Moyo at Spier – The ultimate buffet lunch

I remember the first time I went to Spier Wine Estate after Moyo opened thinking that it so doesn't fit in with Spier and it surroundings at all.  But just walking past the outside and going inside to experience it are two totally different things and after having lunch at Moyo's the other day I have so changed my opinion.  Its the difference between Spier's Cape Dutch and colonial look and the free spirit African feel under the ancient oak trees that make the two ideal bedfellows.  The restaurant offers different kinds of seating from casually under the massive trees, privately on the stilted platforms or communally under the marquee tent.  We went for the "under the tree" option.

 

As soon as you are seated the ladies come by to paint the traditional African dots that has become so synonymous with a visit to the Moyo restaurants throughout South Africa.  Although I noticed that there were a couple of South African okes around who weren't too keen on it, the women and especially tourists love it.  And just in case you were wondering about this South African man.  Yes, I had my face dotted as well.

A nice touch I liked very much was the process of washing your hands at the table.  A staff member goes around with a pitcher, bowl and towel and I couldn't help but snap a picture of one of the guests on our table having her hands washed. 

 

 

But seating, face painting and hand washing niceties apart.  We were here to eat and the test taste of a restaurant is in its pudding.  Well all their food really.  Did they pass this test?  The food was orgasmic so the appropriate answer would be yes, yes, yes...  In actual fact, this is the buffet lunch that all other buffet lunches should aspire to be like.

The menu is extensive and consisted of starter, mains and dessert options.  Lots of it.  I was especially impressed with the Impala steak, so much so that I went back to tell the chef that, while some of us returned for another helping of the pumpkin fritters and little bite sized brownies. 

 

I think it's wrong to write a restaurant post like this if you aren't close to the restaurant cause my mouth is watering right now.  Unfortunately I live 800km away otherwise lunch at Moyo would have been on the cards.   

Disclosure: I had lunch at Moyo at Spier as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

The old Cape Point Lighthouse

Cape Point is a many historic tales and legends.  In 1688 Bartolomeu Dias passed around the point in a storm without even knowing it and only got to see it for the first time on the return journey.  He named it Cabo Tormentosa or the Cape of Storms.  Its also off this point and coastline that the mythical Flying Dutchman under the command of  Captain Hendrick van der Decken is doomed to sail into eternity.  Cape Point is also one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cape Town with thousands of tourists flocking there to admire its scenic beauty and sheer cliffs.  Visitors to the point usually take the path (or funicular for those not in the mood to walk) up to the old Lighthouse at the top from where the point itself can be seen.

The old Cape Point Lighthouse was built in 1860 and could be seen out to sea from a distance of 36 miles.  The problem was that when misty and cloudy conditions moved in the lighthouse was invisible to ships.  After the Portuguese liner Lusitania wrecked just south of Cape Point in 1911 it was decided to have a new lighthouse built close to the point itself at a much lower elevation.  The old lighthouse is still around and truth be told, probably gets photographed a lot more by tourists than the new lighthouse does.

Twelve Apostles wine room

While having lunch at the Twelve Apostles Hotel, I took a walk around the restaurant between the starter and main meal to snap a couple of pics and stumbled on their wine room.  Its not so much a wine celler, as you don't go down steps into a dark stone room full of vintage wine and cobwebs, but a seperate cold room to store and display their wine in.  But that doesn't matter.  Now I'm not much of a wine drinker but the room immediately grabbed me because of the huge wine rack against the back wall.  I don't know what the people by the table next to the door thought of me, but I snapped away at different angles to try and get a nice photo in the small confines.

