Birthday splash to Cape Town - BA new F and Y
Feb 7, 2012, 1:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
Birthday splash to Cape Town - BA new F and Y
Hi everyone and welcome to my third trip report. This one will be covering the two extremes one can find flying British Airways: new First class and World Traveler.
Previous trip reports
TR1: British Airways CE tier point run to Jersey
TR2: Qatar Airways first CDG-DOH-CDG in 24 hours
Shortcuts
British Airways new First - dining experience
British Airways new First - breakfast
Cape Town guesthouse 2inn1 - Table mountain
Cape Point national park - Lion's head hike
British Airways World Traveler back home
Background story
This trip is my husband’s 30th anniversary present. We have been to Cape Town for our honeymoon and enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided this should be a yearly event. Planning wise there would however be an 18 month gap in between two visits so his birthday gave me an excellent excuse to plan a surprise visit.
On his birthday I secretly put little papers with hints all over the place, e.g. coffee machine, laptop, car... I thought I made it dead easy, but by 2pm he was still puzzled. Eventually I did break the news and he was quite shocked by the extravagance of it all. My storyline was a dinner reservation in a wonderful culinary restaurant (The Test Kitchen), but unfortunately this restaurant is located 6000 miles away. This means flying out on a Wednesday on the BA night flight in Club World (for sleeping reasons) and returning on Sunday with the 8am flight in economy (budget reasons). After the initially "you're nuts" he readily accepted his birthday splash
.
Two days before our departure I got the 'upgrade available' message on the BA iPhone app: 50.000 miles and 41€ in taxes. What to do? Should I really spoil ourselves even further and upgrade to First? Yeah...no...oh well why not! And boy did we not regret this!
Day 1 : Brussels - London Heathrow - Cape Town
British Airways 395
Brussels (BRU) - London Heathrow (LHR)
January 25th 2012
Depart: 13h50 (actual 13h37)
Arrive: 14h00 (actual 14h03)
Duration: 1h26
Aircraft: Airbus 320 G-EUUA
Seat: 1A
We arrived at Brussels airport around noon. Check in was very straightforward, basically only a baggage drop. By 12h20 we had passed through security and were first to arrive in the Terraces lounge. This gave me a chance of extensive picture shooting.
British Airways always departs from the non-Schengen terminal B and you can find the Terraces lounge after security, one floor up from the departures level. Head up the stairs just next to Starbucks and go left again.
Stylish entrance to the lounge.
The food offering was rather limited.
But I must admit the pastries were fresh and not a morning leftover!
Coffee and soft drinks corner.
Boarding commenced at 13h15, with priority offered to Club Europe passengers but no enforcement. No big deal as the load on today’s flight was rather low. We were seated in row 1 and even with the bulkhead there is plenty of room.
Ready for pushback.
The original airport terminal, built for the 1958 World Exposition.
I am an aviation enthusiast and love taking pictures on airports, but today was a bad day. Once pushback had started I was told off by the CSD to stop taking pictures and turn off my iPhone. Her way of dealing with this was rather rude and loud, like talking to a school kid. Never known an aircraft to have a taxi incident because a passenger was taking a picture.... I know it's CAA regulation, but still a stupid and backdated rule.
On this short hop across the North Sea we were first asked what we like to drink. Champagne of course, what a silly question.
Today’s food offering was a cold lunch consisting of pieces of chicken with some dodgy looking potatoes.
London Heathrow Terminal 5 - Elemis Travel Spa - Concorde Room (CCR)
Thanks to previous postings on the British Airways subsection of FT I was made aware that prebooking a spa therapy at the Elemis lounge was now available by phoning up BA YouFirst service. The website mentions that this is only available for UK residentials with tickets in first class, but my request was no problem at all. We were booked for a shoulder and scalp massage, both at the same time (this used to be not possible).
After a relaxing 15 minutes therapy at the Elemis lounge we headed over to the Concorde Room. I was really excited about my first visit but ended up concluding "much to do about nothing". Yes it feels and looks more exclusive but service was mediocre. We settled ourselves in one of the comfy seats on the terrace, hoping for a waitress to take our order. When our neighbours got their tea served I kind of expected here to come over and ask what we would like. I ended up going to the bar myself.
Of course I'm perfectly able to do this and would to this in any bar in town, but hey this is BA's most exclusive lounge.
View on the apron.
We spent a little less than one hour in the CCR before heading over to gate 57 in T5C. This is the most recent addition to the terminal 5 complex and it takes about ten minutes to get there from the main terminal.
As we were approaching our gate I got a bit excited whether we would have old or new First. When I phoned up YouFirst earlier in the morning they told me high probability of NF, but you never know if they have to change equipment for some reason. Then I saw the glimpse of the nose and yihaa it was NF!
