Cape Town Voted 2nd Best City in the World to Visit in 2017

The travel experts at Lonely Planet have revealed their selection of the best destinations for 2017 that travellers simply cannot afford to miss… and South Africa’s stunning Cape Town features high up as number two on the Top 10 Cities list.

Lonely Planet describes Capetonians as being deceptively laid-back whilst working hard to “add cultural and culinary cred to the Mother City’s famous natural charms, cementing its reputation as an African city with a global outlook.”

The local gastronomy is described as being as impressive as the city’s famous Table Mountain; and the endless wine estates, hip markets and inventive restaurants are highly praised.

Lonely Planet predicts the art and design scene in Cape Town will be given a boost next September (2017) when the much-anticipated Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) is due to open, the largest of its kind.

Bordeaux in France won the coveted top spot (its “gastronomic revolution” being one of the reasons), with Los Angeles, USA, in third position.

Only one country from Africa made it into the Top 10 Countries list – and that’s Ethiopia (“as exotic as countries come”), at number 10. Last year Botswana was in the top spot. This year Canada, Colombia and Finland took the top three spots.

None of Africa’s wondrous locations made it into Lonely Planet’s Top Regions… but Namibia was selected as one of the Top 10 Best Value destination for those on a budget.

Namibia came in second, after Nepal, largely due to its dollar which Lonely Planet says has been depreciating in value thanks to being “pegged to the South African rand”.

There is also its awesomeness – from Etosha National Park, to the Fish River Canyon and the Sossusvlei Dunes; and “the great blue sky, contrasted with the clear starry nights”…

View the full lists: www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/