Atlantic Point Backpackers

When you mention the word "backpackers lodge" to anybody, most people would probably associate it with "dorms where youngsters from all over the world travelling with backpacks would sleep".  If that was your answer as well you would partly be right.  But only partly as you could also be totally wrong.  Let me tell you why.  Firstly, although most people staying in backpackers lodgers are youngsters, there are also more mature people backpacking these days.  Secondly, backpackers lodges are so much more than just dorms these days.  Most also offer double rooms with en-suit bathrooms just like any guesthouse.  Thirdly, although most of the backpackers lodges' business still consist of international travellers, a lot of business also come from South Africans travelling for leisure, business or events.  And lastly, not all people staying at backpackers lodgers have backpacks.  I for one didn't have a backpack and neither did the people who's suitcases stood by the front door waiting for a taxi to take them to the airport.

Getting to the point of the post.  I recently got to participate in a bloggers' weekend in Cape Town to, amongst other, learn more about accommodation star grading in South Africa.  Each of the three bloggers got to stay in a different four star establishment and while my fellow bloggers got a hotel and guest house respectively, I was told that I was staying at a backpackers lodge.  I've only stayed in a backpackers once before and it was a very basic one at that so I suddenly had flashes of sharing a dorm with strangers in a little wooden shack somewhere.  Suddenly I wasn't too sure if I was still looking forward to the trip anymore.  While doing site inspections at the other two establishments, I kept chirping the other two about how I'm going to come and knock on their door that evening looking for a place to crash.  That was until we got to Atlantic Point Backpackers in Green Point.  The question on everybody's lips were, "This is a backpackers?"
 

 

Atlantic Point was everything I didn't imagine it would be.  The dorms were spacious and neat with individual lockup areas for each guest while the public areas were beautifully furnished and laid out.  Emphasis is on fun and practicality, making visitors feel comfortable and at home.  The cherry on the cake was the fact that I didn't have to share one of the dorms with the happy-go-lucky bunch enjoying themselves in the lounge, but was rather showed to a stunning double room with its own en-suit bathroom.  Yes I know it would have been great to interact more with the young lot but I'm past that part of my life and enjoy a bit of privacy.  



 



 

Breakfast is a typical backpacker lodge one of cereal, toast, egg, fruit and coffee where you help yourself and make sure your own dishes get cleaned.  Planning your day (if I had to plan my day but luckily that was all planned for me by the TGCSA guys) is made easy by the fact that the lodge staff are very knowledgeable and will make the necessary recommendations and bookings for those wanting to go on an excursion.  Brochures are available for attractions and tours around town, recommended backpackers lodges to use while travelling through South Africa and directions and info for all the surrounding restaurants and pubs.  Everything you need is catered for.

 

I even tried out their mini golf green a couple of times as it was on the way to my room.

 

Did my perception of backpackers lodges change during this trip?  It sure did and even though I won't stay at one while travelling with my family, I would definitively consider staying at one like this when on my own. 

 

Disclosure: I stayed at Atlantic Point Backpackers as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.   I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

On two wheels amongst the vinyards - Segway tour at Spier

Visits to wine farms are normally associated with wine tasting, good food and historic buildings so wizzing around Spier Wine Estate on two wheels is something of a change.  I'm not referring to riding a mountain bike though as the two wheels in this case are next to each other and not in front of each other.  I've done the Segway tours in Storms River Village on two previous occasions with Tsitsikamma Segway Tours and absolutely loved it so grabbed the opportunity to do it at Spier with both hands (although I did let go with one hand every now and then to snap a picture). 

Spier offers two options to choose from.  The shorter 1 hour tour that covers the Protea Garden, some of the farm's environmental responsibility projects and a quick view of the vineyards while the 2 hour tour allows for a longer tour of the vineyards before ending off with a wine tasting.  Our little group went on the shorter tour as we had a lunch reservation at Mojo's and made the most of every minute we were out there.  

Segways are easy to use and it doesn't take that long to learn how to ride them.  The instruction session is thorough and especially the safety issue gets emphasised.  The guide, who makes sure you implement everything you learned while out there, rides in the front and stops the group every time there is something to show.  The problem is that once you get going on the Segway you don't really want to stop. Its that much fun.  But safety is paramount and the equipment is expensive so you better listen.  The route does give you the opportunity to do some uninterrupted gliding as well giving you an all round Segway experience.

