Category Archives: Johannesburg

South Africa voted Best Holiday Destination in the World by The Telegraph Readers 2023

South Africa has been voted as the Best Holiday Destination in the world in 2023 by The Telegraph readers. Our country has moved up the ladder gradually, having made third rank in 2017, second place in 2018, and now top of the pops in 2023.

The Top 5 ranked Holiday Destinations in 2023 are the following:

1. South Africa

2. New Zealand

3. Maldives

4. Japan

5. Australia.

Italy, Kenya, India, and Costa Rica follow in the footsteps of the Top 5.

It is evident from the motivation for South Africa’s number one ranking that it is Cape Town and the Cape which largely contributes to our country’s holiday destination attractiveness, with the mention of Cape Town, Table Mountain, the Garden Route, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.

‘Your reward for 12 hours in the air is a place of true beauty – Cape Town is the super model at the foot of Table Mountain, the Garden Route a ribbon of road-trip nirvana, the wineries of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch crafting fine vintages ….’

Johannesburg, the Drakensberg range, Motlatse Canyon, and Kruger National Park, all located in other parts of our country, are also mentioned in the motivation.

Overall the availability of direct flights between the UK and Cape Town and Johannesburg in almost identical time zones means that visitors do not experience jet lag when travelling to our country. Whilst not mentioned, the favourable exchange rate of the Rand to the Pound must be an added incentive for UK holiday makers.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog

Tel +27 082 55 11 323

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Marble to open in the Cape in 2023, following a trend!

 

At the Eat Out Awards last week the Marble Group announced that it is to open Marble in Cape Town in 2023. This follows deluxe Sandton restaurant Tang opening in the Waterfront shortly. The move of these two top restaurants confirms the dominance of Cape Town as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa.

One star Marble restaurant is headed up by Chef David Higgs, once Executive Chef of Rust & Vrede, and resulting in the restaurant becoming the number one restaurant in the country. Soon thereafter Higgs packed his bags and left the Cape, to open Marble. Saint and The Pantry opened subsequently, and make up the Marble Group. Continue reading →

Utopia nominated as 2022 Top Rooftop Restaurant in Africa by World Culinary Awards!

 

Utopia Cape Town, Life Grand Café, Wolfgat, Clara’s Barn, ëlgr, Pier, Restaurant KLEIN JAN, and Post & Pepper Restaurant are eight restaurants that have been nominated in various 2022 Best Restaurant categories in Africa, presented by the World Culinary Awards.

All the restaurants nominated as Best in South Africa by the same Awards are all from the Cape!

Continue reading →

Twelve SA Restaurants make La Liste 1000 Top Restaurant List, Restaurant Klein JAN receives special award!

 

At a Gala Event held in Paris on Monday, the new La Liste 1000 for 2022 was announced, with 12 South African Restaurants included in this prestigious list of 1000 top restaurants around the world, one sadly included but no longer operating!

In addition, brand new Restaurant Klein JAN at Tswalu in the Kalahari, owned by Chef Jan-Hendrik van  der Westhuizen, received a special Award as World Hidden Gem Restaurant. While his JAN restaurant in Nice has been awarded one Michelin star for the past six years,
it is not included in the La Liste List.  The La Liste accolade for Restaurant Klein JAN, and its inclusion in the world’s Top 1000 List, is the first international recognition for any of Chef Jan-Hendrik’s restaurants. Continue reading →