* This article first appeared here on aluxurytravelblog.com As South Africa‘s home of haute cuisine, Cape Town offers no shortage of enticing dining options. As a proud local I share five of my favourites – from the finest of dining to the casual and convivial cool – to help you plan your Mother City gourmet adventures. Pier, V&A Waterfront The famed La Colombe family has now firmly carved out its space in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, offering dining experiences at Waterside (chic casual dining) and Pier (multi-course fine dining). PIER is also fresh off the awards podium, having ..read more

“Only Scottish people drink whisky.” “Whisky drinkers are rich middle-aged men in gentlemen’s clubs.” Do those comments seem familiar? They’re popular myths about whisky drinkers, and today, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Whisky drinkers are no longer exclusively Scottish, middle-aged men, or any of the other stereotypes commonly associated with this fine beverage. In fact, the new generation of whisky drinkers may surprise you because they’re predominantly under 30, Londoners, and female. Why has whisky drinking become the new fashion? Gin had a good run, but while craft gins are s ..read more

 * This article first appeared here and here in Made In South Africa (Sunday Times Supplement) With an impressive 3 – 4 million bottles of South African wine drunk every day and a staggering 300 000 direct and indirect jobs , South Africa is indeed a serious player in the global wine industry – the eighth largest producer worldwide. This is a meritorious feat considering the country’s history. Although South Africa is the oldest wine-producing region in the New World, as a result of the sanctions imposed during the Apartheid, it was only able to compete in the global wine arena post ..read more

 * This article first appeared here in Khuluma Magazine, March 2021 You’d be forgiven for assuming that the Winelands were all about sipping your way through tasting sessions that, after the third, all start to sound the same. Thankfully some of the Western Cape’s wine regions are setting themselves aside from the rest by offering some slightly offbeat, non-stereotypical experiences, with some rather interesting stories as an accompaniment. Robertson is one such region; our journey starts, however, in a rather surprising location. Robben Island has played various roles over the past centu ..read more

 * This article first appeared here in Getaway Magazine, Feb 2021 Cape Town Fynbos Experience Since the Cape Floristic Kingdom is the most diverse flowering region in the world, our tour of three botanical experiences starts on the foothills of Table Mountain. Thanks to the fynbos – the true hero of Cape Floristic Kingdom –the area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Covering only 0.5% of the area of Africa, astonishingly it is home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora. Giselle Courtney is the effusive champion behind the Cape Town Fynbos Experience, and beams a ..read more

 * This article originally appeared here in Skynews (Cem Air Inflight Magazine) Plettenberg Bay has been long known for its sun-kissed beaches that are a favourite with locals and foreigners alike. Just a few weeks ago Plett clinched the spot at the World Travel Awards for Africa’s Leading Beach Destination. Much to some people’s surprise, the area is also getting some attention for something quite different. While the attention often goes to the Cape’s famed Winelands, an unassuming region outside Plettenberg Bay is quickly showing it’s worth its weight in gold. Double gold, in fact. Pl ..read more

 * This article first appeared in The Traveller, Kenya  It’s a few minutes to sunset and both garden and the distant Table Mountain are awash in an ethereal golden light – an enticing yellow glow not dissimilar to the estate’s honey-coloured Chardonnay resting in my glass. The air is gently flooded with the scent of the blooming lavender. I now see why Quoin Rock has earned such an enviable reputation. Meet Quoin Rock Mention the name Stellenbosch abroad and you’ll get nods of acknowledgment and appreciation. The region hosts a variety of enticing food and wine experiences, pair with ..read more

 * This article first appeared in the Business Day Prime, 26 Nov 2020 With a startling 3 – 4 million bottles of South African wine drunk every day – and from thousands of different labels – choosing the right one can be a little daunting. Here are four worthy contenders to consider from both established and emerging vineyards of distinction. 1. Vin De Constance 2017, Klein Constantia Constantia is the proud birthplace of new world wine on the African content, and the first region in the Southern Hemisphere to produce wine. Klein Constantia’s Vin De Constance is one of South Africa’s most ..read more

 * This article first appeared here on Goodthingsguy.com Thin places is a striking phrase the Celtics use to describe places that are so magically divine that it seems the space between heaven and earth is very thin –  or even nonexistent. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is indeed one of these spaces not only in name – Afrikaans for Heaven and Earth Valley – but also in its startling beauty. The Overberg is known for its dreamy landscapes, but in this sliver of a valley, they are perhaps most dramatically pronounced. In the wake of domestic tourism reopening, here are my recommended restau ..read more

 * This post originally appeared here at Aluxurytravelblog.com Gone are the days when holidays were for just kicking back. Yes, we all love to wind down on a beach for a day or two with a good novel, but recent trends such as volunteer-tourism and educational-tourism have grown in popularity, showing that hands-on experiences are now a vacation must. And It’s not only millennials who are wanting to get their hands and mind busy learning new skills. All ages are keen to get in on the action and learn something new on holiday. On a recent holiday to New Zealand, I made a swing by Martinboro ..read more