We wanted a trip that would balance some much-needed relaxation in the sunshine with a chance to get a taste of Morocco’s captivating culture. We booked a 3-day, 3-night trip through Secret Escapes to Al Mendili Kasbah for a bargain £310 each. This price included flights, 3-nights’ accommodation, half board, a 30-minute massage in their hammam and transfers to and from the airport.

If you’re looking for an affordable getaway in tranquil surroundings, Al Mendili might just be the perfect place for you…

The location

Al Mendili is very much off-the-beaten-track. Located down a bumpy road around a 30-minute drive from both the airport and the medina, the accommodation offers its guests the perfect combination of spectacular views across the snow-capped Atlas Mountains with easy access to the city centre.

If you want to be based in the buzz of the city, Al Mendili isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a secret escape (soz, couldn’t help myself) with the option to explore Marrakesh as and when you fancy it, it’s a great spot to base yourself.

It’s peaceful, tranquil and homely and we loved the feeling of it being just us, the mountains and the resident peacock.

The grounds

The grounds of the Kasbah were manicured to perfection. Colourful flower beds and bushes were dotted throughout the garden and blankets of foliage hugged the terracotta walls of the hotel – it was wonderfully Moroccan. The sunbeds scattered around the pool were comfier than my bed at home, the pool area was spotlessly clean and the hammam and tranquil outdoor hot tub were very welcome additions. 

It is obvious the owners, Catherine and Alain take a lot of pride in their little oasis. 

The rooms

Our rooms were the perfect balance of comfort, cosiness and character.

All rooms had a terrace with impressive views across the pool area, gardens and Atlas Mountains and the attention to detail in the décor was amazing. Silver sheer fabric framed our squishy beds, rustic golden lamps and candles sat on our bed side tables and traditional Moroccan artwork hung on the walls. 

The bathroom was beautifully finished in silver (in keeping with the rest of our room) and had all necessary amenities. However, the bath/shower definitely needed a shower curtain. I spent a lot of my time in the shower trying not to flood the room…

The food

The cost of our stay included two meals a day – breakfast and then either lunch or dinner. Breakfast and lunch were served by the pool or on our balcony and dinner was served on the peaceful rooftop. 

We all agreed breakfast was our favourite meal of the day. A gorgeous wake up call of eggs, bread, fruit and pancakes teamed with freshly squeezed juice, excellent coffee and mint tea was the perfect fuel for a day of exploring the souks. 

Lunch and dinner were both three courses and were light, fresh and tasty. We were served everything from fish and tagine to omelettes and gazpacho. Although all the food was lovely, we didn’t get a choice of what we were served so if you’re a fussy eater, you might go hungry. We also found we were a little peckish after some meals so filled up on a lot of bread.

Please note: it is definitely important to note that there is no way of getting snacks at the Kasbah so if you can, stock up on snacks (and water!) at a shop beforehand.

The service

The service at Al Mendili was where it really shone. The staff were so welcoming, friendly and attentive. Hamid, the hotel’s taxi driver was an absolute babe. His infectious smile and enthusiasm to talk to us about his country was a real highlight of our trip and Moussain, the lovely gent who served us at lunch and dinner, was lovely. High praise goes to him for putting up with our constant demand for wine.

The owners Alain and Catherine were there during our stay (however, they live in France so aren’t there all year round) and welcomed us to their second home with open arms from the moment we stepped in. None of the staff are fluent in English so prepare to put your finest Franglish to the test. 

Cost

Overall, I feel our holiday to Al Mendili was very good value. The level of luxury we received for the price we paid was outstanding. Food and drink outside of what was included in our stay was rather pricey so we picked up bottles of water and snacks from a shop in the city to save a bit of dollar. We could get alcohol in the guesthouse between lunch and dinner times but not in between these hours (we were there during Ramadan, which may have affected this) so we were relieved we’d bought some bottles at duty free for those all important afternoon G&Ts on the balcony. 

Our Secret Escapes package also included a free 30 minute full body massage in their hammam, which was divine! I would highly recommend a massage here even if it’s not included in your booking as the prices are so reasonable (£20 for half an hour, £40 for 1 hour).

