The cup runs over

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This was published 14 years ago

The cup runs over

Power-kiting on Blouberg beach near Cape Town.

Power-kiting on Blouberg beach near Cape Town.Credit: Reuters

Graham Boynton goes to the sidelines of the World Cup host nation to find the best of wine, wildlife and indulgence.

South Africa is physically blessed more than any other country I know. As Alan Paton wrote in his celebrated novel Cry, the Beloved Country, this land is "lovely beyond any singing of it".

He was describing the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal but he might just as well have been referring to the dramatic mountain landscape that dominates the Cape, the rugged bushveld of the Kruger or the country's entire long, jagged coastline dotted with beaches.

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It is also blessed (and cursed) with the most diverse, disputatious, headstrong people on the continent — from Boers to Zulus, mixed-race poets, black beatniks, African National Congress hardliners, Shangaan Zionists and Xhosa communists. The country is presided over by a Zulu but the Cape is ruled by a white woman.

No other African country can boast such diversity. Neither can the others boast such a wealth of culture — from the literature of J.M. Coetzee, Alan Paton and Andre Brink to the music of Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Taliep Petersen and David Kramer; from Athol Fugard's plays to Mbongeni Ngema's musicals and sounds such as Mannenberg, Abdullah Ibrahim's languid masterpiece that is eternally the soundtrack of the Cape.

Quite whether such abundance will be fully appreciated by the anticipated 500,000 visiting football fans is neither here nor there. Any traveller with a jot of curiosity who is in South Africa around the time of the June-July World Cup would be remiss not to take advantage of these riches. Not that the incurious football supporters will be badly let down; they will be more than satisfied with the food, drink and entertainment South Africa will offer.

Power-kiting on Blouberg beach near Cape Town.

Power-kiting on Blouberg beach near Cape Town.Credit: Reuters

The more discerning of the visitors - the gastronomes and oenophiles - will be even more delighted, given the preponderance of Michelin-starred restaurants, particularly in Johannesburg and the Cape. I was recently in the Cape and ate out for seven nights in a row, recording only one below-average meal, four outstanding ones and two that were merely very good.

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That recent visit also confirmed for me the country's readiness for the World Cup. The new stadiums are nearing completion, the roadworks that have blighted the major cities for some years appear to be winding up and the city highways are in a fine state for the tournament.

Even the pressing issue of crime is, according to the man in charge of the World Cup organising committee, Danny Jordaan, under control. South Africa is spending more than 1 billion rand ($150 million) on event security.

First-time visitors might be taken aback by the yawning gap that exists between the privileged lifestyles of the black and white elites and the hard-scrabble existences eked out by the vast majority in the sprawling shanties of the Cape Flats and the rudimentary townships of Gauteng.

This is a seismic socio-political matter to be dealt with by coming generations of South African politicians long after Nelson Mandela, the great conciliator, the father of the Rainbow Nation, has gone. For the moment, though, this is Mandela's Rainbow Nation - and this World Cup is a chance to show off its assets.

There are many highlights and experiences that await the five-star traveller: an unusual golf course; sheer indulgence in the Cape's gastronomic capital, Franschhoek; a remote safari camp; and an oral history on the side of a Zululand mountain being a few of the options to enjoy in Africa's most spectacular country.

A final thought: As I was leaving South Africa on my most recent visit, the passport official at Cape Town Airport looked up at me, paused, then pointed at the entry/exit stamps in my passport. In the old days, that would have meant a scowl, an inquisition calling into question one's suitability as a visitor, a general feeling of unease.

This time the functionary smiled beatifically and said: "You seem to like South Africa, Graham.""Yes, I do," I said. "Very much." He smiled. "Good. We will see you back soon, then."

Such is Mandela's Rainbow Nation.

The glamorous retreat

La Residence, Franschhoek

This is a lavish 11-suite extravaganza that lists among its clients Elton John, Bono and Mrs Bono (who is particularly fond of the wine-tasting-on-horseback excursion). In fact, John loved it so much he presented the owner, Liz Biden, with six 45-year-old jacaranda trees for the property, which is also a favourite with European billionaires and assorted US bankers and other movers and shakers.

