Cape Town Travelers Recommend

Outdoor adventure can be found all over Cape Town. Whether you're an animal lover or adrenaline junkie, a surfer or a cyclist, you'll certainly find something fun to do during your stay. Take a running, cycling or walking tour of the city to see its most significant sites, including 3,558-foot (1,084-meter) Table Mountain. This towering landmark is a popular spot for hiking and mountain biking. Wildlife enthusiasts have a host of game and nature reserves to choose from in their quest to see Africa's Big Five, while the Big Cat Sanctuary offers insight into the country's feline inhabitants, with a chance to observe lions, Bengal tigers, caracal and leopards. Meanwhile, the Atlantis Dunes, 30 minutes outside of Cape Town, set the scene for two more land-based adventures: quad biking and sandboarding. Cape Town also has plenty of aquatic adventures on the menu, including sea kayaking and surfing.

Perhaps the best way to start getting to know Cape Town is from the top of Table Mountain. It’s best to ride the cable car here when the sky is clear, or else your view will be of clouds! Head to the V&A waterfront, with its swish collection of boutiques, restaurants and popular aquarium, and pick up the hop-on hop-off bus to get from A to B. See the surfers catch mighty waves at Camps Bay, behind Table Mountain, or learn the basics with a surfing lesson at Big Bay. Other good beaches for swimming and surfing include the yachties’ favorite Clifton and family-friendly Hout Bay. You have to see Africa’s wildlife while you’re in Cape Town, and the Aquila Game Reserve is the place to do it. Horseback, Jeep and quad-bike safari tours highlight the famous elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and mountain leopard sightings, but you’ll also see wildebeest, zebras and giraffes.