Special De-Stress Packages in the Winelands of South Africa

Last Sunday we were reading the paper, and lo and behold, the first of the Christmas Special Editions found its way in there already!  I don’t know if its just me… but I get tired just looking at all the Christmas adds and specials…  A lot of us might need a little bit of a break before the big break.  Some much needed “me time” before we all go on holiday and get together with the family and friends.  Here I’d like to share two great options for you to consider.  This would also fit in perfectly with a Cape Town and Safari Tour.  Rejuvenate before we celebrate, and then we’ll look at detox next year 😉

Rosendal Winery and Wellness Lodge is a wine estate that was established in 1805, and offers beautiful scenery, a spa with treatment facilities, a great country restaurant, a small intimate wine cellar and game drives close by.  You can choose from lovely exclusive rooms in the guesthouse and grape based treatments in the spa.  The Guesthouse is a haven of serenity, each en-suite room is tastefully furnished with colonial furniture and every room overlooks the vineyards, pond or the beautiful gardens.  At the on-site spa and wellness center you can shed your cares and surrender yourself to the quality of personal service, unique to a small luxury establishment.  The Spa and Wellness Center offer qualified therapists offering traditional treatments using products from wine grapes, enriched with antioxidants.  The Spa also offer the option of outdoor treatments, a swimming pool, an outdoor cooling tank and an outdoor Jacuzzi.

The Rosendal is offering a De-Stress Spa Formula, with which you will be invited to relax and get in touch with yourself in the most tranquil surroundings.  The treatments in the package focus on the complete feeling of wellness, with an African Wood massage, and a Theravine Balancing or Hydrating Facial.  The therapist will evaluate your skin and recommend a facial suitable for you.  The gentleman will also have an African Wood massage and a purifying back treatment.

You will be met on arrival with a refreshing drink, then you can dip into the pool, go for a walk or just un-wind with sundowners and enjoy the spectacular views of the valley.  On the first evening you will taste the awarded Rosendal Range and let the staff tell you all about the wine before dinner a-la carte at Rosendal Restaurant by Michelin chef David Godin, followed by coffee.  The next morning you can go for an early morning walk.  It’s the best time to get some exercise, and you could also take a look at the wine orchards.  Enjoy a cold and/or hot breakfast from the kitchen, with Rosendal sparkling wine.  After breakfast meet up at the Spa for your African Wood Massage.  Relax by the pool, at the room or at the Spa.  Lunch will be enjoyed with a glass at Rosendal’s restaurant.  This afternoon after lunch you will meet up again for your second Spa Treatment, which is a Theravine Hydrating or Balancing Facial for the lady and a Purifying back treatment for the gentleman.   After your treatments you can take some time to relax with sundowners on the patio whilst watching the sun set.

This evening you will enjoy a choice of three course a-la-carte dinner as well as coffee from David’s restaurant again.  On your last morning, you will relax on the stoep with freshly brewed coffee, and then enjoy a breakfast menu with eggs of your choice, fresh fruits and a number of creative breakfast dishes served in the restaurant.  To make this awesome experience complete, you may choose your favorite Rosendal wine from the Rosendal Range to take home with you.

The Franschhoek Country House & Villas is a five star hotel in the heart of the Franschhoek valley, and is complimented by the well-known Monneaux Restaurant.  Situated on the outskirts of the Franschoek Village, it is a great base to indulge your tastes for fine wines and world-class cuisine.  The luxurious Villa Suites offer you opulence and space in a relaxed country setting. The spacious lounge includes comfortable seating arrangements, an in-room dining facility, mini-bar, entertainment system with satellite TV, fireplace, air-conditioned, DVD player and music throughout the suite.  The separate bedroom is luxuriously appointed with all the expected amenities and facilities, lush duvets, quality percale linen and a choice of pillows to make you feel at home.

The Monneaux Restaurant serves an inspired contemporary take on classic dishes.  Lunch is enjoyed on the fountain terrace under a spreading pepper tree while dinner is enjoyed in the elegant but relaxed dinning room in the original manor house.  You can pamper yourself with a range of treatments including massages, reflexology, facials, manicures, pedicures and signature treatments.  This is the perfect way to relax and unwind.  The qualified and very professional staff all look forward to spoiling you at the welcoming and intimate treatment room.

