By Georgina Cruz<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portuguese explorers Vasco da Gama and Bartolom\u00e9 D\u00edas came to South Africa during the era of discoveries from the 15th to the 17th centuries. And now modern travelers \u2013including us\u2014come lured by the playground with multiple attractions that is Cape Town, the most southern city of Africa, recently selected as #22 of the \u201c25 Best Cities of the World\u201d by the readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting point for safaris<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safaris are what many travelers associate with The Dark Continent and Cape Town is a popular starting point for safaris to nearby game reserves like Aquila, about two hours by car or excursion bus from the city) and to others farther away like Kruger National Park (excursions spending several nights in the park are available traveling by train or plane). These are experiences that my husband Humberto and I have enjoyed through the years, and that leave participants feeling they have lived adventures from the novel by Karen Blixen, \u201cOut of Africa\u201d made into a film with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Karen Blixen, by the way, once observed that “if there were one more thing I could do it would be to go on safari once again.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Cape Town safaris are easy to arrange. In Aquila, for example, during a full-day excursion by bus with buffet lunch including local specialties and fruits including delicious grapes from nearby wineries and a game drive in open-air safari vehicles, we have seen, in addition to exotic panoramas of savannahs and mountains, the \u201cBig Five\u201d: lion, elephant. rhino, leopard y buffalo as well as zebras, giraffes and many more animals. Unforgettable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City attractions <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in addition to the opportunities to go on safari, Cape Town offers many other attractions to travelers. A favorite place to start a visit is at its picturesque Victoria & Alfred waterfront which is a big draw with a ferris wheel, the Cape Wheel, and the Two Oceans Aquarium and lots of cafes with delicious seafood and views of imposing Table Mountain (with and without its \u201ctablecloth\u201d of clouds). Another \u201cmust\u201d is a trip up Table Mountain, Cape Town\u2019s most famous icon, surrounded by Devil\u2019s Peak on the left, Lion\u2019s Head on the right and Signal Hill in the foreground. The cable car up to Table Mountain was included with our hop-on\/hop-off ticket from City Sightseeing \u2013the bus dropped off at the cable car station. We ascended to the Mountain Station (3,500 feet high) in a Swiss-engineered Rotair cable car \u2013the journey up took just under four minutes, and the views were 360 degrees spectacular as the floor of the cable car rotates during the ascent and descent. From the summit, which forms a kind of amphitheater enclosing the city center and some of the older suburbs of Cape Town more panoramic views await as wells as also of the natural protected area stretching from Signal Hill to Cape Point. This area, managed by the National Parks Board, has one of the highest concentrations of endemic plant and animal species \u20132,285 plant species alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another must-see is the iconic Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel (it is a stop on one of the City Sightseeing Bus routes, or a short taxi drive from the Victoria & Albert Waterfront) to partake in the hotel\u2019s famous afternoon tea. A legendary hotel that was painted pink in 1918 for peace, it is located within a sprawling garden estate and boasts lovely and grand colonial architecture and a nostalgic, elegant ambiance \u2013all in the shadow of Table Mountain. Past guests have included the Prince of Wales, John Lennon (who was said to love to meditate in the hotel\u2019s gardens), Sir Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel\u2019s afternoon tea \u2013we love this civilized custom of afternoon tea\u2014features a buffet of delicacies and goodies including rare roast beef, delicate smoked salmon and creamy egg mayonnaise finger sandwiches, as well as sinful velvety chocolate cake, lemon meringue, and scones with cream and preserves. The tea is accompanied by classical piano music so Humberto \u2013an aficionado of the piano\u2014and I lingered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since we had an overnight in Cape Town it was also possible to enjoy dinner at the hotel\u2019s Lord Nelson restaurant, with tantalizing local specialties including West Coast Oysters, Springbok Loin and a guava mousse for dessert. It was a memorable \u2013delicious\u2014highlight during our visit to Cape Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Info: Visit https:\/\/www.capetown.travel\/. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Link to photos: https:\/\/1drv.ms\/u\/s!Aj3WYZizi6uq4BD1SWgPVS3ztg6N?e=WIhj2T<\/p>\n\n\n\n