As many of you already know, I'm a big fan of AFAR's website and magazine. Their online community has a knack for sharing some of the best travel advice around, making it easy for you to cover both the traditional tourist highlights and some non-traditional local gems, when venturing to an unfamiliar place. So, when they approached me about writing a guide to Cape Town, I knew it was the perfect platform to share everything I've discovered and love about the Mother City. Without further ado - the  AFAR Guide to Cape Town!

In celebration of its launch, here are my top 6 reasons you'll never want to leave Cape Town (but as anyone who has been there already knows, narrowing it down to just 6 is not easy!)

1. That scenic drive

2. That impressive tree (possibly the tallest Aleppo Pine tree in the world)

3. That historic  harbor

4. That fresh  food (South African avocado grower Westfalia ships over 13 million cartons worldwide each year!)

5. That delicious  wine

6. That local  beach

P.S. Did you also see, Cape Town was named #1 on New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2014 ? I love how some of the images include subtle movement. Here's how they selected the locations.