South Africa is a stunning location, which serves as the perfect destination for a getaway, whether it is romantic, for the family, involving business, or geared to get your adrenaline pumping. At the end of every day, after hours spent building precious memories comes the time when you need to kick off your shoes, relax, take a deep breath and get some shut-eye. For the discerning traveller, I have put together a list of my Top 10 hotels in South Africa.
My Fashion File – Zara opening in South Africa
[heading style=”1″]Zara Opening in South Africa[/heading]
How exciting – Spanish retailer Zara will make its South African debut at the newly refurbished Sandton City, in Gauteng, on November 10th! Which is really great news for all of us fashion hungry – style junkies! They are by far my favourite store to shop at when I visit London – as if I need any excuse to shop!
Zara is one of the largest international fashion companies and belongs to Inditex, one of the world’s largest distribution groups. The company was established in 1975, with one store in La Coruña , Spain – they now boast 5154 stores, in 78 countries around the world. Their unique business model places the customer at the heart of their business, which includes design, production, distribution and sales through an extensive retail network.
Their South African based operation will not be franchised; they are entering the SA market through the corporate store route, which will keep retail prices as low as possible. Zara will be sure to bring some, much needed, diversity to the local retail market, with its Spanish roots and European styling.
Zara’s core concept is to provide quality fashion at an affordable price, hopefully enticing local shoppers and promoting healthy competition among local retailers. A bit of healthy competition never goes amiss and will encourage local retailers to up their game!
So I may need to find an excuse for an emergency trip to Gauteng and do a bit of shopping! Hopefully we will soon see a store opening in the Mother City(Cape Town) – the VA Waterfront would be ideal – a bit of shopping, followed by sushi and bubbly! 🙂
Images: Zara.com
My Beauty File – Time To Spa
As a woman and especially as a mom I find great pleasure in treating myself to some sort of beauty treatment, be it a facial or a hot stone body massage – I am generally not too fussy. The only thing I am not too keen on is an Indian head massage – I had one when we stayed in Mauritius and the experience still plagues me; I have a bit of an issue with someone massaging my head for some bizarre reason.
Just the thought of having a full body massage makes me instantly more relaxed and let’s face it in our frantic lives relaxing is not on the top of the list. We really need to take better care of ourselves and what better way to do it, than taking time out and enjoying a bit of R & R.
I have visited various spas in the Cape Town area over the years and I thought I would share a few of my favourites with you. Along with some that I would still like to try.
My Featured Day Spa’s:
I have chosen to feature two day spa’s – the first one, N’rgy Skin Spa, is my local “go to”, whenever I need a bit of pampering or some “me-time”. The second spa, Elements on Kloof, is new to me but I love the vibrant feel of the spa and it is on the top of my list of cool places to try. Which will be sooner than later, as they have very kindly given me a complimentary treatment, I will definitely report back to you afterwards! (Lucky me!)
N’rgy Skin Spa is situated in the Westlake Lifestyle Centre Tokai, surround by beautiful mountains and vineyards, overlooking the Constantia Valley. The spa’s philosophy is simple – they combine the very best of science and nature to provide, you the client, with the ultimate experience of indulgence and relaxation.
They also pride themselves on providing you with a personally formulated treatments, that deliver outstanding results for the face, body and mind – creating an experience which is professional, yet intimate.
They offer a range of therapeutic treatments including their advanced signature facials and hot stone therapies to name but a few. I can also highly recommend their Pedi’s and Mani’s; they use Essie Nail Polish – which is my favourite!
My absolute MUST Have products – Daily Microfoliant, (to exfoliate exfoliate and exfoliate again!) The Multivitamin Capsules pumped full of Vitamin A used as a powerfirm serum and then the Agesmart Dynamic skin Recovery SPF30 Day cream to avoid sun damage. Always in my handbag is the Multivitamin Hand and Nail Cream (age spots on my hands???? NO THANK YOU!) All Dermalogica.” – Dawn Alexander from N’rgy
N’rgy Skin Spa would like to offer all my Cape Town blog readers a Free BT treatment (worth R220) with every facial booked in the month of November. The BT treatment is the latest in skincare technology using a micro-current and ultrasound technology to increase product penetration, exfoliation and resurfacing. PHENOMENAL!!!! To claim this offer please quote: “Super Mom – Time To Spa”, when booking your facial.
Click here for the contact details for N’rgy Spa.
Elements on Kloof in Kloof Street, Cape Town, is situated below Table Mountain, away from the hustle and bustle of Kloof Street. The décor in the spa draws inspiration from the magnificent flora and fauna in the Western Cape – wood and stone, off-set by tones of sage and moss; further enhanced by plush velvet textures.
Elements is a skin-care clinic dedicated to touch therapy and they aim to provide an experience which focuses on wholeness of body and harmony of mind and soul. They offer a wide range of skin-care treatments, as well as touch-intensive treatments such as Hot Stone Massage, Aromasoul and Indian Head Massage.
Our most popular treatments at Elements on Kloof are Spa Pedicures, Brazilian Waxing, Spray Tan, Massages from around the world and Non-Surgical face-lifts.” – Kelly Bawden from Elements
Don’t miss out! Tomorrow I will be announcing an exciting giveaway sponsored by Elements on Kloof and Super Mom!