The Segway tour is a must do if you get the opportunity.  An easy way to cover a lot of ground in a sort period of time AND its environmentally friendly.  Plus I really really want one.  I'll have to settle for going on segway tours when I get the opportunity though. 

Disclosure: I went on the Spier Seaway Tour as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour.   I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

5 star meal - Lunch at Twelve Apostiles

Its not every day that I get to have lunch in a smart place like the 5 star Twelve Apostles Hotel and looking at me in my Batman t-shirt in the last picture I clearly wasn't ready for it either.  The Twelve Apostles sits overlooking the surrounding mountains and ocean on Cape Town's Atlantic Seaboard just a couple of kilometres past the upmarket suburb of Clifton.  The hotel with all its facilities is truly award winning and amongst their accolades are the following.

• Sliver's Silver Award: Won by Executive Chef Henrico Grobbelaar for his Finely Engineered Cuisine (2013)
• TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2013 Awards: Top 25 Hotels in Africa (14), Top 25 Hotels in South Africa (2), Top 25 Luxury Hotels in South Africa (13), Top 25 Hotels for Service in South Africa (24) (2013)
• Travel + Leisure (USA) 500 ‘The World’s Best Hotels’: Top 50 hotels worldwide (41), overall score of 93.71 (2013)
• Condé Nast Traveler (USA) Gold List: South Africa - Best Hotels & Resorts, overall score 95.7 (2013)
• American Express Platinum Fine Dining Awards: Azure Restaurant Listed (2013)

And these are just the awards won in 2013 already. 

Along with my fellow two bloggers on the Peninsula Tour we were taken to our inside table with a huge window looking over the veranda and out to sea.  The weather wasn't ideal to sit outside otherwise we would have.  The restaurant décor was muted with no bright and flashy colours except for the blue water glasses on the tables.  Stripes along with black and whites are the order of the day.  Being a Sunday afternoon the dining area also had live background music adding that extra touch of class.  Our waiter, it turned out as well, comes from my home town so all which is always a win.

We were set up with a set three coarse lunch and started with Norwegian Salmon with citrus cured, salmon civiché, green goddess, fennel salad, olice ciabata, and miso mayonnaise.  All of that is a mouth full to say but once the food goes into your mouth it truly a fusion of flavours like any Master Chef judge would be looking for.

The main meal was Beef Fillet with chalmar black eggplant, white carrot and roasted onion puree, variation of carrot and potato Nicola.  Melt in your mouth fillet pared perfectly with all the other flavours.  Its the kind of dish which makes you want to ask for more not because you're still hungry but because of the taste.  Enjoying this meal I can understand the American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award mentioned above.  My mouth is still watering

Dessert was Vanilla Creme Brûleé served the traditional way.  Eaten that way as well with a slow movement into your mouth, the closing of the eyes as you pull the spoon out again and a "mmmmmm" sigh straight after.

While taking the first picture in the post I caught the eye of a couple of people enjoying drinks at a nearby table.  They called me over (no, not because I was wearing a Batman t-shirt) and started chatting.  It turned out to be Horst Frehse, the hotel's General Manager (on the right) and Phillip Lategan, the MD of Journey Beyond, a big South African inbound tour operator.  Not long and the chat turned into a little photo session with myself and Shelley Pembroke, one of the other bloggers on the tour.  A special touch was that after our meal Mr Frehse came to our table himself to see if everything was satisfactory.  And satisfactory it was indeed.

Disclosure: I had lunch at the Twelve Apostles Hotel as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.   I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Oak leaf dam

I don't do a lot of HDR, but I couldn't help but to play around with it on this photo a bit.  The photo was taken at Spier Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch overlooking the dam by the wine tasting venue. 

