Cape Town has proved its place among the best cities in Africa and the Middle East following a Travel + Leisure 2019 survey, where readers were asked to choose their favourite cities they most enjoyed visiting.
Some of the most important criteria for survey participants were strong historical and cultural identity, beautiful scenery, a thriving food and shopping scene and lastly, world-class hotels.
Cape Town was listed by most readers as having all of the above and the Mother City was voted the number one city in Africa and the Middle East for the 18th time in a row.
“It is such a beautiful city,” said one reader. “There are so many things to do and places to see and experience. The people are incredibly friendly and make you feel welcomed, and the value is wonderful.”
Since 2010 Cape Town has been a firm favourite for Travel + Leisure readers due to the city’s breath-taking scenic landscapes, a collection of staple must-visit hotels. These include the Belmond Mount Nelson and Cape Grace, and more recently the Silo Hotel and Gorgeous George.
On top of this the city is highly rated for its culinary scene with a plethora of well-known chefs setting up their restaurants right here in the Mother City, from the Test Kitchen to La Colombe, attracting visitors from all over the globe.
The Mother City is also a hotspot from the arts perspective with fine establishments such as the Zeitz Mocca Museum of Contemporary Art Africa and the Artscape Theatre Centre who received an auspicious award this year for their efforts in social transformation through the arts.
Cape Town is not only constantly evolving with new unique establishment popping up seemingly everyday but it is also historically rich and home to the natural wonder Table Mountain that has attracted visitors long before its restaurants or museums.
One Travel + Leisure reader summed up how many feel about the Mother City saying, “Cape Town is like Southern California on Steroids! What an amazing place. The Atlantic Ocean nearby, and Table Mountain right in the middle of the city, make it a sight to behold.”
The other top 10 cities are as follows:
10. Luxor, Egypt
9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
8. Muscat, Oman
7. Essaouira, Morocco
6. Tel Aviv
5. Fez, Morocco
4. Beirut, Lebanon
3. Marrakesh, Morocco
2. Jerusalem
1. Cape Town
Picture: Pixabay
