Issue 8

It's a typically cold and wet Cape Town day as I arrive at the beautiful entrance of The Clarendon Fresnaye. Located on the Atlantic seaboard, this charming 4-star hotel is within walking distance of Sea Point, a posh and popular suburb, and is aimed at small groups and families.

Assistant manager Emmy greets me with the warmest welcome and coffee. She leads me to my opulent double room with long curtains, a plush carpet, huge bed, contemporary chairs and a massive marble bathroom. There is also a great view over the garden and a bit of the sea beyond.

Breakfast and high tea are included in the price but dinner is extra. For about $28 you can tuck into a six-course meal including tomato gazpacho, salt and pepper prawns, seared yellow fin tuna, pan fried sea bass and venison medallions. Then there is strawberry kir royal (strawberry gel, meringue, marshmallows, champagne foam, and strawberry and cassis ice cream), petit fours and bottomless coffee and tea. Yum!!

I decide to forgo the lavish dinner in exchange for a trip to nearby Ari's Souvlaki, a restaurant within walking distance from the hotel. Ari's is a veritable Capetonian institution. A stroll on the promenade along the sea followed by a traditional Greek meal at Ari's is somewhat of a must when in Cape Town. The restaurant is on Sea Point main road diagonally opposite retail giant SPAR. It looks tiny as you walk in but when you head upstairs, you'll find a spacious room with a great balcony that looks over the busy main road. The restaurant has a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere - expect plastic red and white checked tablecloths and friendly service. The menu is extremely reasonably priced and most main meals are under $5 a person. There is a variety of tapas, meze platters and main meals but their beef shawarmas are hands down the best in the world – including anywhere in Greece.

The Clarendon Bantry Bay

After a wonderfully snug and restful night's sleep in my huge bed, the buffet breakfast the next morning is fit for a king. I am then driven to the Clarendon Fresnaye's sister hotel, The Clarendon Bantry Bay, about 500 meters up the road and unfortunately, my home for only one night.

Nestled peacefully along the peninsula of one the world's most spectacular settings, the hotel is a 5-star fusion of pure sophistication and astonishing views of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is not very imposing from outside but once you step inside, the hues of white and cream with the floor-to-ceiling glass doors and blue, blue sea beyond assault the senses in a strikingly beautiful way. Everything is pristine with carefully selected artworks while the service is warm, quick and genuine.

My room is beautiful and quite palatial actually - huge with elegantly contemporary design and fixtures with lush carpets and sweeping sea views as well as a balcony. Each of the hotel's rooms has its own unique design with gorgeous individual touches, attesting to the designer's immaculate taste. Expect rich dark wood, natural colors and rooms flooded with natural light. For dinner, I am served a deliciously simple and fresh chicken and peen dish with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert – brilliantly delicious in its masterful simplicity.

The hotel is located within minutes from the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, Camps Bay and Clifton's beaches as well as the cosmopolitan City Center with its markets, quaint shops, restaurants and pubs. It is also only 45 minutes away from the rolling winelands and 25 minutes from the airport.

So go on – spoil yourself at the Clarendon!

Contact:

http://www.clarendon.co.za/

Getting there:

South African Airways introduced direct flights between Beijing and Johannesburg in 2012. Go to HYPERLINK http://www.flysaa.com/za/en/flyingSAA/News/Saa-introduces-non-stop-flights-to-beijing-china.html" \t "_blank

http://www.flysaa.com/za/en/flyingSAA/News/Saa-introduces-non-stop-flights-to-beijing-china.html.

Once in Johannesburg, low-cost airlines fly to Cape Town every hour.