Overall, Al Mendili was the perfect setting for what we wanted – a long weekend of relaxation with a splash of culture thrown in. I would highly recommend staying here if you enjoy accommodation with a relaxed ‘guesthouse’ feel rather than a hotel with someone there to be at your beckon call 24/7. Its setting, hospitality and décor are exactly what you’d hope for from a Kasbah in Marrakesh! 

Spanning a whopping 300km from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape of South Africa to the Storms River in the Eastern Cape, this diverse, scenic and primitive stretch of coastline offers so much to explore that it’s hard to prioritise and whittle down where to stop off and where to miss – especially if you only have a few days to do it!

When my Mum, sister and I visited Cape Town earlier this year, we put aside 5/6 days to uncover The Garden Route and The Winelands (we’ll come to this in another post), which gave us approximately 3 nights and 3 days to squeeze in as much as we possibly could along the coastline.

Please note: where we chose to visit was by no means extensive and there are loadssss of other places you can stop off along The Garden Route. This itinerary is based on the places we decided we wanted to visit most.

Knysna – 1 night

Cape Town – Knysna: approx. 330 miles/8 hours

Accommodation: Bayview Studio

Brace yourself – this is a longggg drive. The stretch of road running from Cape Town to Knysna is very flat, very straight and very boring. However, it is easy and has some great spots to stop off at along the way. About 3 hours into the journey we found a lovely lunch spot in Swellendam called Old Gaol, which had a great outdoor seating area and served up delicious fresh roosterkoekes (traditional South African open sandwiches). 

Knysna is probably one of the most popular stops on The Garden Route and is renowned for its number of English expats and tranquil lagoon. The hub of this town is on the waterfront where you’ll find an abundance of seafood restaurants, shops and boat trip kiosks. If you’re going to do anything whilst in Knysna, it should be to take a boat trip out to ‘the heads’ – the two sandstone cliffs, which connect the lagoon with the Indian Ocean. 

We chose to go with a more expensive yet, quieter 1 1/2 hour trip on a catamaran. We booked our trip through Featherbed, who cover four different boat experiences and bought our tickets the morning of our trip at their kiosk opposite the main car park (it’s hard to miss).

The catamaran was spotless and offered a bar service (10.30am isn’t too early for a beer when you’re on vacay… is it?) and bean bags on the netted front of the boat. There were only two other couples on the trip with us, which meant it was peaceful, relaxing and very enjoyable. We managed to go through the turbulent heads (this can be extremely dangerous depending on the weather and tides) and even spotted a seal on the way back in! 

Tsitsikamma National Park – 1 night

Knysna – Tsitsikamma National Park: approx. 57 miles/1 hour 30 mins

Accommodation: Love Earth Farm

Tsitsikamma National Park is a wild expanse of protected flora and fauna located towards the end of The Garden Route. From dense forest and winding rivers to deep gorges and untamed coastline, the diverse landscape in Tsitsikamma is a nature lovers haven.  

You can trek, bungee jump, kayak and zipline all within the vicinity of the park, making it the perfect spot for someone wanting to combine their love for nature with adrenalin. Unfortunately, we only had one night and one morning in the park so opted to forgo the activities and instead, walked along the Mouth Trail to Tsitsikamma’s iconic suspension bridges and then up the Viewpoint Trail to a lookout point. This is a good route to follow if you only have a few hours to see the park. 

Entry to Tsitsikamma is 143 rand (approx. £7.50) for non-residents and 59 rand (approx. £3.10) for residents and can be purchased on arrival. We stopped off at Plettenberg Bay for lunch at the Lookout Deck restaurant, which had fab views across the bay and lovely fresh seafood and salads. 

Oudtshoorn – 1 night

Tsitsikamma National Park to Oudtshoorn: approx. 132 miles/4 hours 15 mins

Accommodation: Africa Inn – Chalet 1 

Oudtshoorn aka. the ostrich capital of the world is located inland in the Little Karoo region of South Africa. The drive from Tsitsikamma to Oudtshoorn offers a completely different facet to South Africa’s landscape and sees the lush vegetation of the coastline turn into a flat, dry and desert-like vista.

