The South African Tourism "Ubuntu Awards" were held last night in New York City -  Ubuntu is 'the essence of being human. It speaks to our interconnectedness and means "I am because you are"'. The awards are held to pay tribute to those industry leaders who have helped South African Tourism position South Africa as the most preferred long-haul destination for USA travelers.

We are proud to announce that ROAR AFRICA was nominated and won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Creative Destination Marketing.  This was in recognition of  a TV documentary series produced in partnership with Travelscope.  The theme of the show was sustainable conservation tourism, focusing on areas in South Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands of Bazaruto. Travelscope went on to receive the 2011 Emmy Award for the series; airing to over 1.3 million viewers in the USA and worldwide. 

Guests were welcomed by Sthu Zungu, The President of South African Tourism. The South African Ambassador to the USA - H.E. Ebrahim Rasool, The Minister of Tourism -  Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, and South African Tourism CEO Thulani Nzima all addressed the audience before the awards were presented by Alex Trebek, host of the widely known TV show Jeopardy!

We are very proud to have played a role in the promotion of responsible travel to Southern Africa and greatly appreciate South African Tourism's recognition through the Ubuntu Award.

Find out more about the Travelscope episodes here:
http://travelscope.net/episodes/view/south_africa_-_on_safari
http://travelscope.net/episodes/view/mozambique_africa

We're proud to see 6 of the overall top 10 Travel+Leisure hotels in the world are in Africa! All 6 are safari lodges - some of our favorites. In fact 15 of the top 100 hotels are in our destination areas of southern and East Africa. They are all in South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania or Kenya.

Congratulations to:

1. Singita Grumeti (Sasakwa, Sabora and Faru Faru)

2. Singita Sabi Sands (Boulders, Ebony and Castleton)

3. Royal Malewane

4. Ol Donyo Lodge

9. Kirawira Luxury Tented Camp

10. Serengeti Migration Camp

12. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

18. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

20. Mombo and Little Mombo Camps

33. Le Quatier Francais

39. Singita Kruger National Park (Sweni and Lebombo)

45. Londolozi Game Reserve

67. Fairmont Mara Safari Club

74. Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp

79. Cape Grace

And cheers to all our most excellent partners under the T+L media radar.

ROAR AFRICA

This month Deborah Calmeyer of ROAR AFRICA features on the cover of Business Traveler Magazine. The first in their "Woman in Business" series. Jeff Heilman reveals some of her challenges and triumphs from growing up with a lioness to launching and running the company in New York. You can read it here at Business Traveler online (page 38) OR below (click to enlarge).

EMMY-nominated TravelScope: "When you think of Africa you hardly think of a beautiful beach, but in Mozambique, Africa that’s exactly what you should be thinking about. Joseph traveled to Mozambique for one of two shows on Africa that will be featured in Travelscope TV Season IV – which begins airing in June 2010. After the long flight from the U.S. aboard South African Airways, Joseph joined Geoff Calmeyer of Roar Africa on a sun-soaked, white-sand beach in Mozambique. "
Click here to listen to the interview.

Congratulations to TravelScope, the documentary travel series for television that has just been nominated for an Emmy. ROAR AFRICA hosted TravelScope last year for the filming of two episodes of the new season which begins next month: South Africa - On Safari and Mozambique.The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominees for the 37th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards on May 12th. Travelscope is nominated for an Emmy® in the Outstanding Special Class Series category.

You can read more about the filming of these two episodes on our BLOG: Safari & Mozambique or on Travelscope's website (see below).
Travelscope press release.
Episodes ROAR AFRICA hosted: South Africa - On Safari & Mozambique

Living in the USA? Got a great travel photo? Submit it to the shutterstock photo safari competition and win a 6-night African Photo Safari Adventure put together by ROAR AFRICA.

Deadline: May 12th, 2010

1) Submit your best travel-related photo.

2) Tell your friends to vote for your entry.

3) Win if your photo is chosen from the finalists.

One winner will enjoy a safari for 2 in South Africa, including 3 nights on safari at the Lions Sands River Lodge and 3 nights exploring Cape Town courtesy of ROAR AFRICA.

Click here to enter: shutterstock

Or just browse and vote for some of the amazing photographs already entered.Prize Eligibility:

Only persons residing in United States who are at least 18 years of age can enter.

