With the World Cup coming up in June, South Africa is the place to be. Prices will be high and accommodation scarce, but for those who don’t fancy scrimping, there are some pretty awesome high-end options available. And if you want to do the World Cup in South Africa in style, these are some of the options that should be at the top of your list.
Do Cape Town the five star way
It’d be hard to find a better-located hotel than the Cape Royale in Cape Town. All 95 suites have views of both Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, plus designer furnishings and exclusive artworks.
The Cape Royale can be found at Green Point, which is handy for football fans as this is where Cape Town’s new 70,000 capacity World Cup stadium can also be found. It’s just five minutes away from the major shopping precinct, the central business district and the beaches.
The Cape Royale also includes a rooftop pool, a fully equipped business centre plus a highly-rated spa and restaurant.
Make your own jewellery
Much of South Africa’s wealth was built on gold and diamonds, and the Gold of Africa museum in Cape Town is the perfect place to investigate the history of the bling. It even hosts regular jewellery-making courses, where you can create your own masterpiece from silver and gemstones.
Hit the shops
Johannesburg is well known for its shopping malls, and those with a fully stocked credit card can have a whale of a time. The Sandton and Rosebank malls are arguably the plushest – and that’s where to head for a proper splash-out.
Stay in wineland luxury
The Devon Valley Hotel is set in a producing wine estate, and is amongst the most plush accommodation options in South Africa. It has fifty suites decked out in a contemporary colonial style, two swimming pools, a petanque court and regular wine-tasting sessions. It’s about as far away as you can get from gritty and urban.
Stay on a private game reserve
Most visitors to South Africa will go on some sort of safari, but those really pushing the boat out can stay on what essentially becomes their own personal megazoo. The Thanda Private Game Reserve is a five star lodge in Zululand with 6,800 hectares to itself and all the facilities you could possibly wish for.
Play the bigshot
South Africa’s destination for the high-rollers is Sun City at the edge of the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. It’s a bizarre African-themed megaresort packed with activities and – more importantly for many visitors – plenty of roulette tables. It also boasts top class golf courses, a water park, a theatre, a nightclub and a cinema complex.
Take the Blue Train
The Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town is regarded as one of the world’s ultimate luxury train journeys. The suites inside the train on the overnight service include only the finest linen, marble tiles and gold bathroom fittings.
Eat at La Colombe
La Colombe on the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate near Cape Town is consistently regarded as one of South Africa’s finest restaurants. In fact, in 2009 South Africa’s Eat Out restaurant guide named it as the country’s number one. A combination of a British chef and Asian-French fusion cuisine seems to be a winner.
Try a balloon safari
Floating above the Magalies River Valley and Magaliesberg Range to the north of Johannesburg is a pretty special experience, especially when you can listen to the birds and watch the wild animals beneath you. And, if that’s not indulgent enough, you get to finish off with a champagne breakfast after you’ve landed.
Go wine tasting in a chauffeured side car
There are wine tours, and then there are wine tours. And, leaving from Cape Town, it’s possible to go on a tour of South Africa’s finest wine regions in the sidecar of a 750cc motorbike. Viator’s seven-and-a-half hour wind-in-the-hair trip includes lunch, cheese tasting and numerous wineries in Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
This article was originally written for AOL UK.
Copyright David Whitley