If some windows on the nose are shaded, then you have new First.
Previous trip reports
TR1: British Airways CE tier point run to Jersey
TR2: Qatar Airways first CDG-DOH-CDG in 24 hours
Shortcuts
British Airways new First - dining experience
British Airways new First - breakfast
Cape Town guesthouse 2inn1 - Table mountain
Cape Point national park - Lion's head hike
British Airways World Traveler back home
Background story
This trip is my husband’s 30th anniversary present. We have been to Cape Town for our honeymoon and enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided this should be a yearly event. Planning wise there would however be an 18 month gap in between two visits so his birthday gave me an excellent excuse to plan a surprise visit.
On his birthday I secretly put little papers with hints all over the place, e.g. coffee machine, laptop, car... I thought I made it dead easy, but by 2pm he was still puzzled. Eventually I did break the news and he was quite shocked by the extravagance of it all. My storyline was a dinner reservation in a wonderful culinary restaurant (The Test Kitchen), but unfortunately this restaurant is located 6000 miles away. This means flying out on a Wednesday on the BA night flight in Club World (for sleeping reasons) and returning on Sunday with the 8am flight in economy (budget reasons). After the initially "you're nuts" he readily accepted his birthday splash
.Two days before our departure I got the 'upgrade available' message on the BA iPhone app: 50.000 miles and 41€ in taxes. What to do? Should I really spoil ourselves even further and upgrade to First? Yeah...no...oh well why not! And boy did we not regret this!
Day 1 : Brussels - London Heathrow - Cape Town
British Airways 395
Brussels (BRU) - London Heathrow (LHR)
January 25th 2012
Depart: 13h50 (actual 13h37)
Arrive: 14h00 (actual 14h03)
Duration: 1h26
Aircraft: Airbus 320 G-EUUA
Seat: 1A
We arrived at Brussels airport around noon. Check in was very straightforward, basically only a baggage drop. By 12h20 we had passed through security and were first to arrive in the Terraces lounge. This gave me a chance of extensive picture shooting.
British Airways always departs from the non-Schengen terminal B and you can find the Terraces lounge after security, one floor up from the departures level. Head up the stairs just next to Starbucks and go left again.
Stylish entrance to the lounge.
The food offering was rather limited.
But I must admit the pastries were fresh and not a morning leftover!
Coffee and soft drinks corner.
Boarding commenced at 13h15, with priority offered to Club Europe passengers but no enforcement. No big deal as the load on today’s flight was rather low. We were seated in row 1 and even with the bulkhead there is plenty of room.
Ready for pushback.
The original airport terminal, built for the 1958 World Exposition.
I am an aviation enthusiast and love taking pictures on airports, but today was a bad day. Once pushback had started I was told off by the CSD to stop taking pictures and turn off my iPhone. Her way of dealing with this was rather rude and loud, like talking to a school kid. Never known an aircraft to have a taxi incident because a passenger was taking a picture.... I know it's CAA regulation, but still a stupid and backdated rule.
On this short hop across the North Sea we were first asked what we like to drink. Champagne of course, what a silly question
.Today’s food offering was a cold lunch consisting of pieces of chicken with some dodgy looking potatoes.
London Heathrow Terminal 5 - Elemis Travel Spa - Concorde Room (CCR)
Thanks to previous postings on the British Airways subsection of FT I was made aware that prebooking a spa therapy at the Elemis lounge was now available by phoning up BA YouFirst service. The website mentions that this is only available for UK residentials with tickets in first class, but my request was no problem at all. We were booked for a shoulder and scalp massage, both at the same time (this used to be not possible).
After a relaxing 15 minutes therapy at the Elemis lounge we headed over to the Concorde Room. I was really excited about my first visit but ended up concluding "much to do about nothing". Yes it feels and looks more exclusive but service was mediocre. We settled ourselves in one of the comfy seats on the terrace, hoping for a waitress to take our order. When our neighbours got their tea served I kind of expected here to come over and ask what we would like. I ended up going to the bar myself.
Of course I'm perfectly able to do this and would to this in any bar in town, but hey this is BA's most exclusive lounge.
View on the apron.
We spent a little less than one hour in the CCR before heading over to gate 57 in T5C. This is the most recent addition to the terminal 5 complex and it takes about ten minutes to get there from the main terminal.
As we were approaching our gate I got a bit excited whether we would have old or new First. When I phoned up YouFirst earlier in the morning they told me high probability of NF, but you never know if they have to change equipment for some reason. Then I saw the glimpse of the nose and yihaa it was NF!
If some windows on the nose are shaded, then you have new First.
