Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The most beautiful city on earth?

Maybe it's cold feet or an effect of the beautiful weather today, but I'm suffering second thoughts about actually leaving Cape Town. Because part of me really wonders: is there anywhere more beautiful to live than Cape Town?

Now, if I make some lists, it doesn't exactly come up high. LA has better museums and restaurants, with the added bonus that basic services in the US are run much better than they are in South Africa; Bangkok has better shopping and a far more exciting eating scene, and is great for a traveller since it is located just a cheap flight from all of Southeast Asia. But Cape Town has such a brilliant lifestyle, with the mountain and sea (man, I've become such a Capetonian cliche with that line), fairly affordable living, and (during the summer) fantastic weather. There are some fantastic cafes, an inspiringly independent design scene, and the city just has such a distinctive style that really works for me...

Maybe we can make it work to live here just in the summer? Any advice?

Anyone have any cities to compete with Cape Town in the beauty category?

7 comments:

Capetonian said...

There's nowhere more scenically beautiful than Cape Town...although there are a lot of places which suffer from less violent crime.

Scenically speaking, I think the second most beautiful city in the world is Stockholm

Ganga said...

I do hope that you visit Sydney at some stage. In my mind one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Unknown said...

I can understand why you are having second thoughts, the place looks that good! I worked with a guy from Durban who felt the same about his town, he ended up buying a B and B, stuck a manager in it so he could travel when he wanted and have a place to come back to. It's always good to have a home base you love where you can connect with friends and family.

Laura Kelley said...

Hi Zander and Bordeaux!

Agree with Cate. Why leave when you've found paradise?

For me the towns south of Durban fit that moniker, Amamzimtoti being my favorite!

Good luck on your travels tho!

Laura K
Silk Road Gourmet

Alex said...

Cape Town is the most beautiful city in the world, so much so!

I've lived in Cali, and it's way awesome, but seriously I don't think services are better. Crime is worse in LA than CT for sure, way worse. I mean even LA is fine don't get me wrong, just don't go to the wrong side of the tracks. I've now been living in SA for a few years and seriously I've found it so unscary. And CT? SERIOUSLY not a scary city to live in. I've never had any issues at all.

I've also found the restaurants in CT way more awesome than LA or San Fran. More world top restaurants in CT than LA based on just about every major poll, and they're as cheap as mediocre places in the US.

Weather is similar in all 3 (awesome 8 months of the year, not so much for the winter), though CT and LA WAY warmer than SF. Water in CT is much more swimmable, mainly on the East Coast side of the peninsula of course.

Anyway, CT's my favorite city now. Happily livin here for good now, after finding most of Europe seriously sub-par and even the states a bit dull, and I could so not be any happier.

Alexander Santillanes said...

Crime was definitely not a factor in me leaving Cape Town-- I never had any problems with that, and I think the reputation SA gets for being so crime-ridden is way over blown. I definitely don't think it's a scary city.

All the same, I've definitely accepted that Cape Town isn't the city for me. I'd love it if I could live there one month a year, but I don't think I'd ever want to live there full time again.

I personally found Cape Town's restaurants really dull... and seriously lacking in variety. But if those major polls say otherwise, I guess I must be wrong...

But if the city's got all you need, then that's awesome. Everyone has totally different needs and wants... and what I want is not the same as what I think everyone else should want. X

Shenandoah bed and breakfast said...

Cape Town is a very eye-catching and a very marvelous travel destination with all the beautiful sights and sounds and beautiful and tranquilized beaches in the world.

All the hotels and resorts are also serving very great and hospitality industry is on its peak in the South African region.