You know, it’s funny: we don’t bat an eye at the prospect of going to Sydney, but for some reason, South Africa seems a “long haul,” even though it is much closer. It’s also a lot more gay-friendly: we’ve been able to marry, adopt, and serve in the military there since the 90s.
I recently visited South Africa for it’s Pride season (Cape Town and Johannesburg constantly tussle for who has the biggest; I went to both), but let’s face it — a 12-hour Miami-to-Cape Town flight would count as long in anybody’s book. Even if the rest of your South African sojourn is on the cheap, the actual “to and from” part is best done in business class. And that is where South African Airways (SAA) steps in.
The flag carrier of South Africa, SAA is keenly aware that once you get on one of their planes, you are stuck on it for hours on end, and so makes a concerted effort to give the best welcome (or good-bye) possible. The hard work shows; Skytrax, the go-to rating agency for the airline industry, gives SAA an enviable 4-star rating for its business class service.
I gotta give credit where credit is due. Spacious even by business class standards, the cabin, whose cobalt-and-powder-blue color scheme can pacify even the most flight-frazzled nerves, is no more cramped than a typical restaurant, and the seats are all but thrones that recline into fully flat beds six feet long and little over 20 inches wide. (nothing like sleeping through a flight to make it whiz by). The massage option was a nice touch, and while watching Wreck-It Ralph on the in-flight TV, I noticed one of the stations gives tips on how to keep your joints from stiffening up. Again, a thoughtful gesture for long-hauls.
And speaking of restaurants, the menu, studded with gems like Long Island duck, seared beef, and panna cotta, are made to impress, but what fliers should really pay attention to are the wines. Any trip to South Africa is not complete without a swing, and swig, through a winery; the country is a one of the world’s great wine producers. The SAA wine list is, I found out, a point of pride and an excellent introduction to what awaits on the ground. The award-winning Stellenrust and Sutherland wineries handled the whites, while Simonsig and Spier, each revered among South Africa’s wine lovers, served up the reds.
I’ve known for a long time that South Africa is worth the trip. But what delighted me was that the trip itself was worth it, too. Steele Luxury Travel can organize a luxurious trip for you to South Africa, and provide the best airfares with South African Airways. For more information, visit www.steeletravel.com/southafrica.
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