Spoil yourself by discovering luxurious offerings in the Western Cape.
Day One
Cape Town
Begin your stay in South Africa’s founding city, Cape Town, the perfect location to launch into three days of luxurious experiences.
Stay at the Silo Hotel, one of the newest additions to the city’s diverse portfolio of luxury accommodation. Towering above the iconic V&A Waterfront, The Silo Hotel is a magical – and opulent – space built in the grain elevator of the historic grain silo complex and occupies six floors above what will soon become the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA). Opening in September 2017, the Zeitz Mocaa will boast the largest collection on the continent and rival the likes of the Tate Modern in London, MoMA in New York and Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid.
Start your morning with a bespoke shopping experience with Blue Buyou. Shop for exclusive South African arts, crafts and designer brands with your own personal shopping guide. The tour, offered in luxury transport, can accommodate up to six people and is customised based on your needs.
You’re not done shopping yet, time to add something that sparkles and Royal African Diamonds (RAD) provides you with all that and more. A tailor-made diamond buying experience offering a large choice of quality jewellery at wholesale prices, combining warmth and intimacy with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry, RAD will roll out the red carpet. Providing everything from Uber Black pick-ups to champagne on ice (the frozen water variety) and a range of pastries/canapes, you will be in good hands.
Time for lunch - with a difference - enjoy an unforgettable foraging experience at the Table Bay Hotel. Not only will you enjoy an unforgettable three-course meal, but will be involved in foraging for the ingredients used in preparing it. Catering to a minimum of four people, this unique experience puts a very unique spin on farm to table experiences as guests join the chef in finding all the necessary ingredients for their meal.
After lunch, take to the skies with a helicopter tour of the Cape Peninsula. Soar over majestic mountain ranges, across glistening seas, as you take in a bird’s eye view of the Mother City at its finest. Tours range in duration, while there are a number of operators in the city to cater to your needs.
Return for dinner at The Silo, starting with cocktails at the rooftop bar – bookings essential – on the 11th floor. Enjoy the magnificent views along with a snack from the bar menu, before heading down to the hotel’s main restaurant, The Granary Café, on the 6th Floor, which is an equally mesmerising space. The unique, pillowed glazed windows offer an enchanting view of the city beyond and it the perfect venue to cap off your day in Cape Town.
Day Two
Franschhoek
The glorious Franchhoek Valley was founded by the French Hugenots in the 1600s and is regarded by many as the gourmet and wine capital of South Africa. With a number of high-end restaurants, regularly listed among the top 50 in the country, and a variety of world class wine farms, it’s not hard to understand why.
Start your day exploring the main street of Franschhoek’s vibrant village, which is lined with shops, specialist stores and arts and crafts studios and galleries. It is very much the heart of the Franschhoek valley and is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the town’s unique culture and heritage.
Franschhoek boasts some of the country’s most renowned wine farms and a cellar tour, followed by a wine tasting / pairing at the Grand Provence estate is an absolute must. The Taste of Grande Provence offers fantastic new insights into how best to match food with wine. Grande Provence staff will guide you through the process as four canapes are matched with wines from the estate.
After the tasting, lunch at The Restaurant. The winner of a number of local and international awards, The Restaurant offers a seasonal menu prepared by Executive Chef Darren Badenhorst. Offering an a la carte and set menu, the food makes use of classic French techniques, while playing with more modern flavours as well. Be sure to enjoy a walk in the gardens, or explore the gallery of fine art, after lunch.
If you have time, head back into town to visit the Franschhoek Motor Museum which offers visitors an opportunity to look back at more than 100 years of motoring history with its unique and exciting collection of vehicles and motorcycles.
End your stayover in the valley with dinner at the Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais – you will need to book – one of the top restaurants in the country. Consistently ranked in Eat Out Guide’s Top 10 restaurants in the country, the Tasting Room offers an exquisite dining experience with the eight-course African surprise menu changing regularly according to what locally sourced ingredients are available to be sourced or foraged. The staff are all local and their knowledge of the food – and the area – is second to none.
Day Three
Knysna
Knysna is often regarded as the jewel of the Garden Route and is the perfect town to end your stay in the Western Cape. Famous for its Oyster Festival, friendly locals and sublime views from Leisure Isle to the Knysna Heads, a stay on the water’s edge will provide you with all the luxury you’re after.
Base yourself at the Pinnacle Point Golf Estate, which will serve all your needs with a number of luxury experiences to enjoy after your round of golf in the morning. Pinnacle Point has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Compleat Golfer 5-Star Experience Award, and more recently, was named South Africa’s best golf course.
Then, a stay at Pinnacle Point would not be complete without a visit to the La Vita Spa, where you can indulge in a treatment – or two – which you can choose from a range of relaxing massages to opulent manicures and pedicures to anti-ageing facials.
Enjoy lunch at the charming Mon Petit Pain, housed in a remodelled home and one of the most visually pleasing venues in town. Delectable pastries are on offer here, with bread for sandwiches specially made by Ile de Pain.
There is no better way to end the day than with the Knysna Charters Sunset Cruise. Enjoy wine and oysters on a relaxing boat cruise as the sun dips over the lagoon. Sit back, relax and take in the splendour as the boat slowly cruises the tranquil lagoon, taking in the magnificent Knysna Heads. Cruises last about 90 minutes, leaving plenty of time for dinner after.
End with dinner at Zachary’s at the Pezula resort. Executive Chef, Geoffrey Murray’s travels have inspired the fine dining cuisine, while everything is made from the finest local ingredients. The seasonal menu is a la carte, and the tasting menu, with optional wine pairing, is testimony to the chef’s brilliance.
