Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome to the Z Michelson Travel Podcast, where every journey is a story waiting to be told. I'm your host, z Michelson, and I'm so excited to take you on a ride through the world's most incredible destinations, hidden gems and unforgettable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting to plan your next getaway, you're in the right place. Each episode, we'll be diving into everything from must-see landmarks to off-the-beaten-path treasures, speaking with locals and travel experts and sharing stories that will inspire your next adventure. So sit back, relax and let's wander the world together, one destination at a time. Are you ready? Let's get started. Hey, this is Zee Michelson here with you and I am with P. Michelle was with me not too long ago.

Speaker 2: 0:56

We were talking about her lovely book. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere how to Host an Elegant Cocktail Party. But not only is she an author.

Speaker 1: 1:03

She is a travel advisor, she's a travel extraordinaire, and one of the places she goes to I know very little about it's South Africa. So, p Michelle, talk to me, you've got a tour coming up in.

Speaker 2: 1:17

April of 2026? I do April the 3rd and the 12th, 2026. Okay, and you go to Cape Town and Eastern Cape Town, not Eastern Cape Town. It's just called Eastern Cape, eastern Cape, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1: 1:30

And it's a nine day, so talk to me about talk to me about South Africa.

Speaker 2: 1:33

A lot of people are talking about Africa where to go, how to go. A lot of people don't realize you know North Africa, south Africa, east to West, all different communities and all different things that you can see. Even the animals are different there, absolutely. So tell me about this. So South Africa is beautiful, it's just everyone that's been there. If you ask them about it, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is it's a beautiful, beautiful country and the tour. I go to South Africa a lot because, first of all, you need no visa and no immunization. No visa and no immunizations in South Africa.

Speaker 1: 2:10

In.

Speaker 2: 2:10

South Africa, absolutely. And the itinerary that we put together because I had some people come back. We all came back in May of this year. They loved it, but I wanted to do something a little different on my next tour. So the next tour we're going to do six nights in Cape Town and three nights in Eastern Cape.

Speaker 2: 2:32

Okay, let's talk about the six nights in Cape Town. What can somebody expect when they go to Cape Town? Oh my gosh, you're going to expect wonderful food. Okay, culture Safari type we're going to a game safari. Wonderful winelands they have wonderful wine.

Speaker 1: 2:50

South.

Speaker 2: 2:50

African wine. You don't think wine when you think Africa. They have beautiful winelands, beautiful wineland, and we're also going to the very tip of Africa, which is called Cape Point. Cape Point, and it's the very tip of Africa. Now, what's in Cape Point? Just the tip of Africa. You know, right at that very tip, on the bottom, that's where we're headed.

Speaker 2: 3:12

So it's right by the water. Yes, it's right by the water. So then you go in there. That's going to be the first six nights. Cape Town. Now, where do you stay? We stay at a cute little boutique hotel. Where do you stay? We stay at a cute little boutique hotel oh, boutique hotel, right near Bocap. Bocap is an area, but, by the matter of fact, we're taking a culinary class in Bocap. It's within walking distance of the boutique hotel. Some of the things we're going to do is we're going to go to Robbins Island, which was the place that Nelson Mandela was held in prison for 27 years. Oh, I'm figuring it's a vicious game. We're going to get some history in there. We're also going to take the cable car and ride it down Table Mountain. Oh, wow, yeah. So that'll be fun.

Speaker 2: 3:53

Now you say Table Mountain, I'm assuming it looks like a tabletop. It's on the mountain. I'm not sure why they call it Table Mountain, but it is fun to ride the cable car down. You're going to be doing that and this is all part of this tour that you're putting together. Yeah, it's all. The tour is all. Everything is included. We're also going to do the game park, the Aquila Game Reserve, which is a safari game drive. A lot of people ask what kind of animals can we expect to see on it? Elephants, lions, all types of animals. We just don't know what we're going to see. Oh, it's been there.

Speaker 2: 4:28

Yeah, that's what's there, because I know in certain parts of Africa you can see the gorillas, but that's not down in South Africa, that's on the northeastern quadrant or northwestern quadrant.

Speaker 1: 4:39

But you're able to see that all within the six days, and do you stay at the one hotel for the six days?

Speaker 2: 4:45

Yeah, the same hotel. We're also going to take a culinary class, as I mentioned, and we're going to go to the Green Market. The Green Market is a historic square, okay, and it's historic because it was the location of what they call the Purple Rain protest during apartheid. Wow, and now why do they call it the Purple Rain?

Speaker 2: 5:07

Because the government was shooting purple dye on the protesters and it was raining down on it, so they were shooting that at the protesters, and now they've turned it into a beautiful market where you can buy all types of goods there, so it's very popular. That's nice and it's called the Green Market Square.