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 8, 2012 at 3:06 am
Feb 7, 2012, 1:24 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
British Airways new First - dining experience
British Airways 43
London Heathrow (LHR) - Cape Town (CPT)
January 25th 2012
Depart: 16h45 (actual 16h43)
Arrive: 06h15 (actual 06h10)
Duration: 11h27
Aircraft: Boeing 747 G-BNLU (mid-J configuration)
Seat: 1K
Boarding was announced minutes after we arrived. As we approached the gate we went left at the First marking, to be called back by gate staff to point out this was the first class entrance. We knew. Why do they only expect people aged 60 and above? Save up miles and spent wisely is my motto 
.
We were warmly welcomed at the door and shown to our seats: 1A and 1K. Oh boy this felt like nothing we've experienced before! Our only other previous first experiences was with Emirates and Qatar but British Airways' new version of First is really something quite special: stylishly decorated.
Being seated at the very front on the nose gives a real intimate feeling, like there is nobody else on board except the person next to you. Therefore we would only recommend this row for couples.
Our jackets were hung in the central closet and a lovely amenity kit was offered. The slippers, earphones and blanket were already there when we boarded. Pyjama's were present as well but I was not to impressed by their quality.
Nicely stocked amenity kit with all kinds of goodies!
When we were settled down a glass of the tasty Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle champagne was offered together with the menu cards, one to eat and of course one to drink. The crew was in no hurry to take our orders.
During taxi the captain informed us of a 15 minute taxi to the other end of the airport and promptly we were offered another champagne refill. This is what I call style
Once the seatbelt sign was switched off the crew came round for an aperitif. I fancied a different kind of champagne: Kir Royal.
Amuse-bouche with beetroot.
I opted for the pumpkin and sage ravioli. The balsamic dressing added an extra flavor to it.
I asked the cabin crew to make a suggestion for the main course and she was very resolute: the trout. And I must agree wholeheartedly, it was delicious! We paired it with the Chablis.
The rhubarb crumble could have been better, but the Constantia dessert wine went down very easily.
By now we had crossed the Mediterranean and flew overhead Algeria. Time to destination was still 8 hours to. Everybody else in the cabin had opted for the turndown service, but we were not feeling tired yet. Maybe it was the excitement! How about a movie? All the way through diner I had the moving map on, so I wanted to figure out what else was playing. But somehow I could not get the home page to show. Maybe I was doing something wrong but the crew confirmed that the IFE was not working properly. Several reboots did not solve the problem. The stewardess was very apologetic but hey what can she do if technology breaks down? As long as the engines keep going I'm fine.
(Shortly before landing we were offered vouchers for to either spend £100 in the High Life shop or 20.000 miles.)
Instead of watching a movie I opted for the turndown service and some book reading. Whilst my bed was being made up I switched into pyjama's. Their quality is a bit flimsy as one the sleeves already had a big tear in it, but they still had a replacement available.
The slippers didn't last me very long either...
This is where I woke up. Two hours to go.
Waking up was rather a shocking experience. No mood light controls on this old bird but rather the hard ON switch of cabin lights. In all honesty we were asked if we wanted to be woken up for a full breakfast. Changing back into normal clothes was a patient game as everybody of course wanted to do it at the same time. I could not be bothered the wait and used the privacy of row 1 to my advantage.
This is where the magic happens.
London Heathrow (LHR) - Cape Town (CPT)
January 25th 2012
Depart: 16h45 (actual 16h43)
Arrive: 06h15 (actual 06h10)
Duration: 11h27
Aircraft: Boeing 747 G-BNLU (mid-J configuration)
Seat: 1K
Boarding was announced minutes after we arrived. As we approached the gate we went left at the First marking, to be called back by gate staff to point out this was the first class entrance. We knew
. Why do they only expect people aged 60 and above? Save up miles and spent wisely is my motto .We were warmly welcomed at the door and shown to our seats: 1A and 1K. Oh boy this felt like nothing we've experienced before! Our only other previous first experiences was with Emirates and Qatar but British Airways' new version of First is really something quite special: stylishly decorated.
Being seated at the very front on the nose gives a real intimate feeling, like there is nobody else on board except the person next to you. Therefore we would only recommend this row for couples.
Our jackets were hung in the central closet and a lovely amenity kit was offered. The slippers, earphones and blanket were already there when we boarded. Pyjama's were present as well but I was not to impressed by their quality.
Nicely stocked amenity kit with all kinds of goodies!
When we were settled down a glass of the tasty Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle champagne was offered together with the menu cards, one to eat and of course one to drink. The crew was in no hurry to take our orders.
