It was a joy to catch up with Garth Angus in Cape Town. Many of our guests have enjoyed his great energy, cheerful personality and encyclopedic knowledge on the African Portfolio “Cultural Heritage Walking Tour of Cape Town.” Strolling through our “Mother City” with him, I was once again enthralled by her beauty, the colorful mosaic of her history and the very interesting times we’ve lived in.
Staying at the Belmond Mt Nelson hotel was a most welcome retreat from the daily bustle around it. She has been beautifully refurbished and updated without forfeiting her character: the huge rooms and bathrooms, the beautiful grounds scattered with captivating works of art, two swimming pools and all round spectacular views of Table Mountain.  My favorite feature of course, is that coffee “comes standard” with every wake-up call.
Moving on to my safari experience, my first conclusion was (once again) that if this had been a vacation of any kind, it would not have been worth self-driving. Besides the “dodgy-to-hazardous” road conditions on mostly unpaved roads, it is simply not worth paying for a rental car that will be standing idle for days at a time, and it is certainly not worth renting a GPS because they simply don’t work in these parts.
While planning safaris, I frequently remind my clients that “The wild animals don’t mind where you stay or what you pay – they’ll just go along their merry way.”  So when it comes to choosing safari lodges it is really important to understand the various features associated with different levels of pricing, and through many, many “site inspections’, meetings, meals and game drives over the course of the next 10 days, I was able to refine my knowledge and understanding of these distinctions.
Nottens Camp remains a favourite in our “entry-level” category. It is a lovely, well-run, cool and compact little camp with a cozy atmosphere where everyone feels like family. It is quite literally wedged between “big names” like Mala Mala and Sabi Sabi, but if you can live without a few of the frills or trimmings, this is camp is a true gem – from the very practical little “casita” for Wi-Fi users a few steps away from the main lounge to the nice long swimming pool for actual exercise.
Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp has always been our favorites, and staying here for even just one night, reinforced why it suits us so well. The reception area, lounge and dining area, the 6 individual rooms and the well-kept grounds in between, are charming but unpretentious. The atmosphere is convivial, the guiding and game viewing excellent and the spa-bath on every deck is a fabulous way to unwind at any time of day.
Savanna Lodge has likewise become an African Portfolio stalwart in the greater Sabi Sand reserve for good reason. The entire staff seems to be working together as a family to deliver not just a beautiful, high-specification luxury lodge, but an on point and pitch-perfect experience overall. The guiding, the communal dining, the moving performance by a local choir, dinner in a “surprise location” that I don’t want to give away either – they make it all seem effortless.
Of course I did and saw plenty more and would be happy to share in person, but after all this, I think my overriding impression while on safari in South Africa was of the tremendous value for money we’re enjoying, courtesy of the current exchange rate with the US$. It is almost too good to be true, and I hesitate to think what happens if/when the rand “corrects” and things go back to costing exactly twice what they do now. But for the time being, I can honestly say that “There has never been a better time and place” for a high quality safari at reasonable rates, than right here and right now.