Heading back towards the Atlantic Seaboard, just past Hout Bay is Seal Island, which is well known for its Great White Shark spotting since the island is packed with the shark’s favourite meal. And if getting up close and personal with these toothy mammals is what floats your metaphorical boat, Gaansbaai offers shark-cage diving for those who want to see this magnificent creature in its natural environment. Other marine life that can be spotted around Seal Island include whales and dolphins.

Before a groan escapes your lips at the mere mention of the word “history”, let me assure you that I am not about to bore you with details of Jan van Riebeeck, but rather elaborate on places like Simons Town and Robben Island. Home to South Africa’s largest naval base, Simons Town is a hub of activity, with Boulders Beach being a major attraction. About 3000 African penguins waddle around in amongst the massive rocks and visitors are able to be on the beach and in the water with them – but as with most cute-looking animals, these little creatures are fierce and bite hard.

Many people will know of Robben Island as being the place where the world’s most famous president, the late Nelson Mandela spent 18 years imprisoned. The island has since become a major tourist attraction, taking visitors around to see the school, hospital, leper colony and military base that were there, as well as, most notably, Mandela’s actual prison cell.

Cape Town as a whole has a very warm summer climate, which invites some of the world’s best supermodels, photographers and actors to its shores. Many movies are filmed in Cape Town, so the chance of you bumping into an A-lister there is high.