Plett and Lederle’s. Eat your way
over lunches and dinners through
local taverns and pizzerias. For
seafood-specialty, the true essence
of Plettenberg Bay, make a beeline
for The Fat Fish, overlooking the
bay. I start with a large portion of
fresh oysters, attempting to fill my
annual quota in this spot, followed by
seafood platters for two, for myself.
Emily Moon is a characterful
boutique hotel perched at height,
clinging to a cliff. It looks out across
vast horizon, dominated by the
twisting Bitou River leading the
eye. The views from the restaurant
and poolside inspire photography
and art, displayed around the property. Quirky and distinctly African at
heart, Emily Moon is my favourite
spot for sundowners and a plush
boutique stay.
The Relais & Chateaux Plettenberg
Bay Hotel boasts the most breathtaking infinity pool in the Southern
region. Positioned high above the tip
of a long sweeping bay, it is the spot
for refined luxury and unparalleled
sea views.
Photos: Anisha Shah
Wild at Heart - South
African Safari
No trip to South Africa is complete
without experiencing the primary
pull for tourism, South African safari.
From George airport, it’s a short hop
via Johannesburg to the borders of
the mighty Kruger National Park, a
name synonymous with the Big 5.
I’m particularly interested in getting
to the heartlands of successful
new conservation methods and
eco-chic retreats, the Sabi Sands
Game Reserve. Fed by the Sabi and
Sand Rivers, the 65,000-hectare
reserve benefits from an astounding
biodiversity. Sharing unfenced
borders with Kruger National Park,
it’ well-habituated game and ample
wildlife viewing come at hair-raising
proximity.
The Big 5 – Savanna Private
Game Reserve
My flight arrives just in time to
beeline straight into Savannah
private game reserve where, after
a flying welcome into my oversized luxury suite with sumptuous
bathroom and infinity pool, and
a quick homely lunch of quiche,
salad and cake, I jump straight onto
the afternoon game drive with the
best guide in the business. Paddy
Hagelthorn is a wildlife photographer
and ‘super-guide.’ Nearly 30 years
in South Africa’s wilderness grants
him a unique affectionate way with
the bush and it’s wild inhabitants.
Beyond the common joke that the
animals know Paddy, and run and
hide, lies a truth that is the polar
opposite. His extensive background
as ornithologist, leopard specialist,
ranger trainer and photographer
makes me keen to witness him in
action. On the first game drive, I see
the Big 5. His skills are unique and
unmatched. Being launched into
thorny trees, as we plunge in reverse
up a steep bank, lands me face-toface with newborn leopard cubs
feeding on freshly-caught antelope,
right by my Jeep at arm’s length.
Charging forward on the heel of lion
tracks, in the subtle form of feint
pugmarks on the ground, I’m thrust
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