When we decided to plan this trip to Africa, we selected every hotel with particular attention, so we had high expectations before boarding on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. As mentioned before, we elected GiltEdge Travel Agency as the one to plan this special trip for us.
Cape Grace from the V&A Waterfront
Even with high expectations, the Cape Grace Hotel didn’t disappoint at all. It was actually much more than we ever expected it to be. Besides its marvelous location – exactly in front of the Cape Town Marina, with wonderful Table Mountain views – it has spectacular intimist service. Attention to detail I may say it’s a quality they certainly have.
View from our Balcony – Table Mountain Superior Room
We were treated like royalties from beggining to end. You can order your breakfast at your room with no extra cost, and don’t stop admiring those amazing views. The cherry on the top: every hot dish comes in a special compartment, so your bread or omelette arrives perfectly warm. Amazing!!!!
Breakfast Goals
I know it’s hard to leave the bed when it’s so cozy, but imagine having a wonderful massage and then tasting a delicious tea with Table Mountain views in their rooftop terrace. Or tasting a glass of South African wine while enjoying the sunset from your room or from their outdoor bar. Isn’t that dreamy?
Spa with a view
The hotel offers luxurious accommodation, an acclaimed restaurant and a trendy terrace bar. It’s also well know for its afternoon tea with classic English touch. Expect to be pampered with 5* services and facilities in one of the best and most stylish Cape Town hotels.
When we decided to plan this trip to Africa, we selected every hotel with particular attention, so we had high expectations before boarding on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. As mentioned before, we elected GiltEdge Travel Agency as the one to plan this special trip for us.
Being Pampered with Rose Petals Bath
They handpicked every hotel as we wanted to stay in very special places. And even with high expectations, Makanyi Lodge, in the exclusive Timbavati Private Game Reserve – inside Kruger Park – has surpassed it all. They have carefull attention to every detail. Absolutely luxurious rooms. Delicious food and outstanding service.
Private Plunge Pool Room
From the start to the end, we could observe that everything is managed with top notch service, from the powered Range Rover open air car – with no seats in the middle – to the exquisite lounge decor. Authentic safari vibes with luxury touches.
Open Air Range Roger
They offer two daily game drives which always ended up in a delicious coffee or a classy sundowner drinks. The rangers and guides are experienced and very professional. As it was our first safari trip, we wanted to feel comfortable and safe, and so we did.
Special Anniversary Treatment – Picnic on the Bush
Our private-plunge-pool-room was beautifully decorated with a dreamy four poster bed and luxurious victorian free stand bath. But the cherry on the cake was the outdoor shower overlooking the beautiful savanna and the free animals walking around. The only thing I would ever change is the pool, that is located under the trees and is not heated, so it’s almost impossible to feel comfortable inside it – too cold! But the rest was absolutely outstanding!
Lounge Decor – Classy and Luxurious with Authentic Safari Vibe
The food and beverage are delicious, but the first position goes to the service – absolutely friendly and welcoming – they spared no efforts to make us feel comfortable and special. As we were celebrating our 5th anniversary and my birthday exactly during those dates, we had received special treatment and we are more than glad for that. From a private picnic on the bush to a romantic candle light dinner, we were pampered to the fullest.
Makanyi, we are certainly going back soon!!!
Lunch with a ViewSundowner DrinksBeautiful Safari DecorBeautiful Safari DecorBreakfast with a ViewPublic PoolFour Poster BedRomantic DecorCozy RoomBeautiful Sundowner in the Savanna
“No one ever forgets those first early morning journeys into the African bush”. I read this quote in a magazine only a few days before boarding on this adventure through Africa. I imagined for so many years the raw spirit of waking up in the African wild savanna. And we were finally there. It happened to be much more than I ever expected.
Beautiful Sundowner in the SavannaCapturing the Perfect Reflection
The electricity of anticipation frozen in hushed silences as you wait your first big sighting. And there it was. A big and magnificent male elephant. He was a bit nervous, “full of testosterone”, commented our ranger. And suddenly started to run after us. Oh My God! I almost fainted! Our ranger – the safari guide – was super fast immediately putting the Range Rover in the reverse position. Elephants can be dangerous when they are nervous, but usually they are cute creatures.