The main thing to do in Oudtshoorn is to visit an ostrich farm. Due to the area’s dry climate, it is the perfect place to rear ostriches so is covered in farms harvesting feathers, eggs and meat. When we visited, we went to Highgate Ostrich Farm (187 rand, approx. £9.80) as it was rated highly on TripAdvisor. We were given a 1 hour 15 minute tour of the farm and workshop by a lovely, professional guide. 

The highlight of our time in Oudtshoorn was the Air BnB we stayed in (THAT VIEW) and our dinner at Nostalgie, which I would highly recommend.

From Oudtshoorn we drove to Robertson where our winelands experience began (stay tuned)…

Have you ever travelled along The Garden Route? What was your highlight of the experience?

I travelled to Cape Town with my Mum and Sister for a two-week road trip around Cape Town, The Garden Route and The Winelands and was instantly captivated by the country’s culture, scenery, wildlife and gastronomic scene.

If you’re planning a trip to South Africa, here are my ten top tips to prepare you for your visit.

Please note: these tips are only relevant to the places I visited on my trip – Cape Town, Knysna, Tsitsikamma National Park, Oudtshoorn, Robertson and Franschhoek.  

Be water savvy

South Africa has been battling with awful droughts for years. These droughts have had detrimental effects on the country, causing devastating forest fires as well as the death of livestock and crops. When you’re visiting South Africa, try to keep this in mind and be conscious of your water usage. 

It’s not as dangerous as you’d expect

South Africa has a very bad reputation for safety. I’ve travelled to a lot of countries considered ‘dangerous’ including, India, Nicaragua and Colombia yet, South Africa was a country I was pretty apprehensive to visit…

However, within five minutes of leaving the airport in our hire car, I was being waved at by a very smiley man from the car next to us on the freeway. This warmth, laughter and hospitality was all we encountered throughout our whole trip in South Africa and shattered any apprehension I had prior to our visit.

Of course there are particular areas of Cape Town, which are dangerous and should be avoided by tourists but, if you use your common sense and follow the advice of the locals your trip should be seamless.

Use Uber

Uber is really popular in South Africa (especially in Cape Town) and is safe, easy and cheap to use. We met a couple who were using Uber as their form of transport to get around Cape Town, along the coast and through the winelands so if you don’t want to rent a car, this could be a great alternative. 

Most people speak English

English is the second language in South Africa, so you don’t have to worry about a language barrier. If you’ve rented a car, navigating is easy as all the road signs are in English and, you can easily chat to the locals to dig a little deeper and learn more about their history, lifestyle and culture. 

FOOD, WINE, FOOD, WINE

The quality of the food and wine in South Africa is insane. Whether you’re eating in a café opposite a petrol station, at a trendy street food market or at a top Michelin star restaurant, the quality of the food is unbelievable (and so cheap!). The food scene is very innovative and it is evident that fresh produce, experimental processes and stunning presentation are rife.

This innovation is most prevalent in the trendy wineries across the Western Cape where the best food and wine in the country come together to create a dream combo for any food and wine lover. 

Check out my review of the restaurant, Protégé in Franschhoek and the Hout Bay Harbour Market in Cape Town to get a taster of the incredible and diverse gastronomic scene South Africa has to offer. 

Tipping 10% is the norm

Tipping culture in South Africa is very similar to the UK. Adding 10% onto your bill is the norm and if you’re dining in one the many high-end restaurants in Cape Town, it may already be added on. Tipping is usually at your own discretion but is very much appreciated.

Rent a car

Renting a car in South Africa is very easy and very cheap. If you’re planning on taking a road trip along The Garden Route, I would highly recommend renting a car. The roads are very well maintained, easy to navigate and will make getting from A to B a lot simpler. Top tip: the stop signs painted on the road mean what they say – STOP – even if there are no cars around.

If you’re staying in Cape Town for your whole trip, I’d say Uber would suffice in getting around. 

You won’t have to get out of your car to fill up petrol

When you go to fill up your car, don’t be surprised when you don’t have to unfasten your seatbelt to do it yourself. There are usually a lovely group of guys who will do it for you and will clean your windows as well.

The norm is to tip around 10-20 rand (50p-£1) on top of the cost of the petrol as a thank you for their help.

