My best holiday spot has to be Cape Town

The summer has been a little unpredictable in the UK this time around. Lots of rain has lead to quite severe floods in the UK as it has elsewhere. Last year when I first moved to the UK, I ended up enjoying a wonderful and fairly hot summer and wondered why so many of the locals complained about the weather. This year is quite different and I have started planning a holiday in warmer climes as well as joining the locals in moaning about the weather.

There is only one place that makes it onto my number one spot of holidays, by far, and that is Cape Town. It was during my planning stages that I came across a lovely article by a Cape Town artist, Viv King, who described her ‘life’ travels of becoming an artist at the age of 40. She talks about the advantages and disadvantages of taking such a step and how she is progressing in her new career. Have a read about it on her Capescapes blog.

Checking through the lists of festivals and art and theatre events happening in Cape Town makes it very difficult to decide when to go. I love the Jazz Festival, it showcases amazing talent from Africa and the rest of the world and I have ‘discovered’ for myself, some incredible artists such as Simphiwe Dana whom I was fortunate to hear live a few years back.

But there are other evens that are fabulous as well. At the end of February, the Design Indaba is world class with the most inspiring speakers on all topics of design from product, fashion to graphic plus allied industries such as trend experts. There is a lot on offer, so the best start for me is to ensure that I get space in my favourite self-catering accommodation before I even decide on which of the festivals and conferences I want to be able to attend.

I think accommodation is the most important component of a good holiday. For me that means there is no other place than At Cheryls. At Cheryls is situated in Table View. And as the name states, one can view Table Mountain and the view of the Cape Town bay from the nearby beach at Bloubergstrand is breath taking. Besides the close beach, it’s also a short distance from great shops and quick and easy trips to wine farms and the lovely areas that surround Cape Town.

Besides the convenient position, the accommodation is superbly comfortable, secure and safe which is very important in South Africa. The folk at At Cheryls are attentive, happy to ensure that the stay is the best possible and it feels like one is part of an extended family. And they somehow manage to do this without ever intruding on ones privacy. I’m really looking forward to this one.