As 2019 draws to a close, here at 5 Star Stories things are busier than ever! There’s no sleep on social media and we’re racing into the New Year full steam ahead. Looking back at the past year we’re so lucky to have worked with a range of amazing clients in the travel and luxury lifestyle industries and our stories have been picked up far and wide! Thanks to you all for making it a year to remember! more “A very berry Christmas!”
The tiny pangolin is a creature that’s been increasingly in the spotlight, but only because if we don’t put them there, we may never see them again. That’s because they are being poached into extinction for the protective scales that cover their bodies. These scales and demand for their meat make the pangolin the most trafficked animal in the world. And with four of the eight pangolin species found in Africa we urgently need to do whatever we can to protect them.
more “Introducing Pangolin Gin: a zesty gin for a very deserving cause”
Chili, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom… what do these all have in common? They’re all on the menu at GOLD’s new Spice Experience… more “Review: GOLD Restaurant’s Spice Experience”
When I first heard of Transfrontier Parks Destinations I was excited, but a little sceptical. They are a company, not an NGO, but a group of business-minded entrepreneurs pioneering a new form of hotels in South Africa. Working within or the area’s that run alongside Southern Africa’s Transfrontier Peace Parks, their goal is to establish a sustainable tourism industry that sees local communities have a real, vested interest in the environment which surrounds them. It’s an ambitious dream, built out of love and respect for both people and nature, that many before have tried and failed. However with a number of lodges, camps and even 4×4 trails now under their umbrella – this time it seems to be working! more “Off the beaten track with Transfontier Parks Destinations”
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Month, I was recently reminded of a part of our heritage that few people know even exists. We’ve all heard of the Big Five, which includes elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions and leopards, however in order for us Capetonians to see any of these species, we normally have to travel inland. Little do we know, that right in our backyard, the Cape is still home to one of these five – with Cape Mountain Leopards the last of the legendary ‘Big 5’ to survive in the wild in the Cape.
more “Cape Leopards – part of our heritage”
Recently, we were lucky enough to spend two nights on safari at Garonga Safari Camp. And what an experience those two nights turned out to be… more “On safari with Garonga”
Earlier this year we packed our packs and headed off to Europe, and more particularly Spain – drawn by promises of warm water, sunshine and kitesurfing…
more “Kitesurfing in Spain”
The sun is beating down, turning what started off as a chilly winter’s morning into one of those fine days that only Cape Town can deliver. The ocean is shimmering and without a breath of wind around, unusual for this part of the world, it’s reflecting a blue hue that’s akin to some oceans I’ve seen in the Med. My feet are itching – itching to be released from the shackles of winter boots and instead spread their toes in the sand. And that’s how I end up walking the doors of Shimmy Beach Club in Cape Town.
more “Review: Shimmy Beach Club, Cape Town”
You can feel the drumming almost before you hear it. The ground is rumbling with its rhythm and the strangely elongated African statue at the doorway mysteriously comes alive with its presence. As the gates swing open to GOLD, the beat beckons for you to follow it upwards, through a maze of artefacts and African artwork to another world. Following the call of the enthusiastic drum master on stage, you pick up your own djembe and are soon just another note in the cacophony that is building up with a frenzied speed. Laughter punctuates the air as a variety of different languages sound the coming together of nations from all over the world, and soon enough you are all beating to the rhythm of one drum.
more “Review: GOLD Restaurant, Cape Town”
A cold, white cloud had settled over the town of Yzerfontein, obscuring the blue ocean from view as we pulled into White Sands. Owned by The Beach House Collection, this stunning wooden beach house was to be our home for the night. My two puppies bounded into the new abode, bringing with them some beach sand and the sounds of home. more “Review: The White Sands Beach House, Yzerfontein”