I was recently asked why so many South Africans are streaming to Paris. There has been an unending supply of selfies and dances on social media taken in the French capital by SA travellers.

Paris is en vogue again — not that it has ever been out of fashion, but local interest has certainly spiked.

Could it be that the French owe a debt of gratitude to Paris, the sensational amapiano song by Q-Mark & TpZee featuring Afriikan Papi, that reminds us that this is the ultimate love destination in the world?

Paris is portrayed as the city of love and the epitome of everything cheesy about romance. And going there alone is the very antithesis of what the city stands for, as my recent sojourn proved. It’s like attending a couples party as a singleton. You hang around the corner by yourself and have nobody to cuddle with.

All around you are lovey-dovey couples who have travelled from all over the world to the ultimate love destination. To some, a kiss at the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe is probably a celebration of triumph over the odds they may have gone through to get there.

I don’t witness any marriage proposals, but there were a few sloppy kisses. Generally, people mill about admiring the beautiful monuments, churches, museums, libraries, statues, and squares that make Paris such an appealing destination.

Paris can also be the ultimate destination to express some self-love. It is hard to deny the Parisian charm — just like in the movies, restaurants and cafes face passing traffic, fashionable people walk their dogs, and corner cafés sell the biggest, reddest, sweetest, and juiciest cherries you have bitten.

It is cherry season when I visit and everywhere you look there is an oversupply.

If New York can brag about the energy of the Big Apple, Paris’s appeal is love. Its unique architecture, laid-back, laissez-faire attitude and modern amenities such as the metro (subway), galeries (shopping arcades), and variety of hotels — from the most basic lodgings to the opulent high end — mean there is a Paris for every budget.

I allow myself to go full tourist. Top of my list is the Eiffel Tower. It’s actually bigger than you’d expect. La dame de fer (the iron lady) is a massive steel tower measuring over 330m that pierces the Parisian skyline and lights up the skies at night for kilometres.

It is timed to have occasional sparkles reminiscent of a Christmas tree and it’s a marvel to watch. Tourists fall over themselves doing cheesy things like kissing under the Eiffel Tower or going on one knee, although on this trip I don’t see a single engagement to ooh and ahh over.

The Arc de Triomphe is overwhelming when you see just how big it is. The imposing structure celebrating French bravery and ingenuity is surrounded by a supersized traffic circle that will leave your head spinning.

Paris is relatively safe and best explored on foot. I rely on Google Maps on my smartphone to take me around, because the arrondissements (city districts) can easily throw you off. So it is essential to put on comfortable trainers and wander about the avenues and boulevards.

What a thrill it is on a hot Sunday morning to take the 3.5km walk from the Louvre Museum through the Tuileries Garden, past the Place de la Concorde all the way to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, ending up at the Arc de Triomphe.

During my visit, Paris is in the throes of a European heatwave and residents and tourists compete for space under the cool trees in the Jardin des Tuileries. Some are reading books, while others are having a picnic or just lounging. 

A lunch at a Michelin-star restaurant has been on my bucket list for a while, and Paris delivers a big tick for this one. This is the height of fine dining, as determined by the European rating agency. My restaurant of choice is Substance in the Chailot area.

My entrée is gazpacho de green zebra, tartare de concombre, neige de feta, et menthe (a cucumber thingy). The main course is lieu jaune de ligne et petit pois avec groseille et hibiscus (line fish and peas with hibiscus), and dessert is sorbet bourgeon de cassis, emulsion tagete et tuile cassis (sorbet with a sauce).

I am so content I worry my heart will stop beating.

Overall, Paris is an expensive destination for a South African traveller. The euro demolishes the rand when it comes to the exchange rate, so it’s essential to save enough so you don’t have a heart attack every time you swipe your credit card.

And as a solo traveller, it’s awkward to wait for people to kiss and then ask them to take a pic as you pose outside the Opera House, especially when they don’t understand English or French and you have to rely on sign language.

Also, remember to look down when you walk the streets. Yes, the buildings, the doors, and the windows are majestic and they will draw your attention, but dog poo competes for space on the pavements with strollers and dancers.