Cape Town has beat rivals Cairo and Tel Aviv in the category of best African and Middle Eastern city.
Travel + Leisure magazine asked their audience to share the qualities they look for when choosing the best cities in Africa and the Middle East. According to The South African, most of the readers desire a “strong sense of historical and cultural identity” in addition to shopping, delicious food, quality hotels, and beautiful scenery.
The South African city of Cape Town checked all the boxes and took the top-rated spot on the World’s Best Awards for the 18th time.
The ratings were determined based on Travel + Leisure’s reader opinions on spas, hotels, and airlines. Landmarks, culture, cuisine, shopping and friendliness of locals were also determining factors.
Cape Town scored 85.86, which also got the city inducted as an honoree into the World’s Best Awards Hall of Fame.
The competition was close, with Jerusalem (Middle East) coming in second with a score of 85.46.
Marrakesh, Morocco came in third place with a score of 84.48.
Other cities on the list include:
Fez, Morocco – Score: 82.98
Tel Aviv – Score: 82.42
Essaouira, Morocco – Score: 82.10
Muscat, Oman – Score: 81.17
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Score: 81.16
Luxor, Egypt – Score: 81.03
If your curiosity about Cape Town has been piqued, here are reasons why they’re ranked the best city in Africa and the Middle East:
Hotels
According to Travel + Leisure’s statement: “Classic hotels as Ellerman House, Cape Grace, and the Belmond Mount Nelson (fresh from a major face-lift) have been complemented by the arrival of contemporary contenders like the Silo and Gorgeous George.”
Cape Town also dominated Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards in the category of Top 10 African Hotels:
10. Victoria & Alfred Hotel, Cape Town – Score: 85.50
9. Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town – Score: 86.62
8. Four Seasons Hotel, The Westcliff, Johannesburg – Score: 89.26
7. Table Bay, Cape Town – Score: 89.41
6. Giraffe Manor, Nairobi – Score: 90.00
5. One & Only, Cape Town – Score: 90.45
4. Cape Grace, Cape Town – Score: 94.35
3. The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Cape Town – Score: 95.06
2. Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg – Score: 96.63
1. Ellerman House, Cape Town – Score: 97.60
Arts And Culture
The 2017 launch of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town elevated the city to a major contributor to the art scene globally.
In the statement by Travel + Leisure, they say that “some things, of course, don’t change: the monumental Table Mountain and the rugged coastline around Hout Bay will always make this one of the continent’s most strikingly beautiful destinations.”
Cuisine
Cape Town has a range of restaurants, with two being rated as best in the world.
Foodies have claimed the 2010 launch of The Test Kitchen as the pivotal moment that sparked a wave of restaurant openings that have been attracting tourists for years.
Make your way to Cape Town and see for yourself why the Mother City is ranked as the best city in Africa and the Middle East.
