Our trip began at the One & Only Hotel in Cape Town where our room overlooked both the Marina and Table Mountain. The hotel is a short walk to the V&A Waterfront, a great place for shopping, eating or watching the world go by. The city sightseeing bus set off from just outside our hotel and took in all the major sights, while offering interesting commentary. We took in Table Mountain, taking a ride on the revolving cable car to the top for amazing views. Back on the bus we headed down for dinner at Mama Africa's, which is great for African food and live music.
The next day we took a scenic drive along the coast before heading inland along Chapman's Peak Drive and then on to Cape Point Lighthouse. You can take the funicular railway up the hill for some beautiful views and then either take the rail back, or enjoy the scenic walk down. We stayed for 2 nights at the Franschhoek Country House – a beautiful little hotel where you can tour vineyards and taste delicious local wine and cheeses.
We enjoyed one night at the charming Rosenhof Country House before heading to the coast and to Plettenburg. The view from the rooms at the Plettenburg Hotel is just stunning and we stayed 2 nights at this beautiful, friendly hotel. Dinner on our first night was at the Lookout Deck and I would definitely recommend the seafood platter, it was delicious! The Robberg Peninusula is a national monument as well as a nature reserve and we opted for a guided walk of this stunning area, which is great if you want to take in some stunning views.
At Jeffrey's Bay, where we stayed with family, there is the opportunity to try your hand at surfing. It might be a bit much for beginners but, if you are a bit more experienced, it’s a fabulous opportunity! We then moved on to Bukela Lodge in the Amakhala Reserve where there are just four thatched suites for the ultimate in peaceful luxury! The lodge has welcoming lounges and a plunge pool from which it has been known for the elephants to come in and drink (the lodge is unfenced). Amakhala is a private game reserve on 7,500 hectares and has a varied wildlife which you can see while on a game drive or river trip.
Our second game reserve was Shamwari, which has five lodges in 24,500 hectares. We stayed at Long Lee Manor, set among lawns, pools, ponds and terraces, where we had a beautiful suite with views across the lawns. We also stayed at Eagles Crag Lodge, surrounded by imposing cliffs and boasting 9 detached suites each with their own private plunge pool - very cold in winter but delightful in summer.
All in all this was a wonderful trip and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something a little bit different!
