Cape Town

Cape Town spreads beneath Table Mountain at the southwestern tip of Africa. Ships dock at E-Berth in Duncan Dock, a short walk from the V&A Waterfront, which has restaurants, shops and the Two Oceans Aquarium. The terminal offers free WiFi and a tourist desk. The City Bowl, the flat area between the mountain and the harbour, is compact enough to cover on foot, with the Castle of Good Hope and the Company Gardens both within reach. A cable car runs to the top of Table Mountain when the wind allows it, and the views from the summit cover the entire Cape Peninsula. The ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, departs from the Waterfront. Bo-Kaap, the neighbourhood of bright-painted houses on the slopes of Signal Hill, is close by. Day trips to the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine regions take about an hour each way. Carry your belongings close, especially after dark.