Pedalling along Cape Town's promenade with the Atlantic Ocean to my right, the Green Point World Cup stadium to my left and Table Mountain on the skyline, it's hard to believe that just a few months ago this spot was filled with football fans. Now the city is back to normal as people stroll with their dogs, do yoga and play touch rugby on the beach.
I'm on a guided cycle tour with Bike & Saddle (bikeandsaddle.com) that takes in the fashionable western side of the Cape Peninsula starting from Cape Grace, a five-star spa hotel with its own yacht moored outside on the V&A Waterfront marina and a guest list which includes the Clintons, Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio. Not only does a bike tour win eco points, but setting off from a glorious hotel feels like the perfect mix of leisure and luxury. And it's a brilliant way to explore the city.
We coast through De Waterkant, the city's gay area with its chic boutiques, eateries and nightlife, past Beefcakes (beefcakes.co.za), a hugely popular burger, milkshake and cabaret joint, before winding up the gentle hills of Bo-Kaap, the predominantly Muslim Cape Malay district, with its brightly painted houses. We wander the fragrant aisles of the Atlas Trading Spice Shop on Wale Street, which supplies the city's top chefs, as the proprietor, Mr Ahmed, shares his knowledge of his stock. Turmeric, for instance, is considered to have antibiotic and antiseptic qualities, he says.
We finish where we started, with local wine and gourmet canapés on the deck outside Bascule, Cape Grace's happening bar. When it comes to eating, South Africa is carnivore heaven. At Headquarters (hqrestaurant.co.za) in Heritage Square, for instance, the menu offers one thing, perfect sirloin steaks coated in the restaurant's signature herb butter with chips and salad.
A visit to South Africa would be incomplete without a trip to a game reserve. A short morning flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg and another hour in a small private plane, and we land at Londolozi (which means 'protector of all living things' in Zulu and is owned, appropriately, by the conservation-minded Varty family), in the private Sabi Sand reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In keeping with their vision of harmony between man, beast and the environment, no fences separate the parks, allowing the animals to roam freely. This is also the first camp in the world to run a zero-emission 'silent' safari — where prototype solar-powered four-wheel drives allow you to get closer to the animals.
Our game ranger's 'high risk/high reward' tracking strategy delivers on each thrilling drive. Leopard cubs play in a tree five metres in front of us, lionesses protect their cubs from marauding males, hippos wallow as crocodiles linger on the banks nearby, zebras graze and warthogs gallivant across our path. Cape glossy starlings, lilac-breasted rollers and bearded woodpeckers hold a bird party in a Weeping Boer Bean tree and rhinos bump into each other as they trot past an elephant giving himself a mud bath.
Londolozi's four newly refurbished camps and the private Granite Suites all lie along the Sand River. Tree Camp, with its treetop deck, is at one end. At the other is Pioneer Camp, where my suite is bigger than my flat and much better decorated. From the hot tub on my private deck, I bask in the sunshine (a lovely treat as the UK heads into miserable winter) and sip pink Champagne before dinner.
Nothing is too much trouble and you're never far away from a feast cooked in front of you in the beautifully appointed dining areas that blend seamlessly into the landscape beyond. Other facilities include yoga classes, a fitness centre and a spa offering massage and reiki healing. I've travelled the world and this is without doubt one of the most exciting places I've been. You'll want to stay forever.
WAY TO GO
BA flies to Cape Town from London Heathrow. Visit ba.com. Cape Grace (capegrace.com) offers a luxury room from £345 a night. Book with BA and stay five nights including flights and accommodation with breakfast from £2,025pp. Visit ba.com/capetown. Doubles at Londolozi (londolozi.com) start at £585pppn.