During taxi the captain informed us of a 15 minute taxi to the other end of the airport and promptly we were offered another champagne refill. This is what I call style
Starters
Crayfish and crab terrine with Waldorf salad
Warm pumpkin and sage ravioli, pine nut and herb salad with cinnamon balsamic dressing
Cream of broccoli soup with toasted almonds
Fresh winter salad with your choice of balsamic dressing with golden rapeseed oil or smoked tomato dressing
Main
British beef and baby onion pudding with creamed mashed potatoes, curly kale and buttered baby carrots
Seared Loch Fyne rainbow trout with sauce Dugléré, smoked trout and almond croquette, butternut squash fondant and spinach
Seville orange marmalade glazed breast of Gressingham duck with galette of parsnip, braised red cabbage and celeriac
Salad of forest mushrooms with garlic braised baby leeks and Cashel Blue cheese
Bistro selection
Chicken and prawn paella
Grilled Herefordshire sirloin minute steak sandwich with creamed horseradish served on Manoucher bread with breaded onion rings
A selection of biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruits
Dessert
White velvet panna cotta with winter berries and shortbread
Rhubarb crumble with classic custard and vanilla cream
Cheese plate
Thomas Hoe Red Leicester: named for its reddish orange rind, this firm yet crumbly cow's milk cheese complements fruit and pasta
Buttler's secret: this award-winning mature Cheddar has a distinct taste and a crumbly texture
Fiurle d'Ambert: a lightly pressed, creamy white cheese marbled with dark blue-green veining
Tomino: originating from Piedmont, this buttery Italian cheese is delicate and creamy with a light salty taste
Crayfish and crab terrine with Waldorf salad
Warm pumpkin and sage ravioli, pine nut and herb salad with cinnamon balsamic dressing
Cream of broccoli soup with toasted almonds
Fresh winter salad with your choice of balsamic dressing with golden rapeseed oil or smoked tomato dressing
Main
British beef and baby onion pudding with creamed mashed potatoes, curly kale and buttered baby carrots
Seared Loch Fyne rainbow trout with sauce Dugléré, smoked trout and almond croquette, butternut squash fondant and spinach
Seville orange marmalade glazed breast of Gressingham duck with galette of parsnip, braised red cabbage and celeriac
Salad of forest mushrooms with garlic braised baby leeks and Cashel Blue cheese
Bistro selection
Chicken and prawn paella
Grilled Herefordshire sirloin minute steak sandwich with creamed horseradish served on Manoucher bread with breaded onion rings
A selection of biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruits
Dessert
White velvet panna cotta with winter berries and shortbread
Rhubarb crumble with classic custard and vanilla cream
Cheese plate
Thomas Hoe Red Leicester: named for its reddish orange rind, this firm yet crumbly cow's milk cheese complements fruit and pasta
Buttler's secret: this award-winning mature Cheddar has a distinct taste and a crumbly texture
Fiurle d'Ambert: a lightly pressed, creamy white cheese marbled with dark blue-green veining
Tomino: originating from Piedmont, this buttery Italian cheese is delicate and creamy with a light salty taste
Once the seatbelt sign was switched off the crew came round for an aperitif. I fancied a different kind of champagne: Kir Royal.
Amuse-bouche with beetroot.
I opted for the pumpkin and sage ravioli. The balsamic dressing added an extra flavor to it.
I asked the cabin crew to make a suggestion for the main course and she was very resolute: the trout. And I must agree wholeheartedly, it was delicious! We paired it with the Chablis.
APERITIF
Kir Royale
CHAMPAGNE
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, Champagne, France
WHITE
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2008, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France
Le Soula Blanc 2007, VDP Des Cotes Catalanes, France
Steenberg Sémilion 2010, Constantia, South Africa
RED
Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2004, Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
Newton Johnson Pinot Noir 2009, Walker Bay, South Africa
Simomsig Redhill Pinotage 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa
DESSERT
Vin de Constance 2006, Constantia, South Africa
Warre's 1992 Colheita Tawny Port
SPIRITS, DIGESTIFS AND LIQUERS
Gonzalez Byass Sherries
Slirnoff Black Label Vodka
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky
The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whisky
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whisky
Dramnuie 15-year-old Speyside Malt Liquer
Otard XO Cognac
Kir Royale
CHAMPAGNE
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, Champagne, France
WHITE
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2008, William Fèvre, Burgundy, France
Le Soula Blanc 2007, VDP Des Cotes Catalanes, France
Steenberg Sémilion 2010, Constantia, South Africa
RED
Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2004, Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
Newton Johnson Pinot Noir 2009, Walker Bay, South Africa
Simomsig Redhill Pinotage 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa
DESSERT
Vin de Constance 2006, Constantia, South Africa
Warre's 1992 Colheita Tawny Port
SPIRITS, DIGESTIFS AND LIQUERS
Gonzalez Byass Sherries
Slirnoff Black Label Vodka
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky
The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whisky
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whisky
Dramnuie 15-year-old Speyside Malt Liquer
Otard XO Cognac
The rhubarb crumble could have been better, but the Constantia dessert wine went down very easily
.By now we had crossed the Mediterranean and flew overhead Algeria. Time to destination was still 8 hours to. Everybody else in the cabin had opted for the turndown service, but we were not feeling tired yet. Maybe it was the excitement! How about a movie? All the way through diner I had the moving map on, so I wanted to figure out what else was playing. But somehow I could not get the home page to show. Maybe I was doing something wrong but the crew confirmed that the IFE was not working properly. Several reboots did not solve the problem. The stewardess was very apologetic but hey what can she do if technology breaks down? As long as the engines keep going I'm fine
. (Shortly before landing we were offered vouchers for to either spend £100 in the High Life shop or 20.000 miles.)
