Exploring Cape Town

Photo from Flickr by: Blyzz

**Guest post by: Naida J. Ally**

Cape Town has fast become a popular choice for travelers and holiday-makers alike. Relishing in a subtropical Mediterranean climate, this southern hemisphere destination harbours dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters. Check out My destination Cape Town for more general information about flights, when to go and where to stay.

Offering a cosmopolitan vibe against a backdrop of natural beauty, it’s the perfect place to sample the uniqueness of South Africa from a focal and accessible point. Being that it is surrounded by both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, one of the most notable factors of Cape Town is its proximity to a number of beaches within easy reach of the centre. Each offering their own individual natural beauty, whatever your ideal beach experience, you will find it somewhere along the two coast lines. The options range from tucked away bays, with reefs and rock formations to explore and a variety of diving opportunities in which to part-take, or the more traditional stretches of sandy beach on which to bathe on hot afternoons and to stroll along to a backdrop of picturesque skies at dusk.

Adventurous types will find an eclectic mix of heart racing activities, such as bungee jumping at Bloukrans, which boasts the highest commercial jump in the world at 216 metres. There are also a number of Mountain and Quad Biking trails along the Western Cape, and Paragliding for the more experienced thrill seeker. For a truly unique experience, Klein Karoo which is 4 hours outside of Cape Town, offers Ostrich riding. Perhaps not the most conventional of sporting activities, it is certainly one not to be missed. Another more controversial activity would have to be Shark cage diving at Mossel Bay Harbour, where you are literally met face to face by a great white shark with only a metal cage between yourself and its notorious jaws! For those looking for a less frightening holiday experience, Cape Town is full of exquisite cultural history and nature. The Cape Point Nature Reserve has glorious views over 7000 hectares of land, housing baboons, the Cape mountain zebra and hundreds of species of exotic birds.

Cape Town is also renowned for is gastronomy, and those who enjoy eating game will be in their element. Cape Town cuisine heavily features meats like springbok and kudu (a type of antelope) which you can find in all traditional restaurants. Recommendable places to eat are Azure, Zenzera, On the Rocks and Moyo, although this list is in no way exhaustive. Along with being famous for game, Cape Town is also known for its wine, and enthusiasts might want to swing by a wine tasting at Franschock Wine Valley to sample the local offerings and get a feel for the wine making process. One word of advice though- it’d probably be wise to steer clear of shark cage diving afterwards- the wine is notoriously strong!

Aaron Bradford has written 512 articles. +Aaron Bradford is the leader, mentor and chief geek of HappyTimeblog. He put together the crack team of writers known by codename “The Firm“. He's a permanent traveller and a lifestyle hacker. Wanna know more? Check out my Bucket List or my About page... I'm here to show you how to live a Life Less Ordinary