OMG! He is coming!Perfect Game Viewing
In another game drive we had the opportunity to witness eight lions – that’s it, eight lions – walking along a tiny road, next to our car. It was already dark, they were moving calmly literally as the Kings of the Savanna. They stared at us, with focused and brave eyes. No animal could fight with them – at all – and they knew it. Majestic!
Lions Sleeping – So Cute!I Love Giraffes!
We had great lucky to see one leopard, which is absolutely rare in that area. He was above a tree, eating a newly catched impala. Poor impala, but it’s the circle of life. And that’s the most amazing thing about doing a safari trip and having the first game drives. You fastly learn that the bush’s life isn’t easy at all. Animals have to be careful always and the best way to avoid an attack is to belong to a group. Together we are stronger, it’s the most imperative thing that I’ve learnt from the savanna.
Picnic in the Middle of the Savanna – Anniversary Surprise!Capturing a Beautiful Moment
Can you believe a giraffe sleeps only about an hour per day? They are very stressed animals because they are not as strong as lions or rhynos, so they struggle more to defend themselves. At the same time they are so cute, I wanted to hug them all!!!
Magical SunsetWild and Free Animals
Another important thing I’ve learned about the savanna is that there wouldn’t be life without mothers. Seriously! Everytime you see a baby, there is his mami. No male cares about his children, sorry to be that honest boys. And sometimes it can be even dangerous for them. Can you believe baby male hyppos can be killed by their own dads? To avoid that, their moms have to keep them away from the group until they are grown enough to combat their dads. Unbelievable, not!? It’s wild. It’s nature. It’s life. It’s beautiful!
Cheers to the Most Perfect Days!Lunching with a View
Cape Town is a city which offers endless options for every kind of visitor. From fitness people looking for places to exercise to foodies always in search for the next outstanding meal, it’s a place to visit at least once-in-a-lifetime. Here I will show only a “taste”of what you can do if you had about 5 days to explore the town.
Day 1. Stroll Around the V&A Waterfront Area
This is a program that must be included in every itinerary, even if if you have only a day in Cape Town. It’s not because it’s a touristic place, but because you can have wonderful views of the Table Mountain from the V&A and you can also have a delicious meal at an oceanfront restaurant, as we did at The Harbor House. A definitely must do experience while visiting the city.
Table Mountain from the V&A WaterfrontHarbor House RestaurantCool Food Market at the V&A
Watch the Sunset from the Table Mountain
To go up to the most iconic place of Cape Town, you can either take a cable car or hike it up. It’s about two hours walking and then you can take the cable car to go down. By cable car is about a 10 mins ride in a spinning panoramic gondola. Once you are up there, you can choose a place, open a wine (that we brought with us) and enjoy absolutely amazing views of the whole city.
Cheers!Admiring the View from The Table Mountain
Day 2. Drive Along the Peninsula
If you have only two days in Cape Town, besides walking along the V&A Waterfont and watching the sunset at the Table Mountain, as I mentioned before, you can rent a car or hire a driver/uber (as we did) to have a scenic tour along the Peninsula. It takes at least 4 – 5 hours to do it properly., or a whole day if you have this time. I recommend you to start clockwise, from Muizenberg, so you will always drive with the ocean on your left hand (remember it was a British colony – left hand drive).
Penguins Colony at Boulders BeachBreathtaking Views Along the PeninsulaWow! The 12 Apostoles from the Cheapman’s Peak Drive.
You will pass through Simons Town, a beautiful british style beach.We stopped at Boulders Beach to have a look at the Penguins Colony, where you can see thousands of cute penguins. Then, if you have time, you can drive through the Cape of Good Hope, or you can directly drive to the other side of the Peninsula, passing through beautiful beaches and finally entering in one of the most scenic roads I’ve ever seen (it’s similar to Highway 1, in California, but smaller). You must reserve at least 30 mins to drive the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive in a slow pace, stopping as much as you want along the route. It’s definitely breathtaking!!!