Instead of watching a movie I opted for the turndown service and some book reading. Whilst my bed was being made up I switched into pyjama's. Their quality is a bit flimsy as one the sleeves already had a big tear in it, but they still had a replacement available.
The slippers didn't last me very long either...
This is where I woke up. Two hours to go.
Waking up was rather a shocking experience. No mood light controls on this old bird but rather the hard ON switch of cabin lights. In all honesty we were asked if we wanted to be woken up for a full breakfast. Changing back into normal clothes was a patient game as everybody of course wanted to do it at the same time. I could not be bothered the wait and used the privacy of row 1 to my advantage
.This is where the magic happens.
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 7, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Feb 7, 2012, 1:25 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
British Airways new First - breakfast
After settling down we were offered a blueberry smoothie, followed by really tasty, strong coffee, just what we needed. We had already opted for the full English breakfast, but there was a whole menu to choose from:
A very tasty English breakfast. The sausage was well cooked but not dried out, the bacon still crispy and the eggs still moist.
A wonderful flying experience came to an end when this beautiful sight appeared in our window:
Table mountain
We arrived in Cape Town a couple of minutes ahead of schedule. Weather was clear sky and 21 degrees, perfect!
Last shot of my seat 1K.
Seat 2A
Cabin shot from row 3.
I love this picture.
We were off the plane by 6h20 and outside the terminal a quarter to seven. Thanks to the World Cup Cape Town airport has been given a substantial facelift, including the rental car section. This is now located opposite the terminal, in a small building. We were lucky to be number 2 to arrive at the Avis desk because soon thereafter the cue would grow rather fast.
Starters
Chilled fruit smoothie of plum and blueberry
A selection of yoghurts
A selection of cereals
Fresh seasonal fruit appetizer
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Main
Traditional English breakfast of scrambled free-range eggs with grilled bacon, Saddleback pork sausage, baked portobello mushroom, hash-brown potatoes, black pudding and baked beans
Omelet Arnold Bennet with bubble and squeak and grilled cherry tomatoes
Or you can enjoy a quick continental breakfast to maximize your sleep time onboard'
Chilled fruit smoothie of plum and blueberry
A selection of yoghurts
A selection of cereals
Fresh seasonal fruit appetizer
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Main
Traditional English breakfast of scrambled free-range eggs with grilled bacon, Saddleback pork sausage, baked portobello mushroom, hash-brown potatoes, black pudding and baked beans
Omelet Arnold Bennet with bubble and squeak and grilled cherry tomatoes
Or you can enjoy a quick continental breakfast to maximize your sleep time onboard'
A very tasty English breakfast. The sausage was well cooked but not dried out, the bacon still crispy and the eggs still moist.
A wonderful flying experience came to an end when this beautiful sight appeared in our window:
Table mountain
We arrived in Cape Town a couple of minutes ahead of schedule. Weather was clear sky and 21 degrees, perfect!
Last shot of my seat 1K.
Seat 2A
Cabin shot from row 3.
I love this picture.
We were off the plane by 6h20 and outside the terminal a quarter to seven. Thanks to the World Cup Cape Town airport has been given a substantial facelift, including the rental car section. This is now located opposite the terminal, in a small building. We were lucky to be number 2 to arrive at the Avis desk because soon thereafter the cue would grow rather fast.
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 7, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Feb 7, 2012, 1:25 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
Guesthouse 2inn1
Day 2: Cape Town’s best guesthouse 2inn1 - exploring Table mountain
Deciding where to stay was very easy: this would be our third time back to our favorite guesthouse called 2inn1. I had discovered this little gem through Tripadvisor. It is ranked #1, full of superlatives and no negative reviews at all. This made me a bit doubtful the first time but I was wrong!
