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The Quirkiest Out of Town Stay at Old Mac Daddy

Leani Jansen van Vuuren for Cape Town Tourism

Been there, done that, right? Well, that’s just the refreshing thing about Cape Town. It continues to have unusual, unexpected but wonderfully creative surprises around every corner.

And literally around the corner from the Mother City, an hour’s drive on the N2 highway lays probably the quirkiest accommodation available for a weekend break-away: retro airstream trailers at Old Mac Daddy.

As you turn off the main way and drive in on the quiet country roads, you cruise deeper into the Elgin valley with a unique scene playing out in front of you: apple trees, vineyards and green forests. And up on the hill, twelve silver Airstream trailers peeking through the trees, overlooking the beautiful valley. Within 60 minutes, you have been transported from the hustle and bustle of a world city to a fairytale scene within the peace and quiet of nature.

Now you’re thinking – what’s so cool about staying a caravan right? Don’t think back to the days when you went camping with your parents in their Jurgens Penta. Think: original individually designed interior, comfortable built-in shower or bath and loo, living area, small kitchen area (with stove, microwave, kettle and wash basin) and your own look-out deck to soak up the views.

And if the bright and unusual caravans' interior get a bit too much for your senses, the designer farm lodge with its cosy restaurant, Brinny Breeezes, is also part of the package, which boasts a minimal Scandinavian open design to let you breathe and relax. You can even chill out on the coach with a game of scrabble, grabbing one of the books from the shelf or put on the kids’ favourite television show whilst you enjoy your food.

A wholesome buffet breakfast is included in your stay and Brinny Breezes also offer wonderful wood-oven thin crust pizzas as well as a great bistro-style menu with hearty country dishes. If in stock, do try the short rib pie with creamy mash and vegetables accompanied by the South Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (from the wine farm just across the road).

Let's end with some alliterations shall we, as Old Mac Daddy is indeed quite a quaint, quirky, quality and quiet breakaway. For something different, get in your car (or rent one if you're visiting), get a takeaway coffee and hit the road for an experience that will leave you both nostalgic and hip at the same time.

Photo: 4.bp.blogspot

 

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5 delicious reasons to dine at Harbour House, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town this winter

By Fazielah Williams for Cape Town Tourism

If there’s one thing you all know pretty well about me by now is that I am truly, madly, deeply in love with Cape Town’s cuisine … seriously, the Mother City has me beholden to her tastes in the most scrumptious way. So when I was invited to indulge my insatiable appetite with the Harbour House V&A Waterfront’s divine winter menu, I could hardly refuse.

I could give you one reason to visit this portside establishment but I’m feeling generous so here are 5 delicious reasons to dine at Harbour House this chilly season:

1.Location, location, location: A gorgeous view just adds an extra special touch to any meal and with Harbour House’s prime spot right on the edge of Table Bay Harbour, this restaurant does indeed offer a spectacular experience.

2.Fireside dining: I’m all about the ambiance when it comes to my winter dining  spot choices and boy, does Harbour House V&A have it in spades – grab your one and only, a bottle of fine wine and cosy up to the roaring fireplace for that warm, fuzzy and filling feeling.

3.Eat, drink and be merry: The extensive menu changes monthly and July’s features the mouth-watering bouillabaisse; prime fillet of ostrich with oyster sabayon, onion varietals, bone marrow disk and baby asparagus; salted caramel chocolate delice with coffee ice cream and chocolate crumbs and more. Accompanied by an impressive selection of South African wines, a great feast is guaranteed.

4.Foodie love doesn’t have to cost a thing: So, you’re thinking that all of this gorgeous, styling dining is going to cost you a king’s ransom, right? With their fantastic set winter menu deal, you can dine to your heart’s content on a two course menu for R 170, spoil yourself proper with the three course meal for R 190 or dine ala carte from the usual menu .Totally worth every cent!

5.Celebs love it here – just last month, the gorgeous Claire Danes was seen tucking into at Harbour House V&A. Danes is in Cape Town, filming the fourth season of her hit series Homeland. And you thought dinner was going to be a stuffy affair…

For more information, please visit www.harbourhouse.co.za

Photo: Diva PR

 

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The Best Apps for Exploring Cape Town

Alessandro Candotti for Cape Town Tourism

Hey there explorer. Are you ready to take fate into your own hands?

