Glorious. Stylish, plush, relaxing are words that spring to mind. We arrived at Kensington Place at around 4 pm on Friday afternoon and were welcomed by manager Sasha. After a glass of bubbles at the pool we were shown to our room.

We were given the garden suite with its own private veranda overlooking the pool. And what a room. The decor is trendy without being garish. The use of colour and light gives a modern feel while the little extras such as a medi-kit and a selection of bath salts.

We spent the better part of the late afternoon at Kensington Place in the bathroom. The sunken bath with a view of the garden and the different bath salts make for a heavenly way to relax.

What stood out the most was the service. Everyone is friendly and smiling. They anticipate your needs, bring you whatever you want and cook the most delicious breakfast!!!

Kensington Place is the perfect place for honeymooner. It is also a favourite with the gay market and with this kind of style, it isn’t hard to see why! Kensington Place definitely gets my thumbs up for accommodation in Cape Town.

Not everyone on honeymoon has a huge budget, so I am happy to say that the New Kings Hotel in Seapoint offers incredible value for money. This brand new boutique hotel is situated within a small boutique shopping center which means you can get a Simply Asia take away for dinner and stay in or you can just have a morning coffee and watch the people.

The hotel itself is high 3 star with comfortably sized rooms. The open plan bathrooms will appeal to the honeymoon market and with a bath this size you definitely need to eat in!

Most of the rooms at the New Kings Hotel have at least partial views of the sea and it is a very easy 1 minute walk to the promenade for afternoon strolls as the sun goes down. This is an afternoon pasttime enjoyed by Capetonians throughout the year, so bring walking shoes and come join us!

There is a small breakfast room and balcony with sea views. Nothing overly elaborate, but the breakfast did look good. Eggs and hot breakfast is to order and the rest is buffet.

The New Kings Hotel is the type of hotel I would be happy to stay in when visiting Europe and I think that the owner has an interesting concept with the cute shopping center below the hotel. It has a very European feel. Definitely gets my stamp of approval for those with thinner pocketbooks.

NOTE: if you book this hotel through a tour operator you will get a much better rate than going direct.

Well known luxury hotel brand One&Only has opened up at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The hotel has been getting so much press (mainly for its celebrity parties to be fair!) that I decided to have a look at it myself.

The One&Only Cape Town does have a great location, right bang in the middle of the V&A Waterfront and within easy walking distance to shops and restaurants. The safety concious will love being able to walk at night without worry.

Honeymooners beware, unless you are planning to fork out for a suite on the island, there are better romantic honeymoon hotels in Cape Town. But if you have the cash the suites are magnificent and certainly the best I have seen in Cape Town.

The One&Only is a large 5 star hotel with two restaurants run by famous chefs Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsuhisa as well as a large bar and lounge area overlooking Table Mountain. The hotel’s decor is lush and confortable as befits a resort of this level.

Standard rooms are a decent size with monstrous baths and lovely private balconies. The rooms have lovely views of Table Mountain and the harbour.

Suites are of varying sizes and all situated on the island. These are some of the largest and most luxurious rooms I have seen in Cape Town. Some rooms have mountain views while others have Waterfront views. They all have water frontage, so that is really the main thing. And they all have immediate access to the massive swimming pool and spa area.

Again, this isn’t really my first choice for honeymooners unless you particularly want a resort hotel. It is however perfect for families as there is an excellent kids recreation area with child minders. Not only can the children play with toys, computers, read books and make all sorts of crafts, they are also taken out on daily excursions around the Cape Town area.

I must share with you that the boutique is run by Sol Kerzners daughter and apparently there is a handbag  made from a force-fed, hand reared crocodile - onsale for a paltry R250 000. A bargain at the price I tell you!

The sales person who showed me around the hotel (and who I can only assume was new to the game) amused me greatly when she proudly told me that all the rooms have bathrooms!! Thank goodness for that

Cape Town is teeming with new hotels, popping up all over the place. I did a little trip around Cape Town this week, so have a look at some of these new hotels.

