Okay I am finally posting. Been going like a freight train and just no time.

Botswana we spend four days and stayed at the best camps available. I will email those interested when I return. Loved it in certain ways but disappointed in others. These are definitely the best camps to stay at if you visit Botswana.

Savute Elephant camp they have a watering hole immediately in front of the main lodge and the elephants were constantly there. This is a distance of only about 10 yards from the raised deck. Is was memerizing. At night they have the light on the watering hole and you eat dinner while watching the elephants. Unbelievable!!!

Had a few traumas getting to Cape Town and was afraid I was not going to make it in time. Lesson learned. The last flight to Cape Town is at 6.45 pm - miss that and you dont get in until the late the next morning. We went standby and got on the plane.

Birkenhead House. I have visited twice before but not stayed there. This time I got the whole ambiance of Birkenhead House. As Dreps will tell you it is a magical place. It took them two hours to set our dining room tables, complete with tons of candles and rose petals. The attention to detail is amazing. It is a very romantic place. Never seen a hotel use so many candles. I had to drag everyone out of there, it is hard to leave, reminds me of leaving Singita, not something we wanted to do.

In fact if the waitlists dont clear I strongly suggest that we consider doing a two night program at Birkenhead House between the two other groups. I will figure it all out so that the people dont miss the wine tour or the Cape Point tour. Really it is not that big a difference from the other options. To miss this place is really a shame. Almost everyone said it was among the most wonderful places that they had ever stayed at. I agree.

Option one currently offered: You stay one night Cape Town - two nights Birkenhead and four nights Cape Town.

Proposed Option: You stay two nights Cape Town (arrival night and one day) and then to Birkenhead House - then to Cape Town for two nights. You actually do not change hotels any more than you do on any of the other options.

The rooms are all outstanding, the hotel is gorgeous, the staff very accommodating, the food is good and they have a lot of complimentary wines offered. Breakfast this morning on the terrace was so memorable. The cliff pathway is stunning. The wine tour is short and delightful. The shark trip ---- WOW.

We had perfect weather and of course this added to the whole experience if it had been raining and rough on the water it may not have been the same but it was a trip I will never forget.

Now we are at the Radisson Hotel. I checked out the Victoria and Alfred hotel today. Still a little undecided. The V&A has such a great location and it is such a hassle to have to get the shuttle van to the waterfront that only holds 7 and runs every hour. Being IN the waterfront is so much easier. I pictured all 60 plus people trying to get to Baia at the same time!!! Taxis are only $5 each way and it may be the easiest way to go. Two buses for a 3 minute ride would be cost prohibitive.

The rooms are nice nothing wrong with the rooms. However, no lobby area to speak of, a small bar, no gym, no swimming pool. It is really just a hotel with a tiny lobby, rooms and a restaurant.

The Radisson Ocean view business rooms are great. LARGE (bigger than Cape Grace) and looking at the Ocean is just so nice. The lobby is lovely the restaurant is excellent and the breakfast buffet outstanding.

I think it is better to pay a $10 round trip taxi ride and staying at the Radisson.

I added a last minute tour to Table Mountain this afternoon as it was such a beautiful day. Unfortunately it was rushed as the van had to do another booking and by the time they got up and back only had about 30 minutes at the top. But at least they got to go up. I suggested taxis but I think it was just so much easier to go as a group. If they hit another good day on their day at leisure those that want to can go back.

I ate at Baia tonight with four others. Oh I do love this place too. Coming back tomorrow with the group. It is a consistently outstanding restaurant. I had the big shellfish platter and lobster bisque.

Tomorrow we do the wine tour and are promised another beautiful day. So far the weather has been absolutely perfect. We added on a visit to a Cheetah facility that is close to the wineries. Be interesting to see, you can pat the cheetahs for a price I hear.

Be back later.