TripAdvisor has named  Cape Town as the best destination in the world. The popular South African city beat Australia's Sydney into second place. Surprisingly, Machu Picchu in Peru came third, ahead of Paris in fourth and Rio de Janeiro in fifth places. London, the 2012 Olympic host, only made it to the eighth slot.

Table Mountain and Robben Island were named as the biggest Cape Town highlights in the awards, which was based on millions of TripAdvisor user reviews.

Cape Town has seen a massive boost in tourism numbers in recent months, with the V&A Waterfront  and its choice of 80 restaurants and several adventurous boating experiences leading the way when it comes to attractions. A close second was the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.

Cape Town is also the starting point for several top driving itineraries – including Route 66, one of the longest wine routes in the world.