It is run by a German couple, Klaus en Christopher, assisted by Steffi and Claire and a local team. The 2inn1 is located in Oranjezicht, a peaceful suburb at the foot of Table mountain, and has 10 rooms and a little pool. What makes this a truly lovely place is the service you receive. They arrange everything for you, ranging from taxi's, to restaurant bookings, suggestions on what to do.... I know this sounds like a normal thing, but their service compares to none other we ever received anywhere else!
The 2Inn1 is an older villa turned into guesthouse.
Outdoor seating area, with view on Table Mountain.
A very yummy salad!
Indoors breakfast area, but luckily weather always permitted us to have breakfast outside.
A standard room. The only difference with luxury rooms is the lack of private balcony, but I don't see the point of this.
Plenty of amenities.
On the website they mention that rooms are only available as of 14h, but we were lucky, the previous guest had left early that morning. So Chirstopher invited us for (another) breakfast whilst the girls would prepare our room. It would be nice to have a shower after a long trip.
By 10h30 we were all set to go, equipped with loads of suncreme and water. First stop? Table Mountain.
Cable car, with very clever rotating floor so everyone can have a window view.
View on the city, Robben Island in the distance.
By noon clouds start forming at the top, wind did make it chilly!
And down again.
Deciding where to stay was very easy: this would be our third time back to our favorite guesthouse called 2inn1. I had discovered this little gem through Tripadvisor. It is ranked #1, full of superlatives and no negative reviews at all. This made me a bit doubtful the first time but I was wrong!
It is run by a German couple, Klaus en Christopher, assisted by Steffi and Claire and a local team. The 2inn1 is located in Oranjezicht, a peaceful suburb at the foot of Table mountain, and has 10 rooms and a little pool. What makes this a truly lovely place is the service you receive. They arrange everything for you, ranging from taxi's, to restaurant bookings, suggestions on what to do.... I know this sounds like a normal thing, but their service compares to none other we ever received anywhere else!
The 2Inn1 is an older villa turned into guesthouse.
Outdoor seating area, with view on Table Mountain.
A very yummy salad!
Indoors breakfast area, but luckily weather always permitted us to have breakfast outside.
A standard room. The only difference with luxury rooms is the lack of private balcony, but I don't see the point of this.
Plenty of amenities.
On the website they mention that rooms are only available as of 14h, but we were lucky, the previous guest had left early that morning. So Chirstopher invited us for (another) breakfast whilst the girls would prepare our room. It would be nice to have a shower after a long trip.
By 10h30 we were all set to go, equipped with loads of suncreme and water. First stop? Table Mountain.
Cable car, with very clever rotating floor so everyone can have a window view.
View on the city, Robben Island in the distance.
By noon clouds start forming at the top, wind did make it chilly!
And down again.
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 7, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Feb 7, 2012, 1:26 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
Cape Point National Park
Day 3: Cape Point national Park
Today we will revisit a beautiful national park: Cape Point. In the past we always took the fast route via Muizenberg, but today we opted for the scenic route via Houtbay (and a toll route as well!). The views were stunning!
Once arrived at the national park, we drove straight to the end. There is a nice walk we wanted to try out: from Cape Point to Cape Good Hope.
Cape Good Hope
Historic lighthouse
Current lighthouse
View from on top of Cape Good Hope.
Our day ended with a wonderful 11-course Gourmand menu at "The Test Kitchen". It is located in the old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, in the suburbs of Cape Town. Luke Dale Roberts is the owner and chef of this very popular restaurant. If you are looking for a truly gastronomic experience at a low price, then this is the place to be! (85€ per person, with wine pairing for 11 courses).
Day 4: Hike up Lion's Head
One of Cape Town's most popular hike's is Lion's Head. We started this hike at 10 in the morning and that was way too late! We should have done this early morning, when the sun was not burning that strongly. But nevertheless, if you are looking for a good workout with very rewarding views then this is the place!
Lion's Head
Almost there...now the serious climbing starts.
Camps's Bay
It's all worth it!
Today we will revisit a beautiful national park: Cape Point. In the past we always took the fast route via Muizenberg, but today we opted for the scenic route via Houtbay (and a toll route as well!). The views were stunning!
Once arrived at the national park, we drove straight to the end. There is a nice walk we wanted to try out: from Cape Point to Cape Good Hope.
Cape Good Hope
Historic lighthouse
Current lighthouse
View from on top of Cape Good Hope.
Our day ended with a wonderful 11-course Gourmand menu at "The Test Kitchen". It is located in the old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, in the suburbs of Cape Town. Luke Dale Roberts is the owner and chef of this very popular restaurant. If you are looking for a truly gastronomic experience at a low price, then this is the place to be! (85€ per person, with wine pairing for 11 courses).
