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.
In the early 1900s, several attempts were made to substitute Mala Mala’s wildlife with cattle farming. A losing battle with lions and a constant struggle with wildlife, diseases and drought proved that it was not a viable option. Established in 1929 by Wac Campbell as a preservation area and legacy for his children, by the 1950s it had become a game viewing property. In 1964, the Rattray family purchased the property and upgraded the accommodations to a 1950s style luxury standard. Now part of a conservation gene pool of 5.5 million acres of South African lowveldt, it shares 19 kilometers (12 miles) of border with the Kruger National Park in one of the prime game viewing areas of the world.
This small family owned luxury property located in the heart of Cape Town was a jewel. Renovated from a home that had fallen into hard times, the property was carefully spruced up and decorated to accent its assets. The 200 square meter Owner’s Villa, my favorite part of the property, was a two-story one bedroom villa next to the main building. Downstairs, it had its own entrance, social area, fully equipped kitchen, private plunge pool, entertainment center, high speed Internet access and terrace. Upstairs, there were comfortable and attractive sleeping quarters for a couple. Someone dedicated much time and care to ensure Villa guests a good looking, roomy and well appointed place to retreat from the city’s excitement while remaining within easy reach of all the Cape Town fun.
A few months before we visited the property, the aptly named River Lodge in the Exeter Private Game Reserve joined the ranks of Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa), a well known African property management company. Although the child friendly property was still completing its incorporation into the new management company’s way of doing things, we heard about upcoming modifications and saw part of the Lodge transformation.
This small family owned luxury lodge in the heart of South Africa’s prime game viewing private reserve set a standard of excellence other properties should strive for. At Rattray’s the total was greater than the sum of the parts. In addition to elegant, comfortable, new and spacious suites, top notch facilities, remarkable Big Five game viewing and excellent service Rattray’s also offered modern conveniences. Service was personalized and attentive, head and shoulders above the norm.
When was the last time you washed your hands with rosewater and had your face painted at your dining table? For us our visit to Moyo provided the first opportunity and it was lots of fun. Smiling staff, slightly shy, welcomed us to our corner table on the entertainment level, one of five levels at the 500-seat restaurant in the heart of a swanky Johannesburg neighborhood. Scant minutes passed before a pleasant lady in African garb took our drinks order. A server soon followed with a pitcher and bowl in hand. She poured rose water over our hands and provided a towel for us to dry them. A few minutes later she returned and painted our faces (cheeks and foreheads) following a Masaai Mara tradition. She drew small flowers and dots with black and white water soluble paint; another, the more masculine design was made with dots only. Moyo, which means soul or life in Swahili, was one of four such restaurants in South Africa serving African food (ranging from North Africa Tagines to South African Boboties) to one million guests.