A Luxury Travel Blog

It’s that time of year once again when Travel+Leisure releases its World’s Best Awards. I haven’t had time to study them in detail just yet, but have noted that Singita Sabi Sand at Kruger has taken top spot in the World’s Best Hotels section, up one place from last year. Second is Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, India, up from 11th place last year, and Fairmont Mara Safari Club in Kenya’s Masai Mara makes one of the most impressive climbs to third place (up from 48th spot in 2007).

Makalali, just west of the famed Kruger National Park, is arguably the world’s most uniquely designed hotel. Four camps of six innovatively appointed suites with private salas overlook the river. Each camp has private dining decks, outdoor bomas, swimming pools and lounges.  Your safari experience here is tailor-made with the opportunity to interact with nature as well as enjoy the silent communication between tracker and guide as you are brought into the proximity of wildlife in its natural environment. Pan African cuisine and an elephant contraception programme make Makalali Private Game Lodge an utterly unique place to visit.

The elite and still-under-construction Shamwari Townhouse in Port Elizabeth, on the Southeast coast of South Africa, is now expected to open in August 2008, making it the newest addition to the Mantis Collection of ultra-deluxe boutique hotels and game reserves. Because of the Townhouse’s secluded environment, it is promised as a perfect ‘retreat’ for the business or luxury leisure traveller - setting new standards for discreet and boutique accommodation in South Africa.

Surrounded by unspoiled beaches and malaria-free nature reserves, including the award-winning Shamwari Game Reserve, Port Elizabeth itself is considered to be an emerging tourist destination. The hotel is in the posh beachfront suburb of Summerstrand, ten minutes from the airport and 328 feet from the Indian Ocean.

For more information, please contact reservations@mantiscollection.com or visit www.mantiscollection.com

Andrea Wren is a freelance journalist and owner of Luxury Worldwide Tours.

River Bend Lodge, an escape from the madding crowds of the city, will revitalise your soul and spirit, whilst you discover the natural beauty of the surroundings. Flanked by the Zuurberg Mountains and within the 17,000 ha of the Addo Elephant park, this is Africa at its best.  Only 45 minutes from Port Elizabeth, the area is home to wildlife including lion, hyena, buffalo, black rhino and more. Special attention is also paid to more unusual game such as the flightless dung beetle, Cape fox and various bird species.  Particularly famous, of course, are the Addo elephants.  Accommodation ranges from the elegant, 8-suite Lodge to the exclusive-use Safari Villa with its own butler, chef and game ranger available to cater to every whim.

Madikwe River Lodge is positioned on the banks of the Groot Marico River, bordering Botswana. The luxurious Madikwe River Lodge offers guests the chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of Africa, in sixteen split-level suites and an outdoor dining boma.  Your safari experiences takes you to the untamed wilderness of the Kalahari Thonveld, where dining under African stars and early morning breakfasts under Acacia trees are the norm. Home to 66 large mammal species and 350 bird species, Madikwe River Lodge boasts black rhino, wild dog and even bush babies as common sightings.

• La Villa des Orangers - Marrakech, Morocco
• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt - Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
• Table Bay Hotel Cape Town - Cape Town, South Africa
• Belle Mare Plage Hotel - Belle Mare, Mauritius
• Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
• Le Touessrok - Trou d’eau Douce, Mauritius
• Cape Grace - Cape Town, South Africa
• Hyatt Regency Sharm El-Sheikh Resort - Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
• Steenberg Hotel - Constantia, South Africa
• Shamwari Game Reserve - Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Come back tomorrow for the final instalment - the best in Canada!

Providing 7,500 square miles of wilderness and reachable within 45 minutes of flying time from Johannesburg, Kruger is one of the world’s best-known game reserves. To help safari-seekers and well-heeled guests pick the very best of the five-star lodges out there, The Daily Telegraph has listed their top five:

Singita Lebombo - style and design make this lodge the most sought after in Kruger, lying on Lebombo hills, in the game-rich southeast of the reserve.

Parfuri Camp - owned by Wilderness Safaris and not as ostentatious as some of their others, this camp has 20 thatch-covered tented rooms, all facing the Luvuvu River.

Rattray’s Camp - a new addition in exclusive Mala Mala and located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, this luxurious camp has award-winning chefs and infinity plunge-pools.

Ivory Camp - on the banks of the Sabie River in the Sabi Sand reserve, this camp has a proper spa and an exclusive, seductive location.

Royal Malewane - situated in the private Thornybush reserve where the Big Five can be spotted, this celebrity-sought after lodge is considered one of the most luxurious in Kruger.

Andrea Wren is a freelance journalist and owner of Luxury Worldwide Tours.