Contest Ends:

May 12, 2010 @ 11:59 pm (PDT)

Gorongosa is back in the headlines. This time it's coming to you in HD with the release on March 24th of the National Geographic documentary "Africa's Lost Eden".

Gorongosa was known as “the place where Noah left his Ark:” 4,000 square kilometers of wilderness covering floodplains, mountains and forests in central
Mozambique. It was packed with wild animals but 15 years of civil war took a heavy toll. Now conservationists are restoring the magnificent park and this has been captured on film. The world premier of "Africa's Lost Eden" will be in Washington DC on March 24th followed by a discussion moderated by Chris Matthews.

Film Trailer:


Bob Poole who shot the film over the past two years explains that it was challenging filming in the thick bush of Gorongosa. However, they captured amazing footage using a Phantom HD camera that shoots up to 1500 frames a second. You'll see fantastic super slow motion of eagles plucking fish out of the water and fighting mid air battles, waterfalls, elephants, and crocodiles hatching.

For the aerial shots they used a helicopter fitted with a Cineflex camera - the granddaddy of aerial cinematography with its long lens and a gyroscope stabilizer.

Here's a link to a short film on the making of "Africa's Lost Eden".
The making of Africa's Lost Eden

If you're interested in visiting Gorongosa, have a look at the Explore Gorongosa Tented Camp on our website or give us a call.

You might also be interested in the other posts on this BLOG including the 60 minutes documentary: click here

It's great to see the beautiful country of Mozambique getting the publicity it deserves.

Click on the image below to read the article from the Winter 2010 special issue of InStyle Weddings.InStyle Weddings

This month ROAR AFRICA is hosting Joseph Rosendo's award winning travel documentary series, Travelscope. Geoff will be taking the Travelscope team on a safari around South Africa and Mozambique visiting some of our partner lodges and some of the conservation and community projects they are involved in.

The trip starts in Johannesburg today at The Peech hotel. From Johannesburg the team will travel to the Kruger Park area where they will enjoy some of the best safari experiences in South Africa as well as visit the rescued elephants at Camp Jabulani and the Henna Pre-School, a project supported by Lion Sands. From there it's off to the spectacular Bazaruto islands in Mozambique to both Indigo Bay and Azura Lodge.

Updates will be posted on the BLOG and on our Twitter feed and we'll update you with the TV schedule for the documentary.

Manhattan’s oldest society magazine, and one of the first in the United States, features ROAR AFRICA on page 58 of the August 2009 edition. Click to enlarge the image below.

Peggy Healy Parker writes about her lunch with Pat Cavendish O'Neill, author of A Lion in the Bedroom: The Fabulous High-life of the Heiress Who Couldn't Say No. Peggy was hosted by Roar Africa and accompanied by Geoff Calmeyer who, like Pat, had a lion as a pet many years ago.

The article is online at Vogue here and pasted below.

Postcard From Cape Town: A One-On-One With The One And Only Pat Cavendish O’Neill

July 8, 2009 12:20 pm

I had a feast in Africa. No ordinary feast, mind you—I was the luncheon guest of Pat Cavendish O’Neill, heiress and author of A Lion in the Bedroom, a charmingly written and juicy chronicle of the lavish life she led as daughter of one of Britain’s most famous beauties, Enid Lindeman. Pat’s half brother was equally famous—Roderick (Rory) Cameron authored a number of books and designed the iconic mansion of the Côte d’Azur, La Fiorentina (later owned by Harding and Mary Wells Lawrence). So artistic was Rory that the interior walls of La Fiorentina had to perfectly match the color of the back side of the olive leaf. Pat called him “the most wonderful brother”—she clearly adored him. Other guests included Geoff Calmeyer, co-owner of the prestigious bespoke tour company Roar Africa, as well as former neighbors of Pat and three young volunteers working at an AIDS orphanage. Some 15 dogs trotted up the long, tree-lined drive to greet us.

