Why there's no better-value getaway than Cape Town right now
Virgin Atlantic recently revived its high-season service from Heathrow to Cape Town following a seven-year hiatus, and this excellent-value, jet-lag-free destination is eager to welcome Brits back once more
As we sweep along South Africa’s south-west coast, our Boeing 787 banks left to reveal the unmistakeable silhouette of Table Mountain standing protectively behind the scattered homes, hotels and high rises of Cape Town below. It’s an iconic view, and one that Virgin Atlantic customers had to wait seven long years to enjoy again until, in November 2022, the airline resumed services to the city for the first time since 2015.
It’s an understatement to say that South Africa is delighted to see the return of mainstream tourism from the UK. In 2019 it received around 430,000 British visitors but the pandemic devastated the industry, and in the nearly two years that followed, that number plummeted as the country was placed on the UK’s travel red list and suffered several other Covid-related setbacks, including the postponement of Virgin Atlantic’s planned Cape Town route resumption in December 2021.
The airline’s vice-president – communications, Laura Brander, explains this trade event is a belated celebration of an important route for the airline. “When we relaunched Cape Town in November 2022, at the time we were busy doing a lot of activity promoting our new services to Tampa, Florida, so now is the perfect opportunity for us to come here and showcase our route network to South Africa, including Johannesburg, plus our partner hotels and tourist boards who are so excited to finally have people coming back to Cape Town.”
THE WOW FACTOR
That sense of excitement is also palpable among the gaggle of trade representatives as we weave our way through the Cape Town rush-hour traffic to the first of our two ports of call. The One&Only is the among the city’s most stylish hotels, and there’s an immediate wow factor as you walk through the doors into the lobby – the oversized oval Vista Bar in the foreground thrown into sharp relief by the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the Mother City’s most famous landmark.
One&Only Cape Town recently refurbished its 133 guest rooms and signature suites, and clever touches such as entrance hallways covered in traditional African cloth and tribal-art-inspired tables and rugs lend an authenticity to the high-spec rooms. A huge bathroom with double vanity unit, separate shower and free-standing tub adds to the sense of luxury. Naturally, as I open the double doors onto the balcony, I’m met with another end-to-end view of the ubiquitous Table Mountain.
This urban resort and spa provides the perfect base to explore Cape Town’s bustling V&A Waterfront arts and entertainment complex, with its myriad of shops, bars and restaurants just a five-minute hop away. Also recommended is a city open-top bus tour – many routes are served from here, including stop-offs at some of the many stunning bays and white-sand beaches within easy reach of the city, including Camps Bay.
However, on our first night we stray no further than one of the resort’s onsite venues, the Wine Studio, where head sommelier Luvo Ntezo shares his expertise and enthusiasm as he introduces his favourite local wines to accompany the five-course tasting menu. It’s an enlightening evening that will live long in the memory, and one that One&Only guests can also enjoy via the hotel’s range of curated experiences.
REACH FOR THE TOP
In an effort to burn off all those calories and clear my head, bright and early the next morning I join One&Only guide David, who is leading a group hike up one of Table Mountain’s numerous trails (£85pp including transfers, snacks and water). It’s classed as “medium” on the “easy to hard” sliding scale, but trying telling my burning thighs that as I scramble up and along the rocky track to the summit, holding my arms aloft in triumph as bemused locals wander past. The hike takes around two hours, so be sure to warn any potential clients that they should possess a reasonably good level of fitness to attempt it. For those looking for a more sedate way to take in the stunning views from the top, suggest the cable car, complete with revolving floor for panoramic 360-degree views.
With temperatures as warm as the reception from the South African people, and the rand currently weak against the pound, it’s the perfect time to experience Cape Town. Most members of the trade contingent in our party have been many times, but they can’t remember a better time to visit. “The climate is great in peak season – obviously air fares are more expensive but, once you’re there, you won’t be able to have a better-value holiday anywhere in the world,” says Lesley Rollo, managing director of Travelbag.
It’s a sentiment shared by Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel Group: “It’s great value for money, the service is amazing and the people are so friendly,” she enthuses.