The Cape Royale Hotel seems to be a very well kept secret. It has been around for a year already and I haven’t heard about it. Sad, because this is a lovely hotel.

Situated in Green Point, the Cape Royale is so close to the new World Cup Stadium that you can practically watch the football from your room. This area is being rejuvinated and is going to look fantastic. And of course it is within easy walking distance to the Waterfront.

The Cape Royale is possibly not my first choice for honeymooners because it is big and pretty impersonal. I like my honeymooners to be pampered. But for groups of friends or families, this is the perfect hotel. There are 1, 2 and 3 bedroomed suites and the more people you are, the cheaper they get. Amazing value for money.

All the rooms at the Cape Royale have full self-catering facilities, but this is also a 5 star hotel, so there is a superb restaurant and of course breakfast is included.

The spa at the Cape Royale Hotel really impressed me as well. It feels like walking into Cinderellas private boudoir with chandeliers and fancy decor. Their signature massage oil slash candle is pretty innovative too!

So Cape Royale Hotel wonderful for 4 or more people traveling together and very good value for an upmarket hotel. Not my first choice for honeymooners.

I am taking the hubby of for a romantic getaway and can’t tell you how excited I am. I have been invited to spend a night at one of my favourite Cape Town boutique hotels, Kensington Place.  Woo hoo!!!! You will be getting a full update on Monday, but let me tell you it doesn’t get more stylish than this.

Stop Press!!!! I have found the ideal honeymoon location in Franschhoek in the Cape Town area.

My friends and I decided to have a day of wine tasting and lunch so headed out to Franschhoek in the winelands. No only are the views amazing, but there are some awesome wine farms such as Vrede en Lust and Moreson where you can taste the wines free of charge.

Our day took us to the Klein Genot Restaurant and Wine Estate for lunch. What a marvellous place. Incredibly stylish with beautiful wall papers, great use of colour and modern touches make this a place to sit back and chill. The kitchen is open plan and the chefs very interactive. We spent the entire afternoon playing scrabble, eating, enjoying the fireplace and drinking amazing wines.

But, the point I am trying to get to, is the Klein Genot Guest House. Absolutely beautiful. This old manor house is situated on a river with a large dam at the front of the property. You feel like you have arrived at someones fancy estate (which of course you have!).

The rooms are large and all have private verandas. There is an honesty bar with complimentary beer and soft drinks. High tea is served in the lounge every day and is included in the price.

What struck me about Klein Genot is that, for a pretty reasonable penny, you can relax in stylish surroundings, get an inkling of how the royals live it up on their vast estates, be served and pampered and completely melt into a different world.

Klein Genot Country Estate, in the Cape Winelands, is perfect for a relaxing few days, perfect for couples and honeymooners wanting a private retreat and awesome service. It is also great for small groups of friends wanting wine, food and space to enjoy themselves.

The Klein Genot restaurant and wine cellar would also work well for a medium sized wedding and of course the wedding party would stay at Klein Genot Guest House. I would say anything from 2 people to around 50 for a wedding here.

While staying at Ulusaba Safari Lodge, we paid a visit to Ulusaba Rock Lodge for tea and a look around. I was amazed at how different these two lodges are. They cater to very different markets.

Both Ulusaba lodges are situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in a particularly game dense area. So you can expect the very best game viewing and superb game rangers. If you want to see leopard, then Ulusaba is the place to do so. We spotted three leopard on our first game drive. After that, we stopped counting!!

Ulusaba Rock Lodge is situated on a rock formation overlooking the Sabi Sands. The views from all the rooms and the main area are spectacular. You can see all the way to the Drakensberg mountains and if you are dedicated, you can actually see the animals as they pass by (there is a telescope as well, to make it easier).

