Hello again intrepid travellers,

Just an update on my contact details at Cape Voyage Hospitality Services.

WEB:           www.cape-voyage.co.za

E-MAIL:        info@cape-voyage.co.za

CELL:         +27 (072 732 0009

Please look out for the upcoming feature on walking tours in Cape Town!

The good news is that our summer time has finally come.  Bad news is that it seems to have lasted for a very short period.  Just kidding!  We are experiencing some stormy weather though, which should pass soon enough.

And when the good weather comes around again, then Cape Town will be the darling destination of all and sundry again, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  Especially in view of the fact that we are such a welcoming nation.  I beleive there is even an official UFO landing site at Hout Bay these days.  Who needs Cape Town International if you can arrive in a stylish UFO?

At Cape Voyage Hospitality Services we have been busy bees and have been out on some wonderfull tours and have met great people and made good friends with visitors from all over the world.  So if you’re planning a trip to sunny South Africa and the friendly Mother City a.k.a Cape Town, then we greatly look forward to welcoming you.  The included photos are aimed at shamelessly enticing you to get here sooner!

Naser Elkurdi

Cape Voyage regularly fields inquiries from visitors originating from the United Arab Emirates.  Although we have hosted many of these visitors, there has always been a void in our ability to serve their needs in keeping with the high levels of customer satisfaction and standards which we have set for ourselves.

Recently we have joined forces with Naser Elkurdi and his blog Cape Town in Arabic.  Naser is a registered tour guide and is able to conduct tours in Arabic, Greek, English, and as of recently also in Spanish.

We are confident that this addition to our Portfolio of Services will enhance the experience of a visit to Cape Town, and South Africa as a whole for visitors from the United Arab Emirates.

So it has been a while since I have published a bit of news on the comings and goings here at Cape Voyage.  My sincerest apologies.

Tuesday the 7th of October was one of those brilliantly sunny days for which South Africa is so famous.  Clear blue skies and not a rain cloud in sight!  Summer is truly in Cape Town.

After an early departure we set of from Cape Town headed for the town of Worcester and onto the Fairy Glen Game Reserve for a splendid day safari.  And all of this just over an hours drive away from Cape Town.

Reservations for this day trip was done through the Cape Voyage Central Reservations service and our guests was transported there in one of our comfortable sedan vehicles.

On arrival at Fairy Glen we had a wonderful buffet breakfast before setting of on a leisurely game drive to observe the splendor of the African bush and all the creatures that live there.  Fairy Glen Nature Reserve boasts the Big 5 amongst the reserves inhabitants.

A sumptuous buffet style lunch is served after the main game drive.  And after all that fresh air and excitement, every one tucked in with gusto.  After lunch we relaxed on the lodge deck from where one can also spot animals sauntering past.

On our return journey to the reserve gate, we again encountered the elephants, whom seemed to be intent on not letting us go home so soon.  They came strolling down the road at a leisurely pace, not allowing the vehicle to pass.  After blocking our way in this manner for quite some time, they eventually strolled of into the bush, obviously content that they have done their job in keeping the honored guests entertained for a little while longer.

This is definitely a worth while experience for the visitor to Cape Town whom wishes to experience a taste of the African bush.  Do not hesitate to book this activity before departure by e-mailing Cape Voyage with your group details.

I hope this destination review has been helpful and I look forward to personally welcoming you in South Africa within the near future.

Regards from Sunny South Africa,

Paul Avenant

This blog’s sub-title reads “The blog for Cape Voyage Hospitality Services by Paul Avenant”.  So who and what is Cape Voyage Hospitality Services?

Cape Voyage Hospitality Services was founded by Paul Avenant to address the need for a personalized touring and travel service for visitors seeking an authentic South African experience.  Simply put Cape Voyage is in the business of providing services for visitors to the Western Cape and South Africa in general.  The concept is not rocket science, but the difference and the cause of our success is that we do what we do well and always with the goal of providing a truly personal service that goes beyond the call of duty.  And we do this with every guest, every time.

The Cape Voyage Portfolio of Services (click here) can be viewed on our website, but it is worthwhile remembering that this information reflects a very limited view of what Cape Voyage Hospitality Services can do for you as a visitor to South Africa.  So please do not hesitate to e-mail us with any special requests and let Cape Voyage show you the hospitality that every visitor deserves.

This property is ideal for a couple travelling with their own hire vehicle, and ultimately for those that do not want to stay in the heart of the city.

Milnerton is a suburb of Cape Town, and is withing easy driving distance from all the sights and sounds that the city has to offer.

This comfortable one bedroomed apartment offers a range of amenities, including underground parking, a swimming pool and barbeque facilities on-site.  This property is located in a secure and tranquil complex with views of Table Mountain from your pool-side location.

The apartment does contain a sleeper couch, so it can serve well for a small family with two children under the age of 12.  There are some excellent restaurants within close proximity, but the apartment does offer all self-catering amenities.

For reservations visit Cape Voyage and send us an e-mail with your accommodation requirements.

Are you planning to visit Cape Town in the near future?  The Villa Voyage Accommodation Portfolio should then be your very first stop for holiday accommodation.