Day 4: Hike up Lion's Head
One of Cape Town's most popular hike's is Lion's Head. We started this hike at 10 in the morning and that was way too late! We should have done this early morning, when the sun was not burning that strongly. But nevertheless, if you are looking for a good workout with very rewarding views then this is the place!
Lion's Head
Almost there...now the serious climbing starts.
Camps's Bay
It's all worth it!
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 7, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Feb 7, 2012, 1:26 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
British Airways World Traveller back to Europe
Day 5: Cape Town - London Heathrow - Brussels
Our three days in Cape Town were over and it was time to go home
. We were booked on the British Airways day flight, leaving at 8am. On previous occasions we always took the evening flight, so hopefully this 11,5 hours flight would not be to boring. Luckily I was able to preselect emergency seats 28J and 28H.
Row 28 is the first economy row and is configured as 2-4-2 instead of 3-4-3. The two pairs of seats on the side have unrestricted legroom and I must say that they even beat the World Traveler Plus seats!
British Airways 42
Cape Town (CPT) - London Heathrow (LHR)
January 29th 02012
Depart: 08h05 (actual 09h00)
Arrive: 17h45 (actual 18h00)
Boeing 747-400 G-BNLI
Seat 28J
We arrived at the airport around 6am. As a BA Silver member I'm entitled to use the business check in counter but they had a rather long cue and almost nobody was waiting at the economy section. Unfortunately the nice lady told us that we would have an hour delay as the aircraft came in late from Heathrow.
I made BA silver after the outbound leg to Cape Town and so I and a guest could use the British airways Terraces lounge. It is a big lounge with comfortable seating and good working internet (although 50mb is rather on the low side if you want to download a newspaper on the iPad). There are shower facilities as well but we did not use them.
The food offering for breakfast was a little on the poor side: muesli, prepacked sandwiches and toast with jam. Luckily we had breakfast here 'cause the one onboard would be rather limited.
Entrance to the Terraces lounge.
Inside the lounge.
Around 7.30am I headed out for walk and see if our plane had arrived yet. In fact it was just taxiing in and a mighty 747 is always a pretty sight
Boarding was announced 45 minutes prior departure, with a strict enforcement of priority boarding. We were happy to board early and have our handlugage above us as most people were not exactly travelling light. By 8.50 am we were welcomed aboard by the captain and informed of a flying time of 11h30. Not long thereafter we were airborne, taking off in southerly direction and then turning around, giving us one last glance at Table Mountain.
Half hour into the flight my husband was offered his diabetic breakfast, mine followed shortly. In the diabetic meal the eggs were replaced by chicken breast and the muffin with rice crackers. My normal breakfast was quite tasty but on the small side. Where are the days when a small croissant used to be included as well? Coffee and tea were offered once, but no second drink round before collecting the meal trays.
Diabetic breakfast
Regular breakfast
What follows is hours of reading, watching movies, enjoying the view and updating this trip report (long live iPad ).
Mighty wing flex!
Four hours into the flight I got hungry and asked if there would be any lunch offered. I was told that dinner would be served 2 hours before landing. Mmm, I was kind of expecting a lunch on an 11h30 flight leaving at 8 in the morning.
Fortunately a snack box would be thrown in our lap halfway through the flight (and yes literally thrown at you). It consisted of a muffin, crackers with Mediterranean spread, walkers biscuit and something chocolate. Fine by me but rather disappointing that there was no healthy diabetic alternative for my husband. No point in asking as the answer was a plain "no" without any initiative. I did raise this as a complaint with BA and was informed that the cold lunchbox does not exist in special meals varieties. I fail to understand why.
With about one and half hours to go we were served dinner. I opted for the chicken variety (the other being beef). It tasted alright. Although the potato salad was not my cup of tea.
It has been raised many times by other people, but the inside of British Airways’ 747 are starting to show their age. Bring on the replacement!
Missing panel after takeoff.
Found it!
Mr. Fix-It works wonders
Conclusion
We had a wonderful little break in Cape Town. Weather was great, views awesome, food delicious and the crew at the 2inn1 were at their best again. Our flying to Cape Town in new First was a real treat, an experience to cherish. The flight back to Europe was quite a contrast. But this what you need to really appreciate the pampering up front.
Our three days in Cape Town were over and it was time to go home
. We were booked on the British Airways day flight, leaving at 8am. On previous occasions we always took the evening flight, so hopefully this 11,5 hours flight would not be to boring. Luckily I was able to preselect emergency seats 28J and 28H.Row 28 is the first economy row and is configured as 2-4-2 instead of 3-4-3. The two pairs of seats on the side have unrestricted legroom and I must say that they even beat the World Traveler Plus seats!