Parking etiquette 

There aren’t any parking meters in South Africa.

Instead, there is usually a very friendly parking attendant who will keep an eye on your car for you until you return. Some will ask you to pay up front whilst others will expect payment when you come back. Paying between 5-20 rand (25p – £1) as a thank you is the usual going rate.

You can drink the tap water

Pretty self-explanatory but you can drink the water from the tap in most areas of South Africa. If you’re in a particularly remote area and are in doubt then double-check with the locals.

Have you ever visited South Africa? What would you add to this list to help any newbies travelling to this mesmerising country?

My Mum’s friend, who lives part-time in Cape Town, insisted that Protégé is currently ‘the’ place to go for fine dining in this trendy wineland town so, we booked our table as quickly as humanly possible.

Located around an hour and a half from Cape Town, Franschhoek is one of the most well-known towns in the wineland region. Showcasing the best of French/Dutch architecture and surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges, Franschhoek is a feast for the senses before you’ve even delved into its forte – food and wine.

Strewn in high-end restaurant, bars, art galleries and most importantly, vineyards, Franschhoek is a foodies – and alcoholics (holaaaaa) – HEAVEN. 

Stood proudly on Franschhoek’s immaculate high street you’ll find the town’s most recent gastronomical revelation – Protégé. 

Protégé is a casual fine dining restaurant, which is a part of a group of very highly reputable restaurants in South Africa including La Colombe, La Petit Colombe and Foxcroft.

Focusing on high quality food and drink served in comfortable and relaxed surroundings, the restaurant was set up with the intention to recognise, nurture and train young talented chefs with the goal to elevate their talent into something as great as the restaurant’s head chef -Stephen Raaff.

Stephen has been a part of the La Colombe Group since 2013 and has crafted a seamless menu to showcase this fantastic new restaurant. 

The décor of Protégé is simple, sleek yet, charismatic. The pastel colours running through the walls and furnishings of the restaurant give it a fresh and open feel.

Whilst the ceiling to floor window leading onto the outdoor terrace ensures no diner is restricted from viewing the open kitchen in the centre. Little quirks such as, bunny statues and a fireplace, give the restaurant a more personal and homely feel. 

The menu focuses on fresh, local produce inspired by cuisine from around the world and each dish is designed to be shared. The dishes are similar to a starter size and it’s recommended to order between 3-4 dishes plus a dessert per person. 

The wine list and drinks menu boast local wines (as to be expected) and your usual tipples such as, G&Ts. 

We began our Protégé experience with a bottle of Black Elephant Sauvignon Blanc whilst we perused the menu. We loved that the menu consisted of a section dedicated to ‘the cast’ aka. the staff showing appreciation to their hard work and keeping it very in-keeping with the Protégé moto…

Our waiter, Talent was true to his name. He was the perfect combination of friendly, welcoming and professional – and always kept my wine glass topped up (what a babe).

He knew his stuff about the menu and was a delight to be served by – there was already a tip added to the bill but we ended up tipping him more on top of this as we felt he was so deserving.

Talent gave us a few recommendations and before we knew it, we were ready to order our feast.

Between the three of us we ordered nine dishes and three desserts and demolished THE LOT. Whatever you order is bought out staggered, allowing you to really savour each ‘course’.

We began with the lamb rib roti with caponata, artichoke and mint, tuna tataki and tartare with avocado, chipotle, ponzu and crackling and mussels in a lemongrass and ginger tom yum soup.

The tuna was my favourite dish of this course – unique, tender and punchy and something I wouldn’t usually jump to order in a restaurant. 

Next up was spiced squid with chorizo, guacamole and lime, braaied (barbecued) cauliflower served up with za’atar, kimchi, parmesan and wild garlic and my stand out dish of the night – Keralan fried fish with labneh, cucumber and curried sultana.

Every bite of the Keralan fish had bursts of signature Indian spices and transported me right back to eating fish curry on the beach in Kerala – exactly what all good food should do – evoke heart-warming memories.

The final course saw us indulging in the garden pea risotto drizzled in rocket pesto, mascarpone and quail egg, onion tart with goat’s cheese, tomato, olive and capers and BBQ pork and prawn, kimchi, sweetcorn, aubergine and hoisin.

