Luxury Travel Review
The many reasons we like Vancouver
Article by Andrea de Gosztonyi and Douglas McRae and photo by Andrea de Gosztonyi
Home to the 2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada is a city my husband and I like to visit both summer and winter. We find this destination to have urban sophistication as well as satisfying our need to explore the countryside, all within easy reach of our hotel. The climate in Vancouver is mild and temperate, but the region’s mountains are equally renowned for their epic snowfalls. Nestled between the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver has much to offer the active tourist. Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, beaches and the financial district are all within walking or cycling distance.
We enjoy the fine dining, the shopping, the many museums, galleries, parks and entertainment options that abound for visitors of all ages. For our more adventurous days, day hikes are close at hand and for the truly adventurous times the Rockies are only a drive away. Located in the city center, the Port of Vancouver is the home port for cruise ships operating luxury summer cruises from Vancouver to Alaska. The Canada Place cruise ship facility is near hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment. Its distinctive white sail design made Canada Place an attractive start to our Alaskan Cruise. Click here to read an article about Vancouver.
Hout Bay hotel, gourmet restaurant worth a detour
Exterior view of Hout Bay Manor and Pure restaurant
On a recent trip to South Africa our team went to Hout Bay, a coastal village near Cape Town, for the first time. They stayed overnight at the Hout Bay Manor (Baviaanskloof, Off Main Rd Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa 7872, +27 21 797 9393, www.houtbaymanor.com), a 21-room newly renovated historic hotel known for its chic and modern style, and dined at the property’s gourmet restaurant Pure.
“As soon as I started to cook, I never wanted to stop and so I switched my apprenticeship to be a chef, and I’ve never looked back!” said Alex Mueller, executive chef of Pure and general manager of Hout Bay Manor. The thought of taking care of such an exquisite place excited me and of course this encouraged me to take up the challenge.”
Pure restaurant
Chef Mueller was classically trained and believes that every chef should have this base before starting to experiment. He completed an array of specialized culinary courses to develop and enhance his cooking techniques. Some of the courses include pastry, vegetable and fruit carving, ice-cream and desserts as well as artistic sugar and isomalt creations.
Our team liked the lovingly restored boutique hotel and stylish gourmet restaurant. Click here to read more about Pure restaurant.
Grand Canyon, Skywalk helicopter flight made good ‘Vegas side trip
The Las Vegas skyline seen from the helicopter
On a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada one of our teams went on Wind Dancer, a Maverick Helicopters extended helicopter flight from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, including Lake Mead and stops at the Grand Canyon and the Skywalk at the Hualapai American Indian reservation in Arizona.
The Maverick seven-seat ECO Star aircraft
The Skywalk at the Hualapai American Indian reservation in Arizona
The day began with an early morning transport pick up at our team’s Las Vegas Strip hotel. They spent the better part of the day on the full flight excursion and returned to their hotel, filled with Grand Canyon memories and with dozens of photos, in the mid afternoon. Click here to read more about their experience with Wind Dancer.
Cape Town house restaurants outstanding
A table and view at The Roundhouse
Cape Town’s up and coming gourmet restaurant scene is flourishing. On our team’s most recent visit they dined at two outstanding “house” gourmet restaurants in the city suburbs, The Greenhouse, part of the large complex of the Cellars-Hohenort, and The Roundhouse, a newly opened and very popular hillside restaurant.
The Greenhouse
Each with its own charms offered quality food lovers a striking setting, friendly service and extraordinary meals. Click here to read our articles about The Greenhouse and The Roundhouse .
Our elephant back experience at Camp Jabulani
Article by Elena del Valle and photos by Gary Cox
Elephants at Camp Jabulani
Carl met us at the Kapama Gate and we drove behind him to the camp where we would spend the next two nights. On our arrival, Elsie, his wife and camp co-manager, welcomed us with moist refresher towels. After a few minutes we followed our luggage across a quaint suspension bridge to our suite. We had arrived just in time for a quick bite and our first elephant back ride.
A short while later we met Rudolf Van Den Berg, the property’s talented chef who made us look forward to every meal. The day we left, Lente Roode, the enthusiastic conservationist behind Camp Jabulani, came to greet guests at the breakfast table.
Our luxury suite at Camp Jabulani
At 4:30 p.m., we and six other guests met Paul, the elephant handler, who introduced us to the elephants and their grooms. He also shared information about the herd including their origin, behavior, what we should expect during the ride as well as dos and don’t. He invited us to touch Jabulani, the elephant who led the herd and for whom the camp was named.
We were surprised to discover parts of his skin were amazingly soft while others felt thick and coarse. I even had a chance to feed him. Apparently this made him friendly because the next thing I knew his trunk was two inches from my face and he was breathing on me. His breath was hot but it smelled alright and although I was a bit disconcerted by the proximity of such a large and unfamiliar animal, I stood my ground. At Paul’s suggestion, I blew into his trunk, and he moved it away.
Lente Roode, one of the owners of Camp Jabulani
Soon, we were on our way. Paul had invited me to ride on Jabulani with his groom, a personable young Zimbabwean who told me a little about Jabulani, his life as an elephant groom and his homeland during the hour long ride. We were at the head of the herd which moved, single file, at a surprisingly comfortable and sedate pace. From the height of Jabulani’s back (there was a saddle that made the ride cushy) the bush had a different look and feel from the ones I had experienced on bush walks and safari drives.
Chef Rudolf Van Den Berg at Camp Jabulani
It seemed far away and at the same time as if we might see anything in the company of these gentle creatures. At sunset, we arrived at a lovely picnic spot where we dismounted to enjoy South African bubbly and snacks and share our thoughts on this newest experience and how special it had been. Click here to read more about Camp Jabulani.
Cape Town rental homes offered land, sea options
An exterior view of Rock House Villa
Rock House Villa
Looking for a little rest and relaxation in the Cape Town area? We found two multi-million dollar luxury rental properties each with its own distinctive charms. Rock House Villa, a recently constructed luxury four bedroom rental home, hugs a popular South African beach. The two-story house with a live-in staff person is perched on the edge of the rocks of Camps Bay, Cape Town’s famous beach suburb.
The living room at Villa Higgovale
The back deck at Villa Higgovale
Villa Higgovale, a 4,000 square meter property, sits in a residential hillside neighborhood and has a splendid view of Cape Town and its bay. Two full time employees, a housekeeper and a gardener, looked after the six bedroom house which is minutes away from shopping and the city.
Click here to find out what our team discovered during their stay about Rock House Villa and Villa Higgovale.
