5 Extreme escapes for dad

$1592 a night for the penthouse suite during high season

For something different, how about an adventure in South Africa? Book a stay at Cape Grace, a 122-room luxury hotel on the waterfront, near the heart of Cape Town. There dad will have a host of extreme outdoor activities to choose from, including skydiving, shark cage diving, bungee jumping, kite surfing, helicopter flips, Harley Davidson tours and dune boarding. The hotel also offers the more requisite vacation pursuits, like golf, squash, tennis, yachting and mountain biking and a full-service spa.

No visit is complete without a whisky tasting with sommelier Soma Dennis at the hotel's renowned Bascule Whisky Bar, which houses one of the largest collections of single malt whiskeys in the world. After an introduction to six varieties and a taste of the gorgonzola and pesto quiche, dad will get a great night's sleep in the penthouse suite, which has its own terrace garden, dining area and outdoor Jacuzzi, and is stocked with Charlotte Rhys bath products, plush robes and a fully stocked bar with coffee, tea and fresh milk delivered each morning.