Get connected with Cape Town when you pick up these 5 free apps and begin your adventure that much more adeptly:

1. EVERYTRAIL

Using GPS, EveryTrail creates an easy-to-read map as you explore, providing street names, a compass, audio guides and useful Points of Information.  Over 400,000 people have tracked their adventures on EveryTrail, so using these guides (e.g. A Photographers Tour of Cape Town), you can follow in their footsteps through Cape Town's most beautiful locations and local secrets.www.everytrail.com

2. PHOTOSYNTH

Photosynth meshes your photos together to create astonishing 360 degree, 3 dimensional landscapes. Check out this panorama of Chapmans Peak for example, or how about this beach shot of the Twelve Apostles or this 360 view of the tip of Africa? With it's immense natural beauty, Cape Town and Photosynth are made for each other! BONUS: Here's a fun 3D version of the Palais Garnier, Paris' famous opera house, to give you an idea of what's possible. http://photosynth.net

3. WALKING TOUR OF CENTRAL CAPE TOWN

Explore the city on your own terms and get your walk on!  With zero data charges (it's permanently available once downloaded) the app offers more than 60 points of interest with sound clips that play automatically as you near your destination. It's got a handy search function and it's content is periodically updated. A Walking Tour of Central Cape Town also provides contact info, pictures and audio clips for the Mother City's most beloved restaurants, museums and historical attractions.https://itunes.apple.com/za/app/walking-tour-central-cape/id557533717?mt=8

4. INSTAGRAM

The immensely popular Instagram uses a variety of easy-to-use filters to make ordinary photos look artistic. It's a one stop shop for making your Capetonian discoveries even more spectacular and your friends super-jealous of how ridiculously good looking you are. Instagram is also one of the world's largest social media networks, allowing you to follow the photo-feeds of your favourite people and brands. Don't forget to follow Cape Town Tourism whilst you're at it! http://instagram.com

 

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Celebs in Cape Town: Hollywood stars spotted in the Mother City

Fazielah Williams for Cape Town Tourism

Lights! Camera! Action! 

If you’re hearing these commands being shouted out while you’re enjoying a stroll in our bustling Mother City, chances are you’ve stumbled across a film set in movie-loving Cape Town.

With the fourth season of popular political thriller TV series, Homeland, starring the beautiful Claire Danes, currently being filmed here  and Hollywood’s bad boy himself Sean Penn being spotted at local coffee shop Truth Coffee last week, star-gazing has become Cape Town residents’ number one new favourite activity.

Our hometown is blockbuster material any given day, and now that Tinseltown has cottoned on to that glorious fact, thanks to movies like Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Searching for Sugarman,  Safe House and Invictus; we can expect to see more of showbiz’s brightest stars grace our picture perfect streets.

Academy Award winner Penn is rumoured to be in town scouting locations for his directorial debut feature film, The Last Space, and caused quite a stir at Dias Tavern in District Six when he popped by for lunch with his local production crew. 

Penn is said to have been amicable and warm towards fellow diners. World Design Capital 2014‘s CEO, Alayne Reesberg, was at Dias Tavern for a business meeting too and says: “Oh yes, he is charming. We waved at him and he waved back, twice.” 

Homeland is the second series in recent months to cast the Mother City as its background set, following in the cinematic footsteps of Baywatch spin-off, SAF3, and its cast and crew are excited to make our city their new base: 

“We are thrilled to have found a new home in Cape Town and look forward to getting season four's production off the ground”, said Alex Gansa, show runner and executive producer for Homeland.

Cape Town has been Hollywood central in the past six months with Katie Holmes and the cast of The Giver, Lily Allen, Bruce Springsteen and Eminem seen out and about on her sun-kissed shores.

Photo: Steve Crane

 

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Cascade Country Manor, My Ultimate Winter Winelands Escape

Crystal-Lynn Pretorius  for Cape Town Tourism

Whoever said a luxurious stay in the Paarl Winelands is solely a summer activity?

My recent decadent getaway to the impressive Cascade Country Manor proved that not only is a gourmet-loving, spa treatment-worthy and activity-filling winter break possible, it’s also totally necessary!

On a recent media trip, my partner and I discovered all that this boutique hotel has to offer – from a beautiful onsite cascading waterfall (and the Manor’s namesake) to a fully functional kids' play area (complete with a pool, trampoline and jungle gym) and hiking trails that lead into the neighbouring Limietberg Nature Reserve.

The former royal residence (the Manor belonged to the Duke of Bedford) is also close to the Nelson Mandela Statue at Groot Drakenstein Prison, Butterfly World and the Taal Monument which makes for a great day of cultural activities.

Add in the cosy décor throughout the 15 rooms, roaring fireplaces, the world-class spa which uses products made from the olives grown onsite (you simply MUST try them) and divine meals cooked by owner and chef Volker Goetze - and you have the ideal winter Winelands escape, a mere 44 minutes  from Cape Town.

I could wax lyrical all day about the amazing Cascade Country Manor but as they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.