Chacma Baboons

At Cape Point there stands a little statue of a mother chacma Baboon with a baby riding on her back.  Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus) are intimately associated with the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope.  Baboons inside the Cape Point section of the Table Mountain National Parkpark has become somewhat of a tourist attraction.  Round about six troops either live entirely within the Cape Point section or use the section as part of their range.  The baboons in this area has evolved slightly different from their cousins elsewhere because they have longer hair due to the harsh nature of the  weather around there.  The baboons in the park is also the only primates other than humans that live off seafood.  Due to the fact that there are less food available to them in the park they go down to the coastline during low tide and search for food in the rock pools.  Unfortunately baboons in the park has also become cheeky, associating people with food and will often try to get into cars to get to visitors' bags in search of food. 

The lighthouse at Cape Point

Cape Point may not be the most southern point of Africa as many people think, but it must be one of the most dramatic spots on the South African coastline.  To get to the bottom Cape Point lighthouse one has to take a footpath along the point so most people just catch a glimpse of it from the viewpoints around the old Cape Point Lighthouse.  On my visit I didn't even notice the scaffolding around the lighthouse until I downloaded my photos.  With the harsh elements at Cape Point I'm sure the renovations is much needed.

What's in a star (grading)?

What's in a star? Well, lets first see what is a star?

a. A self-luminous celestial body consisting of a mass of gas held together by its own gravity in which the energy generated by nuclear reactions in the interior is balanced by the outflow of energy to the surface, and the inward-directed gravitational forces are balanced by the outward-directed gas and radiation pressures.

Eish, that's a bit heavy. Let's just say its the twinkling points of light in the night sky.

b. An artistic performer or athlete (also often sommer any everyday person) whose leading role or superior performance is acknowledged. Alternatively one who is highly celebrated in a field or profession.

That is slightly closer to what I am aiming at.

c. A graphic design having five or more radiating points, often used as a symbol of rank or merit.

Now we're getting very warm.

So what am I trying to get to? In the case of this post, star grading of tourism establishments in South Africa.

In this day and age with everything getting more and more expensive and everybody feeling the pinch ever so slightly (or more than slightly in a lot of cases), finding real value for money is a priority.  This is also true in the tourism sector and specially when it comes to accommodation.  Now value for money doesn't necessarily mean cheap.  Paying R200 for accommodation is cheap, but landing up in a room with cockroaches swimming backstroke in the bathtub, somebody's dirty tissues in the bin, a cigarette butt in a glass (and its a non-smoking room!) and stains and hair in the bed doesn't mean you got value for money.  I would probably say its a disgusting rip-off and the place should be closed.  But how do you know when you book, doesn't matter if its cheap or not, what kind of quality you will get and if it is value for money?  By checking if an establishment is star graded.  And not just a couple of hand drawn stars by the owner's six year old niece, but the genuine thing as can only be awarded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.  

The relaxed courtyard area of the four star Winchester Mansions Hotel in Cape Town

 

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) is a business unit of South African Tourism and the only officially recognised quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa.  The TGCSA has over 50 qualified Grading Assessors who carry out grading assessments in all nine provinces.  The star grading done by TGCSA is recognised the world over and is only awarded once an independent quality assessment is completed and approved.   

A room at the four star Winchster Mansions in Cape Town

Don't think once an establishment received their star grading they can just let go of their standards and slip into that cockroach backstroke establishment I mentioned earlier.  Nope, not at all.  Every establishment has to be reassessed on an annual basis to make sure they maintain their standards.  This assures me and you, as consumers, that the quality of what we book is up to scratch.  What you pay for it is your own choice as each place decided their own price but nobody forces you to go with the most expensive place you can find on the net.

Sharing with new friends - One of the dorms in the four star Atlantic Point Backpackers
in Cape Town

All establishments that get graded receives on of five star gradings. One, two, three, four or five stars. Duh! LOL!  An establishment that receives 1 star is very basic in the facilities that they offer while 5 stars means a place that offers all the bells and whistles all wrapped up in ribbon.  Who can receive 5 stars I hear you ask?  Well, anybody really and not just that plush 10 storey hotel with its beautiful sea views, spa and in-house restaurant that has its own Gordon Ramsey trained chef.  There are grading criteria for all the different types of accommodation meaning that anybody, and that includes hotels, lodges, country houses, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, self catering establishments, caravan parks and campsites, backpackers and even conference facilities, can receive a five star grading if that is what they strive to.

