Local Intel: Carl Wastie
Pipe Track and Newlands Ravine
I love a good hike, and Table Mountain offers several paths of tranquillity and unmatched views of the city. The Pipe Track is a great starting point for any hiker, and it can be lengthened or shortened depending on your available time or how much you want to challenge yourself. Newlands Ravine is much the same – just as beautiful – but it's perfect for taking the dogs on what I like to call 'walkies on steroids.' I'm a dog dad to four Boston Terriers, so this is essential.
City Sightseeing
A trip on the Cape Town City Sightseeing bus is one of the best ways to feel proud of the city I live in. It offers the opportunity to see many places I can check off my bucket list, and the Hop-On Hop-Off feature makes it a full day of fun and connection with loved ones. A little-known fact is that I'm the voice of the City Sightseeing bus, so I literally get the chance to practice what I preach through those earphones.
Spier
This place will always be special to me and my family. It offers picnics with friends, which lead to games of 30 Seconds and snacks on the lawns. Their restaurant, Vadas, serves the best Pastéis de Nata I have ever tasted, along with Smokehouse offerings one can only dream of. Who would've thought a head of broccoli could be so good? I'd highly recommend it.
R310 Baden Powell Dr, Stellenbosch
Epice
One of my favourite places in the world is Franschhoek. It is brimming with amazing restaurants and truly incredible experiences. The chef at the helm here is Charne Sampson (Mouton), who is a genius when it comes to mixing lekker Cape Malay flavours with French techniques. When you're there, snap as many pics as you can, especially of the ice cream cart that swings by for dessert.
Beau Constantia
I love this spot – it's fine dining, but it never feels inaccessible. The menu changes beautifully and often, not just seasonally, thanks to the experimental mind of my friend, Chef Ivor Jones, who just scooped Chef of the Year at the 2025 Eat Out Awards.
1043 Constantia Main Rd, Constantia
Salsify
Clearly, I'm a restaurant guy, but this place is one of those spots where your phone constantly comes out to snap pictures of the décor, graffiti, and preserved history. The menu is always fresh and creative, and the chef, Ryan Cole, is a humble, talented guy who makes you feel like you've been invited over to his place for some chow...even though it's a multi-award-winning, must-see restaurant.
Tulbagh
Recently, I was invited to experience Tulbagh, just a little over an hour outside of Cape Town, and I was highly impressed with the incredible places one can explore there. This included a stay at Rijk's Wine Estate as well as Manley Estate, where I was thoroughly impressed with the culinary team, made up of trained local women from the area. I'm also booked to stay at the Geodome accommodation soon, something I've wanted to do for the past few years.
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Time Out
2 days ago
- Time Out
Local Intel: Carl Wastie
Pipe Track and Newlands Ravine I love a good hike, and Table Mountain offers several paths of tranquillity and unmatched views of the city. The Pipe Track is a great starting point for any hiker, and it can be lengthened or shortened depending on your available time or how much you want to challenge yourself. Newlands Ravine is much the same – just as beautiful – but it's perfect for taking the dogs on what I like to call 'walkies on steroids.' I'm a dog dad to four Boston Terriers, so this is essential. City Sightseeing A trip on the Cape Town City Sightseeing bus is one of the best ways to feel proud of the city I live in. It offers the opportunity to see many places I can check off my bucket list, and the Hop-On Hop-Off feature makes it a full day of fun and connection with loved ones. A little-known fact is that I'm the voice of the City Sightseeing bus, so I literally get the chance to practice what I preach through those earphones. Spier This place will always be special to me and my family. It offers picnics with friends, which lead to games of 30 Seconds and snacks on the lawns. Their restaurant, Vadas, serves the best Pastéis de Nata I have ever tasted, along with Smokehouse offerings one can only dream of. Who would've thought a head of broccoli could be so good? I'd highly recommend it. R310 Baden Powell Dr, Stellenbosch Epice One of my favourite places in the world is Franschhoek. It is brimming with amazing restaurants and truly incredible experiences. The chef at the helm here is Charne Sampson (Mouton), who is a genius when it comes to mixing lekker Cape Malay flavours with French techniques. When you're there, snap as many pics as you can, especially of the ice cream cart that swings by for dessert. Beau Constantia I love this spot – it's fine dining, but it never feels inaccessible. The menu changes beautifully and often, not just seasonally, thanks to the experimental mind of my friend, Chef Ivor Jones, who just scooped Chef of the Year at the 2025 Eat Out Awards. 1043 Constantia Main Rd, Constantia Salsify Clearly, I'm a restaurant guy, but this place is one of those spots where your phone constantly comes out to snap pictures of the décor, graffiti, and preserved history. The menu is always fresh and creative, and the chef, Ryan Cole, is a humble, talented guy who makes you feel like you've been invited over to his place for some though it's a multi-award-winning, must-see restaurant. Tulbagh Recently, I was invited to experience Tulbagh, just a little over an hour outside of Cape Town, and I was highly impressed with the incredible places one can explore there. This included a stay at Rijk's Wine Estate as well as Manley Estate, where I was thoroughly impressed with the culinary team, made up of trained local women from the area. I'm also booked to stay at the Geodome accommodation soon, something I've wanted to do for the past few years.
