Cape Town, South Africa – Where Two Oceans Meet
Cape Town in South Africa has become one of the top 10 travel destinations on earth during the past couple of years. It comes as no surprise: with a list of ‘must-sees’ longer than that of any other city in Africa and Christmas weather to die for, it’s the ideal destination during the bitter winters of the Northern half of the world.
One of the main reasons for coming to Cape Town is of course its numerous beautiful, white, sandy beaches. When the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is shivering under a layer of snow, those lucky enough to be in Cape Town is basking in the sun, sipping a South African beer.
Cape Town is an ideal family destination. Even if you have a baby in the family that need not stop you from having a holiday filled with fun in the sun. Fly in, rent a car, get baby-friendly accommodation and start to have the time of your life. For the baby’s sake, just make sure the car is fitted with a graco car seat.
Just to illustrate the level of sophistication of many guest houses in Cape Town: our family recently stayed in a guest house which even provided us with a spa baby so we could bath the new family member in the natural, upright position. Not all guest houses will have one of these – enquire before you arrive.
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.
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…