At 84, Pat is still young, still interested in everything, and still a beauty in her own right—no one has such wide-set pale blue eyes. “I’ve had a wonderful life,” she said, ushering us to the shaded pool-side terrace. Thirty years ago Pat and her mother moved from Kenya’s Happy Valley to Broadlands, a stud farm outside of Cape Town, for her mother’s health and at the behest of Beryl Markham, aviatrix, horse trainer, and a reputed lover of Denys Finch Hatton—yes, Karen Blixen’s Finch Hatton. Beryl told Pat: “Broadlands has a wonderful paddock and horses, white fencing, and trees everywhere.” Like Beryl, Pat and her mother raised champion thoroughbreds and eventually Pat fell in love with South Africa. And why not? Cape Town is one of the most beautiful and welcoming cities in the world. Though there is still disparity between blacks and whites, it’s changing and you can feel the thaw. Here, hospitality has been raised to a fine art at such fabulous venues as the Steenberg Hotel, the Constantia Guest House, and the Delaire Graff Estate, the new über-luxurious hotel, winery, and restaurant conceived by diamond king Laurence Graff and designed by the brilliant David Collins.

After a surfeit of lunch, we toured the grounds of Broadlands to see Pat’s menagerie (and I don’t mean the glass kind)—four baboons, assorted goats, donkeys, pigs, cattle, 14 cats, 60 vervet monkeys, and another 20-odd canines. Pat rescued every last animal except for one magnificent dog, Cash, so named because it’s the only creature she paid money for. The walls of the drawing room are hung to the rafters with oils and watercolors surrounding a portrait of Pat and Tana, her beloved pet lioness who, she said, “taught me the beauty of Africa.” There are photographs of Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and many other family friends. There are paintings of her mother and paintings by her mother, of whom she said, “Men just adored her. Once they fell, they fell for the rest of their lives. She was also a brilliant painter.”

Best of all, Pat told us she’s writing a sequel to A Lion in the Bedroom. (If you haven’t read part one of her autobiography, beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on a copy of the hard-to-find book.) I can’t wait to find out what happened next in her exciting, extraordinary, and eccentric life.

—Peggy Healy Parker

Jill Demling, Entertainment Editor at Vogue writes about her Yoga Safari to Londolozi Reserve in South Africa with Roar Africa.

Read it below or the find the original online here:
Style.com, Beauty, Health, and Fitness Monday June 29, 2009

from Vogue: Style.com

Travel Diary: Londolozi Yoga Safari in South Africa

In my wildest dreams (and despite a genuine yearning) I never thought I would get to see South Africa, and I never thought I would get to see South Africa for the following reasons:

1. I am pretty unpredictable on airplanes, and the thought of a sixteen-hour journey across the ocean didn’t exactly seem like the best way to bookend any fantastic getaway.

2. I work a full-time job, and escaping my office for a two-week vacation usually proves to be impossible. OK, not usually. Always.

3. I can be a finicky traveler. I like to lie by the pool with a good book and a cocktail as much as the next weary worker, but I also have an active streak and shudder at the thought of spending even one hour in a hotel gym.

4. I assumed it would be wildly (and prohibitively) expensive.

So, I thought, I may never make it to South Africa. That was fine. I was perfectly content lolling along the beach in Amagansett, visiting family up in Boston, and taking an annual jaunt to somewhere cool (and closer) like Europe or Costa Rica. I was fine with it. Really. That is, until a friend introduced me to Deb Calmeyer, and I started thinking that maybe it was finally time to make one of my big-time travel fantasies come true.

Deb and her father, Geoff, both natives of South Africa, launched their travel company, Roar Africa, in 2005 with a very simple mission: a perfectly personalized South African vacation. How personalized? If you love bird-watching, they will hire a guide to point out the indigenous species. Certified oenophile? A wine expert will take you to all the local wineries—even the ones way off the beaten path. Is a vacation not a vacation unless you end up lugging shopping bags through customs? The Calmeyer’s will pair you up with a personal shopper who will stroll Cape Town and haggle on your behalf. So it stood to reason they could figure out what to do with an exercise enthusiast who longed to see the African bush and was short on time and money—and they did: the Londolozi Yoga Safari.

After landing in Johannesburg after a remarkably pleasant flight (if you make this trip, I suggest South African Airlines), I was greeted by Geoff who was clearly the age of my grandfather, but had the spunk and swagger of a teenager. After a few cups of strong African coffee at the airport hotel, our group (there were four of us) hopped on a very small (repeat, very small) airplane for a one-hour flight that landed us in the middle of nowhere. After deplaning, I climbed wearily in the safari truck for a five-minute drive to my destination: Tree Camp at Londolozi. All weariness immediately deserted me.

