstenbosch you will find Groot Constantia, where you can try some Cape Town wines and enjoy culinary treats in some of the most historic Cape wine-producing farms.

To take in the wonderful wines of South Africa, a visit to Stellenbosch is imperative. Visitors and tourists can book a Wine Tour offered by the many different travel professionals in South Africa, or you can hire a car, and drive yourself. The South African Wine Region offers beautiful scenery and unique, exquisite wines.

The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve can be found about an hour’s drive from the city centre. The drive itself offers visitors the opportunity to see some of the best beaches on the Cape coast. The Nature Reserve is a top tourist attraction, as Cape Point lies within the boundaries. Cape Point is an impressive sight; it is the most southwestern point of Africa and where two oceans meet.

Cape Town is an interesting and beautiful City. There are many different types of people travelling to Cape Town to take in the city’s vibrancy, history and culture. The city is well equipped for tourist travel and offers excellent accommodation, activities and attractions, depending on your individual tastes.