Some useful links for the Cape Town, South Africa:

• Juma Art Tours – Street Art Tours – an inspirational street artist who uses his skills to uplift areas through art and the creation of edible gardens.   Wonderful and highly recommended!
• Going Roaming – fantastic food tours and food & wine experiences in Hermanus
• Shopping Tours in Cape Town – Blue Buyou – is owned by Sandra Fairfax who is the best local expert who specialises in shopping tours of Cape Town
• Mountain Biking rental and Tours in the a nature reserve and through wine estates in a quiet valley area in Stellenbosch.   Mountain Biking in Stellenbosch Jonkershoek Nature Reserve – a fab sounding company called Ride In is renting mountain bikes as well as offering the opportunity to go cycling in the nature reserve with a guide – they also offer wine tours on mountain bikes in the area.
• UP CYCLES – rent bikes from three points – the city, seapoint and the waterfront – great fun as you can rent at one and return at any of the other points.   It is especially fun to ride along the sea in Seapoint

CAPE INFORMATION & NON-PROFIT:

CapeTownEats.com – this is a wonderful listing directory that will point you towards everything artisan and foodie in our city – from cupcake makers to fresh produce deliveries and private chefs!   It is a one stop foodie directory for Cape Town and the Cape Winelands.

SOME OF PAM’S FAVOURITE PLACES TO STAY IN CAPE TOWN:

• Cape Heritage Hotel – wonderful old hotel in the hub of Bree Street in the centre of town – I love it as you have all the wonderful restaurants and bars on your door step!
• Welgelegen – a wonderful small Boutique Hotel located just above the central city area in Cape Town.  Welgelegen boasts Victorian architecture, beautiful interiors, a relaxed setting and personalized service that sees guests returning every year.  
• O On Kloof – a wonderful contemporary boutique hotel which boasts personalized service, views of Seapoint and the sea, a gourmet twist and a really relaxed and stay.   They are 5 minutes from Camps Bay and 5 minutes from the city.  A great location.  Perfect for people who wish to run/walk in the mornings as they are 5 minutes walk from the seapoint promenade.
• Cape View Clifton –  one of the most beautiful small hotels – perched on the cliffs above Clifton
• The Silo Hotel – if you have a mega budget – this one is for you!!  It is an art form – check out their wonderful windows and the most amazing decor and views.   I love it!!!!  Note that all of the Royal Portfolio hotels are amazing!!!! My favourite is La Residence.

Links for great gourmet ideas:

PLATE CULTURE – a lovely concept where you can have a home made meal in someones home when visiting the East – the founders have started with Malaysia and look like they wish to expand into Thailand, Japan etc – currently most of the dining experiences are in Malaysia.  Note there are now some SOUTH AFRICANS ON HERE

EATWITH.COM – Join local dinner parties in a variety of places around the world!

Links that Pam just loves and wants to go and try out (so this is a little reminder list for me:

Die Laatjie Cottages in Robertson – they look lovely and are very reasonably priced for weekends away.

Rockhaven Farm – looks amazing up the West Coast of South Africa – my sister and her friend Allison went and absolutely loved it!

Tierhoek Cottages – Robertson – on an organic fruit farm – looks peaceful and lovely!

The Beach House in Brittania Bay (West Coast South Africa) – WOW this spot looks so gorgeous – pricey but absolutely amazing!!!

PAM’S TRAVEL LINKS:

TURKEY

PAM’S TRIP TO TURKEY:  I did Istanbul, Bodrum – Yalikavac area (local Turkish upmarket holiday area – lovely), Bodrum town, Fethiye, Faralya, Antalya – and loved it all – I will be back!

• Istanbul Eats – These guys made my trip to Istanbul amazing!!  I booked their walking tour of the old part of the city for my first day there and it was fabulous!! I cannot rave about them highly enough.  Their website gives you the inside scoop to the hidden treasures of Istanbul from a food perspective.  I got their book on my tour and it became my little foodie bible for the rest of my trip!! I loved it, loved it, loved it and cannot rave about them more highly!!!  Check out their website before traveling to Istanbul.
• Peradays Hotel – Paradise Istanbul – this is a funky, lovely boutique hotel in Istanbul – just of the Istiklal Rd.  This was the perfect location for me – being close to the funky area that everyone eats out and to the main drag.  I loved walking the area and walking to the old region over the bridge.  This is a retirement venture between three friends – each one does 4 days on and then 8 days off.  I met two of them – Murat and Murat – what seriously lovely people.  I was made to feel so at home and so welcome – they gave me lots of foodie advice and if I return to Istanbul (which I will) – I will return to them.  This is a perfect spot for couples or for singles.   Loved it!!! Beyoglu Area in Istanbul.
• Stories Apart Istanbul – I stayed in their Koluglu apartments – these are all the most beautiful apartment hotel rooms you have ever seen.  Jaw dropping decor – this one was only a few blocks away from Peradays – it is a great one for a longer stay and also for honeymooners who want privacy.  I stayed here for my last night in Istanbul – but missed the intimacy I had with the guys at Peradays – none the less I would highly recommend these – awesome decor!
• Majesty Hotel Marina Vista Bodrum  – this hotel has a fantastic location on the nicer seafront side of Bodrum – and has the most wonderful swimming pool at the centre – you escape the bussle of outside and come into this tranquil area.   The bedrooms were quite small – but to us this hotel was perfect!
• Komodor Restaurant Bodrum – this was one of the most outstanding dinners we had in Turkey.  It was a referral from the DJ from the Red Lion Bar & Club DJ – and oh boy did he steer us right!! Everyone was local and the lady owner looks after you personally – you can head to the fish counter and chose your fish as well as all sorts of local Turkish dishes.  It is located on top of  a hill – so great views – and quite a steep walk from the harbour area – but oh so worth it!!!! Tel 0252 313 75 55 GSM (presume this means cellphone??) 0542 453 20 39 — the locals know it – so ask around to find it!
• Onur Motel Faralya – This is a little gem not far from Fethiye & Ouludeniz – it is basic little squeaky clean huts with en suite bathrooms and a terrace where the view of the mountains is just breathtaking.  Here you book to have breakfast and dinner on the deck – mamma cooks and Onur looks after you.  This is an amazing spot that I long to go back to!  It is close to a wonderful beach (Kabak) – you simply take the bus down to the next village – this village is home to lots of yoga retreats – so good if you want a combo holiday.  Loved it – loved the beach and the swimming!  Went as it was close to Butterfly valley – but turns out that the walk down the cliffs is treacherous – so if you want to go to Butterfly Valley – take a boat from Oludeniz!  Note that this is on the walkway for the Lycian Way Walk.  We picked up a brochure for one of the little spots in Kabak near the beach – Sea Valley Bungalows.

