Vibrant, diverse, colourful and captivating are just some of the adjectives that describe this beautiful city. Set at the edge of the cold Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Cape Floral Kingdom (a World Heritage Site) and adorned with a world-renowned landmark, Table Mountain, Cape Town offers visitors and locals a multifaceted experience. Its not surprising then that Cape Town has been awarded so many accolades:
· 3rd Best City In The World – US Travel And Leisure July 2008
· Best City In Africa & Middle East – US Travel And Leisure July 2008
· 4th Top City In The World – Conde Nast Readers’ Choice October 2008
· Best City In Africa & Middle East – Conde Nast Readers’ Choice October 2008
· 3rd Best City In The Top 10 World Food Cities – Lonely Planet Blue List 2008
· Best Destination, Africa – World Travel Awards May 2008
· Best City To Live In, Africa & Middle East – Mercer Quality Of Living Survey 2008
· One Of The “Places Of A Lifetime” – National Geographic Traveler, July 2008
· One Of The World’s Most Sustainable Cities – Ethisphere Institute, Sept 2008
· Boulder’s Beach: World’s Best Family Beach – UK Telegraph March 2007
· Cleanest City In SA – DEAT Annual Cleanest Metro Awards March 2007
· #1 Uk Long Haul Destination – UK Trends And Spends Survey 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
· One Of The World’s 5 Bluest Sky Destinations – Expedia.co.uk July 2006
· Favourite Foreign City – UK Telegraph 2004, 2005
· Ideal Travel Destination – Markinor-Sunday Times Top Brands Survey 2005
· Africa’s Leading Destination – World Travel Awards 2008
· Best Tourism Investor City of the Year – AI Tourism Investor Awards 2009
Cape Town offers a diverse menu for everyone: from extreme outdoor adventure activities to the quiet indoors, from budget backpacker accommodation to ultimate 6 star luxury, from cultural to theatrical entertainment and vast gastronomic experiences accompanied by some of the best wines in the world. Cape Town is a destination that for a traveller requires an absolute minimum of 3 nights stay to be able to grasp its diversity.
Cape Town is a popular venue for many international sports events such as the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Race (109km road race), Two Oceans Marathon (56km), the start of the ABSA Cape Epic Mountain Bike Challenge (800km over 8 days with approx 16 000m of climbing!) and the start of the biannual Cape to Rio Yacht Race. Cape Town hosted the 2005 Rugby World Cup and 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. Cape Town is also host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place from 11 June to 11 July 2010. South Africans in general are great sport enthusiasts and Capetonians certainly play their part in this role.
Generally Capetonians are known by the locals of other South African cities to be very laid back and easy going. Compared to the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg for instance where life is upbeat, fast and social, things happen in order and on time. Well, mostly, we need to keep in mind that this is Africa after all! All in all, South Africans are known to be very friendly and welcome travellers from all over the world.
Cape Town is an excellent gateway to the rest of southern Africa and a visit here can be combined with world-renowned wildlife safari destinations such as Sabi Sands Game Reserve west of the Kruger National Park, the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the malaria free Eastern Cape game reserves. Amongst other travel options to combine with your visit to Cape Town is a desert wilderness experience in Namibia or a luxury tropical beach experience in Mozambique.