Cape Town, an excellent alternative for Gulf summer vacations

South Africa gets a bad press for crime and violence, and many Gulf nationals and residents ignore this highly developed and very reasonably priced summer travel destination because of this factor.

However, Gulf nationals and expatriates often forget that they already live alongside areas of considerable unrest and handle a multi-cultural society as second nature. It is really no different in South Africa, which is a large Rainbow Nation, if you stick to the more stable and secure parts and avoid the rest.

Head to Cape Town, for a city with one of the world's most stunning settings under the shadow of the Table Mountain: The Dubai Government is now part owner of the city's famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront shopping and leisure complex where you can buy local and international brands at competitive prices in a completely secure environment.

Interesting city

This is a city of 4.5 million people run by the white former anti-apartheid campaigner Helen Ziller, and arguably the most advanced and sophisticated in the whole of Africa. You will find plenty of museums, cultural activities and other things to do like visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held captive.

AME Info stayed in a prosperous Cape Town suburb, Constantia, at The Cellers-Hohenort, part of The Collection of boutique hotels owned by the octogenarian hotelier Liz McGrath. This is a winery area with excellent vineyards on the doorstep and a small one in the hotel's beautiful award-winning gardens.

The hotel has the feel of a spacious country house with large immaculately decorated rooms to suit differing requirements, and separate villas that can accommodate younger families.

In fact, this 55-room boutique hotel has facilities to shame many a larger competitor with its own Carchele Spa, Gary Play designed golf putting green, gymnasium, beauty saloon, shop and two swimming pools. There are also two highly rated restaurants, The Greehouse and The Cape Malay, offering first class cuisine in a relaxed environment.

Dining out

But there are plenty of other options in nearby Cape Town. We liked the Belthazar Restaurant in the V&A Waterfront and feasted on exotic meat steaks and drank Chateau Rupert & Rothchild wine for less than Dhs500 for two.

Indeed, value-for-money is a good reason to head to Cape Town this summer with the US dollar particularly weak against the euro and pound sterling. Rooms in the handsomely appointed Cellars-Hohenort cost around half their equivalent in Dubai, and hospitality standards are just as good.

To arrive in style and travel in complete safety book a chauffeur driven car from the Corporate Travel Company whose drivers boast a wealth of local knowledge.