South Africa : Cape Town : Cape of Good Eats and Priceless Views

It was a Big Day! The most awaited part of the trip. A drive around the Cape Peninsula. 

We had infact drove almost half way through the Peninsula over the False Bay from Fansschoek via Grabouw to the boutique hotel near Simons town.

Road via Grabouw

‘’Oooohhss, Ahhhhs’’ , I marvelled at every turn a bit to Adi’s annoyance. Adi only punctuated with choicest Marathi words instead!

This route was so picturesque. We wondered what views the rest of the Peninsula had for us.

Another road in Cape Town

Penguins on the beach

It was a Big Day! It was Adi’s Birthday. What do I gift a person who thinks that it is just another day?

A Birthday card besides his bedside wishing him a great day!

Whale view Manor

We stayed at Whale View Manor, a boutique hotel situated 10 mins from the Penguin colony at Boulders beach. '' Woww'', both of us exclaimed when the breakfast arrived.

Now thats Breakfast at Whale view Manor

Soon,  we drove off on the winding road with mountain to our right and emerald blue waters to our left. 

Dil Chahta Hai.....We sang merrirly (with twisted lyrics.....Rangile Din, Masti ke din :P)

Within 10 minutes we reached the Table Mountain nature park gate at  Buffelsfontein for Cape Point or Cape of Good Hope . One can drive around the nature park to soak up in the gorgeous views and bright sunlight.

View near Cape Point. Can we spot a whale?

 If you are little adventurous you can cycle or trek in the area or have a picnic if you have bunch of kids. 

Protea

It was a Big Day! We were posing at the Cape of Good Hope!

The Birthday Boy!

Later we hiked our way to Cape Point and the Light house. The flying Dutchman is an excellent way of going up and enjoying excellent views if you are tired.

Moi

The sun was shining bright and Mr.Sun (Adi) was hungry. Time for Birthday lunch at Two Oceans Restaurant which was packed with tourists! The restaurant offered excellent views and amazing sea food…… the prawns, the calamari, linguines and hake….yummmm.

The Birthday lunch. Burrp

 Cape Town is a paradise for fish lovers.

After the hearty lunch, we went off to Hout Bay via the spectaular Chapmans Peak drive ….

The sights on this road are an absolute delight… thank you Sir Frederic De Waal for the amazing engineering in 1922.

Chapmans peak drive

We were in two minds about the dinner plans.

Shall we drive to the city or shall we try something close by? we pondered.

Hout Bay view

A walk at 5.30p.m. at Simon’s town, the previous evening was a bit disappointing. Hailing from Mumbai, I hate to see shops and cafes closed at 5.30 p.m.

Noordhoek Beach

Our friendly manager at Whale View Manor had suggested that we visit the Thursday community market at Cape Point vineyard at Noordhoek. ‘’Lets give it a try’’, both of us agreed, after all it was suggested by a local.

And boy did we love the place! A market offering different cuisines and freshest produce ensured the quality was avant grade . It was 5 pm and the place was filling in fast. Children were frolicking around with an ice cream, adults were relaxing with a drink, someone was playing a guitar, there was laughter and merriment in the air!

Priceless evening at Cape Point vineyard!

We sat down on a picnic bench whispering sweet nothings…. The view priceless…

It was a Big Day, indeed! Touchwood*

South Africa : Franschhoek - Eat, Sleep and Drink

You could do it! I signalled a thumbs up as we drove off in the Volkswagen on the highways of South Africa and both of us couldn’t stop drooling over the brilliant roads. ‘’No instructions’’ please when I am in the drivers seat, warned hubby.

 Yeah, it was our first together and a test for our patience (and marriage!) The man had not driven a car in six years and I was the kid who thought her dad was best driver ever.As for my driving abilities? Never mind!

Lavender fields

So, all was good and we soon reached the wine country of South Africa which is barely 90 minutes away from Cape Town. In fact as our plane crossed the red and arid karoo dessert, we could notice the geography changing drastically. We could spot the grey mountains dotted with green patches on its slopes and valleys.

The Cape Winelands/credit/Aditya Pandit

Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl are the villages are South Africa’s celebrated vineyard regions. A big thank you to French Huguenots for this special heritage (Franschhoek means “French Corner” in Dutch). Fleeing persecution under Louis XIV and invited to the Cape by Dutch Protestants, the Huguenots brought their knowledge of wine-making - and restaurants have sprung up to make the most of this fine resource.

Needless to say that Adi and I have a taste good food. More than the crucial 32 gunas, this was the first criteria for signing off on marriage match. Now hailing from the Indian subcontinent we cannot really differentiate between Chardonnay and Shiraz. But what the heck! We do enjoy a good wine.

So we settled for this cute and homely Cape Vue Bed andBreakfast at Franschhoek.   Franschhoek has a lovely holiday feel high street with cute little shops selling local produce, cafes and restaurants and wine. A perfect getaway if you have only eat, sleep and drink on your mind.  Unless you want to engage yourself into history there is a local museum and a motor museum nearby.

