Cape Town

Cape Town is one of the few large cities where the periphery is cosmopolitan and developed and the center of the city is actual wilderness. It's an interesting and beautiful variation on the usual city experience, due to the fact that Cape Town nestles up against Table Mountain (3563 ft. high), a wildlife preserve directly in the middle of town.

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with an average temperature range of 7-27 degrees Celsius. Generally the winter months are between April and August with summer being from September to March. Summers are warm and dry and winters cool and wet.

Cape Town is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Spectacular tourism attractions like beaches, the famous Kirstenbosch botanical gardens and rugged Table Mountain are minutes away from the city centre.

If you love nature, Cape Town has remarkable natural areas with brilliant hiking, birdwatching, whale watching, and all sorts of other nature-related activities and tourism attractions.

There are excellent sports facilities including many great golf courses, gyms, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools. Watersports enthusiasts can surf, swim, dive, waterski, watersurf, kayak or paddleski at one of the many beaches.

If you enjoy adrenaline rushes, Cape Town is a mecca for adventure activities from mountain biking to shark-diving and hang-gliding.

If you prefer more relaxed activities than you will appreciate the cultural side of Cape Town's tourism attractions. Superb museums, a planetarium, and the country's best art galleries are situated in the town. Township tours and street performers will introduce you to the "people's culture".

The city's cultural diversity is reflected in everything from the craft items and clothing to the restaurants, nightlife and tourism attractions.

The nightlife is the most happening in Africa, with clubs and pubs to suit all tastes. You can dance to any sort of music, even "kwaito", which is a funky township music related to reggae.

For other fun seekers, Cape Town offers a huge new theme park with roller coasters and water rides. Alternatively you can gamble the night away at Cape Town's casino.