by Editor | Nov 1, 2006 | Africa, Johannesburg, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Africa
What could be better after 48-hours of travel than an afternoon of spa pampering? Massages, body wraps and scrubs, facials, manicures, and pedicures all sounded appealing. The Renaissance Spa in the Michelangelo Towers next to the famous Nelson Mandela Square shopping arcade was a short cab drive from my Melrose boutique hotel. It offered a myriad treatment options and spa packages, as well as tanning and hair removal so I was sure I would find something I liked.
by Editor | Nov 1, 2006 | Africa, Cape Town, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Africa
: Baia was near full when we arrived for dinner around 8 p.m. We had discovered the restaurant, tucked inside the large mall, on a previous visit and wondered how it faired in our absence. We sat at a comfortable table in the outer deck facing the waterfront with a sigh of relief (glad we had thought to make reservations in advance). Having spent the day driving to Cape Town and running errands in preparation for our departure on safari we had no time for lunch. Dinner, when it arrived, was most welcome – and delicious.
by Editor | Nov 1, 2006 | Africa, Kruger, Sabi Sand, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Africa
Singita Boulders Lodge, situated within the coveted Sabi Sand Reserve just west of the Kruger National Park, offered understated luxury in a magnificent bush setting. Singita was named for the Shangaan word meaning “The Miracle.” Boulder’s Lodge, a distinctive luxury property with an elegant contemporary style fronting the Sand River for which the reserve is named, stood out for its fabulous adult oriented accommodations (children were welcome in a private section of the property); rustic elegant décor; tasty dishes; and varied activities options such as twice daily Big Five game viewing drives, cellar wine tastings, local village visits, shopping, work outs a the fitness center and spa treatments.
by Editor | Nov 1, 2006 | Africa, Cape Town, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Africa
We found Tokara 60 kilometers from central Cape Town, high atop a mountain pass known as the Heights of Hell (Helshoogte in Afrikaans) named perhaps because of how tough it was to get an ox-wagon up over the pass in the old days. It was one of those strikingly beautiful, sunny and hot Cape Town days.
by Editor | Oct 1, 2006 | Africa, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Luangwa, Zambia
Chamilandu was the most intimate of all the bush camps I visited inside the South Luangwa National Park. It consisted of three guest chalets perched on eight-foot high platforms. Built in the local style with a contemporary flair, each chalet was composed of three walls sheltered by a peaked thatch roof. The fourth side of each rectangular structure was fully opened to a private deck that offered a startling 180 degree view of the Luangwa River, against the distant backdrop of the Nchendeni Hills. The guest chalets were only a few steps away from the spacious dining and lounging hut that was a welcoming gathering spot for all common activities.
by Editor | Oct 1, 2006 | Africa, Simon and Baker Travel Review, South Luangwa, Zambia
Tucked in the shade of ancient ebony trees at the apex of a permanent oxbow lagoon, Chindeni was a verdant oasis in the parched immensity of the South Luangwa National Park when I visited in the final weeks of the dry season. Everything about the camp exuded welcoming abundance, from the warm reception of the staff to the comfort of the tented accommodations and the profusion of game around the lagoon. Superb vistas of the Nchendeni Hills filled the horizon. The inviting common areas consisted of spacious, thatch-roofed platforms, raised high above the lagoon, and cleverly designed around the trunk of a giant ebony tree that contributed both a sculptural quality and cooling shade to the structure. It included a long viewing deck that was a perfect place to enjoy an early morning breakfast while contemplating the spectacular sunrise over the hills.
