I'm not sure this review will show just how much I loved Cape Town. I am so glad I saved this city for last in my tour of Africa because it left me with such a great impression of the continent, which is exactly what I wanted.

The first thing I noticed upon arriving in Cape Town is the weather. What wonderful weather they have there. Its warm, almost hot, but with low humidity and a good strong breeze to keep you cool. This is my favorite kind of weather. And because it is so close to the oceans it doesn't get too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. Nice.

The city itself feels like it could be anyplace in America. Everyplace else we visited felt like Africa. Cape Town felt like home. So much so that I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't in the US.

Cape Town takes the best aspects of many North American cities and rolls them into one. The overall feel of the city reminds me a lot of Miami: kind of a warm, party, beach town. Add to that the harbor of San Francisco, the weather of Los Angeles, the mountains of Boulder, the history of Philadelphia, and the friendly cultural mix of peoples like in Toronto and you have a quintessential American city located where you'd least expect to find it, at the southern tip of the African continent.

We stayed in the Clifton Beach area, which is a more upscale part of town. The beaches themselves are small coves between large masses of rock. The water is an inviting blue-green. That is until you stick your toes in it and realize just how cold it is. That's OK. The sand still feels nice.

The largest tourist area of the city is the Victoria and Albert Waterfront where they cleaned up the old harbor, lined it with shops, hotels, restaurants, and boating activities. It reminded me a lot of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, only MUCH larger. The V&A Waterfront has three or four shopping malls, each with a slightly different personality. The largest was a typical mall like you would find in any American city. Next door is an old warehouse converted into a marketplace where locals can sell their wares. Across the water a bit is a smaller and more upscale mall. It would take days to explore just the waterfront alone and we found ourselves coming back here several times.

The downtown is a mix of older colonial buildings and modern high-rises. It is clean with a good bit of open space. The best way to see the city is to take the topless double-decker bus. The loop around the city takes about 2 and ½ hours and during that time the tour guide gives you details about the things you are seeing. The best part is that you don't have to do all 2 and ½ hours at once. It operates like a regular bus, meaning you can get off ay any of the 20 or so stops, look around, and then catch the next bus to continue your tour. You could easily spend an entire day seeing the city this way. Just remember there's no roof to provide shade so wear your sunscreen.

Another great day-trip is a tour of the Cape Peninsula, which takes you down to the Cape of Good Hope. Along the way you can stop for a boat ride to see the seals in Houts Bay, drive the very scenic Chapman's Peak Drive, climb to the lighthouse at the cape itself, visit the penguins in Simon's Town, and swim in the warmer waters of False Bay. Group tours are an OK way to do this trip, but if you can afford it, take a private tour or drive yourself so you can spend as much time as you want at the places that interest you.

We spent three nights in Cape Town but could have easily spent a week or more. No matter how long you stay, you want to stay longer. And to make sure you leave with a good impression, the Cape Town Airport is probably the nicest airport I've ever visited. It's a wide-open, modern facility with an extremely welcoming staff. Even the workers at security were surprisingly friendly and upbeat. And because its not a hub, there aren't huge crowds pushing from one plane to another.

Overall I just can't say enough about Cape Town. Even though it is halfway around the world, I will definitely find a way to go back some day.