The Cape Town CBD is rebooting. A lot of my go-to’s are holding strong and there are new kids on the block too. When in the city I tend to beeline for Bree for the fine coffee shops, wine bars and eateries so when choosing a hotel, proximity to …
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Lekkerwater Beach Lodge in De Hoop ~ by Allison Foat
by capetowndiva
Just as my suitcase locks were about to oxidise, the travel ban lifted and I got going, road tripping like my life depended on it. With COVID-19 still lurking though my destinations of choice, for now, are places where I can socially distance without giving it a second thought. I’m …
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Travel trends 2021 ~ by Allison Foat
by capetowndiva
For the serial explorers among us, 2020 felt like the year we stopped going. Covid-19 made its global debut and continues to run interference, scuppering travel plans and forcing the planet to press pause. The new year is barely out of the starting blocks and as people re-think the way …
As soon Lockdown allowed it the explorers among us hit the road, journeying like there’s no tomorrow. The Western Cape is road trip nirvana and the Swartland, deep in undulating wheat country, impresses with a suite of quaint towns and Insta-worthy landscapes, no matter the season. The stand-out dorpie in …
Cape Town & South AfricaConservation NewsEco InspirationResponsible TourismSafariStaycationsWish you were here
Babanango Game Reserve in Zululand ~ safari, conservation, community. By Allison Foat
by capetowndiva
Ah, Zululand. A destination that entices with a bit of everything- cultural heritage, historical gravitas and an exceptional natural environment. This past November I finally returned after about 40 years, true story. This time I was headed for the all-new Babanango Game Reserve in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, a world-class, sustainable and …
Nkomazi Private Game Reserve in Mpumalanga re-opens after multi-million rand upgrade ~ by Allison Foat
by capetowndiva
HOVERING unobtrusively above the banks of the Komati River in Mpumalanga lies Nkomazi Private Game Reserve, a luxe glamping lodge positioned within an exceptional locale in the Barberton Greenstone Belt of the majestic Makonjwa Mountains. MPUMALANGA One of South Africa’s most beautiful provinces, Mpumalanga is famed for its pristine wildernesses …
In the past three years since I wrote this piece for the Sunday Times, I’ve met Coetzee Steyn in person and I’m delighted to say that the Bosjes Chapel he designed has picked up numerous accolades including being featured in the Architizer/Phaidon hardback: ‘The Best Architecture in the World’ …
Lanzerac has re-opened! The Hotel & Spa located on the outskirts of Stellenbosch in the lush Jonkershoek Valley is a luxurious getaway just 45 minutes from Cape Town’s CBD, a landmark destination that’s the perfect place to indulge in a post confinement getaway as travel opens up more and hotels …
Truffle harvesting season in South Africa has wrapped and Hanene van Dyk is content. It’s been a good year at Altima, the vineyard farm belonging to Anthonij Rupert Wyne that has been producing Black Périgords since 2015, five years after the first inoculated oaks were planted on the slopes …
THE MARLY Boutique Hotel & Spa in Camps Bay had me at the Eames Chairs, the views, and the unobtrusive sea side entrance, a smart decor synopsis of what awaits throughout the hotel. RE-OPENED Having endured several months of closure during this frustrating Lockdown, The Marly is once again receiving …