A few weeks ago Grant and I set off from Pretoria to Cape Town, on Rovos Rail. My first post detailed Life On Board and now the focus is on the actual journey. The Rovos Rail Cape Town journey takes three days and covers 1600-kilometres. This slow meander, down South, is a perfect illustration of the varied landscapes of Southern Africa. [Read more…]
Abalone House and Spa Winter Indulgence
As you may already know, one of our favourite weekend or holiday getaways is the Cape West Coast! There is something quite special about this stretch of coastline. The water is not the warmest, but the windswept beaches, endless views, dramatic sunsets, peace and tranquillity, certainly make up for it! [Read more…]
Win a Romantic Weekend at Gelukkie Paternoster
*Entries are Closed*
Gelukkie Paternoster
I cannot believe it is February already, which naturally means Valentines Day is just around the corner! One of my favourite things to do with my hubby for Valentines is a romantic getaway! It can be for one night or a weekend, either way it is time for us to spend together, away for the craziness of everyday life!
You may remember a post I did last year after a visit to Gelukkie Self-catering accommodation situated in Paternoster. The accommodation at Gelukkie consists of two beautifully decorated self-catering cottages, Klein Gelukkie and Nog ‘N Gelukkie.
Paternoster is a quaint Seaside town, up the West Coast, approximately a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. It really is the perfect place for a romantic weekend away!
Klein Gelukkie is a spacious self-catering cottage, containing a king size bed, chill out room, dining area and fully functional kitchen. The decor is wonderfully quirky and the space is both cosy and inviting.
Nog ‘N Gelukkie is a cosy self catering unit nestled very privately on the back of the farm. This cottage contains a king size bed, lounge and fully functional kitchen along with a walk-in wardrobe. The private garden comes complete with braai facilities and day bed. The perfect romantic getaway.
As well as accommodation Gelukkie has their venue, Joy, which is available for birthdays, weddings or conferences. The Joy functions venue, consists of a semi-enclosed Garden Room, outdoor garden area and bar, as well as the services of wedding coordinator Cindy.
I am super excited to let you know that we will be treating one lucky couple, to a Romantic Getaway at Gelukkie in Paternoster!
To enter and win a Romantic Weekend for two, follow the simple steps on the Rafflecopter form below: like said FaceBook Pages and Tweet about the giveaway. I would also like to know what your ideal Valentines Day is and who you will be spending your romantic weekend with, so leave a comment below the post!
Please remember to leave a comment with your answer to the question above to complete your entry, if you do not include this step your entry will not be valid. {Please ensure you read the *Terms & Conditions below carefully, to ensure you comply with all the entry criteria.}
*Terms & Conditions:
- Entries are open from 2 February 2015 until the 11th February 2015 the winner will be announced on the 13th February!
- You must complete all the steps as stipulated above: Leave a Comment, Like and/or Share on Facebook and/0r Tweet about the competition.
- To ensure that your entry is processed correctly (please use a valid email address). Your details will only be used to validate your entry and inform you, if you are selected as a winner.
- Prizes may not be exchanged for cash.
- This competition is only open to South African residents and to readers who have not won a competition on Inspired Living SA in the past months.
- Gelukkie is based in Paternoster in the Cape, so the winner/s will have to make their own way their, as travel costs are not included in the prize. The prize entitles the winner, 2 people, to 2 nights accommodation at Gelukkie Self-catering cottage. Bookings are subject to availability and must be made directly with Gelukkie.
- By “Liking” you enter and agree that this promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook; and acknowledge a complete release of Facebook by your participation.
Steenberg Hotel ~ 5 Star Luxury
Steenberg Hotel is situated on one of the oldest farms in the Cape and has a rich and fascinating history. The farm’s original owner, the feisty Catharina Ustings Ras, was the first female landowner in Southern Africa. Catharina’s life story tells a fascinating tale! One steeped in lore and myth, filled with daring escapes, tumultuous loves and untimely deaths. [Read more…]
Atlantis The Palm Dubai Win a Trip for Two
Atlantis The Palm
On Monday I was invited to Vida e Caffe in Cape Town, to a media morning, to find out about the exciting Atlantis, The Palm resort, in Dubai! Dubai is definitely on my Travel Wishlist, so I was excited to find out more about it.
After all the guests had placed their coffee orders, a very necessary caffeine fix for a Monday morning, the formalities got underway. We were welcomed and bought up to speed on Atlantis, The Palm and all the stunning resort has to offer.Then came the rather exciting announcement! Atlantis, The Palm, in partnership with Vida e Caffè and Dubai Tourism has just launched a very exciting competition! You stand a chance to win a luxurious five night stay at the stunning resort!
