REDISCOVERING SOUTH AFRICA

REDISCOVERING SOUTH AFRICA…

As a South African living in London for nearly 15 years it’s always a treat to head home and rediscover what
makes our Rainbow Nation so special. I am just back from a recce (gotta love my job!) to check out some of
the #IconsofSA including the famous Blue Train, the tourist hotspot that is the V&A Waterfront, the
Winelands and SA’s first ever private game reserve – MalaMala and here’s what I discovered…

CITY OF TSHWANE
I grew up not far from Pretoria on the East Rand (my town was home to both actress Charlize Theron and Princess
Charlene of Monaco so don’t knock it) so it was lovely to rediscover Pretoria some 20 years (gulp) down the road.
We saw some of the historical spots (some of which have caused controversy since) like Church Square and the
Union Buildings – and immersed ourselves in local events by partaking in the Tshwane Open master chef type “cook
off” on the mayor’s lawn!

Here’s what I discovered:

    1. Tshwane (which includes the capital city Pretoria) has a new 9 metre bronze coated statue of Nelson
       Mandela with his arms held in an open embrace in the gardens below the Union Buildings, unveiled 16
       Dec 2013 - a great modern tribute in a city that largely celebrated Boer history in the past. The Union
       Buildings are the seat of Parliament and this is also where Madiba lay in state after his passing.
    2. A gem in the suburbs called Illyria House – the oldest 5 star hotel in Pretoria, run by the gracious and
       ethereal Marietjie van der Walt. Entering the villa’s wrought iron gates is like stepping back in time –
       antiques, chandeliers, tapestries and murals transport you to another world. Not to be missed is the
       spa, the heated roman baths, Moroccan lounge and the fine dining on the patio. The hotel has just 6
       suites so very exclusive!

3. The Sheraton Pretoria is a fantastic property and a great base for exploring Pretoria with great views
       over the Union Buildings - and if you travel on The Blue Train in 2015 you get a free night’s bed and
       breakfast plus station transfers (subject to availability and T&C).
    4. I can cook!! My cooking partner “Flora the Explorer” and I won the title of “Best Salmon of the day”
       in our cook off with South African celebrity chef Fortunato Mazzone and Lorna Maseko, a well-
       known TV presenter! And our other #journosontour team (Kgomotso from SA Tourism, Susan from
       Best Bits Worldwide and Andrew from Family Traveller Magazine) won the prize for most creative
       presentation! Not bad straight off an overnight flight with little to no sleep!

THE BLUE TRAIN
I am very lucky to have experienced this magnificent train a few times in my (many) years on the job and The
Blue Train always more than exceeds my expectations. In fact it gets better and better - as seeing the
familiar faces onboard and feeling like an extended part of their rail family makes it feel extra special.

Here’s what I discovered this time round:

    1. Even between the 4 course brunch and 5 course dinner - with high tea in between – one can still
       find space for a few glasses of bubbly and some “salty nibbles” (mmmm biltong!) whilst watching the
       scenery pass by in the observation car! BLISS…
    2. The Kimberley Hole Museum is fascinating and a great off train excursion if the train is heading
       Southbound. The museum is fantastic – we all wished we could spend a few hours there.
    3. Chef Esther cooks up incredible cuisine from scratch with her team in that narrow moving kitchen!
       Although I had to confess it was lattice beef loin we were gorging on – not “lion” which seemed
       really adventurous on the menu, even for such an experienced chef!
    4. The Blue Train will be making a few trips up to the Kruger region in 2016 for those who wish to
       combine a safari and rail adventure. Contact us for full details on info@ethosmarketing.couk

THE WINELANDS
Our first night in the Cape was in Stellenbosch - the second oldest European settlement and wine producing
region in South Africa after Cape Town. Back in 1679 Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch and planted
grapes in its fertile valleys and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry – and today has
over 200 producers. It is also famous for its university, lovely shops, galleries, museums, and al fresco café
culture. We also spent a blissful morning exploring Franschhoek – largely considered the gourmet capital of
South Africa and without a doubt one of its most enchanting towns.

I discovered:

    1. They have a great “Stellenblog” where you can catch up on all the latest news and events -
       http://stellenboschexperience.co.za/
    2. If you are a foodie you will love a stay at owner-managed Majeka House! Tucked away in the
       suburbs surrounding the town, Majeka is an ultra-stylish quirky boutique hotel with its Makaron
       Restaurant offering an absolute adventure in fine dining! Chef Tanja is one of SA’s top up and
       coming young chefs with Makaron nominated for the Top 10 Eat Out Restaurant Awards. Add to this
       a different wine for each course and I can promise you an evening of decadent dining you won’t
       soon forget… each course is a work of art! Am I shlurring yet? And if you’re not a foodie - the spa
       has real wow factor.
    3. For the ultimate in exclusivity hire out your own private villa at La Clé des Montagnes complete with
       dramatic mountain views, private pool, butler and “home from (very luxurious) home” ambience
       tucked away in its own working wine farm, just a stone’s throw from the main road in Franschhoek!
       Your butler will make sure you wake up in the morning to the smell of muffins baking in your oven
       and bacon on the grill – and even fire up your BBQ/braai for you in your garden later!
    4. The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a great way to enjoy visiting the various wine farms for tastings
       without having to drive/stumble home afterwards!

