During a recent visit to South Africa, my husband and I dedicated a couple of afternoons to spa pampering and relaxation in Cape Town. This helped us recover from the jet lag from the long international flights from the United States via Europe, and allowed us to spend quality time together. Our first stop was at Onewellness Dock House, a new facility and part of the Dock House Boutique Hotel, where we found secure parking.
A sunny summer afternoon found us enjoying a marvelous lunch at the aptly named The Greenhouse Restaurant at The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel and Spa just outside of Cape Town. From our indoor table in a cozy corner, we could see through the glass walls to the lovingly maintained lush gardens and Table Mountain, and observe fellow guests enjoying their meals on the restaurant terrace.
Few cities in the world rival Cape Town for sheer landscape beauty. There’s something irresistibly alluring about Africa’s southernmost city sandwiched between the sea and the majestic Table Mountain. No matter how many times I see it or from which angle, I always marvel at the view when I arrive in Cape Town. On my last visit, I took advantage of the summer weather to go on a 20 minute Atlantico Helicopter flight. What a treat!
At Rattray’s on Mala Mala, a small and exclusive safari property in one of the best game viewing areas of Africa, Big Five game viewing was the number one priority. Game drives lasted about three hours and were limited to four guests per vehicle. During our last visit, we shared the vehicle with two enthusiastic repeat visitors, a mother and daughter from Europe, who made an annual pilgrimage to Mala Mala, and now Rattray’s, for their game viewing fix. We were accompanied by Warren Meredith, an English speaking young guide who drove the vehicle, and Jeffrey, a tracker who sat in the last row and whose job it was to spot the game viewing opportunities, especially of the highly coveted Big Five animals (elephant, hippo, lion, leopard, and rhino). Warren was our go-to person during our stay. He dined with us, accompanied me on a bush walk, and organized wake up calls and any activities we might want to schedule.
Our visit to Angsana Spa was a success. My husband and I arrived there just after a satisfying lunch at Myoga, an Asian fusion restaurant located on the same property. The reception area was quiet and we received a warm welcome from the staff. We spent a few minutes reviewing treatment options before a staff member escorted us to our double treatment room where we had the Duet Treatment Package, three hours of treatments including a scrub, massage and facial each and a shared milk and orange bath at the end.
When I think of Londolozi Tree Camp the words that spring forth spontaneously are whoo hoo! This pretty as a daisy camp in the heart of the best game viewing area of the famous Sabi Sand Reserve stood out for extraordinary game viewing as well as its many creature comforts, romantic bush setting, friendly staff and very fine food.