Got you excited yet? The exciting prize includes return economy air tickets on Emirates for two people, sponsored by Dubai Tourism. You will enjoy a five-night stay for two in a Deluxe Room at Atlantis The Palm, inclusive of breakfast and dinner for 2 people. You will also have unlimited access to Aquaventure Waterpark and the mythical Lost Chambers Aquarium. The winners are sure to be entertained and treated like royalty.
Please click here to enter and win this amazing holiday! All I know, is that I would love to win a holiday to Atlantis, it looks and sounds amazing.
Atlantis really is the perfect destination, whether it is a romantic trip for two or a family holiday, they have it all! From beautiful accommodation, who would not want to experience an under-water suite, to top restaurants and great activities for the whole family, you really could not ask for more.
More about Atlantis:
Atlantis, the flagship resort on The Palm, was the first resort to open its doors on Dubai’s revolutionary island. Created by Kerzner International Holdings Limited, a leading international developer and operator of destination resorts. The stunning resort welcomed its first guests on 24 September 2008.
With its enviable location atop the crescent of The Palm, the opening of Atlantis was a landmark event. It redefined tourism in Dubai, as the first truly integrated entertainment destination resort.
The resort encompasses a 46 hectare site, with 17 hectares of water themed amusement at Aquaventure Waterpark. There are extensive fresh and salt-water pools and lagoon exhibits, an open-aired marine habitat second only to Mother Nature and a seemingly endless stretch of beach.
You will also find luxury boutiques, numerous dining choices, which include three world-renowned chefs restaurants.The resort also offers exciting nightlife, award-winning ShuiQi Spa & Fitness and 5,600 square metres of meeting and function space.
Dubai is the perfect destination for South African holidaymakers, from families to couples to friends. Not only does it provide endless options for sport and leisure activities, shopping and dining but is easily accessible with daily flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg too.
“Once people experience our city, our home, they inevitably fall in love with it and want to come back,” ~ Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
To find out more about this amazing resort and book a trip visit the Atlantis, The Palm website.
Disclosure Ranking:1
Twelve Apostles Hotel Dinner and a Movie
Twelve Apostles Hotel
As busy parents, one of the things we seldom get to do, is watch a movie at the cinema together. Mostly due to the fact, that if we do get the chance to go out, we both prefer a romantic restaurant, over a busy movie theater! Well imagine if you could combine the two experiences…
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa has turned the ever popular ‘Dinner and a Movie’ evening into a special occasion! They have combined a select three-course menu in Azure Restaurant, with the comfort of watching a movie in the five-star hotel’s very own private cinema. So whether it is a romantic evening with your partner, a girly get-together or family night out, ‘Dinner and a Movie’ is the perfect experience! At only R395 per person it is also great value for money and sets the scene for a memorable night, shared with the stars of the silver screen!
Much to my delight, Grant and I were recently invited to experience Dinner and a Movie, at the Twelve Apostles Hotel for ourselves! What a fun way to spend a mid-week evening!
Upon arrival we were treated to a welcome glass of bubbly, while we acquainted ourselves with the special three-course movie menu. The scenic Azure Restaurant is pure elegance, with an amazing seafront view. We were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beautiful Cape Town sunset.
Executive Chef Christo Pretorius’ mouth-watering offering includes Duck Terrine – liver parfait, port gel, pistachio crumble and blackberry jam; Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry; and a fresh Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream.
I opted for the Prawn Dhal for starters, while Grant decided to try the Chicken Noodle Soup. Both dishes were delicious but I would have to be biased here and say my dish was the best! The restaurant sommelier paired each of our dishes, with the perfect wine to compliment our meal.
Between courses we were presented with a visually spectacular Palate Cleanser – Raspberry sorbet on a bed of dry ice. So very Heston Blumenthal!
For mains I decided to try the Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry – quite a mouthful! It was utterly divine! Grant went for the Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream. Both dishes were amazing, with perfectly matched taste combinations!
There are also Vegetarian dishes on the menu, such as Roasted Butternut Agnolotti with butternut gremolata, homemade labneh, toasted walnuts and sage butter; or an authentic Cape Malay Vegetable Curry – the slightly sweet and spicy curry with star-aniseed basmati rice, sambals, warm butter roti and a poppadum is a favourite of Red Carnation Hotel Collection Founder and President Bea Tollman.
For dessert both Grant and I decided on a traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée, which was the biggest Crème Brûlée, I have ever seen! You have the option of enjoying your dessert in either the Azure Restaurant or the Cinema.
Our milkshake orders were then taken and we made our way to the The Twelve Apostles’ private 16-seat cinema. In true cinema style, along with our milkshakes, there was also complimentary popcorn, ice cream, hot chocolate and sweets, on offer! We then settled in to watch Water for Elephants, which is so sad but a wonderful movie!