Situated in the heart of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Londolozi is named for a Zulu word meaning “protector of all living things,” which is also the mantra of this family-owned and-operated business. Unloading my bags off the truck, I quickly found a protector of my own in our dashing game ranger, Boyd Varty, who was part Hugh Jackman, part Harrison Ford, and exactly what you not-so-secretly hope the man who will gallantly lead you through the wilderness will look like. The city started seeming very far away.

Our four-day stay at Londolozi would be tailored around a new program called, simply, Yoga Safari. Led by Sally Flanagan, who is recognized in South Africa as a pioneer of Bikram Yoga, each day would consist of two yoga sessions and two up-close-and-personal game drives. When we weren’t doing our sun salutations or marveling at spotting the big five (lions, tigers, zebras) roaming around the bush, we were relaxing in our rooms: luxurious suites built high in the branches and giving an entirely new meaning to the idea of a tree house. My own room had a private pool and a deck from which I stood and watched baboons swing from the trees and elephants and giraffes roam the ground below. It was completely surreal, and the only thing that brought me back to Earth (figuratively) was the security guard who would accompany us around the camp. Turns out those friendly baboons had mastered the art of unlocking doors, and to remedy the problem all the doors had more locks than Fort Knox.

The first morning, we woke up at five for a yoga class on a deck nestled high in the trees—a vantage point that allowed for a stunning view of the sun rising over the land. I practice a lot of yoga in the city, and I must say that meditation takes on a whole new meaning when you can’t hear car alarms and the raging wheels of trucks. After class, we would have breakfast and then head out for a game drive. The second yoga session of the day would also take place in the tree house, but it was slightly more daunting: It was on a deck over a crocodile-filled water hole—one false move and you were lunch. The second game drive was in the evening as the sun was setting and the predators were readying to find dinner. Along the way we’d stop for snacks consisting of dried game meat. I went to South Africa a vegetarian and came back with bags of dried impala in my suitcase. Who would’ve thought?

Our nights at the camp were spent around a campfire drinking wine from South African vineyards, eating dinner prepared by a local chef, and telling stories over dessert plates of delicious local cheeses. On our last night we were serenaded by the Londolozi choir, who sang traditional hymns to us—and as I leaned back to take it all in, I couldn’t believe it was almost time to go home.

Details:
For a trip organized around your interests and budget, visit www.roarafrica.com or e-mail Deb Calmeyer at deb@roarafrica.com

Photo gallery courtesy of Jill Demling. Click to enlarge:

Travel Weekly contributor Ben Roussel traveled to South Africa with Roar Africa. He sat down with Roar Africa co-owner and tour guide Geoff Calmeyer, who discussed misperceptions about tourism in southern Africa and how his company differs from other tour operators.

Here follows a copy of Ben Roussel's interview with Geoff as published in the latest issue of Travel Weekly here or below.

(Click to enlarge)

Roar Africa press reproduced from Fitness Rx magazine:

Beauty & Spa Rx Info-Bits
By Louise Powell






Botox Getaway

At Bay Skin Care Institute, you can get Botox, Mesotherapy (nonsurgical liposuction), massage, facial, manicure, pedicure and self-tan. In between spa treatments, wander through Cape Town, go taste some wines, or visit Cape of Good Hope. Roar Africa will put together a six-day fantasy escape for you at a luxury hotel. After the spa has smoothed you out- get ready to go on safari, at Lion Sands Private Game Reserve! The dollar exchange works in your favor, making this pampering getaway affordable. (www.roarafrica.com)

Destinations with Deborah Howell

Deborah Howell of NextTrip Radio interviews Deborah Calmeyer, Co-founder of Roar Africa. The two interview segments can be listened to by clicking on the mp3 players below.


First segment:
History of Roar Africa, Specialty trips, Yoga in the Bush, Londolozi safari, monkeys outside your shower, Behind the scenes Wine Tour with specialist guide and connoisseur, Stellenbosch, Cape Dutch architecture, Cape Winelands, Steenberg Winefarm, Hotel & Spa. Cape of Good Hope, Victoria Falls rafting, recession specials.