Time Out
6 days ago
- Time Out
Spier Hotel's luxe glow-up is worth extending your stay for
Founded in 1692, all South Africans know Spier, usually thanks to the bottle of wine you take to your friends. For those who've visited in the last decade or so, the association is likely the conferencing element, the cheetah encounter experience or the birds of prey. None of those are available anymore (except good wine, still plenty of that) as Spier embraces a revamp that, frankly, feels more like a rebirth. The vibe is country but classic The new hotel resembles nothing of its former conferencing fame. Their 155 rooms were transformed into a boutique hotel with 80 rooms. The hotel is more of a retreat with endemic flora along paths that connect the various Cape terraced buildings. Every room and suite has a scenic view, whether it's the river, the gardens or the mountains. If you're looking for a space to touch grass, this is it. From using plants propagated on the farm to the repurposing of tables and lamp bases from the previous furnishings, the carbon impact of the revamp was carefully considered. Rooms exude effortless elegance with simplistic design. Luxurious touches feel like home, but better: think Karoo wool carpets, solid oak floors and silk linen and cotton textures. The details make the difference I usually leave minibars as I find them. Not here. They're crammed with Spier's award-winning wines, beers, soft drinks, iced tea and all the good stuff: white chocolate honeycomb, salted caramel marshmallow bars, roasted nuts and biltong - all included in your rate. It's the little touches, like the pot of honey and a fresh lemon beside the loose leaf rooibos tea grown on the farm, or the heated floors in the bathroom. Tempting as it is to become one with your fireside couch, wine in hand, I'd encourage you to venture out. Over 1,000 artworks from the Spier Arts Trust sprawl across the estate in rooms, restaurants and gardens. Provided you haven't enjoyed your minibar too thoroughly, you can hop on a Segway for a vineyard tour or join Farmer Angus and his chickens. The real magic is tasting that 'farm-fresh' difference. The pasteis de nata are the best I've had in South Africa, a claim I verified through daily samples. Eggs are indeed a popular choice on the breakfast a la carte menu, though you can help yourself to pastries, cured ham, smoked salmon and fruit from the harvest table. Eat (and drink) your way around the farm Other dining options include dinner at the spacious Veld with an open kitchen and massive artworks adorning the walls (senior wine educator Tyson Meyi is on hand with a warm smile and a pairing recommendation), or go for something more casual at Vadas Smokehouse and Bakery. There's also Bubbles and Braai or the Picnickery, where you can pre-order your basket before choosing a lakeside spot to set up your supplied blankets and backrests. I'm on the side of 30 where birdwatching is a thing, so I admired the purple herons and malachite sunbirds flitting around. A full day of farm exploring is best ended with a glass of Spier's 21 Gables Chenin Blanc, enjoyed around the fire pit on the rooftop bar with a gorgeous view of the sunset tinting the Helderberg mountains. If you're inclined, a bougie celebration can be organised in the Manor House, where Chef Hennie will come up with a special menu for your nearest and dearest in the original farmhouse buildings. Using the ground for good Feeling like a veritable Anne of Green (21?) Gables, I wandered around the apothecary garden with Dr Caren Hauptfleisch, the resident phytotherapist and then experienced the benefits of the homegrown herbs during Spier's signature Cape Herbal Bathhouse treatment, which involved becoming a human teabag. I was exfoliated on a heated marble slab, wrapped in linen for a herbal soak, and then massaged from head to toe. Spier's regenerative practices go beyond buzzwords: their water is 100% recycled and they send zero waste to landfill. Exploring the farm gives insights into these practices, even down to a free-choice mineral lick available to the cattle (not you… you get a custard tart instead). The livestock are also frequently moved to assist with carbon sequestration, and if you have no idea what that is, Angus will be so glad you asked. Spier's long-term community commitment is also evidenced in its Growing For Good initiatives, like projects to reduce youth unemployment and boost entrepreneur development, as well as Living Soils, dedicated to producing a new generation of regenerative farmers and Tree-preneurs, where community members learn how to grow trees from seeds which are then traded for vouchers for essential items. Long story short: your stay helps these projects thrive. Cheers to that. Child-friendly fun means more grown-up time If you've got kids, you're in for a treat. There's an Elemental Garden, open to all visitors, where play means hiding in the reeds, skidding down stone slides, and clambering rope bridges. Hotel guests with children get the perks of the Buzz Club, a programme with multiple daily activities centred around nature, like building bug hotels, making flower crowns, petal perfumes, painting and baking. And their parents get to enjoy everything else, like the heated pool. If your last visit to Spier was a few years back or involved a conferencing lanyard, it's about time you paid them a visit. Bring the family, stay a week and use Spier as a base to explore the Winelands and Cape Town. That is, if you can bear to leave the farm.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- The Independent
Is flying from Manchester to London via Iceland cheaper than train?
A TikTok user flew from Manchester to London via Iceland for £57, saving £94 compared to a direct train ticket. The 24-hour trip included a brief visit to Reykjavik, where he sampled local cuisine and did some sightseeing. The video sparked debate online, with some suggesting cheaper alternatives like a £25 coach journey. Others expressed outrage at the high cost of UK train travel, highlighting the absurdity of flying internationally being more economical. The TikToker's journey underscores the increasing search for affordable travel options amidst rising train fares.