Breathtaking Views Along the Chapman’s Peak DriveSunrise in Hout Bay
Take a look at the Llandudno Beach, the most beautiful one in my opinion. And finally you can ended up your tour at the beautiful and lively Camps Bay.
Saying “Cheese” at a View Point Along Chapman’s Peak
Watch the Sunset from Camps Bay
This is definitely one of the best places to have amazing sunset views while tasting a good South African wine. I recommend you to choose either to stay in the middle of the action, at Zenzero or Chinchilla, or move to a more private sunset from the beautiful and trendy Bungalow. In this area you can also ride a bike and cycle along the charming beachfront promenade.
The 12 Apostoles from Camps Bay – Sunset TimeBeautiful Beachfront Restaurants in Camps Bay
Day 3. Ride a Bike Through Scenic Beachfront Roads
My husband loves to cycle, so I decided to contact Bike & Saddle and choose their Half Day Fitness Cycle. It’s a vigorous ride from Camps Bay climbing up the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive. Before we start, we thought we wouldn’t be able to accomplish it, but then we realized we were cycling along absolutely breathtaking views – literally. It was one of the higlights of the whole trip and I higly recommend it for those who are adventure seekers. It’s not that difficult and I can affirm you will cycle the most wonderful kilometers of your life.
Good Vibes OnlyEarly RisersCiclying the Cape
Have a Feast of the Gods – or many of them
Cape Town is well know for its high standard culinary. As we had only 5 nights there, we couldn’t try it all, but I can definitely affirm its cuisine is absolutely outstanding. We had the most spectacular tasting menu at the Greenhouse Restaurant, one of the Top in Africa, a succulent brandy & truffled prime rib at the Shortmarket Club, a delicious and elegant dinner at the Signal, inside the Cape Grace Hotel, but there is so much more, such as the TestKitchen, La Colombe, Foxcroft and so many others we would have to spend a full month there to experience it all.
Delicious Meal at the Signal Restaurant
Day 4. Try Some Good Wine Minutes from the City Center
As you may know by now, South Africa is acknowledge for its wine production, particularly in the Winelands Region – Stellenbosch and Franschhoek as the most famous cities. But maybe you don’t know that only a 20 minutes drive from the V&A there is a wine region they call New Winelands, more specific the Constantia neighborhood. It’s where we stayed at the beginning of the trip. These estates had their first wine production back there in the XVIII century. We visited the Klein Constantia Estate because of their Vin de Constance, one of the most awarded dessert wines of the world. You can also have a delicious lunch there to balance your body after so much wine.
Vin de ConstanceKlein Constantia EstateWine Time in the New Winelands
Day 5. Visit The Beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens
If you are the kind of visitor that loves to mix your itinerary with some beautiful parks, than you should visit this place. It’s absolutely beautiful, different from any other place I’ve ever visited before. You have to pay a fee to get in and you can also pay for a tour with a golf cart. Along the way, you will see ancient trees widespread along a vast terrain. Or you can take a basket of your favorite delights and have a delicious picnic beyond nature.
Strolling Around the Gardens
As you can see, Cape Town has so much to offer, it has everything for every taste. Pick your selection and have a wonderful experience!
Designated by many as the most beautiful city in South Africa, Cape Town has also the title of the oldest city in the country. With its particular geography, it has plenty to offer, from outdoor acitivities for adventure seekers to high standard gourmet cuisine for food lovers.
Vineyards Around the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel
I’d recommend a stay of at least 5 nights in the city, as there are so many things to do. We decided to stay in two different places, starting our itinerary from the beautiful Constantia Neighborhood, which they call New Winelands.
Breakfast at the Cellars-Hoehnort
This neighborhood is tranquil and full of grenery. We stayed at the charming and very comfortable Relais & Chateaux The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel. It was the perfect start to chill out from our busy lives. While here we visited the absolutely wonderful Kirstenbosch Gardens, where you can have a picnic under the beautiful centenary trees.
