It’s unsurprising that Cape Town has been voted the world’s best tourism spot by the British and Americans. With its wide array of attractions Cape Town is perfect for everyone.

There are so many things to do in Cape Town

You can sample some internationally renowned wines and cuisine, ride a cable car up one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World -Table Mountain, tickle a cheetah behind the ear, paraglide off of Lion’s head (it’s a tall hill, not an actual lion) and then dance the night way on vibrant Long Street.

What?

 That doesn’t appeal to you?

Oh, you’re more of a water person, hey? That’s cool.

There are things to do in Cape Town for you as well.

Snorkel With Seals

Seals are adorable. Who wouldn’t want to dive in and have a quick swim with them?

Animal Ocean allows you to do just that.

Animal Ocean facilitates a unique day trip experience that guarantees it’s snorkelling tourists won’t only get to spot some seals but will have the opportunity to plunge in and witness them swimming and darting all around you.

info@sealsnorkeling.com

Shark Cage Diving

Maybe seals are too cute and cuddly for you. Well, Cape Town has Sharks as well.

The Great White Shark to be exact.

If it’s a thrill you’re after then shark cage diving in Gansbaai will give it to you.

Gansbaai is home to the highest concentration of Great White sharks in the world and where they filmed the famous Discovery Channel documentary Air Jaws.

sharkdiving-capetown.co.za

Swim With Penguins

Okay, back to cute and cuddly.

One of the most visited locations in Cape Town is Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. Boulder’s Beach is home to a colony of over 1000 penguins and is one of only 28 world sites where penguins are found.

So arrive nice and early, before it gets too hot, find yourself a shady picnic spot and spend the day penguin watching.

They really are a weird and fascinating bunch.

Learn To Kitesurf

A trip to Cape Town wouldn’t be complete without a Kitesurfing lesson.

Kitesurfing’s popularity has soared recently and you’ll struggle to find someone who doesn’t want to give it a go – simply because it’s tons of fun.

You’re surfing then you’re flying, then you’re surfing again. It’s epic.

Several schools have opened up along the coast so you’ll have no problem finding the closest one to you.

Cape Coastline Kayak

If you’re looking for a water sport with less hang-time then give kayaking a go.

Cape Town has one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. One of the most popular spots along the coastline is Three Anchor Bay.

Explore Three Anchor Bay and Table Bay with a peaceful row beside the soft white sand beaches and uninterrupted views of Signal Hill, Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.

There’s also a chance that the odd penguin, seal or even dolphin will pay you a visit. No sharks, though. Phew.

Contact: +27 (021) 439 1134 for more information

Check out www.capetown-watersports.co.za for more exciting things to do in Cape Town.

The New York Times has selected Cape Town as the Number One destination in a list of “52 Places to Go in 2014″! And most Capetonians would undoubtedly agree!

The New York Times said that by November 2013 they already had a “strong sense that Cape Town would be our No. 1 destination, but the subsequent death of Nelson Mandela made the choice all the more meaningful; the South African leader spent years gazing at the city (and Table Mountain beyond) from his cell on Robben Island.

Of course much has changed since then, and that is what we look for in a top pick: a destination that has its own transformative story to tell. From Rio (2013) to Sri Lanka (2010) to Beirut (2009), the places that land at No. 1 are chosen because at this moment there is a defining reason to go.”

In the section on Cape Town, journalist Sarah Khan describes South Africa’s Mother City as “a place to meditate on freedom, and the creative life that followed.”

Her piece opens with Nelson Mandela’s oft-used quote about how Cape Town inspired him and the other prisoners during their incarceration on Robben Island, with Table Mountain representing “a beacon of hope”.

Acknowledging that South Africa “has transformed itself since Mandela’s imprisonment, but there’s still much to be done”, the article highlights many of the fabulous projects going on in Cape Town right now, including that the city is World Design Capital this year, the upcoming Design Indaba conference in February, the Maboneng Lalela Project, Foodpods and the Langa Quarter project.

The piece concludes that “Cape Town is again reinventing itself, and the world is invited to its renaissance.” So tell your overseas friends!

Contenders in the Top 5 included Christchurch, New Zealand; North Coast, California; Albanian coast, Europe and Downtown Los Angeles, USA. One of South African expats’ favourite destinations, Perth, also made it into the Top 10, listed at number nine.

According to the New York Times, they “aim for a selection of places that we expect to be particularly compelling in the coming year; reasons might include a museum opening, a new transportation option or a historical anniversary. So even though cities like Paris, London and Tokyo are always exciting, they didn’t make the cut this year (though all three have appeared on previous lists).”

The only other African destinations in the ’52 Places to Go in 2014′ list were Namibia which did well at number 6 (“Africa’s latest conservation success story is a boon for travellers”); Addis Ababa, Ethiopa at 13; Laikipia Plateau, Kenya at 19; the Seychelles at 27 (although it’s not quite on the continent); and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania at 39.

The reason the list contains 52 destinations is so that there is one per week…but maybe after people visit number one, they’ll never want to leave!