Cape Town

Getting There

Fly into Cape Town International (CPT). Direct flights from London take about 11 hours. Within the city, a hire car is the most practical option — it opens up the Cape Peninsula, the Winelands, and the West Coast without dependence on an unreliable public transport system. Uber is available in the city itself.

Table Mountain

The flat-topped mountain that defines the city's skyline is climbable via several routes (the India Venster route is the most popular and takes about 2.5 hours up) or accessible by cable car. Go on the clearest day you have — the tablecloth (the cloud that rolls over the top in certain wind conditions) looks spectacular from below but ruins the view from above. The Cape of Good Hope is 70km south, accessible by hire car through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve — drive the entire peninsula, stop at Boulders Beach for the African penguin colony, end at the Cape.

The Winelands

Stellenbosch (45 minutes east) and Franschhoek (75 minutes east) are the centres of South Africa's wine industry, which produces Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, and Cabernet Sauvignon among the world's most interesting. The standard approach is to drive the wine route, stopping at five or six estates for tasting. Babylonstoren (farm, restaurant, accommodation) and Buitenverwachting are reliable picks. Franschhoek's main street has more good restaurants per metre than almost anywhere in the southern hemisphere.

The Food Scene

Cape Town's restaurant scene has emerged as one of Africa's finest. Test Kitchen (Luke Dale-Roberts, multiple years' best restaurant in Africa) is the headline act — book months ahead. More accessible: Pot Luck Club (same chef, more casual), La Colombe (Constantia), the seafood at the V&A Waterfront, braai (South African barbecue) at any opportunity.

Safety

Cape Town has severe inequality and specific security concerns. Drive rather than walk between areas. Don't walk in unfamiliar neighbourhoods after dark. Use Uber rather than street taxis. These are real precautions, not excessive ones — the tourist experience is largely safe if you apply basic common sense, but the city requires more awareness than most European destinations.