Speaker 1: 5:28

The.

Speaker 2: 5:29

Green Market Square, and it's all part of the first six day, yes, and then finally, of course, we talked about the Point Cape or Cape Point. We're going to do that and then we're going to do. Believe it or not, people don't realize that Africa, at least South Africa, has penguins.

Speaker 1: 5:45

Right, you're very close to the end of the earth there, so we're going to be prone.

Speaker 2: 5:50

Yeah, we're going to go over to the penguin colony, penguin colony and that's all in the first six days. That's the first six days. Wow, so you get the penguins. You're getting a cooking class. You've been there a couple of times. Have you gone to a cooking class down there?

Speaker 1: 6:05

No, this will be my first cooking class.

Speaker 2: 6:07

I've been wanting it. Every time we go, I say I'm going to do a cooking class and end up doing something else, but this time I've built it into the tour. Fabulous, you're experiencing the food, you're experiencing the culture, you're experiencing the history of the area. You're staying in a beautiful boutique hotel. It is gorgeous, which is nice. What size group will this be? So I never take more than 12. 12 people 12 is a good number for a small group. Now, if somebody's interested in talking to you about this tour and getting on board, how would they contact you? Delight email, which is travel at btgetawayscom. So travel at B as in boy, t as in Thomas, the word getawayscom. Okay, so that would be something that they can actually go to your site and say hey, I want to go on this. Yeah, my website is btgetawayscom.

Speaker 1: 7:02

btgetawayscom is that website the?

Speaker 2: 7:04

name of the agency is Barefoot Treasures Getaways, but we shortened it btgetaways. So this tour includes your round-trip airport transfers when you arrive into Cape Town, cape transfers. It includes your six nights at the boutique hotel. It includes several well breakfast each morning, but several lunches and dinners are included. Okay, it also includes your flight over to Eastern Cape, so you'll be flying over to.

Speaker 1: 7:34

Eastern Cape. From to the United States.

Speaker 2: 7:36

to the Eastern Cape no no, no, so you'll fly into Cape Town Right that's the bear's responsibility. Well, you'll fly into Cape Town and then you'll fly from Cape Town over to the Eastern Cape, which is about an hour and a half flight. So you're including that in particular leg of the journey in the travel kit. Now how would they get from here in the United States over there? Do you plan airfare for them as well? I can help with that, but a lot of people use a frequent flyer mile.

Speaker 2: 8:08

So I kind of leave it up to the individual how they want to fly over. I did give them some information. Delta has nonstop flight out of Atlanta but, like I said, a lot of people have frequent flyer miles.

Speaker 1: 8:21

Where are they?

Speaker 2: 8:22

flying into. We're flying into Cape Town, into Cape Town. So as soon as you arrive in Cape Town, we are there greeting you, picking you up, bringing you to the hotel. All the entry fees are included, all the transportation is included while you're in Cape Town. Okay, then we leave Cape Town on the seventh day and we fly over to the Eastern Cape. Yeah, okay, now that's a three-day tour, that's a three-night tour.

Speaker 2: 8:48

Okay three-night tour. Now what are we going to be doing over there? So this is now getting into the real, real culture. This is really nice. We will be having dinner with a renowned chef, wanzang I can never pronounce her name. We will be having dinner with a renowned chef, oneza I can never pronounce her name, but she does traditional Cape Fusion cuisine. We'll go over to, we'll take some scenic drives and go down to Coffee Bay, which Coffee Bay is the home of what is called the Hole in the Wall. It's a photography opportunity, photo opportunity. I went to the Hole in the Wall. I went to the Hole in the wall. It's a photography opportunity, photo opportunity.

Speaker 2: 9:20

So I went to the hole in the wall. I went to the hole in the wall and then we'll be able to connect with some local villagers, some artisans. We will have a jazz private or semi-private jazz performance by the acclaimed artist MXO.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Wow.

Speaker 2: 9:36

So he travels all over the world and does shows all over the world. So he's in South Africa. He's very well known in South Africa and, a matter of fact, all over Africa.

Speaker 1: 9:46

Right.

Speaker 2: 9:46

And then also we're going to have dinner by what they call the local mama, the local mama, the local mamas. But not only are we going to have dinner with them, but they're also going to create a theatrical performance under the stars who are released. So that'll be nice also. So this is very cultural entertainment all mixed together, because you're going to have a music venue, you're going to have, you know, the mamas.

Speaker 1: 10:11

The mamas.

