Luxury Travel Advisor - February 2008 - (Page 50) COVER STORY ADVISOR INSIGHT: BOB MALMBERG’S IDEAL SOUTH AFRICA SOJOURN We asked Bob Malmberg to describe 11 perfect days in his favorite destination. Day 1: We depart our home city and fly overnight to Johannesburg. The Washington-to-Johannesburg service is presently the only nonstop available to Johannesburg from the United States and that flight is 15 hours and 25 minutes in duration; it’s very much worth business class, especially for its lay-flat bed. Day 2: We arrive late-afternoon in Johannesburg and transfer to our hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. Day 3: Welcome to South Africa! It’s an odd country in that there are great pockets of British, Dutch, German and French influence throughout. But where is the “Africa” that we’ve come 8,000 miles to see? Today I want to show you Soweto, the settlements of native South Africans that have come together to live and thrive on their own piece of land and where they can practice their way of life, as they have since time began, with little influence from the outside world. Here, you’ll find marvelous native art, a warm welcome, wonderful customs and native dress. And yes, you may take pictures. Soweto is large (it has 17 railway stations), but our visit today is cut short because of our schedule; there is so much more to see and experience. Day 4: The famous “Blue Train”—unarguably the most luxurious train in the world—will depart for Cape Town. There is nothing like it anywhere else (no matter what anyone else says). Your suite aboard the train is spacious, includes a double bed or two twins, a full bath, comfortable dining table, chairs to view the passing scenery and, the most important feature, a call button to summon your uniformed steward for a beverage, a turndown, a bath, etc. Lunch is served in the two dining cars, with crisp linen, lustrous silver and crystal and a grand menu. (Can they really do all of this on a train? They sure can.) The wine THE CAPE GRACE HOTEL occupies its own quay in Cape Town’s steward refreshes the wine and I hint that, after such a lavish lunch, an afternoon nap might be welcomed. Returning to the suite—surprise!—the bed is turned down, pillows fluffed and blinds drawn. Does it get better than this? Day 5: We arrive in Cape Town at noon and are met at the station by our uniformed driver for transfer to the Cape Grace hotel, overlooking the ocean and in the shade of Table Mountain. This afternoon, we’ll take the cable car to the top of the mountain to experience the magnificent view at sundown. Day 6: Today, our private car takes us sightseeing along the coastal road to Hermanus and to a poolside luncheon at the fabulous Birkenhead House overlooking the ocean. Our guide will point out interesting facts about the area and perhaps a secret or two as well. We return to the Cape Grace for an overnight stay. Day 7: South Africa’s wines are ranked as some of the best in the world, and what better place to enjoy them than in the very heart of wine country, the valley of Franschhoek? Here, Liz Biden, the famous hotelier, has a superb new private hotel, La Residence, where you’re not only going to explore the [nearby] shops, but sample some of the best wines in the world. The property is exquisite in style and taste, as well as in accommodations and services. Your suite offers the finest linen and art works, as well as complete privacy while overlooking the vineyards. Damside or poolside cocktails at sunset await. Day 8: We go sightseeing in the valley and visit some of the wineproducing estates, sampling as we go along. We enjoy our lunch, leisurely, at the Grande Provence Estate in the heart of the valley. Day 9: We’ve seen a very civilized South Africa, but today we’ll fly by private aircraft to Hoedspruit in the Greater Kruger area to the northeast. And as a grand finale to our journey, we visit Royal Malewane, where our fabled host, John Jackson, will see that we’re well taken care of in this private nature reserve in the African bush, where lion, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and more await. There are daily game drives in open Land Rovers, along with a guide and “white-hunter,” as well as an early-morning drive and another just before sunset. Mr. Jackson is a master of hospitality and graciousness. He may suggest “an island picnic” (yes, there is an island), a bush picnic or perhaps a full-body massage in the spa or in the open air to sooth tired muscles. We enjoy dinner this evening by candlelight. Day 10: We have a full day to enjoy the wonders of the African bush. Bring your camera; our game drives today will not be a repeat of yesterday’s. We’ll also leave as much of the day as we can to enjoy the pool, the spa and the luxury of Royal Malewane. We have our farewell dinner this evening, which is specially prepared to be memorable, marvelous and one that will always be connected in memory with Royal Malewane. Day 11: We take our private aircraft to Johannesburg and meet our homeward flight. waterfront with Table Mountain as the majestic backdrop. 50 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | February 2008
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