From Westerncape to Easterncape - Sawubona in South Africa
Escape the uncomfortable fall storms and immerse yourself in the South African spring. Could there be anything more pleasant? We don't think so and report on a golf trip with an addictive factor, because it leads from Cape Town via the Garden Route to Knysna and offers delicious gourmet cuisine, wines to sink your teeth into and, of course, golf to dream about.
"Mothercity" Capetown
Welcome to the most European city on the African continent! Cape Town is a must, an unforgettable experience and the best introduction to the "Rainbow Nation", which offers a little bit of everything: Vibrant metropolitan cities, cozy small towns, deserts, vineyards, savannahs, mountains, spectacular coastlines and endless sandy beaches. Here at the Western Cape, with the 1086-metre-high Table Mountain as the city's landmark, you actually have everything within easy reach: the entertainment district on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the many stores and galleries on Long and Breestreet, art and unusual items in "Opulent Living" on Kloofstreet and the trendy new art and culture district in Bo-Kaap - now Cape Town's most colourful district between Buitengracht and Signal Hill. Just around the corner is the Hilton Cape Town City Centre, which has just been refurbished as a chic boutique hotel. As soon as I enter the lobby, the first thing I notice are the elegant shades of gray and silver with yellow accents, various exhibits by local artists, decorative wooden screens and, above all, the precious Swarovski chandeliers. From my suite on the 8th floor, I have a direct view of Table Mountain and the glittering city at night. Everyone here is really impressed by the unique concept of the "126 CKC" restaurant (Cape, Kitchen, Café) with its innovative Malay-African fusion cuisine. The new tea tasting menu called "Tea-Pearing" with star kitchen quality as well as the delicious detox smoothies and superfood salads are right on trend. I have rarely enjoyed a menu so much without accompanying wine. It sets you up for the next day of golf at Atlantic Beach GC. With a view of Table Mountain and Robben Island, you can enjoy the game on the hilly terrain right by the ocean. Of course, you also have to contend with the wind here, which is only partially tamed by fynbos bushes and dunes. There are over 20 courses around Cape Town - one more beautiful than the next and the "Metropolitan GC" is right in the middle of it all.
On the road of all roads
It belongs to South Africa like the "Big Five" belong to the Kruger National Park - the Garden Route. That's why it's always an exciting experience for me. Unforgettable images of steep, shimmering purple mountain ranges, coasts with rugged cliffs and white sandy beaches, estuaries that form lagoons and idyllic little towns follow one another. In addition, there is overwhelming, colorful vegetation with the majority of South Africa's 24,000 plant species. George is the largest town on the Garden Route, followed by Mossel Bay, a seafaring town with a long tradition and a popular seaside resort. This is also where the best oysters are grown, with the cultivation area stretching from Mossel Bay to Knysna. This small town is the tourist center of the Garden Route, especially because of its location between two cliffs, the Knysna Heads, the lagoon and the almost unmissable range of leisure activities. From the lookout tower on the eastern "Head" you can enjoy a magnificent view over the "Leisure Isle" lagoon and gourmets particularly appreciate the oysters that are farmed in this lagoon. The area around Knysna is full of adventure worlds - from the Elephant Park to the bungee jump at the Bloukrans River Bridge. From a height of 216 m, daredevils plunge into the depths in seven seconds and free fall. It is much more relaxing at Buffalo Bay or while sundowners on the terrace of the Pezula Resort - the most beautiful hideaway on the Garden Route in Knysna.
The 5* luxury resort Conrad Hilton Pezula is enthroned like an eagle's nest in the middle of a natural paradise high up on the Knysna Heads, surrounded by the associated 18-hole championship course "Pezula Estate". Anyone entering the resort for the first time is overwhelmed by the view of the beautifully laid out fairways between the cliffs sloping steeply down to the Indian Ocean and, on the other side, the attractive hotel complex, which is one of the best in South Africa. No wonder that the resort has been showered with awards as a member of the "Preferred Hotels, the ultimate luxery collection" since it opened in 2005 and more than lives up to its name as "in a sphere with the gods" (Pezula). And that's how you live here too: the villas, furnished in dark wood with huge terraces, are hidden in a blooming exotic garden.
78 spacious suites in contemporary African style with fine fabrics, open fireplaces and stylish furniture convey a harmonious and exclusive feeling of living. The culinary counterpart to this is called Zachary's and is the gourmet restaurant in the main building where there is also a modern fitness room, a cigar lounge and a champagne and whisky bar in typical English style and "Africa's Leading Spa". In addition to the special massage offers, golfers also appreciate the private atmosphere around the small lily pond outside, the water beds with massage jets in the relaxation room inside and, of course, the award-winning 18-hole championship course of the same name. Designed by David Dale and Ronald Fream from GolfPlan USA, it offers a view of a pristine forest with fascinating flora and fauna from holes 1 to 5 and the picturesque Knysna lagoon between holes 6 and 12. The back nine in particular offers an unsurpassed golfing experience, as you play over hilly terrain with great views of the ocean and the rocky mountains all around. The ups and downs require either a good level of fitness or a cart for a more comfortable game. Especially on holes 16, 17 and 18, which lead over ditches and protea bushes up to the stylish clubhouse. There is a lavish celebration - with or without a good score, only the golfing experience counts. If you still haven't had enough, you can play the neighboring courses Knysna Golf GC and Simola - just 10 minutes away.
Further information:
www.dein-suedafrika.de www.hiltoncapetown.com www.conradpezula.com
