Johannesburg

Day 1
They say that life’s not about how many moments you breathe. But how many moments
take your breath away.
As I watched the sun set over Johannesburg’s lush
forested skyline, I had no idea how many
breathtaking moments I’d experience – over the
next ten days – as the blogger on a whirlwind tour
of some of South Africa’s most exceptional
locations.
But let’s start at the beginning. It was on a balmy
Saturday evening at Johannesburg’s Westcliff
Hotel, at the invitation of South African Tourism, that I happened to find myself in the
company of a small group of impressive individuals that included world-renowned style
expert, Colin Cowie. Colin, born in Zambia and raised in the Eastern Cape, has spent his
recent years in the enviable job of glamour guru to
the world and event planner to the stars (Oprah, to
name-drop), traveling to the world’s most luxurious
locations and receiving nothing less than 6 star
treatment 24 hours a day.
As our first location, The Westcliff made the ideal
setting for South Africa to show her stuff, or maybe
just enough of a hint. A little piece of heaven right
in the middle of Jo’burg’s northern suburbs, this
grand hotel sits high on a rocky outcrop, giving its visitors a breathtaking view, with the
soundtrack of the odd lion’s roar rising on the air from the zoo gardens in the suburb
below.
As we sipped cocktails next to the sparkling infinity
pool, and feasted on oysters and ostrich bobotie
(made by Executive Chef, Sven Niederbremer to
the exacting standards of one of our travel
compatriots – none other than The Restaurant’s
Rocco DiSpirito), Colin regaled stories of his life
and travels.
South Africa had a lot to live up to. And I’m sure
Colin would agree, we gave the world's best a good run for its money. And experienced
an incredible journey that any traveler would give their right arm to experience.
Day 2
Our next destination was to be the ultra-luxurious and oh-so-very exclusive game lodge,
Molori, situated in Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa’s North West Province near
the Botswana border.
After a leisurely Sunday start, we boarded a
Federal Air chartered flight that would take us, in
under one hour, to a unique location of such
blissful escape it seemed like a million miles away.
Leaving the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg,
we flew over the lazy Magalies mountain range,
one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world,
then over the glinting Lost City Palace, and, like a
scene out of a movie, our small aircraft landed with
a puff of dust on a dry strip of land, literally in the middle of nowhere.
Who would have thought that in this place, which winter had left sparse before the spring
rains, our every need would be met before it could even be thought of.
Having been collected in true safari style on an open-topped vehicle, we were escorted
to the lodge by our game ranger and host Greg (more about him later). I am not often left
at a loss for words – I am a writer after all. But Molori left me speechless.
Also, stressless, anxiety-less, calorie-conscious-less and in a
total state of bliss.
I’d say “picture this” if you could. But to truly experience what
Molori is like, you just have to go there yourself. After all, where
else in the world does your room have foldaway glass walls
that open onto a wooden deck with your own private pool,
outside shower, and a stack of towels that could dry an
elephant should one choose to wander in for a splash? Where
else is your home made from a fusion of natural and modern
materials that seamlessly blend into their surroundings?
Where else are you always greeted by the kind of attention to
detail that makes you understand what the word 'luxury'
actually means. Like the consistent appearance of gastronomically delightful snacks in
your room. Or an 'emergency' bathroom kit that makes you wish you had actually left
your toiletry bag at home.
After a spectacular lunch overlooking the plains, we departed on
our afternoon game drive, and had the privilege of being the
only nine human beings for miles, leisurely drinking in the
African landscape and its resident impala, warthog and rhino. Of
course, this being Molori, we also got to drink in sundowners
presented on an elegantly linen-decked table in a clearing on
the dusty roadside. Only in South Africa.
As we stood and chatted, the different accents of our world’s
travelers mingling in the air, the warm sun dipped against the
horizon, and within a few heartbeats it become oil dark and the
stars faded into a ceiling of dancing lights, as though they had
been planned, orchestrated and sublimely executed. Not even
Colin Cowie could have done better.