It comes as no surprise that Cape Town in South Africa has become one of the world's prime tourist destinations during the past decade. First there is the climate: when people in the Northern hemisphere are trembling from the cold in their fierce winters, Capetonians are soaking in the African sun. But that's not all - the city also boasts a list of tourist destinations long enough to make most other cities turn green with jealousy.
A large percentage of tourists of course visit the city because of its pristine beaches. When their family and friends in the other half of the globe are turning on the central heating, they are tanning on one of the numerous sandy 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.
One of the guest houses we recently visited even had a spa baby where we could bathe our baby in the more natural upright position. Not all guest houses will have this of course, but it just shows the level of sophistication of many South African guest houses.
Table Mountain is another major tourist attraction of the Mother City. This massive, vertical wall of rock overlooks the city like a sentinel - forever attempting to protect it against the worst of the infamous South-Eastern winds sometimes hammering the city during summer. If the wind is blowing on one side of the mountain, you can be sure to find a quiet, wind-free beach on the other side! The view from the top of the mountain is stunning. You can take the cable car, or follow one of the established hiking trails.
The V&A Waterfront is another of Cape Town's tourist hotspots. Here you can eat world class seafood in one of the numerous restaurants, visit the luxurious shopping mall or simply stroll along the quay and watch fishing boats come and go. About 30km from the city you will find the first of many wine farms in the region. Here you can not only taste some of South Africa's top wines, but also dine while looking across vineyards stretching into the distance against a backdrop of blue mountains. At Cape Point you can view the meeting point of two of the world's giant oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic.
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...
