You've decided! Cape Town South Africa will be your destination for this vacation but you are stuck for ideas about the "must see" attractions and those that are "if you have time".

Let me help you get to know Cape Town a little better and get a feel for this magnificent city at the foot of Africa, so that you can plan your vacation the way you want it - seeing and doing things that interest you, whilst still seeing all you want to see by way of culture and diversity.

Let me start with a quick potted history of how Cape Town came into being. It's worth the telling, as it instantly begins to fill in the background colour of this multi-cultural melting pot.

Europeans first discovered the safe harbour and fresh watering hole on their journeys along the Spice Route to the Indies and it became a vital stopping-off point, where the sailors established a thriving trade with the local San bushmen and Khoikhoi tribes people.

Some two hundred years on, the Dutch East India Company decided to set up a post to service the Company's ships, grow food for the men and build a hospital. Jan Van Reibeeck built a fort in the comforting shelter of the best known "flat topped" mountain, Table Mountain and established a vegetable garden to feed the inhabitants and nourish the Company's sailors on their long journeys to and fro between the Indies and Europe.

Of course the settlement thrived in the fertile lands and spread into the surrounding countryside, with some of the servants permitted to become farmers allowing increased supplies of fresh food to be grown.

Vines were also planted at this time, due to the similarities with the wine growing regions of France, where the fertile soil and convivial weather conditions combine to produce what is today one of Cape Town's biggest export success stories.

A visit to Cape Town is not complete without a visit to the wine growing area of Constantia where the mighty Governor Simon Van der Stel built some of the most beautiful mansions on extensive estates to not only showcase the wines but to demonstrate the wealth and loveliness of the country.

Many European countries have contributed to the history of this part of South Africa, leaving their skills and traditions, such as the Germans, French, Dutch and of course the British.

It had been the British, who took over control of the region in the mid-19th century who really established the city as a sea port of great significance with cruise-liners docking in the harbour, bringing postal services to the far out-reaches of the Commonwealth.

By the 1830's slavery had become a thing of the past and many Muslim ex-slaves established themselves in an area of the city they called Bo-Kaap. Today it is one of the "must see" areas of the city. Clinging to the slopes of Lions Head, the houses come in vibrant colours, each unique. Heavenly Cape Malay curries are a must to sample, bringing you an authentic taste of the Orient in Africa.

Many different people have made their homes in and around the statuesque mountain with a tremendous mix of cultures. Each culture over the years has added its own twist giving Cape Town its unique identity not repeated anywhere else.

At each turn of street you find yourself in another world; first Victorian England with beautiful manicured parks and naval traditions, then ancient Arabia with the call of the mosque diverting your eyes and ears in the vibrant Bo-Kaap district. Finally, modern black Africa asserts itself with street vendors selling everything except the kitchen sink at the traffic intersections.

But I digress … how did the city evolve into today's Cape Town, I hear you ask?

The world's demands for the treasures dug from deep beneath the earth brought great prosperity to the country and lead by Cecil Rhodes helped place the nation and Cape Town firmly on the map. Cecil Rhodes brought so much more to the country than just diamonds and gold - he brought a structure and a pride, leaving behind him a legacy of culture.

I invite you to use these ideas to make the most of your vacation in Cape Town.

And With your permission, I'd like to offer you free access to my short report, "9 Surefire ways to have the Safari in South Africa you always wanted" as a gift. Click on the link above to get your very own copy now.