Cape Town in South Africa has become one of the top 10 travel destinations on earth during the past couple of years. It comes as no surprise: with a list of ‘must-sees’ longer than that of any other city in Africa and Christmas weather to die for, it’s the ideal destination during the bitter winters of the Northern half of the world.

A large percentage of tourists of course visit the city because of its pristine beaches. When their family and friends in the other half of the globe are turning on the central heating, they are tanning on one of the numerous sandy beaches.

Cape Town is an ideal family destination. Even if you have a baby in the family that need not stop you from having a holiday filled with fun in the sun. Fly in, rent a car, get baby-friendly accommodation and start to have the time of your life. For the baby’s sake, just make sure the car is fitted with a graco car seat.

Just as an example of how sophisticated Cape Town guest houses are becoming: a guest house where we stayed recently even had a spa baby where our baby could be bathed in the (more natural) upright position. Of course not every guest house will have one, but it pays to inquire before the time.

Table Mountain is another major tourist attraction of the Mother City. This massive, vertical wall of rock overlooks the city like a sentinel – forever attempting to protect it against the worst of the infamous South-Eastern winds sometimes hammering the city during summer. If the wind is blowing on one side of the mountain, you can be sure to find a quiet, wind-free beach on the other side! The view from the top of the mountain is stunning. You can take the cable car, or follow one of the established hiking trails.

Then there’s the V&A Waterfront, where you can enjoy a world class meal while watching a living harbor at work. And there’s the Cape winelands, where many South African export wines are produced. Another top tourist destination is the nature reserve of Cape Point. Here a cog-wheel railway leads to a lookout point where you can see two ocean meet: the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. A lovely restaurant, built into the mountainside, offers spectacular view of False Bay and the mountains of the Cape Peninsula.

It’s unlikely that you will have the opportunity to read a lot in Cape Town, but by all means pack your digital book reader. When everyone else in the family has fallen asleep, you can finish reading your favorite detective story while listening to the gentle sound of waves breaking on the rocks.