What a lovely evening, with lovely people, in a stunning setting – thank you Twelve Apostles Hotel and the amazing staff at Azure Restaurant, for spoiling us! Next time we will definitely make a whole night of it and stay over! There is no need to leave the comforts of The Twelve Apostles Hotel after your movie, thanks to their ‘Dinner, Movie…and Stay Overnight’ package. Priced from R1345 per person sharing per night, the package includes an overnight stay, in one of the hotel’s plush guest rooms, three-course dinner, movie, snacks and full English breakfast the following morning.
The monthly movie schedule includes three dinner screenings daily, at 17:30, 20:30 and 22:30. To book, contact restaurant reservations on +27 (0) 21 437 9029 or email [email protected]
Image Source: 1,2 & 8 credited to 12 Apostles, Remaining images property of ©FAR Photography
Disclosure Ranking:2
Romantic Staycation at 15 On Orange
As a married couple, with children, I like to try to plan a night away, with my man, at least once a month! I think it is so important to reconnect, as a couple and spend some quality time together! We love staying in the Winelands but often that can be a bit too far for one night, so recently we have been opting for an overnight “Staycation” in the heart of Cape Town. There are so many fabulous Hotels, B&B’s and Apartments to choose from! A recent Romantic “Staycation” found us at 15 on Orange, in the heart of the CBD, which is part of the African Pride group of hotels.
15 On Orange
I have attended events at 15 on Orange but this was the first overnight experience for us. I had heard nothing but great things about the hotel and the Spa has recently changed hands and had a revamp, so I was delighted to receive and invitation to stay over and experience it for myself.
When we first arrived at the hotel our room was not ready yet, so we decided to hit Long Street for a bite of lunch. After lunch we were escorted up to our suite, by a very friendly porter! What awaited us was a rather stunning Suite, with lovely views over the city.
The interior decor is one of my favourite things about the hotels common areas and the suite was as stunning, with muted grey’s, pops of bright blue and metallic accents. Under-stated modern, elegance at its best!
As with the suite the bathroom was gorgeous – simple yet elegant, with the most stunning black marble tiles on the walls. I simply could not wait to take a long relaxing bath but first we had a trip to the Suntra Spa planned.
I could not resist a pic of my Black & White Mani against the bathroom tiles 🙂
As I mentioned the Suntra Spa, at 15 On Orange, recently changed hands and under went a revamp to make it bigger and more in line, with the rest of the hotels facilities. The Spa offers a range of specialty facial treatments by Guinot and Dermalogica, as well as an extensive array of body massages, exfoliation treatments, wraps and grooming essentials.
We were booked in for a back and neck massage. Once we had completed our customer cards we were shown to a couples treatment room, where we enjoyed a wonder half hour massage. We both sit at our computers, for most of the day during the week and I tend to carry all my stress in my neck, so this was complete bliss!
The staff at the Spa were knowledgeable, professional but above all really friendly. The treatment room was lovely and spacious but unfortunately a bit too dark to take any decent photographs!
Before heading back to our room we decided to take a look at the hotel rooftop pool, which is situated on the 7th Floor next to the spa. It was a bit cold and gloomy outside and definitely not swimming weather but what a view!
Once back in our suite we ordered a lovely, chilled glass of wine and I wasted no time at all, submerging myself into a hot bath!
Before dinner we popped into the Murano Bar, for a quick pre-dinner drink – I absolutely love the decor in the bar.
Dinner was lovely – a rather quiet romantic affair, just what we needed! A few of The highlights of the meal, for me, were the Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari, with Avocado salsa and squid-ink aioli and the Roasted Gemsbok Loin, with potato rösti, spiced red cabbage and black berry jus. Naturally, although really full by this stage, we could not resist at least sharing a desert, we opted for the Molten Valhrona Chocolate Fondant, with Blue berry frozen yoghurt. What arrived was a beautiful, edible work of art – which looked almost too pretty to eat!
It was definitely time to make our way back to our room and settle in for the night! One of my main worries with staying in the CBD is the noise, we have had a few bad nights away and been unable to sleep because of the street noise. Whether it was the extremely comfortable bed or excellent soundproofing – we both slept like babies.
Thank you 15 on Orange for a wonderful, pampered Romantic “Staycation” in the heart of Town – it was a real treat, definitely to be repeated!
Contact Details
Location: Corner Grey’s Pass and Orange Street, Mill Street, Cape Town. Telephone: 27 (21) 469 8000
CENTRAL RESERVATIONS: 0861 50 50 50, +27 21 430 5302 email: [email protected]
Disclosure Ranking: 2
On My Travel Wishlist Réunion Island
As you know, I am an avid traveller, but I do not get to travel nearly as much as I would like! I have found the best way to curb my wanderlust, is to have a Travel Wishlist. Last year I shared an article on My Top Dream Destinations, I have already ticked Thailand off the list, which we visited last year and I am hoping to be able to explore Italy later this year! A destination not too from home I am dying to explore is Réunion Island. [Read more…]