The grand old lady of CC Africa is looking beautiful – R20 million has been invested into a dramatic rebuild and refurbishment of Phinda Mountain Lodge in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal which will boast 25 gorgeous new suites (18 of which are already open to guests), as well as magically transformed guest areas.

The 2008 Best of Wine Tourism award winners are:

• Bilbao-Rioja (Architecture, Parks & Gardens)
  Marques de Riscal
  
• Bordeaux (Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences)
  Planète Bordeaux
• Cape Town (Arts & Culture)
  Vergelegen
• Florence (Accommodation)
  Castello di Meleto
• Mendoza (Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences)
  Familia Zuccardi
• Melbourne (Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences)
  Victorian Alps Winery
• Porto (Art & Culture)
  The House of Sandeman
• San Francisco - Napa Valley (Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices)
  Grgich Hills Estate
• Special Jury Award for Host City
  Confraria do Vinho do Porto (Wine Tourism Services)

Every year, exceptional properties in each member city receive ‘Best of Wine Tourism’ awards across a number of categories – and the national winners go on to compete for the prestigiousinternational prizes in one of eight categories. This is the fifth year of the awards, with over 320properties from five continents competing for the titles.

Further information about the awards can be found on greatwinecapitals.com

iExplore, named the Best Adventure Travel Website by Forbes Magazine and Travel + Leisure, has announced a list of top 10 world travel destinations as determined by purchases made by adventure and experiential travellers.  Egypt retains its number one spot, but South Africa jumps to the number 2 spot (from 19th position the year before). Argentina and Italy fell to 21st and 26th positions respectively, having previously been in the top 10. Here’s their current top 10, with the previous year’s ranking in brackets:

1. Egypt (#1)
2. South Africa (#19)
3. China (#6)
4. Antarctica (#2)
5. Peru (#4)
6. Galapagos (#17)
7. Thailand (#5)
8. Costa Rica (#11)
9. Tanzania (#8)
10. India (#14)

The award-winning Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa has opened its newest, ultra-luxury accommodation - Pezula Castle on Noetzie Beach, Knysna. Situated on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the castle is built into the rugged cliff-face of the Garden Route coastline with its ancient milkwood forests and offers panoramic views of the beach and the sea. Guests have every conceivable wish catered for by a team of hand-picked personnel including a resident chef, housekeeper and butler and the rate is fully inclusive of all meals, drinks, snacks and refreshments, as well as selected activities such as horse riding, hiking, canoeing, tennis and use of the Field of Dreams golf practice range.  There is a Main Castle or Honeymoon Castle to choose from; rates are fully inclusive and available on request.

In an article published today, Forbes gives the nod to South Africa, Mexico and a number of other destinations, saying they offer affordable opportunities to get some winter sun.  In true Forbes online style, they provide us with a list:

• Las Palomas Beach & Golf Resort, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico
  One-bedroom suites start at $265 per night
• The Reef Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
  Rooms start at $340 per night
• The Regent Bal Harbour, Bal Harbour, Florida, USA
  Bay-view rooms from $475 per night between 2nd January and 30th April 2008
• Sonoran Spa Resort, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (what… no website???!!)
  Rates start at $278 per night, but look out for 3 nights for price of 2 offers
• Four Seasons Nevis, Kitts and Nevis, West Indies
  50% off regular rates
• “Highlights Of South Africa” Package from VSA Vacations
  9-day trip runs at $1999, including airfare
• Colony Club Hotel, Platinum Coast, Barbados
  Book by 15th December 2007 and rooms start at $539 per night
• Bucuti Beach Resort, Aruba, Eagle Beach, Aruba
• Ocean Club Resort, Turks and Caicos, West Indies
  Offers such as ’stay six nights, get the seventh free’ available, but see what deal you can negotiate

…with minted parsnips and lemon/chervil vegetables.

Ingredients:

• Lamb rump
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Rosemary

Vegetables:
• Sugar snaps
• Baby corn, blanched in turmeric
• Chinese sliced red onion
• Chopped chervil
• Lemon juice
• Parsnips
• Butter
• Mint jelly 
• Fresh mint 

• Lamb Jus
• Parsnip chips
• Hollandaise sauce

Directions:

Marinade the rumps for at least three days, then “roll” and tie.  Blanch the parsnips until al dente, heat them in butter and then caramelise with mint jelly.  Toss through some fresh mint and season with salt and pepper.  Sauté the sugar snaps, baby corn and Chinese onion in a little butter and then season with lemon juice and chopped chervil.  Season the meat and then seal in a hot pan.  Roast to required level of tenderness.  Serve with hollandaise and lamb jus.

Source: Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town

Please give this recipe a try and let us know what you think by clicking on the comments link… thank you!