Perfectly positioned on the slopes above the lovely village of Franschhoek in Western Cape province and one of the nation's oldest towns, La Res - as it is known - is an example of extravagant good taste set in 12 hectares of idyllic landscape. Its terracotta exterior is a modest introduction to what lies inside: a riotous collection of gigantic hand-cut crystal chandeliers, Louis XIV furniture and Persian carpets plus objets d'art and fabrics from India, Indo-China, France, Italy and just about everywhere else.

Dining is a theatrical event, with high-backed ruby banquettes and dozens of candles, while the menu features seasonal, local produce matched with an improving but not perfect wine list - odd, given the property's location in the heart of South Africa's wine lands.

The suites are furnished in a choice of styles, ranging from Tibetan mystic to Provencal boudoir. Some have balconies looking over the vineyards and the beauty of the dramatic mountain backdrop beyond.

La Residence has rooms with breakfast from 5133 rand a person. See laresidence.co.za.

The safari camp

Pafuri Camp, Kruger National Park

What makes Pafuri so special is its remoteness. Unlike the southern and central sectors of Kruger National Park, which are heavily populated with camps, the north-east, where this 20-tent camp is situated on the border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe, is empty. Nearby is the old trading post, Crooks Corner, where the Victorian smugglers, poachers and illegal traders of colonial Africa plied their various trades.

This area is the ancestral home of the Makuleke people and is considered one of Kruger's biodiversity hot spots, with some of the largest herds of elephant and buffalo, leopard and lion. Its astonishingly prolific bird life includes Pel's fishing-owls, grey-headed parrots and racket-tailed rollers. The camp is on a gentle bend on the northern bank of the Luvuvhu River, under the shade of giant ebony and nyala-berry trees, and you can sit on the main deck and watch the daily passage of wildlife.

Pafuri's tented rooms (six of which are family-sized, sleeping four people) are raised on platforms two metres off the ground and joined by elevated walkways. This allows wildlife to move undisturbed to and from the river and catches the breeze.

Pafuri, Kruger National Park. Prices from 2287 rand a person, full board, including game drives. See www.pafuri.com.

The golf course

Legend Golf & Safari Resort, Waterberg

South Africa has a range of golf courses to rival anywhere for beauty and design but this one takes the prize for sheer drama. On the 22,000-hectare Entabeni Safari Conservancy in Limpopo Province, this resort has 85 suites (high-end modern properties built with minimalism in mind) and there are plenty of activities for non-golfers, from horseback safaris and game drives to spa treatments and visits to the wildlife centre and its pride of rare white lions.

Golf is taken very seriously here. Each of the 18 holes on the main Signature course has been designed by a top golfer (including Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen), while the new par-three Tribute course replicates 10 of the finest short holes in the world.

The most famous attraction, though, is the additional hole known as the Extreme 19th - built atop a mountain, with its tee so inaccessible that the only way to reach it is by helicopter. Beginning at the pinnacle of the majestic Hanglip Mountain and ending on a manicured green 426 metres below, this is the longest and most dramatic par three in the world.

After a white-knuckle flight, you land high up on the mountain. From here, it is just a short stroll to the cliff edge from which you drive, with the aim of getting the ball on to the little Africa-shaped green below.

If - and it is a big if - you finish anywhere near the green, you will have done well; achieve a par score and you will be buying drinks in the clubhouse. Score a hole-in-one and you will return $US1 million richer. Did I hear someone say golf was boring?

Legend Golf & Safari Resort offers a round of golf for 401 rand; the Extreme 19th is 1562 rand a person. Rooms from 1506 rand a person, a night, all-inclusive. See legendgolfsafari.com.

The eco-lodge

Grootbos Nature Reserve, Western Cape

Too often, lodge owners wax lyrical about their "eco" credentials with little foundation. The Lutzeyer brothers are among the few who walk the walk, having built the stunning Grootbos Nature Reserve on the Western Cape. The lovely property, embedded in the hills above the impossibly white sands of Walker Bay, not only blends in with its surroundings but benefits them. The 1750-hectare reserve is home to more than 750 botanical species that have been painstakingly catalogued by the Lutzeyers and protected from invasive alien plants, agricultural clearance and tourism development. Conservationist David Bellamy called it the best example of conserving biodiversity he had ever seen. "Grootbos," he added, "says it with flowers."

