Cape Town

You don’t just stay in Muizenberg for a brief spell. No, when you stop by this surfing town, you consider the white sands that welcome the enthusiastic embrace of the Indian Ocean, you think of the countless sun, sea, and sand activities (seawater pool and curvy water slide Super Tube, among others) your family will get to enjoy, and you plan your trip to include attractions like the Natale Labia Museum, Rhodes Cottage, the Toy Museum and Collectors’ Shop, and the Masque Theatre.

A gem of a village, where the salt of the sea has seasoned it with a refreshing tang; second-hand bookshops, craft stores, art galleries, and china shops accent the street’s picturesque charm. Everyday at 1pm, fishermen return from the sea, bringing their catch of the day. Haggling is a must, as much as having a lemon handy (believe us, you don’t want that fishy smell clinging to your clothes and your skin), then cap off the day with a relaxing picnic by the day.

Behold a land carpeted by wildflowers, where you can go biking on paths that hug a turquoise-blue lagoon; a land, where southern right whales sing and play. Breathe in the seaside breeze and admire the sight of birds from all corners of the globe, as these glorious creatures wheel and soar.

If swimming with great white sharks appeal to you, then you should set a course for Gansbaii. Danger Point Peninsula’s point of gravity, Gansbaii is a fishing village, which draws the highest number of tourists next to Kruger National Park. (Several tours offer truly exciting shark adventures, which you should join post-haste.) Just off the coast is Danger Rock, famous for being the place where HMS Birkenhead has met its doom in 1852. Now if you’d rather leave cage-diving with the sharks to them adventurous folks, there’s still the Pearly Beach, Uilenkraalsmond, and Stanford Cove to fulfill your sightseeing needs.

Geeky looking these birds may be but other than being fast runners, let’s just say ostriches aren’t exactly teeming with intelligence. This, plus other facts you’ll learn at the West Coast Ostrich Show Ranch. Tours are guaranteed to be informative and scenic, what with the Boland Wheatlands, Table Mountain, and Hottentots Holland Mountains creating the perfect backdrop for the ostrich lessons.

Give your family only the best in white-knuckle thrills at an amusement park that’s truly South African. Attractions include The Cobra, Monkey Falls, Tarantula, Crocodile George, Congo Queen, Diamond Devil Fun, Bar-One Bushwacker roller coaster, and many more!

For a historically enriching experience, visit Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap, a distinctive Malay neighborhood, popular with food connoisseurs with doctorates in street food. Quaint streets and pretty mosques make Bo-Kaap, a favorite location among the film industry bigwigs.

Visit this star-shaped monument and allow yourself to be immersed in military history, fine wine, traditional food, fine art, and furniture. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, this is the oldest building in South Africa.

The lush surroundings of Table Mountain’s eastern slope nurture a rich diversity of indigenous South African Plants. A 538-hectare garden gently shifts from landscaped slopes to natural forests and shrubbery.

After becoming a symbol of freedom, this former prison island now welcomes tourists with personal and insightful tours. You’ll need to book at least two weeks if you want to join a tour, which is usually conducted by former political prisoners. Trivia: Nelson Mandela was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison from 1964 to 1982.

Cape Town’s dining and entertainment center grew right on the waterfront. Take your pick among the numerous restaurants, bars, and cafes. Shop at over 240 stores and catch the latest blockbuster at any of the 17 (or more) movie theaters. Attractions include the Two Oceans Aquarium and Marine Museum.

For grapes and heady breaths of fresh air, go to the Winelands, just an hour’s drive outside of Cape Town. Be ready for the charms of picturesque villages and sight of towering mountains. Get going, free wine-tasting at these towns: Ceres, Tulbagh, Franschhoek, Paarl, Robertson, McGregor, Montagu, and Stellenbosch.

Lambert's Bay delivers nature and wildlife adventures involving pristine beaches, sea animals, and field flowers. When you’ve had enough of these activities, set a course for the town’s restaurants and diners that serve delicious helpings of seafood.

Catwalks aren’t just for models, at least not when Drakenstein Lion Park is involved. See wild cats strut their stuff on the 150-metre walkway, which extends right over the lion camps. The park is all about natural habitats and authentic surroundings, making sure the cats are able to live a quality life.

There are two ways to explore this magnificent sandstone mountain: easy or hard. The easy way involves a cable car, which translates to excellent vistas on your way up. The hard way, on the other hand, will have you trekking through stretches of rugged land, rich with indigenous flora. When we say hard, we mean 550 mountain paths, requiring every bit of your strength and commitment to finish this endeavor.

As for the mountain’s moods, it will be prudent for you to note her off days. Be careful when the wind comes a-blowing, as voluminous clouds are bound to cover her (the mountain) tabletop. On either side, she is guarded by the Devil’s Peak and a Lion’s Head.