Sample South Africa Safari & Beach

Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa | Cape Town

The intimate Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is ideal if you're looking for a romantic yet fun hotel with a distinctly glamourous feel to it. Five minutes drive from Camps Bay and sandwiched between the 12 Apostles mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, it has enough on offer to keep you happily ensconced there all day with the top-of-the-range Spa, a breath-taking garden magically perched above the ocean, walking trails up the mountain complete with picnic spots, two heated outdoor pools and Jacuzzis.

The Twelve Apostles offers a choice of dining options. The Azure Restaurant on the first floor gives you the option of dining on the terrace with its seductive sea-views and magnificent sunsets. It offers an innovative Fynbos-inspired tasting menu amidst other dishes including Cape fusion dishes. The chef also identifies healthy eating options on the menu. The Leopard cocktail bar and lounge is a great place to relax before dinner or enjoy your pre-dinner drinks on the terrace overlooking 'The View'. Live entertainment ensures a good vibe. In contrast the Cafe Grill overlooking the gardens is perfect for a light lunch or tea.

The rooms and suites have all the amenities that you would expect from a five star hotel; the 70 luxurious air-conditioned rooms each have television, telephone, DVD player and minibar, international adaptors, complimentary high speed internet connection, air-conditioning, electronic safe and are located in four different wings and the 'skylighted' interlinking corridors are bright and refreshing. The classic rooms (33m²) offer an outlook patio overlooking the indigenous garden (no views). Mountain facing rooms are the same size and overlook the Twelve Apostles Mountain range. Luxury rooms (40m²) have partial sea and mountain views whilst the Superior Sea facing Suites (55m²) are split-level open plan design with a sunken lounge area and a full sea view.

There's lots of unique features at the Twelve Apostles Hotel which we really like such as the 16-seater private movie theatre, complete with milkshakes and popcorn machine on hand; the massage pavilion in the garden for alfresco massage and beauty treatments, the extensive DVD library to choose from, even beach bags in the room ready for use …

The outside gardens of the 12 Apostles are indigenous fynbos mountain gardens with a two heated swimming pools, one overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and a heated rock swimming pool in the garden with cascading fountain. There are a couple of walking trails set out in their mountain reserve with picnic tables and hammocks en route.

The award winning Sanctuary Spa at the Twelve Apostles Hotel is one of the best in Cape Town and is justifiably popular with hotel guests. It offers the full range of treatments including hydrotherapy options with additional facilities such as a brine pool, various Jacuzzis, a rasoul chamber, sauna and steam rooms. It is complemented by a fitness room.

Complimentary shuttles are offered to the V&A Waterfront and Camps Bay on a regular basis from 8am to 9pm. Alternatively why not enjoy a wonderful helicopter ride into Cape Town which is available at very reasonable cost?

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Your Stay

4 Nights

Bed and Breakfast

Fast Facts

5 Star

Hotel

Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, Dutch, English, French, German, Xhosa

No. Rooms: 70

Special Interests: Beach / Coastal, Birding, Golf, Gourmet, Hiking, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Wine

Alternative Accommodation

Thanda Safari Lodge | Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve

Thanda Safari Lodge is situated in the rich wildlife area of South Africa’s northern KwaZulu Natal and is one of Africa’s most luxurious safari destinations. The accommodation comprises nine self-contained suites, each with a lavish living space, heated plunge pool and outside ‘sala’ or resting area overlooking the reserve. Guests can enjoy delicious meals in the central dining and gathering area, which includes an inviting lounge, expansive deck and library overlooking a waterhole, private business area, cigar bar and impressive wine cellar. Other facilities include an inviting spa where guests can relax and unwind. Guests can also enjoy safari games drives and guided bush walks.

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Your Stay

3 Nights

Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities

All Local Brands (Spirits, Wine and Beers) Included

Alternative Accommodation

Thonga Beach Lodge | Maputaland Marine Protected Area

Thonga Beach Lodge, in Kwazulu Natal, is a stylish and relaxed beach lodge on the shores of the secluded Mabibi bay in northern KwaZulu Natal. It lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, with no other lodges within 50 km.

Mabibi Beach is a magical place with a long sandy beach, snorkelling reefs, coastal forest and shimmering lakes behind. Thonga Beach Lodge, nestling in the canopy of the dune forest, offers panoramic ocean views. It has a spacious, relaxed beach feel with a stylish outdoor eating area, a secluded upstairs seating area with a DVD player for children, a chic open air bar and wooden walkways leading to the rooms.

However, Thonga Beach Lodge is in no way a resort – it doesn’t have extensive watersports or a kid’s club for example. Rather the emphasis is on relaxed coastal living with a variety of activities which you can sign up for on the board, if you want to…

The thatched en-suite rooms have been carefully constructed in the coastal dune forest to ensure minimum impact on the environment. Five have sea views and seven have forest views and perhaps greater privacy. Built within an extremely sensitive milkwood forest, no trees were allowed to be cut down. This means that even the sea view rooms do not have completely un-obscured ocean views. Luxuriously decorated, the rooms exude a romantic ambiance. Bleached wood, glass and natural materials have been used to create an open, airy feel. Each has a double vanity unit, bath, indoor/outdoor shower, separate toilet, minibar, ceiling fan, air-conditioning, mosquito net and private balcony.

There are also two Ocean View Suites with a private plunge pool on the deck. These have the best views and are also ideal for families as they have a separate living room which can be used as a second bedroom. Other facilities at Thonga Beach Lodge include a new swimming pool, curio shop, spa & wellness centre with various spa treatments on offer and a dive centre for all water sports activities.

This part of South Africa, in Kwazulu Natal is one of my favourite areas with its lush vegetation, unspoilt setting and friendly people. Activities at Thonga Beach Lodge revolve around the ocean and nearby Lake Sibaya. Complimentary activities include snorkelling direct from the beach, bird-watching and sundowner cruises or guided canoe trips on Lake Sibaya and turtle tracking walks in season (November to mid February). The white sandy beach is about 25 metres away via a board walk with an extended deck with sun loungers overlooking the beach. You can also dine here overlooking the ocean.

Various additional activities are on offer such as scuba diving, dive courses, cultural village visits and boat-based turtle tracking as optional extras.

Scuba diving at Mabibi is phenomenal, with reefs located only a short distance from Thonga Beach Lodge. Shoals of game fish, sharks and schools of bottlenose dolphins are often seen. 1,250 fish species can be found on these reefs (Great Barrier Reef has 1500). The Ocean Experience is great for seeing whales and dolphins with an exciting boat launch in the surf. You can sometimes swim with dolphins or whale sharks or snorkel with manta rays and giant turtles if you are lucky.

Birding is excellent and the variety of habitats attracts a great diversity of species. Typical coastal species include Livingstone’s and purple-crested lourie, green twinspot, grey waxbill and green coucal. Waders are common along the shoreline, and pink throated longclaw and rufous-bellied heron frequent the marshy areas. Lake Sibaya has recorded 279 bird species including the palmnut vulture, the only fruit-eating vulture in the world, Pel’s fishing owl and the pygmy goose.

Children are very welcome at Thonga Beach Lodge. Two small children (or one teenager) can share with parents or you can take the Ocean View suite for more space.

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  • Rooms
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Your Stay

4 Nights

Full Board Plus - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities

Fast Facts

Lodge

Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu

No. Rooms: 12

Special Interests: Adventure, Beach / Coastal, Birding, Fishing, Flora, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Watersports, Wildlife

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