When the winters in the Northern Hemisphere become too much, many people now head to one of the world’s prime tourist destinations: Cape Town, South Africa. This city has turned into one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world during the past decade.
Cape Town is probably first and foremost known for its lovely beaches. When your friends and family in the Northern half of the globe are sipping hot wine to stay warm, you could be relishing the African sun on one of the city’s many sandy white beaches.
The Mother City, as Cape Town is often called, is an ideal destination for the family traveler. Even those families that include a very recent addition in the form of a baby will find that Cape Town is a great destination. You can fly in from numerous cities around the glob, rent a car and get baby-friendly accommodation all in a matter of hours. Note: When renting a car try and book one that’s fitted with a graco car seat for the baby.
Just as an example of how sophisticated Cape Town guest houses are becoming: a guest house where we stayed recently even had a spa baby where our baby could be bathed in the (more natural) upright position. Of course not every guest house will have one, but it pays to inquire before the time.
Another favorite tourist attraction of the Mother City, and one that you can hardly miss, is Table Mountain. This colossal massif juts out from the ocean to loom over Cape Town like a mother hen guarding her children. An open secret that all Capetonians know is that if the wind blows on one side of Table Mountain, you are sure to find a peaceful beach free from wind on the opposite side. The view from the top of Table Mountain is incredibly beautiful. You can either hike to the top or take the cable car.
Then there’s the V&A Waterfront, where you can enjoy a world class meal while watching a living harbor at work. And there’s the Cape winelands, where many South African export wines are produced. Another top tourist destination is the nature reserve of Cape Point. Here a cog-wheel railway leads to a lookout point where you can see two ocean meet: the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. A lovely restaurant, built into the mountainside, offers spectacular view of False Bay and the mountains of the Cape Peninsula.
It’s unlikely that you will get a lot of time to read in Cape Town, unless you do so when everyone else is sleeping. If you love reading, make sure to pack your digital book reader. Once the other members of your family are sound asleep, you can proceed to read your best-loved detective story while savoring the fresh sea breeze coming in through the open window…