Destination South Africa - Cape Town

We're big fans of Cape Town ourselves, so we can understand why it's South Africa's most popular travel destination. For a start, it's one of the world's most beautiful cities - we rate it right up there with the likes of Sydney and San Francisco.

It's also the oldest city in South Africa, with a heritage going back more than 300 years. We just love the diversity of experiences it offers - including Cape Dutch homesteads, Georgian Houses, traditional dancers and the heady smell of the winelands. And, of course, all life in Cape Town goes on under the towering presence of its major landmark, Table Mountain. Not a bad backdrop for day-to-day life!

The architecture in the city is a delightful mixture of old and new. The modern influence is there in its extended seafront, skyscrapers and underground malls, but there is plenty of historic charm to be found in its museums and restored historical buildings which reflect the strong influence of cultures on the city.

We're always impressed by the colourfulness of Cape Town - from the flower sellers in the street markets and the traders at the Victoria and Alfred waterfront to the amazing collection of flora and fauna at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, it's a riot of colour almost everywhere you go.

We love the nightlife in the city too. The pubs, restaurants, clubs, cinemas and theatres are always full of life and conversation, and the new waterfront development is thriving.

When you want to get away from the city, a short drive inland brings you to Paarl and Stellenbosch, the home of South Africa's wine industry. We have very happy memories of strolling through the vineyards and sampling a glass of wine or two.

The Cape Town area enjoys a Mediterranean climate that produces lush and green golf courses, and whichever course you play the notorious Cape wind can be a major factor in determining the toughness of the challenge. However, if you do as we do and visit between December and April, the Cape's summer, you should manage to avoid the worst of the winds.