A Day in the City of Cape Town

Cheryl and her amazing team at Venue & Destination Options hosted our MICE team for a fun day exploring Cape Town. The day started in Milnerton with a site inspection of the Lagoon Beach Hotel.

“This hotel is a great option for groups with its 200 rooms, modern conference and function facilities,” says Charlotte.

Dining options in the area include La Mizu Beach Bar overlooking the Atlantic Ocean towards Robben Island and Table Mountain. Our guests can choose between The Brasserie Restaurant and Wang Thai Royal Thai Cuisine. If none of these three dining options grabs your fancy, hop onto the complimentary shuttle to the V&A Waterfront and Canal Walk.

After the site visit, the group was collected by Hylton Ross in their new state-of-the-art 52 seater luxury coach which greets you at its doors by lowering the suspension almost to the ground for ease of access and small steps to enter.

The luxury coach whizzed the group off into the Cape Town city centre and the Hollow on The Square Hotel for the second site visit. The hotel has 56 large standard & deluxe en-suite bedrooms all with modern amenities, accompanied by an intimate reception and restaurant.

The eco-friendly addition to the hotel, The Green Annexe, an oasis of ‘green’-inspired hospitality, boasts 30 stylishly calm rooms, which have all been created with energy-efficient and environmentally sound materials, without compromising on luxury. The hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle to the V&A waterfront.

This is a great hotel to book out exclusively for a large group as it is very central and has easy access to all the main attractions of the city.

Later that day Charlotte and Linda took part in an Amazing Race organised by Dynamic Corporate Activities. Divided into teams the group spread out over the CBD where they proceeded to complete various challenges for points. Challenges included – having to barter for a pestle & mortar from a street vendor who they had to find in the hustle and bustle, armed with only a photo of him, to presenting flowers to a stranger. They fed squirrels in the Company’s garden and balanced a team member on 10 inflated balloons for 10 seconds. The activities were creative and fun to do.

Charlotte says “The city center is great to walk around; you can feel the buzz and energy of the mix of people and cultures. St George’s Mall is lovely to stroll up, with all the craft stalls along it. The Company Gardens is fun to feed the pigeons and squirrels as you explore a bit of our history with the Gardens.”

The next stop was the Cape Town Hollow, newly renovated it offers stylish, serene accommodation with spectacular views over the Dutch East India Company Gardens, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. Enjoy relaxed dining at the on-site Restaurant, Eighty-Ate, with a street café flair or relax next to the small swimming pool on the sundeck. Charlotte recommends booking a mountain facing room.

Whilst enjoying a well-deserved break on the sundeck, The Massage Truck had set up a mobile station to offer the group a quick but relaxing massage. Inspired from years of travelling around the world, The Massage Truck is an adaptation of a whole lot of different practices and cultures made to fit Cape Town’s massage needs, vibe and lifestyle.

Charlotte said “The team was professional and well trained. The great thing about this experience is that they can cater to groups and can be set up anywhere, you also remain fully clothed.”

After the relaxing massages, it was time for some outdoor activity with Scootours. Feel a rush of adrenaline as you head down some of the best trails in the Mother City on off-road scooters. The 5-km excursion will take you on an adventurous jeep track down the side of Signal Hill into Bo-Kaap followed by your final run down a single track off the world-famous land mark, Table Mountain.

The 2-hour activity is perfect for kids, either on their own scooter or for younger kids with their parents. The Swiss made scooters are incredibly reliable, non-motorised and therefore eco-friendly. A guide will be accompanying you at all times to ensure your safety on this fun adventure.

Charlotte says “it was great fun and definitely an adrenaline rush!”

The group’s last stop, the home of Faldela (a real character!), who hosts Cooking with Love in her Bo- Kaap home.

Faldela, who has cooked with many celebrities, opens her home to visitors from across the globe for an authentic Cape Malay dining experience. She hosts guests from 2 to 20 Pax at a time for lunch and dinner, along with a lesson and a walking tour of the Bo-Kaap or just the meal if preferred.

Faldela made an array of dishes for her guests and in Charlottes opinion, the most delicious chicken and corn samosas and Cape Malay coconut Koeksisters she has ever tasted! The group headed back to the Lagoon Beach Hotel in the late afternoon after a fantastic day out.