South Africa Recap

Hey guys! I just finished the South Africa leg of my Summer trip. Altogether I was in South Africa for three weeks, I was in Johannesburg (Joburg or Jozi) for two weeks and Cape Town one week. It is always nice coming back to my home country and seeing its different parts.

My hometown Johannesburg is known as the largest city in South Africa and the second largest city in Africa. It is not one of South Africa's three capitals but it is the capital and largest city of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. When people ask me "Oh so you're from Africa, are there lions in the streets?" LOL just kidding that has never happened to me, but when people think of Africa they typically think of safaris and the Big 5 but metropolitan cities never come to mind.  Joburg is a very metropolitan city, it is often described as Africa's economic powerhouse. Jozi is home to the largest mall on the continent, Sandton City. Sandton is one of the wealthiest suburbs in Johannesburg and is often called "The Richest Square Mile in Africa". This trip I never went to the bush on a safari, but I visited the newly renovated Lion & Safari Park which is definitely a must when in Johannesburg! There are endless activities at the park, they have lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, etc. All of which you can have up close and personal interactions with and snap a few good instas (I mean did it really happen if you didn't snap a pic?!) I'm a huge thrill seeker and love rollercoasters (I'm literally a 13 year old boy LOL), whenever I'm in Jozi I make a point to go to Gold Reef City which is the coolest theme park and casino in Africa. It has an authentic Joburg mining theme with the craziest rollercoasters you can imagine.  As for all the fellow foodies out there, my favorite restaurants in Joburg are Pigalle's, Signature, Marble and Tasha's. Pigalle's is the most amazing seafood place that gets prawns, langoustines, and lobster shipped in daily for Mozambique. Tasha's is a chain of cafes in South Africa, each cafe is inspired after an international city and they intermix the theme of that city into the cuisine. After a nice dinner, it always a good idea to hit the club or a bar and let your hair down. The nightlife in Johannesburg is vibrant and there are so many fabulous venues, some of the best are Churchills, Madison Avenue Rivonia, ONYX Sandton, Hashtag and Hell's Kitchen. Johannesburg is definitely a stop you should make if you ever come to South Africa. 

Cape Town is a coastal city in South Africa, and the capital of the Western Cape province as well as the legislative capital of South Africa. I stayed at the One & Only Cape Town which is conveniently located in the V&A Waterfront. The V&A Waterfront is one of my favorite areas in Cape Town, it has hotels, retail stores, dining and entertainment facilities. There is also a marina with boats and yachts for hire. One night, my family and I went on a sunset cruise and it was lovely to see the vast beauty of this coastal gem from the oceanic perspective. The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, one of the most notable is Table Mountain. Many tourists flood to this new natural wonder of the world each day,  many reach the top of the mountain by hiking up or by taking the Table Mountain Cableway. I always love visiting Hout Bay for its stunning landscape and delicious fish and chips. After a brief visit to Hout Bay we drove along Chapman's Peak Drive which is the most breathtaking view (literally breathtaking beacase of the wind) of the Atlantic Ocean and mountains. We also drove to Simon's Town which is one of South Africa’s oldest towns and Naval bases. In Simon's Town, we visited the African Penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach where we saw penguins in their natural habitat...yes it was a bit smelly but their adorable faces made it worth the while. One day we took a day trip to Stellenbosch which is the center of the cape winelands and the second oldest European settlement in the province, after Cape Town. While in Stellenbosch we went wine tasting at Tokara which is a magnificent wine estate that embodies the philosophy that good wine, good food and good art go together to make a good lifestyle. After we got a little tipsy HAHA, we took a brief walk across the street to the Delaire Graff Estate. The estate has a spectacular view of their vineyards with mountains settled in the background. The estate boasts a large collection of Laurence Graff’s personal art and jewellery collection. There are also three restaurants on the property, but we dined at the Delaire Graff Restaurant which has a relaxing terrace that serves bistro-chic cuisine, with spectacular views of the valley. Afterwards, we took a trip into the main town to see Stellenbosch University and the quaint Cape-Dutch style shops and restaurants. When we got back to Cape Town we ate at Nobu which is in the One & Only, Nobu is always a favorite for me no matter what city I'm in. 

South Africa is the diamond of africa with its natural beauty, incredible resources, and  lively culture. I hope you all get the opportunity to visit this gorgeous country! 

XOXO PASCALE 💋