You’ve got a weekend or two days mid-week to explore Cape Town and surrounds…here are some fun and fantastic options:

Robben Island, once a place of imprisonment and repression, is today a symbol of triumph over adversity. The Robben Island Tour comprises two elements. First there’s a bus tour around the island, taking in an old mosque, a leper graveyard and the lime quarry, where Nelson Mandela and his fellow prisoners were put to hard labour. Then, under the guidance of a former prison inmate, you visit the Maximum Security Prison, where you can view Mandela’s cell and various exhibitions.


The end of this sombre excursion will see you back at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Take the opportunity to lighten up, and lunch in this busy home of tourists, buskers and craftsmen.


Wander over to the Two Oceans Aquarium, where not only can you see some 3 000 sea creatures, you can take the plunge and dive with ragged-tooth sharks.


If it’s not too chilly, swing by La Med Bar and Restaurant on the rocks at Clifton, a well-frequented sundowner spot. You may be able to catch sight of hang-gliders off the Lion’s Head section of the mountain.


Ease your way through the day, and if it’s a Saturday night, you have tons of options for evening entertainment: mellow out in a jazz bar, tuck into gut-warming Cape Malay dishes in the Bo-Kaap, or find a party at one of the clubs in Green Point.


Spend the next day meandering along the many wine routes just a short distance from Cape Town. The wine farms around Stellenbosch pioneered wine tourism, which combines wine tasting and cellar tours with superior restaurants and picnic areas under stately old oak trees.


On the R44 you will encounter gems such as Morgenhof and Blaauwklippen. The R310 takes you to 300-year old Spier and Rustenberg Wines, while Neethlingshof is found off the R310. There are many more farms to see; tailor your day to include three or four of them (with a good lunch at a restaurant in-between) and don’t forget to make a stop in picturesque Stellenbosch itself.