Speaker 2: 10:13

They're going to be doing something there. They're also going to be entertaining. Now you, Britton, mentioned Cape Fusion food. Do you know what that is? It's a mixture of all the foods. Cape Town is a mixture of African food, Muslim-type food, Indian food, so it's just a complete mixture.

Speaker 1: 10:33

Sounds yummy.

Speaker 2: 10:34

Yeah, so it's going to be all these different types of cuisines. Now again, because you're going over to Eastern Cape. Still no visa. No visa because it's still Cape Town. Oh, considered Cape Town.

Speaker 1: 10:45

Yeah, it's still. I mean it's still in South Africa.

Speaker 2: 10:48

So the whole of South Africa is no visas and no immunizations. Now, what else are you going to be doing there? You're going to be there for three nights. Damn, we're going to travel. We'll have dinner the first night. Well, actually, the second night we'll have dinner by the sea, with cocktail.

Speaker 1: 11:04

And this is all included in the.

Speaker 2: 11:05

All this is included. When we're in the Eastern Cape, we will be doing breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

Speaker 1: 11:11

Wow, for those three days.

Speaker 2: 11:14

Is that more of a rural area? It is. It's more of a rural area. We're coming out of the city, going more into the rural, more into the authentic South Africa. Now a lot of people, beautiful, absolutely beautiful. You have to worry about your safety, no, but that's a good thing.

Speaker 2: 11:30

Yeah, it's rural, it's a very small area. Most people have never even heard of Eastern Cape Right, very quiet, but yet there's a lot going on there, you know. And where are they staying? At the East? So we'll be staying at a bed and breakfast. So you're going to be staying at a B&B. We'll be staying at a B&B when we're there, and yeah, that's pretty much it, and then the tour is over with at that point, and then we'll fly back to Cape Town Airport, right, because that's where they're going to fly in, and then we and they will leave to go on back to the United States.

Speaker 2: 12:01

So basically, everything from the time they get to Cape Town, it's pretty much included, unless they're doing some shopping Right, or they might want to go to. If dinner's not included that day, they might want to go somewhere. Now, are you going to be the tour guide on it? I'm one of them. I'm going to be the escort. We have a tour guide. I'm going to be the escort, so I'm going to the whole tour. Everyone is English speaking. Great, they're first aid certified. Good, they're licensed and bonded and insured.

Speaker 2: 12:33

So very much taking care of all the bad guys. That's what people want to know. You think of Afritha or wild animals? Am I going to get eaten by a lion? They want to know that they're going to be safe. They want to know that and they want to know where they're going to be safe. They want to know that and they want to know where they're going to stay. Now, would they be able to see this on your website? They will not, but they will be able to see, because I haven't uploaded it, but they will be able to see it when they join again the email. When they join my email, we'll send out information by email, and the email again is Scrabble at btgetawayscom. Okay, so the best thing for them to do is join the email.

Speaker 2: 13:13

Join the email To get on the email and then you can send them information. If they have more questions, you can answer the questions for them.

Speaker 1: 13:22

I'm sure a lot of people want to do this, but they probably have a lot more questions Like where are we going, what are we going, what are we staying at?

Speaker 2: 13:27

Oh yeah, I have it all detailed for her. You know, remember. See, this is not my first time. I've done this several times. Right Now, this is the first time going to Eastern Cape, so I'm excited about this. So this is your first time going to Eastern Cape those three nights, but I know about it as a matter of fact, MX the artist. He did a beautiful, beautiful video over in Eastern Cape and it was gorgeous. It was just gorgeous and I thought they were on a hill and it was just beautiful.

Speaker 1: 13:54

It was beautiful.

Speaker 2: 13:55

And I've heard sayings from people how pretty Eastern Cape is Really.

Speaker 1: 14:00

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:00

So how many times have you been to South Africa? Three, three times, yeah three times.

Speaker 2: 14:05

You're trying to know your way around a little bit over there, pretty much, so I mean, I couldn't drive you anywhere because I've always riddled with beer but I don't even know some of it. We'll go to the VA waterfront, which is an area that has a lot of shops and hotels and so forth like that. So we're going to have a lot of fun. So, going in April of next year. How should they dress? What should they bring? So it'll still be summer. You're ready to go into the wintertime? You want to dress comfortably?

Speaker 2: 14:35

I can't even get the word out.

Speaker 1: 14:36

Should they do layers.

Speaker 2: 14:37

Does it get a little chillier at night? Yeah, it does A little bit, but not too bad during that time, but they do want to go and dress in layers. And there's something I want to mention when we're in I'm not sure if we're going to do it in Cape Town when we're at the boutique hotel, or if we're going to do it in the Winelands they're going to do what is called a dry. What is that? It's like a barbecue, but they roast a whole lamb, oh, a whole lamb.