British Airways 42
Cape Town (CPT) - London Heathrow (LHR)
January 29th 02012
Depart: 08h05 (actual 09h00)
Arrive: 17h45 (actual 18h00)
Boeing 747-400 G-BNLI
Seat 28J
We arrived at the airport around 6am. As a BA Silver member I'm entitled to use the business check in counter but they had a rather long cue and almost nobody was waiting at the economy section. Unfortunately the nice lady told us that we would have an hour delay as the aircraft came in late from Heathrow.
I made BA silver after the outbound leg to Cape Town and so I and a guest could use the British airways Terraces lounge. It is a big lounge with comfortable seating and good working internet (although 50mb is rather on the low side if you want to download a newspaper on the iPad). There are shower facilities as well but we did not use them.
The food offering for breakfast was a little on the poor side: muesli, prepacked sandwiches and toast with jam. Luckily we had breakfast here 'cause the one onboard would be rather limited.
Entrance to the Terraces lounge.
Inside the lounge.
Around 7.30am I headed out for walk and see if our plane had arrived yet. In fact it was just taxiing in and a mighty 747 is always a pretty sight
Boarding was announced 45 minutes prior departure, with a strict enforcement of priority boarding. We were happy to board early and have our handlugage above us as most people were not exactly travelling light. By 8.50 am we were welcomed aboard by the captain and informed of a flying time of 11h30. Not long thereafter we were airborne, taking off in southerly direction and then turning around, giving us one last glance at Table Mountain.
Half hour into the flight my husband was offered his diabetic breakfast, mine followed shortly. In the diabetic meal the eggs were replaced by chicken breast and the muffin with rice crackers. My normal breakfast was quite tasty but on the small side. Where are the days when a small croissant used to be included as well? Coffee and tea were offered once, but no second drink round before collecting the meal trays.
Diabetic breakfast
Regular breakfast
What follows is hours of reading, watching movies, enjoying the view and updating this trip report (long live iPad
).Mighty wing flex!
Four hours into the flight I got hungry and asked if there would be any lunch offered. I was told that dinner would be served 2 hours before landing. Mmm, I was kind of expecting a lunch on an 11h30 flight leaving at 8 in the morning.
Fortunately a snack box would be thrown in our lap halfway through the flight (and yes literally thrown at you). It consisted of a muffin, crackers with Mediterranean spread, walkers biscuit and something chocolate. Fine by me but rather disappointing that there was no healthy diabetic alternative for my husband. No point in asking as the answer was a plain "no" without any initiative. I did raise this as a complaint with BA and was informed that the cold lunchbox does not exist in special meals varieties. I fail to understand why.
With about one and half hours to go we were served dinner. I opted for the chicken variety (the other being beef). It tasted alright. Although the potato salad was not my cup of tea.
It has been raised many times by other people, but the inside of British Airways’ 747 are starting to show their age. Bring on the replacement!
Missing panel after takeoff.
Found it!
Mr. Fix-It works wonders
Conclusion
We had a wonderful little break in Cape Town. Weather was great, views awesome, food delicious and the crew at the 2inn1 were at their best again. Our flying to Cape Town in new First was a real treat, an experience to cherish. The flight back to Europe was quite a contrast. But this what you need to really appreciate the pampering up front
.
Last edited by fly_ebos; Feb 7, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Feb 7, 2012, 4:37 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Tulsa, OK
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,264
Bravo! This makes me want to visit Cape Town.
With the right app (and not using the default iphone camera app), you can take gorgeous photos with an Iphone. Here are some examples
http://www.flickr.com/groups/procamera-app/pool/
Did you take all these with your iphone???
http://www.flickr.com/groups/procamera-app/pool/
Feb 7, 2012, 5:17 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,258
Great TR! Cape Town looks absolutely amazing. I will have to find my way down there one of these days. And I must add, your husband is a very lucky guy. If only I could get my girlfriend to do something like this...
Feb 7, 2012, 11:56 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Lon ,(former ABZ + AUH)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Starbucks Gold, CO Op gold
Posts: 160
Great Trip report, you made Capetown look great. Was debating on whether to stay in Joberg or Capetown longer during a week visit to SA, it seems Capetown is definately the obvious choice.
Feb 8, 2012, 12:24 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 218
Thanks everyone for the nice words.
All pictures were taken with lt iPhone 4S, and then brushed up on the iPad with Pixlromatic.
I have not been to Joburg before but heard lots of security issues associated with it. No such issues in Cape Town and there is so much to do, not only in the city but also in the wider area (eg Stellenbosch, West Coast NP, Hermanus)
All pictures were taken with lt iPhone 4S, and then brushed up on the iPad with Pixlromatic.
I have not been to Joburg before but heard lots of security issues associated with it. No such issues in Cape Town and there is so much to do, not only in the city but also in the wider area (eg Stellenbosch, West Coast NP, Hermanus)