NextTrip radio Int...

Second segment:
Roar Africa's approach, exceptional Safaris, Lion Sands Safari lodges, Singita Safari lodges, Honeymoons in South Africa, Winelands, safety, malaria-free safaris and more...

NextTrip radio Int...

NextTrip Radio: Destinations with Deborah Howell

So you have just 72 hours in Cape Town and you're wondering what to do? May we suggest extending your stay? Whether or not that's an option have a look at this article just published in the Feb/March 2009 issue of Worth magazine. It is packed with insider tips. Roar Africa was proud to play a part in the creation of the piece and thankful to be mentioned.


The full article is reproduced here as well as a scanned original version. (click to enlarge).

*****

72 HOURS/CAPE TOWN
An Insider's Guide to Three Memorable Days

THE LATE NEW YORK TIMES reporter R.W Apple Jr., who may have been the paper's most widely traveled journalist, was infatuated with Cape Town. Its bounty, as he saw it, included "a seacoast that rivals Maine's and Big Sur's, a harbor that rivals Gibraltar's and Hong Kong's and Rio's, and what must surely be the most beautiful vineyards in the world." Layer onto those extraordinary foundations a city that has been transformed in recent years by a newly unleashed creativity and cosmopolitan flair.

Though there's beauty everywhere, there are also reminders of the country's brutal past (apartheid was only abolished in 1990). As the city gears up to host the World Cup in 2010, new hotels and stadiums are being built, but shantytowns remain. Cape Town is a study in contrasts. Come for the glamour and beauty but also to witness the complexities of modern Africa.

WHERE TO STAY
My top choice for couples is Ellerman House (180 Kloof Road, Bantry Bay; +27.21.430.3200; ellerman.co.za), a former private residence with fewer than a dozen rooms. Set on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the property includes a fabulous restaurant, spa and gardens. Best room: the contemporary Ellerman villa, with three bedrooms and a private chef. For families or those in a larger group, I recommend the historic Mount Nelson Hotel (76 Orange St.; +27.21.483.1000; mountnelson.co.za), run by Orient-Express Hotels, which has recently been renovated and sits at the foot of Table Mountain and close to the waterfront, Another reliable high-end choice is the harbor-facing Cape Grace (West Quay Rd., Victoria & Alfred Waterfront; +27. 21.410.7100; capegrace.com), which has a sleek, modern atmosphere and excellent service.

DAY 1

A great way to get your bearings is to hire a driver to show you around the peninsula. (Roar Africa provides wonderful guides and custom itineraries. 877.762.7237; roarafrica.com.) The center of Cape Town is nestled at the base of Table Mountain. To the north lies the popular commercial waterfront district, to the northeast are the legendary vineyards, and to the southwest are beachfront communities. As you wind your way down the Atlantic coast to Cape Point (Africa's southernmost tip), you'll pass lovely houses and possibly a troop of baboons crossing the road. The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (+27.21.782.9356), known locally as Cape Point, boasts hiking trails and incredible cliff-top views of the coast. Along with baboons, the reserve features hundreds of plant species and more than 250 species of birds, several species of antelope and the Cape Mountain zebra.

On your way back from Cape Point, have lunch at The Food Barn (Noordhoek Farm Village; +27.21.789,1390; thefoodbarn.co.za) in Noordhoek. One of Cape Town's most revered chefs, Franck Dangereux, opened this restaurant as a place for families to enjoy fantastic food in an unpretentious yet glorious setting. It's too far from Cape Town to come for dinner, but perfect for a road-trip lunch stop. Adventurous types can take a gallop along the beach at Noordhoek Beach Horse Rides, (+27. 82. 774.1191; horseriding. co.za). Be sure to stop at Cape Boulders Beach (False Bay Coast near Simonstown), home to the continent's only penguin colony.

