Travel + Leisure

TRAVEL + LEISURE / MARCH 2016

COURTESY OF BOBBI BROWN: ASHISH CHAWLA; COURTESY OF BACKROADS; ASHISH CHAWLA

TRAVEL DIARY

My African Diary

Make-up maestro BOBBI BROWN tells us the most marvellous

way to see Botswana and South Africa. In this exclusive

excerpt from her journal, you’ll find game reserves, views,

national parks, and much more.

I TRAVELLED TO South Africa

and Botswana for a 12-day trip

with my extended family. All

together, we were 14 travellers

including my husband and

three sons. It’s always been

my dream to go on safari,

and the one I took did not

disappoint. We travelled with

a company called BackRoads

on a multisport adventure so

every day there was a sport

component to the trip—hiking,

biking, etc. It was the perfect

trip to stay active, catch up

with my family, explore and

get inspired.

Day 1

It was my fi rst trip to South

Africa so I couldn’t leave

without visiting my local

artists. The energy and

openness of each makeup

artist was incredible. A couple

of hours after landing, I

showed up to meet my team.

‘Enthusiastic, happy, and loud’

is the best description I can

think of for the greeting

I received.

Day 2

We started the trip in

Cape Town with a visit to

Table Mountain that off ers

stunning views of a city and

its surrounding landscape

before hiking through a forest.

While enjoying a picnic in

a lush botanical garden we

saw some of the most exotic

fl owers from the region. We

spent the night at Constantia

and The Cellars-Hohenorts, a

historic manor house located

in the vineyards of Cape Town

and off ering glorious views

of the Table Mountain. We

had a delicious dinner at the

Greenhouse Restaurant that

serves a seasonal menu using

local produce.

Day 3

We shuttled over to Cape Point

for a walk along the cliff s. On

reaching Cape Point, one of

the highest sea cliff s in the

world at more than 800 feet,

I could feel what is said to be

the freshest air—straight from

Antarctica. Impressive views of

the lighthouse and sea greeted

us and we even spotted a

couple of whales and penguins

in the ocean. A biking trip in

Table Mountain National Park,

along a beautiful road that

follows the sea, was a beautiful

experience. That night we had

the pleasure of dining with a

man who had spent time at

the Robben Island prison with

Nelson Mandela.

Day 4 and 5

We travelled four hours by car

to Bushmans Kloof Reserve &

Retreat, a wilderness reserve

in the Western Cape. The hotel

was set in a desert-like plain

and had great views of the river

and dramatic rock formations.

During the day, we went out on

safari where we saw plenty of

animals—elephants, leopards,

and lions. I have to admit, it

took me a few days to get used

to having the animals

right in front of me—as if

they were looking straight into

my eyes. It was unbelievable.

We saw a cheetah catch an

impala while a leopard waited

patiently to steel his catch. That

evening, we enjoyed a wine

tasting of local wines at the

hotel before dinner. The food

was deliciously fresh, made

from organic produce from the

hotel’s garden.

Bobbi Brown; a

panoramic view

of Cape Town;

coming

face-to-face

with a cheetah;

Robben Island

museum.