Speaker 2: 15:04

Yeah, okay, kind of like with the Hawaiian stew with the pig. Yeah, it's a whole lamb, and then they have all the condiments and all the other food that goes with it.

Speaker 1: 15:11

That sounds yummy too.

Speaker 2: 15:12

Yeah, it is so good.

Speaker 2: 15:13

And that's going to be also on this trip. Yes, but you don't know which day yet. Don't know which day, and I don't know if they're going to do it at the boutique hotel. Right, but the time before we did it at the boutique hotel, but this last I keep saying last year, but it was just in May, was it? I don't know Time we did it at the Winelands, castile. Yeah, they were at the Winelands. And again, how many people do you say usually come on these trips? Well, no more than 12.

Speaker 1: 15:43

No more than 12. Yeah, 12 is a nice amount.

Speaker 2: 15:45

And everybody gets to know everybody and they all kind of enjoy themselves and you become one big family by the end of the trip. I've been on tours where they had 20-plus people and it just was not enjoyable. It felt like we were being herded and this way we can give personal attention because it's only 12 people, so they can get personal attention if they're having any issues or they're wanting some information, you know. And then we can always kind of change up. If we're there and we find out about something exciting we'd like to go still, you know. So it's not set. We are going to do what's in the itinerary, right, but there'll be other things that might just pop up, right, and we're like, oh, that's today, yeah, we definitely want to go with that. So we'll go and do them Right, because you've had like a small group and then it makes it much easier and when you're doing all of this, I'm assuming because you're going to certain places that need tickets to get in or something like that.

Speaker 1: 16:44

It's all covered?

Speaker 2: 16:45

Yeah, it's all covered. Once they arrive, they're pretty much set, okay, bt Getter Wave is doing this all for you, which is fabulous. So anything else that we would need to know about this trip Make sure you have a valid passport.

Speaker 2: 16:59

That's the one A valid passport with at least six months left on the validity of that and good walking shoes, because we're going to be walking, you know, so you want to make sure you have good walking shoes While we're there. I'm sure you'll shop, or people will shop we always do and buy clothes and items, so definitely the rate of exchange is very good in South Africa.

Speaker 1: 17:21

Really what?

Speaker 2: 17:22

I don't know what it is you know, because it changes. But, what's their currency called it? It is you know, because it changes. But what's their currency called? It's called the.

Speaker 1: 17:32

ZAR. The ZAR, I think it's pronounced it. I never Really, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2: 17:34

So that's their currency? Yeah, I just use my credit card, so it's fine, but the exchange is still very good. And I've said that to say you're going to want an extra suitcase and you can purchase one there. Because you're going to pick up so much stuff, because you're going to be surprised People are going to be surprised how inexpensive things are. And you just start picking things and then when you go to the Winelands oh yeah, you know, I didn't bring back but a couple. I'm not a big drinker, believe it or not. I brought back a couple of bottles, but one of the couples with us brought back like six bottles of wine. So yeah, very nice, very nice. So again, dress comfortably. It's going to be summer at that time frame which you're looking at April of 2027.

Speaker 2: 18:19

But it's the summer, but going into winter. So it'll be like the season's changing.

Speaker 1: 18:24

You know a little bit, so you basically want to dress comfortably. You know. Dress in layers.

Speaker 2: 18:30

You might want to bring that sweater or a windbreaker what's the name? Does it rain a lot over there? Not during that time, not during that time. So you might want to do that. But comfortable shoes. I'm a stickler about passports, so make sure you have at least six months on your passport, make sure you have that passport. But there's no visa and no immunizations required, which is good. You're going to do six nights at Cape Town and three nights in Eastern Cape.

Speaker 1: 18:54

Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 18:55

And it sounds like a fun, fun time for everybody. Again, p Michelle, thank you for joining me on this adventure to South Africa, and we're going to probably talk to you when you get back to see how it was. Thank you, yes, we'd love that. Talk to you, mays, when you get back to see how it was. Thank you, yes, we'd love that. Thank you so much, c.

Speaker 1: 19:11

Well, that's it for today's episode of the Zine Michelson Travel Podcast. I hope you enjoyed our journey and found some new inspiration for your next adventure. Remember, the world is full of stories and sometimes all it takes is a plane ticket to start your own adventure. If you loved today's episode, be sure to tune in every week and don't forget to share your favorite travel moments with me on social media. I'd really love to hear about where you're headed to next. So until next time, keep exploring, keep discovering and, as always, keep traveling with your heart wide open. I'm Zee Michelson and I'll see you on the next adventure.