The drive to Kichaka (Swahili for bush) of several hours from Plettenberg Bay, at the end of our Garden Route trip, was mostly easy highway driving and we were greeted warmly on arrival. Several staff members (Keith, the property manager, Charnel, our host that evening, and Francois, our field ranger and the head ranger at Kichaka) welcomed us as soon as we parked the car within the reserve just a few hundred meters from the N2 Highway.
It was 10:30 on a Sunday night when we first arrived at Asara in the hotel’s VIP vehicle, a new smelling Bentley. Even in my exhausted state (we had been traveling for more than 34 hours) I appreciated the beauty of the car and silently thanked the person who sent such an automotive jewel to collect us at the Cape Town airport. As we arrived at the property all I could think of was a comfortable bed. In spite of my tiredness I noticed the pretty light lined drive leading to the hotel’s main entrance and made a mental note to explore the property the next day.
Madiba Villa, a two-bedroom Cape style rental villa within a 53-room historic boutique hotel property, is tucked away discretely in the back of a nine-hectare garden filled wine estate in Constantia, a leafy suburb of Cape Town. It was a delightful place to spend time during a recent visit to the area. The drive from Cape Town to Constantia is mostly easy and we are always surprised at the contrast between the city’s urban setting and the suburban wine region’s placid green scenery. For those times when we have no need to stay in the city proper suburban areas like Constantia have a definite appeal.
This small family friendly hotel within a quiet residential Stellenbosch neighborhood had much to offer. In the early morning we heard the sounds of birds, making us feel briefly as if we were waking up at home. As the day progressed we heard suburban sounds and neighborhood dogs barking. It was quiet otherwise.
Although we had visited Constantia, an upscale Cape Town suburb, a number of times over the years we first heard about Buitenverwachting by chance while dining with a local foodie who mentioned that the restaurant had recently been refurbished. Lady luck was with us: we still had time to visit the restaurant before leaving Cape Town on our way to the Garden Route and the restaurant was able to accommodate us. It turned out Buitenverwachting, meaning “beyond expectation,” exceeded our expectations.
Porini Rhino Camp was located within the 90,000 acre (365 square kilometer) Ol Pejeta Conservancy, on a verdant plateau between the foothills of the Aberdares Range and the stately snow-capped peak of Mount Kenya. Although the area was on the equator, the altitude (around 6,500 feet or 2,000 meters) made for a temperate climate with cool nights, and a landscape of wooded grassland reminiscent of alpine pastures. However, there was nothing alpine about the fauna; game viewing was some of the best East Africa had to offer both in density and variety. Within minutes of entering the conservancy, I had sighted a white rhino, followed in short order by a large journey of reticulated giraffes.
