What do you consider to be the ideal vacation?

Spending time with friends and family while traveling to new locations?

Meeting intriguing people?

Thrilling activities such as hiking, horseback riding, or game viewing?

Long lunches in idyllic settings and days spent lazing on the beachfront basking in the sun? 

Welcome to the lovely country of South Africa, where you may genuinely have all of the above! 

Here are some of the best reasons to book a Cape Town flight  South Africa, dubbed “the world in one place” by many.

Reasons You Should Take A Flight to Cape Town

Beaches That Take Your Breath Away

From elegant Camps Bay (in the city center) to Boulders Beach, with its funny colony of endangered African penguins waddling around, Cape Town offers some of the best urban beaches in the world.

Long lengths of beautiful soft sand are caressed by waves that get warmer and warmer as you go north along South Africa’s Garden Route and KwaZulu-Indian Natal’s Ocean coastline.

When exploring South Africa, you can also explore exotic coral reefs as well as superb diving and snorkeling places.

Excellent Food and Wine

South Africa is the place to go if you’re searching for excellent culinary experiences at an affordable price. We strongly advise spending time in the Cape Winelands, the country’s indisputable “gourmet capital”.

Visit the stunning estates, taste award-winning wines in cool basements and vine-covered patios, and dine in world-class eateries. 

Enjoy a gastronomic vacation in the verdant hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on the country’s eastern seaboard in preparation for a pleasant stroll in the foothills of the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains. 

The oldest ‘foodie’ hotspot in South Africa is Cape Town. Craft beer, excellent coffee, exciting markets, and inventive eateries that mix local flavors with worldwide tendencies are all served with traditional South African friendliness.

Nature’s Splendor

You can view the beautiful Table Mountain from practically anywhere in or around Cape Town if you look up. It is Cape Town’s most iconic sight, standing 1100 meters tall and dominating the horizon around the city. 

If you become bored of seeing it from below, climb the mountain to get a unique viewpoint of the scenery. You can ride the cable cars up or hike one of the several paths that range in length from 3 to 10 kilometers to the top. 

Lion’s Head stands 670 meters above sea level, right across from Table Mountain. With only a 5-kilometer trek to the top, you may enjoy beautiful views while working up a sweat.

Are you looking for a shot of adrenaline? Book a tandem paragliding excursion from the top of the mountain to fly above the city, along the coast, and back.

Adventure in Every Direction

This city’s Lifeblood is filled with adventure. On a given day, you can hit the beach, climb, and paraglide off mountains, and if you’re very adventurous, you can go cage diving with great white sharks.

Numerous firms will gladly take you out to see one of the world’s largest marine predators if you travel to the Birkenhead Peninsula. Bring your GoPro, but be wary of the selfie stick. 

Try driving to Tsitsikamma National Park if cage diving with Great White Sharks isn’t for you. You’ll find plenty of other things to do there.

Bungee jump from Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s fourth-highest bungee jump, and then go kayaking, scuba diving, or mountain biking in the park.

Big 5 Sightings

The legendary “Big 5”: the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros may all be seen at the Garden Route Game Lodge.

Grab your binoculars and cameras ready for a stunning sunset safari in the back of an open Land Rover. Sunrise safaris are also fantastic, mainly if you spend the night and reap the benefits of the early morning hours when lions and other large predators are most energetic. 

Are you getting too close? Another fantastic area to continue your animal seeing is the De Hoop Game Reserve. This private game reserve is located on the well-known Whale Track, a popular trekking trail with whale watching along the shore.

Staying a night or two in reserve, accompanied by (non-predatory) wildlife, is even better. However, keep an eye out for the baboons.

Rich, Unadulterated Heritage

Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s most renowned liberties champion and former president, was jailed, is a must-see. This was utilized by the Dutch as a criminal jail before being used by the South African administration under apartheid to imprison social and political activists who challenged the government. 

You can stroll into the enclosure and see Mandela’s cell, where he served 18 years of his life. Stepping outside the compound provides a vista of Cape Town’s magnificent skyline, which is eerily out of reach. 

Returning to the central city, you can read about the struggles and sufferings of District Six, which was once the city’s spirit. While there isn’t much left in this place now, it was once a bustling district with over 60,000 shops and immigrants. 

District Six was established as a white-only zone under apartheid law, and by 1968, households had been forcibly evicted and transported over 25 kilometers to the Cape Flats.

Taking a strolling trip of the now-vacant neighborhood with guides who were evacuated in 1968 provides you with genuine views into what existence was like in the city for generations.

Don’t forget to stop by the District Six Museum for more information on how life used to be in the neighborhood.

Bottom Line

There you have it, the best top reasons to pack your bags and get your documents ready for your next vacation to Cape Town!

If you’re flying from Britain, you can quickly get to cape town via Middle Eastern airlines or Johannesburg with Virgin Atlantic from London.

Have a safe flight, and have fun!

Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.