We are delighted to offer a Two Night Villa Suite Dinner & Spa Package at The Franschhoek Country House & Villas.  This package for two includes your stay in the luxurious Villa Suite, with a three-course dinner on one of the evenings and a generous R500 Spa voucher per couple.  This special is valid from 5 November to 20 December 2012 and again 3 to 31 January 2013.  Contact us at Road Travel to book your pamper package in Franschhoek today!

Pezula in Knysna joins Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide has announced Pezula Resort & Spa, one of South Africa’s leading resorts, is set to join the luxury portfolio of Conrad Hotels & Resorts.  Hilton Worldwide owns three other hotels in South Africa: the Hilton Sandton in Johannesburg, the Hilton Durban and the Hilton Cape Town.  John T A Vanderslice, global head, Luxury & Lifestyle Brands for Hilton Worldwide said: “By combining Conrad’s signature style and service standards with such a superior Resort property and location, we will create an exceptional and memorable guest experience.  For 25 years Conrad has epitomized the definition of smart luxury and our arrival in South Africa represents a key milestone in the brand’s ongoing global expansion.”

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, Development, Hilton Worldwide, Europe & Africa said: “I’m very excited at the prospect of our luxury Conrad brand making its debut in South Africa with such an outstanding and well known resort property.  Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa will be a valuable addition to our growing international hotel portfolio and helps to underline our position as one of the leading hospitality providers in the continent.”

Located on the Eastern Head of Knysna on the exquisite Garden Route coast, Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa is surrounded by rugged cliffs, ancient forests and sheltered beaches.  With sweeping views of the Pezula Championship Golf Course, the Indian Ocean and the Knysna Lagoon, it is a haven of privacy and luxury.

Seventy-eight stylish suites, four to a villa, each with its balcony, well-stocked pantry and spacious bathroom, deliver a whole new world of luxury in an elegant African style.  Designed to maximize the views, the suites exude the warmth of stone and wooden textures, while welcoming earth tones create an unexpected contrast to the blues and greens of the landscape and ocean.  The suites have individual climate control, satellite television, a DVD player, electronic safe and direct telephone. Each has a pantry kitchen with delicious deli snacks prepared by the pastry chef of the hotel’s restaurant, and a well stocked drinks cabinet.  Real log fireplaces are lit on request.  The bathrooms are huge with oval-shaped calabash baths and wet rooms big enough for two.  Beds are beautifully dressed with Egyptian cotton linen and guests are supplied with luxurious toweling gowns and slippers.

The core building houses a sumptuous cigar lounge, champagne and whisky bar, library, wine cellar and gourmet restaurant, Zachary’s.  Intimate and romantic at night, the setting of the restaurant is spectacular during the day, with magnificent views over the Knysna Lagoon against the backdrop of the Outeniqua Mountains, tempting you to dine al fresco.  Executive chef Geoffrey Murray delights in serving up the freshest local ingredients in his inimitable style.  His menu offers a variety of ‘modern ethnic’ dishes inspired by his worldwide experiences which include owning his own restaurants in New York and Miami and his role as executive chef at the exclusive Seychelles resort, North Island.

Situated on the lower level of the hotel, the Spa is a calm sanctuary that reflects the soul of Africa and provides world-class professionalism in the delivery of a superior health and wellness experience.  Named Best Spa in South Africa in the 2005 Professional Beauty Awards, it includes a 12m heated indoor pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium, outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, rain shower, nail bar, hair salon and nine therapy rooms, as well as a post-treatment room with heated water beds.  It offers a comprehensive range of treatments, which combine natural therapies with the most technologically, advanced equipment available.  A number of packages have been designed to revive body and spirit.

Guests have access to the secluded Noetzie Beach and River and activities including canoeing, fishing, hiking, birding and nature trails.  The estate’s Field of Dreams sporting complex offers an equestrian center, four world-class tennis courts, a multi-purpose sports oval and golf driving range.  The Championship Golf Course lies high above the Indian Ocean and the vast Knysna lagoon – a sweeping spectacle of fairways and greens rolling through the pristine indigenous landscape.  The Championship Course is primarily for member play, offering referred access to visitors on a space-available basis.

