Cape Town Offers Infinite Variety

Those looking for a holiday trip to a city with every kind of interest could hardly choose a better one than Cape Town.

South Africa's oldest city enjoys a pleasant, dry climate and a spectacular setting below the apparently sheer crags of the flat-topped Table Mountain, over the brim of which the famous white cloud known as the Table Cloth frequently oozes.

The top of the mountain, which overlooks the central area, can be reached by cable car or a bracing climb and is just one of many great natural attractions of the spectacular peninsula, which includes the Cape floral kingdom, penguins, beaches and the awe-inspiring Chapman's Peak coastal drive.

Cape Town is also a place of history, with many museums, the most notable being the former Robben Island prison, which can be reached by boat, while there is a huge range of places to eat, drink and be entertained, several vineyards in the city and the nearby Cape wineries and sporting action at Newlands cricket and rugby stadiums.

Cape point and the Cape of Good Hope are a relatively short drive away and are well worth a visit both for cultural value and also for the varied wildlife to be seen. Often colonies of penguins and seals can be observed from the road.

Due to the city's unique geography, it is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere. Though the Cape's water ranges from cold to mild, the difference between the two sides of the city is dramatic. While the Atlantic Seaboard averages annual water temperatures barely above that of coastal California (around 13 °C (55 °F)), the False Bay coast is very much warmer, averaging between 16 and 17 °C (61 and 63 °F) annually.

While there is a crime problem in the country and the city, most of it can be avoided by acting sensibly and staying away from certain areas at certain times. However, crimes such as pick pocketing and petty theft do occur so it is wise for travellers to make sure they have good travel insurance policies to cover against any losses caused this way.

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