In this post I’ll be featuring one of our studio apartments in Green Point, Cape Town.

This apartment located on the 5th floor of a well maintained apartment complex offers views of Cape Town Harbour and is located within easy walking distance from the world renowned Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and the 2010 Soccer Stadium.

The apartment offers a range of self-catering amenities and will serve as an ideal base for a couple exploring Cape Town.  There is a sleeper couch in the apartment, so it can just as easily accommodate two adults and two children under the age of 12.

Underground parking is available for those traveling by hire vehicle.  Villa Voyage in conjunction with the parent company Cape Voyage Hospitality Services does however offer a shuttle service to all major inner-city destinations, as well as airport transfers.

To make a reservation simply contact Cape Voyage Hospitality Services (click here) and send us an e-mail specifying your accommodation requirements.

I’m glad to announce that I am launching a new venture aimed at providing comfortable and well priced accommodation in and around Cape Town.

The Villa Voyage Accommodation Portfolio will comprise various hand-picked accommodation facilities.  Most of the Portfolio consists of self-catering holiday apartments and will be primarily managed by myself, under the umbrella of Cape Voyage Hospitality Services.

The Cape of Good Hope blog will feature profiles on the properties in the portfolio for the next couple of posts, and these will be followed up with updates on a regular basis.  The updates will be aimed at providing potential guests with applicable seasonal rates and available package specials.

Guests interested in visiting South Africa can furthermore make use of the Cape Voyage accommodation reservation service to advise on and make reservations for accommodation both in Cape Town and nationally across South Africa.

So look out for the upcoming profile on a property in Green Point, Cape Town, which will be featured tomorrow.

It is Saturday (13/09/08) and we’re departing Franschhoek for another day of arduous wine tasting.  Just kidding!  My guests and I are ultra exited about our first stop of the day.  We have an appointment to attend the Masters Tasting at the aptly named Fairview.  This by appointment only tasting lasts between 75 minutes to 120 minutes and covers the full spectrum of the estates finests wines, often with a couple of extra surprises thrown in by the sommelier.  This is truly a must for wine aficionados.  The tasting session  only accommodates six visitors at a time, and has to be booked in advance.  As an afterthought, but definitely worth mentioning is that Faiview also produces some excellent cheeses!

The benchmark was set for the day, so I had to impress, and it was not difficult with our next stop at Boschendal.  This estate has a history dating back to 1685 and its not only really old and magnificent, it has the award winning wines to go with its well aged status.  The tasting venue and the Great Manor House is at opposing ends of the farm and is both worth a visit.  The Manor House will give visitors great insight into the lifestyle of the French Huguenots whom where the pioneers that established a great wine making region in the Franschhoek valley.

So we reach that time of the day where the ardent wine taster require some form of fortification greater that a couple of biscuits and a sliver of cheese. (Also know as a sit-down lunch!)  So it was time to turn the Mercedes-Benz’s nose in the direction of Franschhoek again, and I whisked the guests of to the ever popular and spectacularly located La Petite Ferme Restaurant.  As for myself I decided to take lunch in town at a cafe overlooking the main drag of Franschhoek Village.  Its a great alternative to fine dining and there’s no better way of observing the colorful cast of local characters passing by.

After picking up my sated guests it was a quick hop down the road to the charming Haute Cabriere Cellar.  The cellar is located underground and is the most divinely cool place on a sweltering hot Fraschhoek day.  Their sparkling wine comes highly recommended.

On a Saturday most of the cellars start closing around 15:30 or 16:00.  Grande Provence though has a beautifully designed restaurant in a chic industrial style and the tasting venue was still open on our arrival.  The Estate combines typical old world Cape Dutch architecture with intriguing modern elements and boasts an art gallery which constantly hosts new works of art.  As for their wines, you’ve guessed it, they are also highly palatable.  Actually that is an understatement,  they are positively spectacular.

Well readers that brings us to the end of a great weekend filled with wonderfull wandering wine experiences, I have to thank my guests for being great sports and for making my weekend enjoyable as well.

So as promised I’m writing about my two day tour in the Winelands.  I was lucky enough to be guiding for the most charming American couple whom are here on their honeymoon.

The Lady Luck of weather was definitely in a good mood and we were blessed with stunningly hot weather and clear skies.

On Friday we frequented the Stellenbosch wine region and my guests coud simply not stop raving about the excellent wines and the value for money to be had.  Our stops included Mulderbosch where we enjoyed an intimate private tasting (all tastings are by appointment only).  From there we went onto Asara where it is an absolute must to sample the 2004 Bell Tower Estate Wine.  After lunch at Spier we were on our way to the infamous Meelust where the Meerlust Rubicon (Red Blend) had my guests in a positive spin.

A massive traffic jam en-route to Fairview had us making an unexpected stop at Warwick Wine Estate.  Definitely a worthwhile stop.  These guys count royalty, The Bank of England and The House of Lords as amongst their regular clientele, and with the first swirl and sip you can taste why.

So after a day of hard labor (wine tasting takes stamina) we took a leisurely drive back to Franschhoek where a glorious sunset awaited our arrival and entertained the guests poolside.

More about the winding wine weekend tomorrow…