The pub at the four star Atlantic Point Backpackers in Cape Town

 

When grading is done a number, and I mean number as in a whole long checklist, of criteria is taken into consideration.  The whole building and all its facilities, the rooms, bathrooms, breakfast (and dinner) quality and presentation, floors, ceilings, lighting, aircon / heaters, beds, bedding, towels, televisions, room fridge, coffee making facilities, furniture and even the hangers in the wardrobe to just mention a few.  Lets not forget service as well.  Service plays a very big roll in the grading process.



Stunning mountain and ocean views from the pool deck
at the four star Ocean View House in Cape Town

I've mentioned what we as consumers will get when we book a graded establishment, but what does the establishments themselves get.  First and foremost they get graded and receive their stars in the form of a plaque and a certificate to display at Reception.  That really should be enough, but wait, there is more.  Said in my best infomercial voice. 

Graded establishments have direct access to millions of global travellers through TGCSA's strategic online partnerships with booming travel sites like TripAdvisor.  You may say that anybody could be on TripAdvisor.  True, but TripAdvisor automatically displays an establishment's star grading if they are graded. 

They also benefit from huge savings on Search Engine Optimisation, as all Graded Establishments automatically receive top results on Google Search.  I'm still a little green about SEO's so contact them if you don't get it cause they will explain it to you better. 

Being graded also connects them with potential travellers through TGCSA close business association with South African Tourism and the huge Investments they make.

There are other advantages for establishments as well.  Read more about them all here.

In the lap of luxury - One of the rooms at the four star Ocean View House in Cape Town

 

Why do I know all of this?  I was lucky enough to be invited on a blogger trip to Cape Town, along with two other bloggers, by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.  The purpose of the trip was to get the TGCSA message out a bit more via social media.  Each of us three bloggers stayed in a different four star establishment and we got to compare, tweet and write about our experiences.  @Ethekwinigirl stayed at the four star Winchester Mansions, @ShellsPemBroke at Ocean View House and yours truly, @FireflyAfrica - for those who didn't know my Twitter handle - at the four star Atlantic Point Backpackers.

 

Disclosure: I visited Cape Town as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour.   I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Spier Wine Estate - various view part 2

Today's post is the second part of the random Spier Wine Estate pictures I posted on Wednesday

Spier is a biodynamic farm and in addition to their healthy vineyards, they also have extensive tracts of land that is used to farm with cattle, sheep and chickens. All contributing to the fertility of the soil and providing to the operations on the estate.

I didn't get to do a wine tasting on my visit but one of the things that interested me was the fact that one of their wine tasting packages is a wine and chocolate pairing.

 Spier has a number of distinctive Cape Dutch buildings around the farm.  These white gabled and often thatched buildings are typical of some of the earlier manor houses built in the Cape.

 

Disclosure: I visited Spier Wine Estate as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town. I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Spier Wine Estate - various views part 1

Spier must be one of the most popular wine estates in the Cape Winelands by far due to their diverse offer to visitors.  This ranges from the traditional wine tastings to outstanding restaurants and things like Segway Tours, combining traditional wine estate activities with historic and modern aspects and throwing in a bit of adventure.  This is part one of two posts showing off some of the sights to be seen when visiting Spier.

 

Like every wine estate the focus is on... the wine of cause.  The main building houses the wine tasting, wine sales as well the booking office for the different activities.  Obviously all their awards are on display around here as well.  Wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

 The lawns around the little lake with its fountain is a stunning area with a lot of visitors and families just relaxing around here.  Spier does picnic baskets which can be enjoyed on the lawns while during our visit there was a group doing their wine tasting outside as well.

 

One of the historic attractions on the estate is the old slave bell.  Just a pity it wasn't a sunny day with blue skies.

