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There is fun to be had in the city, too. I spend one morning foraging along downtown’s Bree Street, where I pick up local cheeses, ham and bread, while checking out Cape Town’s trendiest stores – including Missibaba, South Africa’s answer to Anya Hindmarch, and her neighbour, jeweller Kirsten Goss. British-born chef Luke Dale-Roberts has taken Cape Town by storm with his fresh take on indigenous South African flavours and he’s moved downtown for his latest venture, the speakeasy-style Shortmarket Club, set in a heritage building. I tuck into a large, succulent steak, followed by an inspired local cocktail at The Stack, a swanky new bar and brasserie – the G&T infused with fynbos botanicals is a must. Woodstock is another neighbourhood that’s being transformed. The crumbling buildings around The Old Biscuit Mill are being colonised by creatives, and on a Saturday morning I join the Capetonians flocking to the triple-storey, bare-brick former factory, home to local craftsmen selling their wares and Dale-Roberts’ renowned eateries The Test Kitchen and The Pot Luck Club. The menu at One&Only Reuben’s is also special, thanks to the namesake chef’s knack for marrying international classics with national ingredients, such as duck breast with rooibos chutney or peppered springbok steak. If you hanker for faultless sushi with a South African twist, there’s Nobu, too. For all of Cape Town’s charm, it’s hard to resist the lure of the Cape winelands, with its award-winning vineyards, superb produce and glorious landscapes, all less than an hour’s drive from the hubbub of the city. The newly opened Leeu Estates, my second stay of the trip, sits in the impossibly picturesque Franschhoek Valley. I drive through the grand gates, flanked by a pair of bronze lions, and down a long, leafy avenue that leads to Manor House, a fine example of dazzlingly white Cape Dutch architecture overlooking beautifully landscaped gardens. The elegant rooms and custom-made furniture are decorated in sumptuous natural fabrics and soothing neutral shades, and filled with an impressive collection of contemporary, predominantly African art – including Beezy Bailey’s cobalt blue Peaceman which greets guests in the hall. Breakfast is served al fresco on the sun-drenched terrace, where I feast on farm-fresh produce, freshly baked bread and homemade jams, savouring the views across the perfectly manicured lawn, where a bronze statue of Artemis hunts with her dogs under endless blue skies. I wander through the gardens, where paths are edged with white and purple scented shrubs, such as star jasmine, to the Ila Spa – a South African first – where I’m massaged into a state of utter relaxation using divine-
Clockwise from top left: One&Only Cape Town; the Garden Spa at Babylonstoren; Babel at Babylonstoren; Mushroom dish, Babel at Babylonstoren; Pumpkin seasonal yellow salad, Babel at Babylonstoren; View of Babylonstoren; One&Only Cape Town; Table Mountain suite, One&Only Cape Town; Statue of Artemis and her three dogs, Leeu Estates; Reading Room, Manor House, Leeu Estates; Gardens at Leeu Estates