FITTING FINALE
The buzzwords of “service”, “quality” and “value for money” resonate further as we leave the city and take the 50-minute transfer to the wine country of Franschhoek and the resort of Mont Rochelle. It’s a popular stop-off on twin- and multi-centre trips, and it’s not hard to see why. A favourite in the Virgin Limited Edition stable (word is, Richard Branson stays in the four-suite Manor House when he’s in the vicinity) all 22 rooms have views of the spectacular valley that surrounds the property. There’s also a spa, a gym, a heated outdoor pool and two restaurants, plus the resort is also home to a working vineyard, whose wines have won multiple awards. We gain some fascinating insight into the production process as winemaker Michael Langenhoven invites us to pick and taste grapes from the vine that are just a couple of weeks away from harvesting, before taking us to the winery to see the enormous vats that will soon be producing what he predicts to be an excellent 2023 vintage.
Sadly, our stay at Mont Rochelle is all too short, and it’s soon time for our last, top-quality meal at this beautiful resort. As for the trip as a whole, Virgin Atlantic’s director of UK agency sales, Nicki Goldsmith, sums up what it means for the brand. “We really wanted to celebrate our return to Cape Town and show our partners just how awesome the city and surrounding areas are,” she says. “The trade is extremely important to us, and at the end of last year we launched an airline first, an ‘always on’ travel agent loyalty/incentive scheme called the ‘Sky High Club’, where travel agents can earn points every time they sell a Virgin Atlantic flight to redeem against a range of rewards. But it’s about more than just points – it’s a club that will also offer hosted experiential trips and money-can’t-buy experiences.”
The next day, on the way back to the airport, I reflect on an amazing adventure that’s taken me from city to mountains, and from beaches to valleys and vineyards. As we saunter through the departure lounge to board our flight to Heathrow, there are two distinct but equally impressed groups of traveller. For those who have been before, the trip reminded them of the variety and quality of the experiences they’d been missing for all these years, while for newbies like me it had just opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
Book it:
Pure Luxury Holidays offers three nights at Mont Rochelle plus three nights at the One&Only Cape Town from £3,749 per person, based on two adults sharing a double room on a B&B basis, with return private car transfers. Includes return direct flights from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic for 3 November 2023 departure. pureluxuryholidays.co.uk
Read TTG’s one-to-one with Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen on the airline’s return to Cape Town here
Cape Town spotlight
Smarter: No visit to Cape Town is complete without a trip to see the penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town, about an hour from the city. Locals stop in the bay immediately before the official visitor centre – there’s no charge, and it’s an idyllic white-sand beach where you can see the super-cute critters up close.
Better: It’s a long flight from Heathrow to Cape Town, 11.5 hours, but there’s only a two-hour time difference between the UK and South Africa, so jet lag isn’t a factor – you can just get off the plane and get going. Add to that no language barrier and driving on the left if you hire a car, and you’ve got the ideal destination for Brits
Fairer: One&Only Cape Town has conservation partnerships with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, contributing $300 and $370 per night respectively from the room rates on its Table Mountain and Presidential Suites. The money helps fund projects from protecting native frogs to rescuing and rehabilitating turtles.
Trade takeaways
Three industry experts reveal what they discovered on the trip:
Jacqueline Dobson, president, Barrhead Travel Group
“It may cost that bit more to get here, but when you’re in resort, the value’s incredible. I’ve got a big birthday coming up in two years’ time, and honestly it’s just such an amazing place I’d love to bring my family here – it has the most beautiful scenery, there’s so much culture and there’s something to do for everyone.”
Lesley Rollo, managing director, Travelbag
“I think what stuck in my mind was the level of service. You hear about destinations where things have been affected by poor service and staff shortages, but that’s not the case in South Africa. They've managed to maintain, if not exceed, previous levels of service in restaurants, bars and hotels. And value for money is another factor – you can’t eat or drink better anywhere else in the world for the prices here.”
Tony Griffiths, commercial director, Lotus Group/DialAFlight
“At this time of year, Cape Town comes into its own as a destination city. You've got Table Mountain, you got the beaches… it's in your face, it's there, it's easy to love. And less than an hour away you’ve got the wine farms of Franschhoek or safari tours.”
Recommended For You
Most read features
Competitions
Upcoming events
Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