 

Disclosure: I visited Spier Wine Estate as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Breathtaking views

Earth Day gets celebrated annually on this day, 22 April, to demonstrate support for environmental protection and is celebrated in more than 192 countries every year.  The name and concept of Earth Day was pioneered at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco by John McConnell in 1969 . He proposed 21 March 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere., for the celebration of this special day.  A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on 22 April 1970.  While it was focused on the United States for the first twenty years, it went international in 1990 and is growing every year another 23 years down the line.

 

To celebrate Earth Day I'm showcasing some most breathtaking views of the Cape I photographed on a tour of the Cape Peninsula with the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.  All truly 5 star views.  Who graded them? Well me, of cause.  I'm sure you will agree though. 

 

The view of Muizenberg from the Shark Spotters lookout on Boyes Drive.  The hundreds of little black specks in the water are all surfers waiting for a wave to ride.

Looking back towards Smutswinkel and Simonstown from the top of the Cape Point lookout with False Bay stretching away to Gordon's Bay and Strand in the distance.

Cape Point and the new lighthouse at the bottom visible from the old lighthouse. Truly one of South Africa's most striking and recognisable natural landmarks 

Another picture from the old Cape Point Lighthouse lookout area.  This time looking west to the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-western point of Africa.

The final picture is of one of the most scenic and dramatic drives in the world. Chapman's Peak Drive with Hout Bay in the distance, taken from the window of the vehicle I was travelling in.  Unfortunately the weather didn't allow us time up Table Mountain during that weekend otherwise I would have included one or two views from up there in the collection as well.

 

Disclosure: I went on the Cape Peninsula tour as guest of  the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town. I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Cape Town Jazz Festival

I'm not a Jazz fan, not by a long shot.  For some reason, perhaps because of watching too much television, when I hear "jazz" I think of a smoke filled bar with a lady hanging onto a mic accompanied by a piano, sax and double bass.  So when I was invited to Cape Town on a blogger tour which included the Cape Town International Jazz Festival I wasn't too sure what to expect. Jazz? Festival? Me? That's going to be an interesting experience.  Am I sorry I went? Not at freekin all.  It was an amazing eye opening experience.

 

This year was the 14th addition of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (fourteen I tell you, and I'm only getting to attend it for the first time)  which took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).  I wasn't sure what I expected as far as numbers, but the festival attracted in the region of 34 000 people over the two days.  That is huge.  Throngs and throngs of people enjoying what is probably some of the most relaxing music there is.  Why do I say relaxing?  The first thing I noticed and asked my host was why people are just standing there?  I'm used to lekker Afrikaans music with a beat to which you tap your foot and dance along with.  Jazz music fans don't tap per se but rather gently rock from side to side like pine trees in the evening breeze. 

 

The festival featured 40 international, African and local artists and five stages spread around the venue with the main stage being in the CTICC's main hall.  The Manenberg Stage was my favorite stage, not because of the artists that performed on it but rather that fact that it was an outside stage located between two overhead freeways which means that motorists coming into the Cape Town City Bowl got a taste of the festival even if they weren't attending.  Not that they would have been able to change direction and pop in as the festival was sold out long before it even happened. 

My, and I imagine most other, highlight of the festival was US artist Jill Scott and her band's performance. Wow! Wow! and one more Wow!   Scott is a three-time Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, a New York Times best-selling poet and critically acclaimed actress.  Now I have to be honest, not being a jazz fan I probably wouldn't buy her CD, but seeing them perform live absolutely blew my mind.  She was so much more than that what I imagined a jazz artist would be (see first paragraph) plus I got to tap my foot and enjoy the beat she ads to her music. Sorry about the quality of the photo. I was standing way back.

One of the fixtures of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the Duotone Photographic Exhibition and features photographs of the past and documents the emergence and growth of global jazz popularity.  This year's exhibition was a tribute to legendary South African photographer Alf Khumalo and displayed some of his best jazz inspired photographs.

The last picture? Proof that I actually was at the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

 

Disclosure: I visited the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as guest of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa during a fully hosted blogger tour of Cape Town.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.