Say I do at Cascade:

Getting married? Cascade Country Manor is renowned for its wedding hosting capabilities (expertly managed by the in-house events team) and its naughtier-than-most honeymoon suite (think ceiling mirrors!). Make your big day extra special, the Cascade Country Manor way.

For reservations, please call +27 (0)21 868 0227 or email [email protected]

Photo: Crystal-Lynn Pretorius

 

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What’s New in Cape Town: Your Top Things to do this Winter

Fazielah Williams for Cape Town Tourism

Thought Cape Town only had really cool new things to do in summer? 

Ha! Winter in the chilly Mother City is my favourite time of the year because not only are there unbelievable specials on offer but there is also a feast of GREAT fresh events, activities and products to experience.

Now, quit your moaning about how it’s too cold to go out and join me for these belly-warming, soul-rejuvenating, heart-racing new things to do in Cape Town this winter:

Boomslang Aerial Walkway at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

If the idea of getting a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and Cape Flats from the top of the ridiculously beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden gets you all hot and bothered, you simply cannot miss out on a visit to the recently opened Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway, aka Boomslang (tree snake).

Fair warning – the stroll to the Boomslang, a physical commemoration of the Garden’s 100 year anniversary in 2013, is at least a brisk 15 minutes long but trust me; the picturesque vistas are totally worth it! Gorgeous even in the pouring rain, this unique Garden structure is also wheel-chair friendly.

Remember to wear your wellies (gum boots), as the Garden can get quite muddy, and don’t forget to pack your umbrella and camera for those must-have “I was there” pics. www.sanbi.org

Lucky Fish&Chips

So, you’ve got an epic night of partying all along Long Street planned but you’re starving and nachos just ain’t gonna cut it… why not head down to Lucky Fish&Chips for your late night snack?

With some legendary specials including a R29.50 half portion of fried hake and chips and trading hours from 10h00 to 22h00 Mondays to Saturdays, this seafood joint is a party animal’s foodie dream. www.facebook.com/LuckyfishandChips

Clay Shooting Luxury Charters at the V&A Waterfront

Got a killer aim and dying for some sea breeze action? It doesn’t get better than a clay shooting experience on-board a luxury charter in the Table Bay Harbour.

Departing from the impressive V&A Waterfront, your exhilarating charter escapade includes 15 shots per person at clay pigeon and all of your adventure necessities including guns, licences, ammo and an experienced facilitator. www.waterfrontcharters.co.za

 

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Where to find the best burgers in Cape Town

Stuart Buchanan and Lynnette Johns for Cape Town Tourism

In the epic fight to be crowned Cape Town's best gourmet burger, there can be only one winner ... 

Below, we lift the bun-lid on some of the most delectable burgers. Let your taste buds be the arbiter.

ROYALE EATERY

A favourite of Salma Hayek's and other Hollywood celebs, Royale Eatery in Long Street has long been considered the rightful heir to the "best burger" throne. Its reputation rests on its attention to detail, from the quirky decor, to the impeccable service from friendly waitresses, to the impressive choice of burgers on the menu. Royale burgers push the very boundaries of burger size – large in portion yet still just about the right size to pick up. It also has what is probably the most extensive choice of vegetarian options of the many restaurants in town, never mind just burger joints. In the gourmet burger world a side is not necessarily included in the meal, but here it is. And you can choose between sweet potato fries, salad or regular chips (or, if you ask nicely, maybe a mix of those) to go with your 160g patty of perfection.

DOG'S BOLLOCKS 

It was one of the city's best-kept secrets for a while, with only a select few (hipsters, trendsetters and some locals) privy to the brilliance at Dog's Bollocks in Roodehek Street, Gardens. Now, it's become a firm favourite ... if you can get your hands on a burger, that is. Chef Nigel Woods makes only 50 burgers each night, which he sells for between R50 and R55 each. They comprise a range of styles and sauces, including Mexican mole, pepper, the good old cheese burger and po boys. The establishment, which has achieved legendary status, does not offer cutlery, while seating is 1980s-style garden furniture. Woods does not take reservations – it's first come, first served. It is best to get there around 5pm. The burgers live up to expectation: juicy and saucy with no hint of pretentiousness. 

BEEFCAKES 

Darling, you have to try the burgers at Beefcakes in Somerset Road, Green Point. It is more than a gay hang-out spot – the huge patties are to die for. You can create your own burger or choose from a long list, which includes Buffy the Hamburger Slayer, a patty groaning with a thick slice of matured cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, avo and creamy mushroom sauce. You can choose between beef, chicken, ostrich or vegetarian. All the burgers are served with fries, potato wedges or a side salad.