My One & Only

It isn’t everyday that one travels thousands of miles to find one’s “One & Only.” In Cape Town, One & Only Resort stands out like a romantic sentinel standing picturesquely against the background of the spectacular Table Mountain with postcard perfect views of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. This über-chic six-star resort has 131 keys, each room with a spectacular view of one of the most visited place in South Africa. 

Voted as one of the most popular cities in the world, Cape Town combines high sophistication with rugged charm, nature’s finest landscape, epicurean cuisine and sprawling vineyards. The result is an irresistible mix of style, cosmopolitan energy and boundless opportunity. With a climate of almost 300 days of sunshine a year, attractive suburbs within easy reach of the city center and a currency that buys luxury, space and excellent infrastructure, it is no wonder that so many are flocking to this slice of heaven on earth.

With its typical Mediterranean weather, it has long summers, mild winters and a perennial green season. This impressive city, influenced by British colonial architecture and stunning views, is now part of the world’s iconic cities, enrolled on the bucket list of the BBC with its top “50 places to visit before you die.” The New World Atlas states that Cape Town is “affectionately known as the “Mother City,” the first European settlement in sub-Saharan Africa established in the late 17th century where colonial legacy is still apparent in its opulent Victorian buildings and attractive terraced cafes.” 

Robben Island: Where former South African President Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years. Steel blue Atlantic waves lash its shores just 12 kilometers north of the city.

Sprawled about a magnificent harbor and dominated by the curiously flattened silhouette of Table Mountain, the captivating city unfolds magically except when the notorious mist known as “The Tablecloth” descends. One thing you ought to do is come up here with your picnic hampers and a bottle of wine from one of the celebrated vineyards nearby and just watch the dreamy sunset. It is truly the quintessence of romance. From One & Only Cape Town, you have grandiose views of Table Mountain that soars more than 3,500 feet above the fair city. To Capetonians, who vigilantly protect its slopes and ravines, the mountain is revered as a hallowed ground like a sacred reserve.

A cable car that comfortably fits 85 people ascends to the top of the summit within five minutes. You can either go down via cable car or try an adventurous, more challenging route: down the highest commercial abseil, or rappelling down the rocks. Ablaze with colorful blooms including the green aloe vera plant with orange flowers, most of the Cape Peninsula’s 2,200 private species of flora abound here.

Gracious manager Etienne Villiers toured me around the luxurious One & Only Cape Town resort, which opened in April of 2009 with celebrities like Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey and Clint Eastwood on hand to grace the magical evening. Etienne shared that the One & Only is the luxury resort brand of Kerzner International, a leading developer and operator of destination resorts, hotels and casinos. The One & Only name is a promise that each of its resorts will provide a distinctive and unique experience, underpinned by the owner’s passion for quality, fun and luxury. A portfolio of memorable resorts from this company can be found in the Bahamas, Dubai, Mauritius, Maldives and Mexico.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront at the Cape Town harbour is a sight to behold with the dramatic Table Mountain as backdrop.

South African billionaire Sol Kerzner, chairman and CEO of Kerzner International, is proud to announce that his first hotel in his homeland of South Africa is inevitably Africa’s most spectacular urban resort. He said: “One & Only Cape Town is a significant landmark in Africa with its bold, contemporary design promising to make it one of the world’s leading luxury resort destinations. I am looking forward to once again contributing to South Africa’s tourism industry, which has seen an incredible growth in recent years.”

One & Only Cape Town provides a comprehensive range of luxury services and serves as a gateway to the myriad experiences of the continent — from safari camps, bush treatments, pristine beaches with resident penguins that greet you, to the exploration of the world-renowned Cape wine region. A wine safari is an integration of two of South Africa’s greatest treasures: the spectacular Cape wine region and its eclectic regional cuisine — a mix of the culinary skills of the Dutch, British, Portuguese, French and Malays.

On the dining front, innovative chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings one of the most celebrated global restaurant brands featuring his signature Japanese-inspired menu, with a few South African twists, to Cape Town — the first Nobu in Africa. Another unique treat can be experienced at the Vista bar at the hotel lobby, which, as its name suggests, features jaw-dropping panoramic views of Table Mountain. As evening falls, Vista bar unveils itself as a sophisticated cocktail lounge.    

Drama and pizzazz at the Vista Bar and lobby of the One & Only Cape Town.

From the posh hotel, take a two-hour drive to Gansbaai to engage in a life-changing activity — swimming with the great white sharks. From the fishing boat, huge chunks of bloodied meat are lowered into the shark-infested waters. With “baited” breath, catch sight of the first dorsal fin slicing the watery landscape as the ferocious shark magnificently flips over, exposing its creamy white belly before it surfaces. Donning your wetsuit, the cages are lowered into the water — with you inside! The moment of truth comes in suspended animation when you are one with this feared creature that, if only it were to be understood more, would be feared less.

A tour to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years enlightens us to the history of South Africa and the dramatic changes the country has undergone within our lifetimes. Robben actually means “seal” in Dutch: seals and penguins were once found in abundance here. Lepers and mental patients were banished to its shores in the 19th century until it became a jail for political dissidents like Mandela. The last prisoners left in 1996 and, a year later, the arts and culture arm of the South African government took over Robben Island to turn it into a museum.

 While incarcerated, Mandela recited the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley to other prisoners and was empowered by its message of self-mastery. “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

The six-star uber-chic Grand Marina Suite of the One & Only.

In Cape Town, visitors are cautioned about its magnetizing siren-like call that lures you to its shores. It may become too difficult to resist. You may just be seduced enough to make it your permanent home.

Be captivated by Cape Town where it is said that people work to play. After all, Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote: “The person who has lived the most is not the one who has lived the longest but the one who has lived the richest experiences.”

This is the magic of life and the adventure of travel. Be enticed by its power and blessedness. Who knows? You just might find your one and only, just as I did.

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Thai Airways flies to Johannesburg from Manila via Bangkok. Please call district sales manager Malu Duenas at 817-5442/812-4744 or e-mail mnlsd@thaiairways.com.ph.

South African Airways flies from Johannesburg to Cape Town

For more information re tours to Cape Town , Johannesburg and Zambia, call MC Travel and Tours at 856-2336, fax 856-1916.