The Cape of leisure and entertainment

Tsogo Sun recently invited Sowetan on a three-day getaway to the Mother City, and as young kids like to say, "I did the most" in Cape Town.

On the first night, I stayed at the exquisite Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel. Billed as one of the largest hotels in South Africa, it has 537
recently refurbished rooms. The suite I stayed in was stunning and also offered some home comforts.

Situated at the entrance of the V&A Waterfront - and a short walking distance from Cape Town International Convention Centre - the hotel is not only perfect for leisure, but business as well.

The hotel's Yizani Restaurant offers divine, feel-good meals that warm the heart. The aged rump steak with roasted sweet potato gnocchi, wilted spinach and olive tapenade is to die for.

The next night we moved to the elegant Southern Sun The Cullinan, which has a resort feel in the heart of the city. The outdoor heated pool with its endless deck was made for Instagram snapshot moments.

I dined on the pool deck with renowned pianist Mike Perry playing in the background. In the evening, the Peach Tree restaurant offers a dinner buffet menu, and a lunch offering for R195 per person on Sunday.

A big shock for me was the city's water restrictions.

Some of the initiatives that have been taken to decrease water consumption across Tsogo Sun's nine properties in the Western Cape have resulted in a 40% year-on-year drop.

For example, bath plugs were removed and shower pressure went down from 20 litres of water per minute to nine litres per minute.

Table cloths were taken away from restaurants, saving 4000 litres of water a day in one of the hotels. Good, quality paper serviettes replaced linen napkins. In the kitchen they reused water for boiling pastas to make broth.

When it came to nightlife, the place for sundowners was 14 Stories Rooftop Bar, with its 270-degree view of the city.

The trendyspot was found at the Sun Square Hotel on Bree Street - renowned as the food lane of Cape Town.

The name comes from the 14th-floor location of the bar, with views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Lion's Head.

To continue with the 14 theme, the spot offered 14 white and red wines and 14 glasses of champagne bubbles.

But it was the 14 signature cocktails that could land you in serious trouble.

The best place to have lunch was Simon's Restaurant on Groot Constantia Wine Estate, where you could explore the oldest wine farm in South Africa.

The mouth-watering Seared Norwegian salmon on the menu was the best.

This winter, Tsogo Sun launched a Cape Town Explorer Package where you pay for a package deal at one of their hotels and get a three-day pass to explore over 35
attractions in the Mother City.

I went on the romantic sunset cruise at the V&A Waterfront. For adrenaline junkies, I recommend the exhilarating Scooter ride down Table Mountain with Scootours.

For a cultural experience, contemporary African museum Zeitz Mocaa is the place to be, where you can admire the work of artists Cyrus Kabiru, Athi Patra-Ruga and Sethembile Msezane.

When it came to family or group adventures, the sidecar tour is the best way to travel and have fun.

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