I made a preemptive decision before the Xmas Party season to book a holiday straight after I was to make the Xmas Lunch a chez moi for the Family. Where to go ? See my Boys in Miami, Girls in Bali, Crew in Egypt or the Afris in South Africa...... I decided as I missed the brilliantly hosted 2010 FiFa World Cup in SA I needed to be there to see for myself what improvements had been made for the successful Games.
Also one of my oldest best friends, Brendan, had decided to stay put for 10 years in this Rainbow Country and set up a Travel Agency and sell it off. Worth a look for the business interests to say the least. Worth a feasibility study to visit Sean and his Diamond /Gold Mines in Kimberley , Percy Montegomery and his face of Sport & Property Ventures in Cape Town and Brendinium and his sale of a successful Travel Agency in Joburg. Also I heard the scuba dive there was one of the most dangerous and interesting on this planet. Kindly our people in the Fairmont Group of Hotels had hooked me up with favourble rates at their 5 Star Resort on the East Coast called the Zimbali Resorts http://www.fairmont.com/zimbaliresort .
No need for a Safari to Kruger Park this time....
How could I resist this Phileas Fogg adventure !
So as the Xmas Party Season was, although not equal to 2-3 years ago, a success and Christmas day turkey a hit I ventured off to Johannesburg on a Virgin Atlantic drift.....ahhhhhhhhhh what a luxury!
In the capital city, I was so well hosted by Brendan in Sunning Hill, Sandton, Joburg that I decided to skip the NYE Party invitations in Cape Town and take some time off and chill with my Friend & his rottweiler Bella for a full week in the capital city. Wow, how kind the South Africans of all colours and creeds. Great food ( Oysters for breakfast, Steaks for lunch & Fruits for dinner), world beating wines and a most powerful Sun why would n't they be. Black Economic Empowerment so well placed by the Great Demi-God & Peacemaker Nelson "Madiba" Mandela is very strong and progressive with its strategy of inclusion! Different world now SA!
My favourite time was the E200 Mercedes Benz ( Sponsored by our dear friend Adel from Dubai) 600 km drift from Joburg across the beautiful landscape made up of Table-esque mountains, hills and beautiful coastlines through Free State http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State , Industrial Durban to KwaZulu Natal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KwaZulu-Natal 's Famous UNESCO Heritage Forests that make up the Zimbali Resort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KwaZulu-Natal
. If you ever need to relax and enjoy in a superior quality environment in SA look now further than Fairmont's Zimbali.
Resorts & Lodge! Service, landscape and luxuries are like now where I have been for a long while - and I have enjoyed! Whether a keen ornithologist , gourmand or keen scuba diver like me this is Eden's Paradise so highly sought after around the world but seldom attained. Thanks to the Guys & Dolls at the scuba dive school Aliwal Centre http://www.aliwalshoal.co.za/ in Umkomaas I had 4 days of diving and pleasure. Although it took me a day to gain my sea legs ( sick as a dog) diving 10 KM off the coast and 24 metres depth in heavy rain and 10-20 ft waves - it was all worth it to seeing and swimming with Whale & Tiger Sharks , Turtles, Rays, Moray eels, a plethora of Fish off this rugged and de-coraled coast!
Long live the energy and progression of SA and thank God for keeping me safe in a country that is reputed to be dangerous but in reality is a Paradise on Earth..........next time I must make the Cradle Of Humankind http://www.cradleofhumankind.co.za/index.html .
Love you South Africa & the Bafana Bafana Crew :-)
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