In 2006, a decade after Grootbos was finished, a wildfire razed the lodges. Four years on, you would barely know it; guided walks through the reserve show how well the flora has regenerated. Every effort has been made to assimilate into the landscape the understated private lodges, featuring indulgent bathrooms, four-poster beds and unsurpassable views. While flora and fauna lie at the heart of the lodge, the local community features heavily in its ethical projects.

Grootbos runs a scheme to train people from nearby townships to become staff at the lodge and has helped to build a state-of-the-art football academy that is flourishing in a country awash with World Cup fever. The result is an experience that offers luxury without guilt.

And then there is the sea. Though Hermanus, on the southern coast of Western Cape province, is the best-known spot for whale-watching, nearby Gansbaai is the true mecca for those intent on spotting cetaceans. Of the 350 southern right whales that complete the epic migration from the Antarctic to South Africa's southern coast, up to 160 make Walker Bay their home between June and the end of December. Here, it is possible to join one of the regular boat trips to see the ocean's equivalent of the Big Five and return to finish the day, with sundowners in hand, on the nearby cliffs of De Kelders, watching whales frolic in the protected bays.

Grootbos Nature Reserve, Gansbaai, Western Cape. Prices from 1980 rand a person, full board and activities. See grootbos.com.

The cultural site

Fugitives' Drift, Rorke's Drift

When the late David Rattray stood on the side of Isandlwana, retelling the stories of the great Zulu military victory over the British that took place here in 1879, you could all but see the battalions of warriors snaking towards the sphinx-shaped mountain like a silent, deadly army of ants.

When Rattray was murdered in 2007, many feared this great tradition of oral history would die with him. However, his widow, Nicky, has continued running the lodge at Fugitives' Drift and his former deputy, Rob Caskie, now carries the torch of Anglo-Zulu history as dramatic narrative with distinction, taking guests through the battle at Isandlwana and on to Rorke's Drift.

Apart from the historic resonance of this remote part of KwaZulu-Natal, the physical beauty of the vast landscape and the charm of the rural Zulus (the descendants of King Cetshwayo's marauding warriors) make this an essential side trip. Both the lodge and the guest house have spacious, luxurious en suite cottages with broad views over the plains flanking the Buffalo River Gorge, with swimming pools set in well-established gardens.

Fugitives' Drift, Rorke's Drift, KwaZulu-Natal. Prices from 1820 rand a person a night, all-inclusive, plus 660 rand a person for tours. See fugitivesdrift.com.

The winery

L'Ormarins, Franschhoek

This is some estate. Not only is it starting to produce some of the more interesting wines in the Franschhoek area but it is also a stud farm and the home of the Franschhoek Motor Museum, a collection of automobiles like no other in the country. These developments at L'Ormarins can be attributed to the drive and imagination of Johann Rupert, the larger-than-life head of an international business empire that owns Cartier, Dunhill, Piaget and much more. According to Forbes, Rupert and his family are the 421st-richest people in the world, so he is not short of resources to fulfil such ambitions.

The expansive, charismatic and voluble Rupert took over the wine estate after his brother, Anthonij, was killed in a car accident in 2001. Johann named the stylish red wines after Anthonij and has overhauled the estate, restoring the Cape Dutch manor house, installing a brilliantly concealed, state-of-the-art winemaking facility and establishing for his wife, Gaynor, a rather fetching stud farm in the middle of the estate.

The setting is dramatic. L'Ormarins is nestled at the foot of the Groot Drakenstein mountain range and is a must-visit estate if you are in the Franschhoek area. You can taste the wines (the syrah is particularly good), then stroll through the four halls of historic Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, Bugattis, Fords and everything else automotive.

See www.rupertwines.com.

V Australia began nonstop flights from Melbourne to Johannesburg (16hr) this month for about $2170; Sydney passengers fly Virgin Blue to connect in Melbourne and pay about $1920. Qantas flies nonstop to Johannesburg from Sydney (14hr); Melbourne passengers fly Qantas to Sydney to connect and both pay about $2600. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Emirates have one-stop flights from Sydney to Johannesburg and Thai Airways begins flights via Bangkok in May. (Fares are low-season return, including tax.)

- Telegraph Magazine, London

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