A week in Cape Town - BA F to the Southern Hemisphere
May 19, 2019, 4:37 am
#62
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,227
Always enjoy reading your TRs - and this one was certainly no exception!
Cape Town looks like a great destination to try.
Also, kudos for going ahead with your lunch. Did you take any reading material with you? As someone who often travels solo, I find more formal dining can be a challenge between courses and either read stuff on my phone (which I try to avoid) or take a few magazines or even a book with me. Otherwise you can end up staring around the restaurant. Tend not to care so much after an aperitif or two though! What did you do?
Cape Town looks like a great destination to try.
Also, kudos for going ahead with your lunch. Did you take any reading material with you? As someone who often travels solo, I find more formal dining can be a challenge between courses and either read stuff on my phone (which I try to avoid) or take a few magazines or even a book with me. Otherwise you can end up staring around the restaurant. Tend not to care so much after an aperitif or two though! What did you do?
May 19, 2019, 11:48 am
#63
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
Always enjoy reading your TRs - and this one was certainly no exception!
Cape Town looks like a great destination to try.
Also, kudos for going ahead with your lunch. Did you take any reading material with you? As someone who often travels solo, I find more formal dining can be a challenge between courses and either read stuff on my phone (which I try to avoid) or take a few magazines or even a book with me. Otherwise you can end up staring around the restaurant. Tend not to care so much after an aperitif or two though! What did you do?
Cape Town looks like a great destination to try.
Also, kudos for going ahead with your lunch. Did you take any reading material with you? As someone who often travels solo, I find more formal dining can be a challenge between courses and either read stuff on my phone (which I try to avoid) or take a few magazines or even a book with me. Otherwise you can end up staring around the restaurant. Tend not to care so much after an aperitif or two though! What did you do?
I had my phone with me at lunch. I did feel slightly conscious about what I would do not having anyone to chat to. The restaurant had WiFi so I read some news and maybe played a game of Candy Crush (ha!) but mostly just enjoyed the atmosphere of the place
May 20, 2019, 9:26 am
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,146
I have long wanted to fly BA from London down to JNB/CPT if only because it would look good on my map of international flights flown. Sorry to read that BA's meal service can still be so hit or miss, especially with regard to red meats. It is possible to have a nicely cooked fillet inflight - OneWorld partner Cathay Pacific often gets it right. Thanks for the nice pic-tour of Capetown, too. You did it in a style much nicer then I did (hostels back in the day). I look forward to returning (if there's still water 
) ^^
) ^^
May 20, 2019, 3:54 pm
#65
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
BA438, LHR-AMS, G-EUXI, A321
I'd had a great trip to Cape Town. It is fast becoming one of my favourite cities in the world (a close second to San Francisco I think). The food and wine I had were great and we totally lucked out with the weather.
Thanks to everyone for following this TR and for all of the nice comments.
Safe travels!
I'd had a great trip to Cape Town. It is fast becoming one of my favourite cities in the world (a close second to San Francisco I think). The food and wine I had were great and we totally lucked out with the weather.
Thanks to everyone for following this TR and for all of the nice comments.
Safe travels!
May 22, 2019, 5:59 am
#66
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
I have long wanted to fly BA from London down to JNB/CPT if only because it would look good on my map of international flights flown. Sorry to read that BA's meal service can still be so hit or miss, especially with regard to red meats. It is possible to have a nicely cooked fillet inflight - OneWorld partner Cathay Pacific often gets it right. Thanks for the nice pic-tour of Capetown, too. You did it in a style much nicer then I did (hostels back in the day). I look forward to returning (if there's still water ) ^^
) ^^This was a great report - loved reading it. I live in SF, and Cape Town is up there as one of my favorite places on earth (along with Beirut and Hong Kong). Couldn't agree with your opinion more - I keep going back. Took the same fare deal when I went down in January, and did the Garden Route this time. Wilderness, Knysna, and Plettenburg Bay are awesome. Also, next time you should take the day trip to Stellenbosch or Franschhoek, both are absolutely spectacular. La Colombe looks incredible - will make it there next time.
Dec 10, 2019, 5:33 pm
#67
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Malta
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 671
Thanks for a well written and interesting read. read. I see you flew out of T5. I’m curious - I’m flying LHR - CPT next Feb, but we fly from T3. I thought all BA flights were usually from T5 ? I’m a bit puzzled about this.
Dec 11, 2019, 1:48 am
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,140
'Some' BA flights use T3 ... our PHX 747 early this year was one of them. We enjoyed the T3 experience, and it made a change from T5 [and indeed LGW!].
Dec 19, 2019, 2:16 am
#70
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060