The burst of truffle running through the pea risotto made for a wonderful surprise and the sweetcorn puree on the pork and prawn dish was a revelation. 

Finally, it was pudding o’clock.

We ordered all the puds on the menu other than the truffles – pannacotta with strawberry, basil and verbena, chocolate terrine with peanut and rhubarb and local cheeses with bread, preserves and candied peanuts.

Despite knowing the main ingredients in each dish, the menu keeps the details ambiguous allowing little surprises to wow you in each mouthful. Every puree, gel and emulsion had a purpose of being on the plate and packed an insane amount of flavour. 

I think I would go as far to say that my meal at Protégé was the best dining experience I’ve ever had – and I’ve eaten out a lot. The combination of buzzing ambience, fabulous food, exceptional service and a bill as cheap as £135 for three people including two bottles of wine and service (you’d pay that for a standard meal at the pub in the UK), I feel very confident in urging anyone to book a flight to South Africa and a table at Protégé right this second!

Make sure you book ahead to avoid disappointment. 

Surrounded by mountains, wildlife and colourful foliage, Love Earth Farm is a farm (funnily enough) that focuses on eco-friendly, remote accommodation with a personal touch.

If you enjoy getting off-the-beaten track, connecting with nature and disconnecting from the outside world (there’s no WiFi), then this is the place for you.

The host, Yasmin, has two quirky cabins situated around the corner from her own home – a log cabin (where we stayed) and a chalet, which have both been built using reusable resources from the farm. The cabins are located around a 15 minute drive from the entrance to the National Park, meaning you can enjoy a remote, off-the-beaten-track stay without being too far from the action of Tsitsikamma.

From the solid wooden worktops in the kitchen to the wooden honey coloured floorboards, the wilderness of Tsitsikamma is cleverly carried into the cabin through its structure and decor.

The cabin is entirely open plan and boasts a kitchen with all essential amenities, a shower room and two double beds – one on the ground floor and one vaulted above the kitchen, offering beautiful views through the window.

Knowing Love Earth Farm was going to be a bit out in the sticks, we came prepared – ingredients for dinner, plenty of wine and a pack of cards were all we needed for a relaxed evening in the wild.

Yasmin was even kind enough to let us raid her vegetable patch for additional ingredients for dins and bought us firewood for the outside fire pit.

As the dark clouds crept over the mountainside and the rain began to pour, Lizzie built us a fire any caveman would be proud of. Perfectly situated on the terrace next to the seating area, we revelled in the heat of the cosy fire whilst eating dinner, drinking wine and playing rummy.

The perfect end to a busy day on the road…

If you’re looking for a remote, unique and peaceful place to base yourself whilst exploring the wilderness of Tsitsikamma National Park, Love Earth Farm is the perfect spot for you. 

Have you ever stayed at Love Earth Farm? What was your favourite part of your stay?

Flaunting eclectic art, souvenir and craft stalls, wine bars, local bands and a vast variety of food vendors, this trendy market lures in hundreds of locals and tourists for a fun evening filled with eating, drinking, bartering and entertainment.

The entrance to the market is through a cute, fairy-light-strewn marquee filled with unique local nic-nacs.

Beeline for the bar and grab a glass of South Africa’s finest before perusing the stalls.

From homemade scented candles, massages and silver wear with quirky South African touches to clothing, jewellery and artwork, Hout Bay market is filled with bits and bobs to keep you busy browsing until the hunger hits…

The food stalls at the market are vast. Local delicacies such as biltong, bobotie and steak are all on offer as well as international dishes such as pizza, dumplings and jalapeno poppers. Whenever you see something, which takes your fancy – get it.

Indulging and sampling dishes is at the heart of this market so don’t hold back!

Everything is fresh, delicious and cheap as chips.

Fight for a spot on one of the solid wooden banquet tables scattered around the market and enjoy your food and wine with the talented bands’ music as your backdrop. 

Hout Bay Market was a great Friday night out. Whether you fancy a relaxing evening with great food and company or a bottle of wine and a dance on a table to a local band, you’re covered at Hout Bay Harbour.

The market is open from 5-9pm every Friday and 9.30am-4pm every Saturday and Sunday.