Strolling Around the Kirstenbosch Gardens
We didn’t want to have a picnic without wine, so we headed to the well known Klein Constantia Estate, which does one of the most awarded sweet wines in the world – the Vin de Constance. We were fabulous well treated while tasting their marvelous wines and then we tasted their delicious bistrô food under a rosewood tree. Higly recommended.
Klein Constantia Bistrô
Talking about food, I must say the most amazing meal we had during the whole trip was exactly inside our hotel in Constantia. At the Greenhouse Restaurant, we had the chance to taste one of the most delicious tasting menus we had in our whole lives. Absolutely high standard with inventive and savorous creations.
Inventive Menu at the Greenhouse Restaurant
After two days of chilling out vibe, we headed to the vibrant Victoria & Albert Waterfront Area, better known as V&A Waterfront. Here we stayed at the suntuous Cape Grace Hotel, an absolutely fabulous stay, perfectly located in front of the marina, in a tranquil area with Table Mountain views. You can read a full review of this beautiful hotel here.
Cape Grace Hotel and the V&A Waterfront
In this area you can either walk and have a delicious lunch in front of the sea, like we did at the charming Harbor House Restaurant, as you can rent a boat and watch the sunset from the ocean overlooking Cape Town’s beautiful bays.
Cape Town Marina – View from Cape Grace Hotel
We have heard about Cape Town and its beauty before, but driving through the Peninsula we were able to see how amazing it really is, from the Penguins Beach to Camps Bay, passing through the absolutely cinematographic Chapman’s Peak Drive, a must go place while visiting the city.
Breathtaking Views Along the Chapman’s Peak Drive
Either if you are looking for a delicious meal at a trendy restaurant or watch the sunset from the magnificent Table Mountain, Cape Town have it all! Let this amazing city surprise you, as it did to us… Check it out some suggested places to visit.
The Trendy Shortmarket ClubVin de ConstanceThe Romantic and Charming Room at The Cellars-HohenortPampered by The Greenhouse RestaurantPenguins BeachSunset from the Table Mountain
We would be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary trip in March/19, so one year ago – yeah, literally – we decided to plan this once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate this special occasion in high style. Our picked destination was Africa, so we selected the excellent Gilt Edge Agency to plan it for us. Vernon, our designate agent, has pacientfully hand-picked every detail of this dreamy trip, with marvelous 5* services and absolutely meticulous planning, exactly what we were looking for.
Cape Town from the Table Mountain
Our itinerary has started in the lively Cape Town, where we saw the most amazing sunset from the magnificent Table Mountain, played with penguins at Boulders Beach, had the most scenic drive through the Chapman’s Peak Drive and savoured the most delicious meals of our lives.
Cycling through Chapman’s Peak Drive
Then we headed to the famous Winelands, the beautiful wine region only about 50 minutes from Cape Town. With its particular geography and more than 500 wineries, this region is definitely a must go place for wine lovers who also admire stunning landscapes.
Living the Dream in the Winelands
The third part of our trip was certainly one of the highlights: an authentic safari experience in the beautiful Kruger Park, more specifically in a private game reserve called Timbavati. It was our first safari and we were blessed with great game viewing. Everyone says it’s a marvelous and unique experience and now I can definitely affirm that’s more than true. We loved the energy and pure relaxation we absorbed from the bush.
Magical Moments in the Bush
At last, but not least, we headed to the most secluded island of our whole lives at the Indian Ocean, in Mozambique. We’ve been to many beautiful beaches before, but this place… Oh boy! It’s definitely Heaven on Earth!
Lost Paradise in the Indian Ocean
We were able to learn with this trip that even in a place with so much diversity and sometimes injustice – like the one I live – people can be happy and proud of their origin. South Africa has such a sad recently history and tourism is definitely the best thing these places could ever dream for. It brings a chance of a new beggining.
So Many Friends Along the Way
I think it’s not needed to mention that we left this place in tears… We are back, but half of our hearts are still there. Africa, you are special. We will remember this trip forever!
Ocean Front Bungalow
Read my whole itinerary in detail, beginning from Cape Town.
