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CAPE TOWN In the political capital of South Africa, the nation's second-largest city, a global heritage of Malay, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and African influences provide as much cultural diversity as Table Mountain National Park provides biodiversity–where penguins waddle across Boulders Beach and humans hike the epic ranges. The 100-year-old Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, part of the Cape Floral Region (Kingdom) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is epic in its own way; its over 7,000 plant species lend their beauty to the city. Another UNESCO site, Robben Island—a former leper colony, mental hospital, military training base, and, most famously, maximum-security political prison for activists like former President Nelson Mandela—gives it strength, demonstrating the "triumph of the human spirit." But what makes Cape Town so globally appealing is the excitement of its now. Nightlife as hot as the sun on its many surfboard- strewn beaches contributes to the city's identity as a trendy, carefree destination for the young at heart, while rugged activities like rock climbing and cave exploration in a Mediterranean climate lure intrepid travelers from every corner of the earth. With all of this and more to speak for it, it's certain that this dark horse destination is more than equal to the task of living up to its #1 spot on The New York Times' "Places to Go in 2014" list. Cape Town 11

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