Two Oceans Aquarium

The Two Oceans Aquarium is the best wet-weather plan in Cape Town and one of the best family outings in any weather. It sits on Dock Road at the V&A Waterfront, a few minutes' walk from the Clock Tower and the Robben Island ferries, and it has been showing visitors the marine life of the Cape since it opened in 1995. The name comes from the Cape's position between two very different seas: the cold, nutrient-rich Atlantic up the west coast and the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean to the east, and the exhibits follow that contrast. The centrepiece is the kelp forest, a tall tank in which great fronds of kelp sway in the surge, as they do along the Atlantic seaboard, with shoals of local fish weaving through them; it is the closest most visitors get to what lies under the water at Sea Point or Llandudno. The big predator exhibit holds sharks, rays and large game fish, and you can watch them glide overhead. Smaller galleries cover African penguins, octopuses, moray eels, jellyfish and coral reef fish, and children's areas and daily presentations, puppet shows and feeds keep younger visitors busy. The aquarium is also a working conservation centre. Its turtle rescue programme takes in sea turtles that wash up stranded on Cape beaches, rehabilitates them and releases them back into warmer waters, and you can often see turtles in recovery. Tickets can be bought online or at the door; the aquarium is open every day of the year, with longer hours on weekends and in school holidays, and the whole building is wheelchair-friendly. Allow about two hours. There is building work underway on site, so check the aquarium's construction notes before you go.

Making the most of it: check the daily activities schedule when you arrive, because the feeds and talks are the highlights for children, and plan your route around them. The kelp forest is mesmerising at any time, but it is quieter in the first hour after opening. Weekends and school holidays are busy, especially on rainy days, when half of Cape Town has the same idea. Buying tickets online saves time at the desk. There are snack stops and a coffee shop inside, and the Waterfront's restaurants are steps away for lunch.

Beyond the galleries: the aquarium offers a penguin experience and, for qualified divers, the chance to dive in some of the exhibits; these are booked separately and have their own conditions. Annual memberships are good value for families staying a while. If you want to see marine life in the wild afterwards, head to Boulders for the penguins, take a boat from Hout Bay to the seals at Duiker Island, or, in season, watch whales from the cliffs at Hermanus.

Who it suits: families above all, and anyone with a spare two hours at the Waterfront or a windy day when the cableway is closed. Children under fourteen need to be accompanied by an adult. Adults without children will still enjoy the kelp forest, but should not expect a huge aquarium on the scale of the biggest in Europe or the US.