There are a few things you immediately notice when arriving in Cape Town. The first is Table Mountain an omnipresent, flat-topped massif rearing up above the Atlantic seaboard, wrapping itself around the city, presiding over everything with reassuring solidity.
The second is that the city centre itself is relatively small, spread across a mere handful of blocks. This compactness is less by design and more a physical necessity. Cape Town started out as a halfway station for Dutch and Portuguese spice traders on their way around the southern tip of Africa to India in the 1600s. Ideally placed, it sprung up sandwiched between the sea and that huge massif.
To grow, the city had to spill out into neighbourhoods beyond the foothills of Table Mountain. Each has retained its own distinct personality, while remaining indelibly part of the city. There's Observatory's chilled hippy vibes; recently gentrified Woodstock; the beach resort feel of Camps Bay; the sleepy coffeeshops of Sea Point; and the genteel bohemia of Hout Bay - all within easy reach of the centre.
The other thing you can't help but notice is the lived reality of its inhabitants. Cape Town is still grappling with a history of segregation, economic hardship and rumours of ongoing government corruption. There's the omnipresent load-shedding (regular scheduled power cuts stemming from poor infrastructure) and Covid-19 has left vivid scars in the tourism industry, from which it's still recovering.
For better or worse, little of this filters down to the visitor's experience. The city remains perennially popular with international travellers, and for good reason. The people are unflappably friendly and welcoming, eager to share and show off their city's staggering natural beauty.
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Dianne Whelan
THOUGH NOT A SEASONED HIKER TO BEGIN WITH, THE FILMMAKER BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE THE WORLD'S LONGEST TRAIL NETWORK
NIGERIA
The country's many communities come together over hearty meals with plenty of heat
Katie Hale
A VOYAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE CONTINENT IS BOTH A DREAM COME TRUE AND A CALL TO ARMS, TO PROTECT OUR ICY POLES AND, IN TURN, OUR PLANET
WILTSHIRE
BEYOND THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE HAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE ANCIENT SITES, GIANT CHALK HORSES AND COSY PUBS IN HISTORIC VILLAGES
BATH
Thermal baths and Regency heritage have put this Somerset city firmly on the travel map - and this year the spotlight will be on former resident and literary great Jane Austen, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of her birth
GRANADA
In this Andalucian city, flamenco is an art form as well as a way of life not just for traditional dancers and singers but also for hip-hop stars, classical guitar legends and street artists
India's Golden Triangle
LINKING DELHI, THE TAJ MAHAL AND THE PINK CITY OF JAIPUR, WITH DETOURS FOR TEMPLES AND TIGERS, THIS IS THE PERFECT ROUTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS. WORDS: POOJA NAIK
FORGED BY FIRE
A SUBTROPICAL ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC, MADEIRA HAS RUGGED VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS THAT RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS, NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS DOWN AT SEA LEVEL AND MORE THAN 1,900 MILES OF HISTORIC AQUEDUCTS TRACING THE LANDSCAPES IN BETWEEN
ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
A KAYAKING EXPEDITION THROUGH NORWAY'S LOFOTEN ISLANDS OFFERS WHITE-SAND BEACHES, ROYAL ENCOUNTERS AND THE CHANCE TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER VIKING
the RETURN
ON A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA'S KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, AN UNLIKELY CREATURE IS MAKING A TENTATIVE COMEBACK - AND VISITORS ARE OFFERED A GLIMPSE INTO THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE IT AND OTHER NATIVE WILDLIFE
