CHARLEY BOORMAN'S TOAST TO CAPE TOWN

From sunbathing with penguins and paragliding off Table Mountain to hitting the wine trail, the TV adventurer is always on a high in the South African capital

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Where is your favourite destination and why?

Cape Town. I like the culture, and I think as a destination for people to go and visit, it’s a really nice place. It has that security of being slightly Europeanish, and it has the most incredible food. The Garden Route stretch of coastline is just extraordinary and people are so friendly. And it’s a very good-value place to visit. It’s also a great stepping stone to go to the wineries, and places such as French Hook, which are a little bit inland — or up to Namibia if you want a bit more adventure. Plus, it’s in the same time zone, so very easy, and a great place to escape to in the winter.

When was the last time you were there, and who were you with?

Not that long ago actually. I did a talk on a cruise ship and I met the ship in South Africa with my wife and then we went on to Dakar in Senegal. We spent four or five days in Cape Town before we jumped on the boat. I hadn’t been down for a while. I fell in love with the continent of Africa when Ewan McGregor and I did Long Way Down, our second big TV journey together, back in 2007. We drove all the way through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi, and then ended up in Cape Town. My wife and two children came down and we spent a bit of time there and fell in love with it. But I hadn't been back since 2018, because I had a huge motorcycle crash in the Drakensberg Mountains and really messed myself up. I ended up in Bloemfontein for quite a number of weeks in the hospital. But I've always loved Cape Town and the Garden Route.

Where do you like to stay there?