Pork belly ....at Dieu Donne

 You cannot  go wrong with any restaurant here, it’s a gastronomic gate away. The food is so fresh and delicious. The weather? Just perfect!! 20 C and clear sunshine!!

The village offers a Tram service for wine lovers over two routes covering six vineyards.  So just two Desi’s set off on a wine trail!  There are around 26 vineyards offering different experiences in the locality. So take your pick… fancy wine and cheese or chocolate and wine pairing? Or would you rather select some olives instead?  Many restaurants even offer a picnic menu

The Tram service

After two tasting sessions… I hung my boots! No I wasn’t high, I simply felt sick with all combinations of wine. Although I was spitting out most of it. 

Wine tasting.No I didnt have the entire bottle

Time for a sumptuous lunch at Dieu Donne, a vineyard perched on a slope with amazing views of the valley. 

Valley views

As for Adi, he went strong! Never skipped a session. After all for £1.5 per tasting, wouldn’t a Desi make it paisa vasool??

(Top tip: Don’t forget to watch a special show – A clear starry sky from your verandah as you tuck yourself into your sweetheart’s arms)

Get arty farty at Grand Provence

South Africa: Pilansberg - Call of the Wild

‘’You bring us rain!’’, chuckled Alice as we arrived at Ivory Tree Lodge at Pilansberg. Our faces drooped and we apologised profusely. (Rains and English effect) Will we be able to see any animals though? asked Adi, the man who accidently became an engineer instead of a quizmaster. 

Ivory Tree Lodge provides 5 star accommodation

‘’Oh yes!’’, We need rain here, animals like to shower after the hot sun. Our faces beamed.

After researching for months on Kruger, we had to make a compromise – Pilansberg. Thanks to  Adi’s visa restrictions, we could holiday in South Africa only for a week. Pilansberg was an excellent choice given its proximity to Joburg and the chance to see the Big 5 in a malaria free zone was a bonus. (Yes, I do dread malaria, the fatal mozzie nearly killing me twice)

Horny Rhinos :P. Credit/Aditya Pandit

After relaxing a bit in our posh lodge and the clouds clearing out, we boarded the open safari vehicle to a mixed crowd of enthusiastic locals and tourists as co-passengers. ‘’There is a cheetah on a prowl’’, announced  Leon our ranger in an accented Afrikaans.

As the rangers co-ordinated about the cheetah spotting, Leon drove us into the heart of the forest reserve. The passionate locals who had been to several safaris in their lifetime (just like we do Lonavala) helped us spot animals even from a far distance. I was keen on spotting a Zebra because of their cuteness factors. (Weird?) and Adi had never seen a herd of elephants in the wild.

Zebra Crossing. Credit: Aditya Pandit

Whats that! Asked the German tourist…. Impala. You will see plenty of those! No need to stop for a snap of this one, cooed the local girl! The wind blew gently over the shrubby forest landscape and I couldn’t resist appreciating the gentle fragrance of grass… ahh the good life! 

Hyenas, wild boars, kudus, spring box (that’s national animal of South Africa), Rhinos, Lions, wild buffalo…. We saw them all and more Impalas ofcourse.

Does it Moo? You bet. /Credit; Aditya Pandit

Cheetah?  The cats are really clever and difficult to spot.  We tried hard for an hour! But no such luck. Sigh! Perhaps we would be lucky next morning. As we stopped for some sundowners, the locals filled us with

Wish I could be that tall! Credit/Aditya Pandit

Fancy an ostrich ride?Credit/Aditya Pandit

their exciting stories.

‘’Hurry’’! I can see the clouds approaching and we have a long way to go…remarked Leon.

No sooner had we settled down, thunderstorms and downpour followed in minutes. The animals moved hurridly as well. The birds chirped excitedly, a signal to hurry home.

We packed our cameras and quickly wore the raincoats. We clung to each other as we shivered in the African rain. The sun was setting as well, painting the horizon into deep orange shade.

I looked behind and nudged Adi. The sight we saw will perhaps remain etched on our minds.

Two giraffes standing in the dark with the deep orange and dark sky as their halos. A brilliant painting stood alive, right before our eyes.

P.S: The next morning witnessed a kill. Leos, Leos shining bright with a Kudu for a meal. Boy! The scene of the jungle changes when the Lion king does his catch. The birds, the herds of deer, giraffes move away cautiously from the sight…. But the clever jackal lingers around the mighty matriarch lioness, trying to gobble some leftovers. (Talk about side kicks)

 So avid travellers, a safari is a must do. So pack your bags and go for a game drive.
 Listen to the call of the wild. 

King of the Jungle/Credit:Aditya Pandit

Dear Chief Minister - Phadnavis sahebana Londonkarancha sakda -