Destination Spa’s
Where the experience is about more than just the spa, it is about the whole package – relaxation, luxury and complete indulgence! Sounds amazing!
The Angsana Spa at the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont is definitely among one of my favourites if not my favourite. The serenity of the beautiful garden setting is wonderfully calming for the soul.
It is designed to be a sanctuary for the inner self, to refresh and rejuvenate mind, body and soul. The spa prides itself on privacy and tranquillity which affords you the opportunity to shed your worldly cares while you are being pampered.
My hubby and I enjoyed a couples treatment there a few years ago, which I found amazing and I actually fell asleep which usually never happens to me but I guess it was true relaxation!
My favourite treatment would have to be a full body massage, followed by a pedicure – it feels like the tension just drains from your body.
Arabella Spa at the Arabella Hotel situated in Kleinmond, Hermanus, is another gem. The spa is approximately an hour’s drive from Cape Town and well worth the visit, why not make a weekend of it and book a room in the Spectacular hotel. The hotel optimises grandiose luxury, with a balanced mix of modern and traditional décor.
The spa is home to the world-first “African Rainforest Experience”, which my hubby treated me to, for our 10 year wedding anniversary. WOW what an amazing experience – it is a two hour sensory water and steam treatment, using African products and inspired by African rains. This is a definite must if you have not tried it yet.
We have our 15 year anniversary coming up next month so I have been dropping hints, not such subtle hints, as to where I would like to spend a night or two!!!
Camelot Spa at the Le Franschhoek Hotel in Franschhoek is located in one of the most beautiful settings, nestled beneath the magical Franschhoek Mountains. Needless to say that Franschhoek is one of my favourite places to stay, so we usually make a weekend of it – giving yourself time to enjoy the complete sensory experience – relaxation, luxury and beauty.
The spa boasts various innovative signature treatments including a Grecian Liquid–Sound Flotation Room (with sound in the water and a starry ceiling to enhance the experience), the Moulin Rouge Colour- Therapy Room (where you experience your treatment bathed in the chromo-therapeutic benefits of colour) and my favourite the Deluxe Double Treatment Suite.
My favourite treatment at the Camelot Spa was a full body hot stone massage – Heavenly!
There are so many Spa’s that I have not mentioned and would still love to try! I would love to hear all about your spa experiences and get some recommendations on which are your favourites!
Consol Glass – It’s good. It’s in glass
I recently entered a competition on one of my favourite blogs, IndieBerries, the competition was sponsored by Consol Glass. I never really expected to win anything – so imagine my surprise when I was told I had won R500’s worth of glass products! Yay me! So I thought it would be fun to share a few of the items I won with you, in the form of rather retro photographs – I was having a bit of fun with my camera!
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The Overberg – Black Eagle Lodge
During the October school holidays we decided to do something a bit different for our family getaway – let’s just say we all like our creature comforts. So we did our version of getting in touch with nature and stayed at the eco-friendly Black Eagle Lodge. There is no electricity in the cottages but they have solar power for lighting and gas for heating water and cooking. I hate to sound like a sissy but camping is not my cup of tea and this is as close as we will probably get to roughing-it!
Black Eagle Lodge is situated off the N2, just before the town of Caledon, nestled in the Overberg Mountains. The drive, from Cape Town, takes you past the turn-off to Hermanus and Botriver, this area is beautiful and mostly farming country. The Overberg has always been one of our favourite places to holiday and spend time exploring. The area has great accommodation and an abundance of great restaurants and wine farms.
The Villa accommodation was luxurious but understated and with its stone-clad exterior blended well into its surroundings. The view from the Villa, was totally amazing, the landscape spreads like a tapestry, of colour, in front of you and all you can hear are the calls from the abundant bird-life in the area. It truly was a return to nature!
The working farm which surrounds you is magnificently kept and boasts wheat fields, flocks of sheep and herds of feisty looking cattle. All there is to do, is leave the city behind you and submerge yourself in the relaxed atmosphere and explore the natural world around you.
Activities on the farm include mountain biking, hiking, fly-fishing, hunting for lizards with the kids and spot the Black Eagles. The stars at night are breath-taking and we spent many a night sitting outside, next to a blazing fire, sipping good wine!
Although you feel like you are completely secluded from the hustle and bustle of city life, you are centrally positioned for fun day trips. We decided to venture out one day and take a trip to Hermanus. En-route to Hermanus, we took a trip through the Hemel-en Aarde valley. The Valley boasts some amazing wine farms – such as Hamilton Russell , Bouchard Finlayson and Whalehaven; a boutique vineyard – to name but a few.
Hermanus, is a beautiful sea side town which we love visiting and if you are lucky you may get to see a few whales when you are there. If you are planning a trip there, the end of September is a good time to go, they host the annual Whale festival then – which is a great deal of fun! It can get very busy during this time, so pre-booking accomodation is essential. There are great restaurants in the area as well – most of them, with a view of the sea. Another popular, rather quaint town to visit in the area is Greyton.
So if you are looking for a relaxing, reinvigorating break, then Black Eagle Lodge, in the Overberg is the place to go!
Images: ©FAR Photography