Ulusaba Rock Lodge is definitely more flash and bling than Ulusaba Safari Lodge. It makes a statement. The chairs have big antelope horn tops, the lamps are ostrich eggs and the feeling is utterly “game”. There is no mistaking that you are on safari.

Ulusaba Rock Lodge offers the same friendly faces and excellent service and has, perhaps, a more formal and up-market feel.

The rooms are large and the amazing views dominate. Some rooms have private plunge pools but all have large verandas for relaxing and recuperating. I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon that on one of the verandas at Ulusaba Rock Lodge.

At Ulusaba Rock Lodge the rooms are huge and decorated in very neutral colours, so as not to detract from the views. With children welcome at Ulusaba Rock Lodge, there is space for an extra bed in most room types, while some of the suites have two bedrooms.

Weddings are a favourite at Ulusaba Rock Lodge. Wedding can be held on the main veranda, at the pool or in the bush. Where the ceremony is held, completely depends on what you want. The location is opulent and romantic and perfect for a wedding. Ulusaba offer complete wedding packages with everything included, so all you have to do is arrive and enjoy.

Kids are welcomed at Ulusaba Rock Lodge and there is special cubs program designed to keep your family entertained during your stay. Activities include kiddies drives, treasure hunts, games organized by the staff and lots more. The staff really go out of their way to make the safari and holiday fun for you and your children.

Ulusaba Rock Lodge appeals to families and groups of people traveling together. People wanting opulence and royal treatment will love it. If you want a more down to earth lodge, then Ulusaba Safari Lodge is a better choice.

While my last post about specials was quite negative, there are some very good specials out there. Since most of you want to have a honeymoon safari combined with a luxurious beach holiday, the Mozambique specials are particularly good.

Rani Resorts has 3 excellent lodges in Mozambique (and one less excellent one!), all on exotic islands with awesome snorkeling and diving. These lodges are perfect for honeymooners. They are offering a stay for 5 nights and get 1 night free special, as well as lowered rates, so on a six night stay, you save more than $700 per person

Marlin Lodge near Vilanculos is also offering a stay for 4 but pay for 3 special. This 4 star resort is actually the most reasonable of the up-market lodges in Mozambique and has recently been completely re-decorated.

Combine one of these specials with the Kruger Park safari specials that are coming through and you could have a five star luxury holiday that won’t blow your honeymoon budget.

Every day my inbox is inundated with specials. It is quite obvious that the hotels and lodges in Southern Africa are feeling the pinch of the credit crunch.

The irritation for me is that these specials are valid for one month or a particular short period. I don’t think there is much use in that. It feels to me like the lodges and hotels are hedging their bets and will put the prices right back up at the first sign of good occupancies.

Personally I would like to see us going back to the 2008 or even 2007 rates. Over the last few years, tourism to Southern Africa has been booming and the lodges have taken full advantage, putting their prices up by 10-20% each year. That just isn’t reasonable when inflation is sitting around 6%. It is plain greedy.

Yes, it means that I make more money when I sell a safari or honeymoon, but it also means that Southern Africa quickly became an expensive destination. Especially considering that most tourists have to purchase long haul flights to get here.

The good thing about the credit crunch is that the prices have come down (if only through specials), but also that the Rand has weakened against the major currencies. That means that you are paying around 25% less for a safari to South Africa now, than you were a year ago

IPL Cricket will be played in South Africa. For all you sports mad men out there, this is the perfect chance to take your lady on a romantic holiday, and still get your fix of cricket.

The IPL Cricket is being played at five different locations across South Africa, all of them within close proximity to superb safari lodges, luxury hotels and beaches.

It is all happening rather last minute, but there is still plenty of accommodation available at the different locations. So find out where your favourite team is playing, book some tickets and enjoy the game. Then chill out on safari with your loved one, watching the animals, being pampered and getting browny points for your great idea!

There are plenty of specials on offer during the IPL Cricket, so you don’t even need to worry about breaking the bank!

Let me know if you need a helping hand and I will point you in the right direction