Africa is a rich continent with vast, captivating locations and cultures. You can experience wildlife safaris in all their beauty, stunning waterfalls and vibrant foods and lifestyles. Africa will embrace you like a warm hug from all your favourite people combined.

Now that we’ve painted the perfect picture, where to first? While so much choice can be exhilarating, it can also be overwhelming. We’re here to give you some suggestions!

Two words. Cape Town.

Cape Town is the oldest and capital city of South Africa, known for its harbour and breathtaking landmarks, it’s the perfect first stop on your lifelong tour of Africa. And if you’re still umming and arring, you’ll be reassured to know that it has repeatedly been voted one of the best cities in the world to visit by international travellers.

Here are a few places to check out while you’re there:

Bo Kaap

Who doesn’t love an Instagram photo op? You’ll have plenty of photo backdrops in Bo Kaap. The history of Bo Kaap dates back to the 1760s, when rental houses were built and leased to slaves. A lot has changed since then but the bright vibrancy of this neighbourhood certainly hasn’t. The houses are a mixture of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture, characterised by multi-coloured rows on cobbled roads. The bright colours can be attributed to the fact that when leased, all the houses had to be white, so when slaves were finally allowed to buy property, they celebrated by truly making their homes their own. If soaking up all that history makes you hungry, you can feast at one of Bo Kaap’s many Cape Malay restaurants.

V&A Waterfront

For the ultimate relaxing day out in Cape Town, visit the V&A Waterfront. It’s the perfect place to shop, eat out and enjoy the scenic views of the city. Named after Queen Victoria and her second son, Alfred, it is the country’s oldest working harbour and attracts more than 23 million visitors each year. If you’re looking to soak up some of the beautiful art Africa has to offer, you can visit the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, the largest museum of its kind in the world. Aside from that you can take a historical tour around the4 harbour, visit Two Oceans Aquarium and catch a ferry to Robben Island!

Robben Island

Robben Island is known for its prison that housed many political prisoners before the fall of apartheid. Most notably, Nelson Mandela served 18 of his 27 years imprisonment there. Since then tourists have flocked to the island to get a glimpse of its history. The museum is the perfect place to really learn about the island, and you can take in its breathtaking beauty through organised tours.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain is one landmark you literally can’t miss, no literally! At the top of the mountain you get to see the breathtaking landscape of the entire city, take it all in and enjoy the landmark’s unique biodiversity.