My guests arrived on the 26 of October and told me yesterday on the occasion of our last supper that they were really worried as I wasn’t there waiting for them when they entered the arrivals hall. What started with a fault (I was 10 minutes late to pick them up) turned into a fabulous trip along the Gardenroute. But the minutes they waited for me to arrive were quite unsettling as they only knew me from video calls and came to Cape Town trusting that everything would be in order – and now their tourguide was mia.
They stayed in Cape Town for 5 days and we ticked all the sightseeings but it’s the slightly unusual (scary …) things that they remember best like when we went to eat at a really dodgy looking place 😀 – but they trusted me and were stunned by the experience. As with every trip I also learn a lot – every guest is different and for them to have the best experience it is adamant to find out about their likes and dislikes during the planning phase and how far I can take them out of their comfort zone to create a good lasting memory and not a shock.
On the 31st we packed the car and drove towards Hermanus. Due to the recent flooding the scenic coastal drive was still blocked and we couldn’t do what was planned. Flexibility is a prerequisite when visiting Africa – even the Western Cape which is a very europeanised part of the country – Africa light as I like to call it. The guests went on a whale cruise and had the most amazing encounters – they loved their accommodation and the dinner.
Speaking of accommodation: Dear future guest, please be specific when we talk about your accommodation. I do not have to like it – my taste might be different from yours. Tell me what is important to you so I can find the hotel/B&B/tent 😉 that you enjoy the most.
We stayed on a working farm near Swellendam, in Plettenberg Bay and in St. Francis – very different accommodations – before reaching the highlight of the tour: Shamwari Private Game Reserve. There are 7 lodges on the reserve, the clients stayed at Eagles Crag and absolutely loved it. The game drives, the meals, their room, the service. The Rhino picture was taken by them. It rained in the evening and the roads turned into muddy catastrophes – I broke quite a sweat when I picked them up again.
We flew back from PE to Cape Town and ended the trip in Stellenbosch with a relaxing stay at Lanzerac wine estate. Today our journey ends and we will leave for the Airport in a few hours. All guests are the same when it comes to this part of the trip – time flew by. A good thing about our brains and hearts: they store memories that last a lifetime.