FOOD TOURS AROUND THE WORLD:

Istanbul Eats – which is now housed on Culinary Backstreets and has grown tremendously since I went on their fabulous tour.   They now cover many different cities!  They are inspirational!!   I loved their tour in Istanbul!   They were the second to launch in Turkey.   I had the privilege of the having the first lady to launch foodie tours of Istanbul on our Cape Town Eats Tour plus another four tours in the greater Cape Town area.    I have however been unable to discover if she is still trading!   She started a company called Turkish Flavours.

Eat Rio – this was started by an inspirational Brit called Tom in Rio.    He was the first to launch food tours in Rio.   I booked to do their day tour and their night tour of the city.   To me a food tour is the best introduction to the culture of a city and to its soul.   It gives you a glipse into who the people are and what the pulse is of the city.    This tour over delivered on all sides.   Similar to our tours the tour seemlessly builds in the history and the people.   I cannot recommend them highly enough!    Great outfit who will also give you lots of tips for the rest of your stay!

Big Onion Walking Tours – NY – Seth Kamil is inspirational!   He started foodie walking tours of NY as a way to help finance his university studies……….and 28 years later he is still offering tours offering insights into the many different ethnicities that make up this vibrant fast paced city!    We were lucky enough to have him on our Cape Town Eats City Walking tour.………his wife booked it without him knowing as she knew he would not want to do “work” on holiday.   He loved our tour! 
“Experts’ Choice” and “Best of New York City” TripExpert, 2018
“Tour Operator of the Year – 2018”, Luxury Travel Awards
“Award of Excellence” TripAdvisor 2012, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘18
“Best Walking Tour Operator of the Year – Americas – 2017”, Luxury Travel Awards
“Best Local Tours in New York, 2017”, Expertise.com
“Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guests”, The Village Voice, 2014
“Worlds Best City Walks: New York”, Forbes.com, 2010
“Best Walking Tour”, New York Magazine, 1998

The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour – marvellous!!  This was the first food tour to launch in Hoi An!  It is wonderful to see how those that founded food tours in each town or city created their tours in such different ways.    Retired Aussie Neville moved to Hoi An and wanted to share his love of his new home with those who were visiting.   When visiting a new country – it is so easy to miss out on many of the local delicacies simply because you had no idea what they were or where to find them!   Neville’s tour is a journey where they create smaller dishes of local dishes so that you an taste a vast array of flavours.  Think around 43 different nibbles!   Due to the heat they start really early.   Our first stop was a few side walk stands and the market.   One also pops into two homes for tastings and then into Nevilles home and kitchen for the last round……………this stop has air conditioning – so it is perfect for the last stop.   During the tour you tour with a local Vietnamese guide and meet people as you move through the town.   It is a wonderful proper taste of the the people and their cuisine.   Great job Neville!  Highly recommended! LOCATION – HOI AN VIETNAM

XO Scooter Food Tour of Saigon – Wow – these guys were the first to come up with a night time foodie tour on Scooters!  You zip through Saigon sitting on the back of a scooter driven by young ladies dressed in traditional Vietnamese dresses.   What an absolute blast!   They take you to many different regions of the city that you would never ever get to.   Here you are the only Western clientele.   An amazing tour from all sides.    Great choices of dishes to try.  Great to people watch at each place.   Great that you get to chat to your local lady as you drive through the night about their lives.  Great team guide who gives you background info at each stop.   Wonderful co-ordinated.  Wonderful group.   Highly recommended.   I did the group tour – this is limited to 10 people.   Great fun.

Taste of Lisboa Tour – a really good tour that takes you into areas that are more off the beaten track in Lisbon.   Great to be able to gain an insight into a local “hood”.    Great guide and great tastings.

Africa Links:

Links for the rest of the world!

Kerala  Tour Packages / Kerala Tourism – Kerala Travel Agent Keralamate.com  offers Kerala tour packages, houseboat  honeymoon travel, backwater tourism and Ayurveda packages in Kerala