The stylishly appointed Pezula Clubhouse includes a gourmet restaurant, bar, plush private lounge with library, and a boutique pro shop.  A heated pool, short game practice area, tennis and leisure facility are also available to members and guests.  Contact Road Travel Africa to book your stay at this incredible resort at even more incredible rates.

Stay 3 Nights in Camps Bay, Pay for 2

Road Travel is offering excellent special prices at selected Camps Bay venues.  Book the Glen Apartments now, and receive 25% off, valid till 30 Nov.’11.  Stay for 3 nights at The Bay Hotel or Camps Bay Retreat and receive 1 complimentary night at Harbour House Hotel, Hermanus, valid till the end of September 2011.  Don’t delay, contact us today to spend some quality time in Camps Bay.

Under the looming Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head, with views out across the turquoise-colored sea, Camps Bay sports some of the trendiest places in Cape Town to see and be seen.  Head south from the beaches of Clifton (or north from the buzz of Sea Point) and you’ll discover the chic suburb of Camps Bay.  The main drag, Victoria Road, is jam-packed with funky restaurants, trendy pubs, and bucket-and-spade shops on one side, and a palm-fringed beach on the other.

It’s here, on the white sands of Camps Bay, where you’ll find bronzed and buff locals flexing their muscles and showing off their volleyball skills.  While supermodels and rock stars of the world are known to hang out at Camps Bay, it’s also a great place for families – the sandy beach is wide and flat, and parking is sometimes more available than at nearby Clifton.  During the Easter break and around the Christmas holidays, Camps Bay is packed to the brim.

Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy the friendly vibe and excellent restaurants (not to mention gorgeous views) in Camps Bay.  You’ll find a number of good places for a glass of wine or cocktails along Victoria Road – and for holiday makers and locals alike, Camps Bay is a favorite spot to watch the sun go down.  If you’re feeling like a dose of culture, find out what’s showing at the gracious Theatre on the Bay.  For a bit of pampering, you could make use of the Camps Bay Retreat Skin & Body Centre, or head off to one of the other spas or yoga centres in the area.

Set amongst a wooded area, The Glen Apartments takes its name from the 35 acre Glen forest nature reserve that the apartments verge on in Camps Bay.  The Glen Apartments consists of luxury serviced apartments with views of the ocean, Twelve Apostles mountain range and Lion’s Head, and finished with modern and clean aesthetics and expansive windows that maximise the scenery.  Guest enjoy exclusive arrangement with the bordering property, Camps Bay Retreat, offering a restaurant, spa and tennis court.

Camps Bay Retreat is a sanctuary for the soul, set on four acres of lush green nature reserve.  With a mountain meditation pool, thickets of trees, waterfalls and streams, it is a peaceful paradise, where meditative moments are waiting to be had.  Views stretch across the ever-changing Atlantic Ocean and along the peaks of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range, from the Deck House and The Villa.  The estate has features such as four swimming pools, a tennis court, a spa and a fine dining restaurant.  Dine in the old world splendour of the original manor house, where The Retreat Kitchen’s executive chef creates a daily menu of gourmet fare, combining a symphony of fresh ingredients from local markets.  Food is paired exquisitely with celebrated wines from the region, best experienced as part of a candlelit three course affair.  Spoil yourself with a choice of massages, treatments and facials at the spa.  A refuge for the body and a haven for the mind, you’ll unravel and surrender to the tranquility.

The Bay Hotel is superbly designed with 78 rooms and suites offering luxury in an unsurpassed setting.   No less than four hotel pools with expansive sun decks offer superlative views of the Atlantic Ocean and majestic Lion’s Head.  Renowned as a haven for romantics, leisure is the catchword, from rejuvenating spa treatments to the convenience of the heavenly deli, unique cocktail bar or beachfront café.  And for the ultimate in relaxation, there’s the cigar lounge and bar with breathtaking views.  Breathe deep… exhale slowly and rediscover fun.  Float into blissful relaxation while enjoying this exceptional brand of hospitality.

Situated only one hour from Cape Town, Harbour House Hotel in Hermanus enjoys one of the most prominent of positions in the heart of the old harbour area, flanked by the seaside and the bustling centre of this holiday town.  The spacious rooms, with sophisticated modern décor, feature a kitchenette and lounge leading towards the balcony.  Perfectly located, you can enjoy an easy walk to the market, street cafés, restaurants, bars and natural attractions, experiencing the best that Hermanus has to offer.