A Night out in Cape Town

Have you ever been bombarded with accommodation choices when travelling? Yes? Me too. I’ve been spammed, false advertised at, over charged and under charged (well…not like anyone would complain). I can’t tell you where to stay as there as so many excellent choices out there, but I can tell you that good value for money is hard to find. This is especially true for Cape Town, where you will find an overpriced hotel or self-catering accommodation around every corner.

I recently decided to spend a day in town and stayed the night at this lovely apartment in the heart of the Cape Town CBD; I was pleasantly surprised at the level of sophistication and comfort with a price tag well below that of its competitors! Located in the well-known Cartwright’s Corner building in Adderley Street, it is close to a myriad of local attractions to keep you occupied, whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure.

Even though the apartment is self-catering, I took the lazy route and walked down Adderley to see what restaurants are on offer and appeal to my inner foodie - again, I was blown away by the choices and quality!  Having been a Capetonian for about a year and a half, I am yet to eat an unappetising meal in one of the City’s restaurants - maybe I’m just going to all the right places…who knows?

Being a creature of habit, I phoned a friend and we ended off my little rendezvous by spending the evening sipping mojito’s at my usual hangout, Shimmy Beach Club, after which I went back to the apartment and drifted off the moment my head touched the pillow.

808 Cartwrights Corner

Written by: Christine Kleyn

A Memorable trip to the Drakensberg Mountains

Last week I had the privilege of spending three days in the beautiful Central Drakensberg. The cool, pre-winter mountain breeze was just what the doctor ordered!

Unfortunately I did not have time to explore the surroundings for hours and take lots of pictures, but I can describe the experience. Firstly I have to give a shout out to the guys from Airport Shuttle Cape Town for driving me to the airport in comfort and on time for my dreaded 6am flight – it takes a certain level of professionalism to pick a groggy passenger up at 04:30 in the morning and still muster up a smile! 

Upon arrival in Durban and having to shed my coat and scarf, we piled into a luxury bus for the 2-hour drive to the stunning Champagne Sports Resort in Central Drakensberg. I love the mountains so I immediately felt at home sitting on the balcony and appreciating the view, cup of tea in hand. The room was big, warm and comfortable and I decided to take a nap the moment my body sank into the down duvet…it was heaven for a few minutes!

Our days were filled with (surprisingly fun) business sessions in the conference room, spectacularly decorated for the event, and our evenings consisted of gala dinners and partying until the wee hours of the morning! Wine flowed freely and champagne and tequila followed soon after!

The resort staff were friendly and accommodating, the accommodation was absolutely perfect and my shuttle driver made sure I get to and from the airport in comfort – it was a truly memorable travelling experience. Drakensberg will definitely see me again, soon…

Written by: Christine Kleyn

The Convenience of Modern Travel

So I woke up this morning wondering about the miracle of transport and how easy it has become in the past decade. We’ve come a long way since journeys by boat or train. Travelling used to take weeks of planning, simply because it took so long and was such an inconvenience.  Today, however, it couldn't be simpler!

Humans are impatient and slaves to instant gratification – thanks to the rapid development of technology and travel methods, I can wake up in Cape Town at 05:00 and by 19:00 be having dinner in Paris, Rome or London. WOW!

Sit back and let that sink in for a moment. You could leave work on Friday afternoon, catch an Airport Shuttle to Cape Town International and catch the evening flight in time to be in London for bacon, eggs, beans and chips – all in a matter of hours!!! If that’s not convenience at its best, I don’t know what is!

With all the time saved travelling, you can finally start writing that novel, brainstorm your next multi-million Rand business idea or even learn a new skill!