Start your evening with sundowners, as cocktails are called, at the Cape Grace Hotel's Bascule Bar (+27.21.410.7238; capegrace.com) on the Marina. This elegant whiskey and cigar bar hosts great African jazz bands, and is particularly lively on Fridays. A little mellower, the Radisson Hotel (Beach Road, Granger Bay; +27.21.441. 3000; radisson.com/capetownza), has a spacious deck right on the ocean, providing unobstructed views of the sunset and cushy lounge chairs. Farther down the beachfront road is Wakame (Mouille Point; +27.21.433.2377), another fabulous option for cocktails or dinner, also right on the water. It has a trendy outdoor lounge, hip crowd and excellent sushi. For something really low-key, join the beach crowd at La Med (Glen Country Club, Victoria Rd.; +27.21.438.5600; lamed.co.za}, between Clifton and Camps Bay. Here, you can sip cocktails and watch paragliders jump off Signal Hill and land on the football field in front of you. Among the top restaurants to choose from: Ginja (121 Castle St.; +27.21.426.2368) and Haiku (comer if Burg and Church St.; +27.21.424.7000; bukhara.com/haiku). Both serve excellent fusion food. There is also Salt (Ambassador Hotel, 34 Victoria Road, Bantry Bay +27.21.439.7258), which boasts Cape Town's most dazzling restaurant location: it's perched above the sea and rocks of Bantry Bay.The emphasis is on fish, with Cape Malay influences in the curried sauces and relishes. Reserve in advance and request one of the window tables overlooking the bay.

• WHEN TO GO:The best time to visit is February and March. December and January are peak tourist season, but the hotels, restaurants and beaches are crowded, and the weather is not as reliably sunny as it will be a month or two later.
• GETTING AROUND:If you rent a car, make sure that you feel comfortable driving on the left side of the road. Also, to park downtown, you will have to pay uniformed parking attendants who patrol their particular beat with small handheld meters. When you return to your car, the attendant will deduct the appropriate amount-about $1 an hour.
• TIP: Restaurant kitchens generally close around 10 p.m., so don't plan on eating too late.

DAY 2

If the skies are blue and the southeaster wind is not blowing, take the cable car up Table Mountain. Grab some coffee and a muffin at Vida e Caffe (34 Kloof St.; +27.21.426.0627) for breakfast with an unforgettable view. Go early, as the cable car lines can be long. (Bring a sweater or jacket, as the summit can be chilly.) When you descend, pay a visit to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens at the foot of the mountain (Rhodes Drive, Newlands; +27.21.799.8783; sanbi.org/framnes/kirstfram.htm), which comprise nearly 90 acres of gardens celebrating indigenous flora. Pathways wend around gardens, streams and rolling lawns. A huge variety of birds inhabit the gardens and the sweeping views from the upper slopes are spectacular.

Two fascinating ways to explore the country's history are the District Six Museum (25A Buitenleant St.; 27.21.466.7200; district six.co.za) and Robben Island +27.21.413.4200; robben-island.org.za). District Six bears testament to the apartheid government's brutal destruction of a mixed-race suburb in the 1960s, and Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela and other ANC members were imprisoned during apartheid. You can have lunch at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel (76 Orange St.; +27.21.483.1000; mountnelson.co.za), near the District Six Museum, and then head to the waterfront to catch the ferry to Robben Island. The two-and-half-hour island tours, which are led by former inmates, are extremely popular, so be sure to reserve in advance.

A fabulous option at sunset is to walk through the Bo-Kaap area, where the Cape Malay people (of Indonesian origin) settled. At Marco's African Place (15 Rose Lane; +27.21.423.5412; marcosafricanplace.co.za), the food is as authentic as the live bands that spice things up. For a memorable dinner, reserve a table at Gold, the courtyard restaurant in the historic Martin Melck House (96 Strand St., De Waterkant; +27 .21.405.1540), home to the Gold of Africa Museum (goldofafrica.com).The world's first museum dedicated to the history of African gold is set in a strikingly restored landmark building that literally dazzles, as it is filled with gold. Gold features tastings from all over Africa along with regional dance shows.

DAY 3

A fun way to spend a morning and get a sense of Africa's incredible crafts and arts is to visit the new Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill. (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; 373-75 Albert Rd.; +27.21.448.1438; neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za). It opened less than two years ago, and in that time it's become a weekly ritual for many Capetonians. Browse the farmers' stalls outside for oysters and artisanal cheeses before visiting the shops in the refurbished Old Biscuit Mill complex. Heartworks (98 Kloof St., Gardens; +27.21.424.8419; and Gardens Centre,Mill St.; +27.21.465.3289) has an irresistible collection of local ceramics and crafts. Next door, Whatiftheworld(208 Albert Rd., Woodstock; +27.21.448.1438; whatiftheworld.com), a collective of artists' galleries that opened last year, draws international art lovers with surprisingly inexpensive works.