CAPE TOWN
We had a wonderful day with the team at Ilios Travel who gave us a brief guided tour of Cape Town and
dropped us off at the iconic V&A Waterfront, where Cape Town Tourism hosted us for a fantastic lunch at
Isola – located on its own island at the One&Only Cape Town (the banana split was epic!).

What I discovered:

    1. The cable car takes less than 5 minutes to travel 704m to the summit of Table Mountain with 65
       passengers. But the queues to buy a ticket can stretch for miles so I highly recommend pre-buying
       tickets online to avoid “queue rage”. Tickets (R225/£13pp) are valid for 14 days in case the cableway
       is shut (it often is thanks to the wind so best to call and check). The two circular cabins can take 800
       people up in an hour and rotate throughout the journey offering 360° views.
    2. I hadn’t fully appreciated how you can be so close to the bustle and buzz of the V&A Waterfront yet
       on crossing Dock Road and going up the path to the Queen Victoria Hotel, you suddenly enter an
       oasis of calm and sophistication. And the views over the harbour and Table Mountain are to die for!
    3. Dash Restaurant is named after Queen Victoria’s favourite pet but that’s where the cuteness ends.
       It oozes sophistication! We were joined by the charming Waleed and Angelique from Newmark –
       good to have locals “in the know” to recommend the prawns tempura and the fillet of beef – all
       beautifully presented! The surprise amuse bouches were the best I’ve had!
    4. City Sightseeing Tours run open-top red busses as an easy way to get your bearings. It is well worth
       getting their 2-Day Ticket (about £15) to take in all 4 of their tours (city, mini peninsular, downtown
       and wine) plus free Canal Cruise, Night Tour and Walking Tour.
    5. Highlights of our all too brief stay included sundowner cocktails on the lawn at the Dock House pool
       bar and the famous breakfast buffet served at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel’s OYO – made extra special
       by MD Neil Markowitz joining us to give us an insight into the Newmark brand. But I think my
       favourite thing was the view from my bed of the harbour by night!

MALAMALA GAME RESERVE

I have always known that the safari experience at MalaMala is hard to beat given that it was the first ever
private game reserve in the country and is still its largest. Being a bit of a safari fanatic (the back of a landy is
my happy place), a visit to this reserve was high on my bucket (and expectation) list.

What I discovered:

   1. It is a very pleasant Airlink flight straight from Cape Town into Skukuza airport (the most gorgeous
      airport I have ever had the pleasure of visiting!) - and it was an even lovelier surprise that our driver
      managed to show us all of the Big 5 just on the drive between the airport and the lodge!
   2. At MalaMala it really is, as their motto goes, #allaboutthewildlife. We set off excitedly on our first
      game drive as ranger Greg opened with, “We usually like to ease guests into a safari slowly, but….”
      Turned out there were some lionesses hunting just around the corner at the adjoining Sable Camp
      so we followed them excitedly as they stalked a herd of impala, knowing it was unlikely we would
      see them attack in broad daylight. Boy were we wrong. Suddenly it all kicked off and we watched a
      proper lion kill including them scuffling over the prize afterwards. WOW! A short drive later we
      came across a beautiful leopard. We followed her for a while and - unbelievably … we then got to
      witness the aftermath of her kill (not a good day to be an impala) and then what was possibly a bit
      of a romantic Friday night date over a steak dinner as a male leopard joined her. Did I discover
      anything? It is possible to see two big cat kills on a single game drive - I am still in shock. Check out
      the series of videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/ethosmarketingUK
   3. Main Camp and Sable Camp lie next to each other along the Sand River which runs for 20kms
      through the MalaMala reserve – talk about location, location, location! Rattrays at MalaMala is very
      luxurious and exclusive - a little further down the river. Most game reserves would love to have this
      kind of river frontage! Just chilling in the infinity pool, I watched an entire herd of ellies walk right
      past the pool and then cross the river bed, stopping for a drink and play – and then a troop of
      monkeys kept me entertained sliding down a tree slide and playing in the water. Who needs a book
      when chilling on the pool loungers?
   4. Our ranger Greg was not only a fountain of knowledge when it came to fauna and flora – he also
      managed to whip up an incredible breakfast for us in the middle of the bush – nearly burning our fry
      up when a herd of friendly ellies got a little close. Clearly they can’t resist the smell of bacon frying
      either – or maybe it was all the fruit salad and fresh muffin? Thankfully both they and the monkeys
      drooling in the surrounding trees allowed us to enjoy our breakfast in peace…

All in all it was an incredible trip – I just wish we had had a little longer to linger and really soak up the
atmosphere and explore the various locations a little deeper. But as a small taste of some of South Africa’s
iconic experiences it was the trip of a lifetime with a great group of people. Sincere thanks to South African
Tourism, South African Airways, and all the properties who hosted us on our trip.

Please visit www.ethosmarketing.co.uk for more information on all these properties and follow
@ethos_marketing on twitter