The Great Escape: Cape Town, South Africa
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A wine-making hub since the 17th century, the greater Cape Town area is home to hundreds of vineyards, which also have some of the best examples of traditional gabled Cape Dutch architecture. Build a day trip around visiting the eight estates clustered in the Constantia Valley, 30 minutes southeast of the city center, followed by lunch at La Colombe, an idyllic garden restaurant on the grounds of the Constantia Uitsig wine estate (011-27/21-794-2390, constantia-uitsig.com, entrées from $15).
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The suburb of Camps Bay is Cape Town's answer to South Beach. Its main drag, known as the Promenade, is lined with trendy restaurants and boutiques, and in the center of it all is the 78-room Bay Hotel, where the main pool deck overlooks Camps Bay Beach across the street (011-27/21-437-9701, thebay.co.za, from $170). The concierge can hook you up with a car rental ($40/day) or the hotel's chauffeured Mercedes ($60/hour).
splurge
To sample the luxury-safari experience, drive three hours east of Cape Town to the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, where, among other animals, the world's only free-roaming pride of white lions may make an appearance. At the brand-new Dwyka Tented Lodge, each room has its own deck and plunge pool (011-27/41-407-1000, sanbona.com, from $425 per person including all meals and game drives).
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