If you don't have time to overnight in the world-renowned wine towns of Franschhoek (franschhoek.org.za), Stellenbosch (stellenboschtourism.co.za) and Paarl (paarlonline.com),you can get a sense of their beauty and bounty closer. One of my favorite vinyards is the beautiful 300-year-old Klein Constantia (+27.21.794.5188; kleinconstantia. com) just a I5-minute drive from the city. Legend has it that on his deathbed Napoleon refused everything offered to him but a glass of his favorite sweet Constantia wine. At a tasting you can experience its golden color and smooth, lingering flavors. You'll also learn about the history of Cape Dutch architecture.

The best spot for lunch in the area is Constantia Uitsig (Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia; +27.21.794.6500; constantia-uitsig.com), a working vineyard with two restaurants. The more casual Uitsig (+27.21.794.4480) serves Italian cuisine with flair; La Colombe (+27.21.794.2390; constantia-uitsig.com/pages/restaurants/la-colombe.php), a formal French restaurant, has been voted the best restaurant in South Africa for the past two years.

If you want to relax after lunch, there's a new Clarins spa (+27.21.794.0433) on the property, and thanks to the exchange rate, you can indulge in a spa treatment for a fraction of the cost you would pay in the U.S.

For those who would rather shop than spa, the easiest one-stop option is the V&A Waterfront (+27.21.408.7.600; waterfront.co.za). Yes, it's a mall, but it's safe and offers a range of options, including Carrol Boyes and Pa Kua Design, which carry lots of contemporary African crafts and housewares.

It sounds touristy, but a sunset cruise with the stunning backdrop of the harbor and Table Mountain provides a special farewell flourish. Boats depart daily from the waterfront, but you can also charter a private yacht and request a wine tasting or champagne and local specialties such as crayfish braai. When you dock, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront will be buzzing with revelers, jazz musicians and sailors, who all converge at dusk to play. For a relaxed but refined dinner, reserve a table at 95 Keerom (95 Keerom St.; +27.21.422.0765; 95keeromstreet.lagazzettadelsudafrica.net). Set in an elegantly restored 17th-century townhouse close to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court, the restaurant has its own fishing boat and serves delicious food with a focus on local ingredients.

*****

Note from Roar Africa:
Cape Point is not in fact Africa's southernmost point. The southernmost point is Cape Agulhas which is about 90 miles (150km) Southeast of Cape Point.

JaxFax Travel Magazine (February 2009) featured a two week South Africa trip with Roar Africa including Safari, Cape Town and the Winelands. BEST BUYS pg 33.



Click the page image to read further or find it here at JayFax.

I recently returned from a fantastic trip hosting a journalist, Daniel Levin, and a photographer, Travis Brimner, doing an article for Forbes Traveler (www.forbestraveler.com). We hosted them at some of Roar Africa's favourite boutique lodges. Lodges chosen because they, like us, are family-run enterprises. They respect the land and their communities and offer luxurious and personalized service for discerning travelers.

"Respect is what defines our philosophy,” says Nick More, Chalkley’s great-grandson. With his brother, Robert, More owns and runs the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve. "My great-grandfather has inspired four generations of our family to protect and respect this land, and those who come to visit discover a personal connection amidst incredible luxury,” he adds. “And it stays with them well after they leave.”

Some of the Lodges featured are:

• Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, Sabi Sands/Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa
• Pondoro Lodge, Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa
• Tongabezi, Victoria Falls, Zambia
• Stanley Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zambia
• Chiefs Camp, Moremi Reserve, Botswana
• Londo Lodge, Mozambique
• Sandibe Safari Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana
• Makakatana Bay Lodge, St Lucia, South Africa
• Mushara Lodge, Etosha National Park, Namibia

For the full article and pictures go to:
http://www.forbestraveler.com/resorts-hotels/boutique-african-safari-lodges-story.html

See also our review of 1933 at Lion Sands here and other select Roar Africa accommodations here.