ROBYN HODSON in TRUFFLE PIG’S THE SOUNDER:
Whilst snuffling in my favourite city, Cape Town, I came across two great boutique companies, both run by dynamic women whose job it is to make it all about you … Marion Ellis, owner of Cape Insights, runs tours for visitors who crave specialist knowledge and who want to indulge their intellects, passions and quirks.
If she’s not taking the tours herself, Marion has a portfolio of cellar masters, food editors, earth scientists, historians and archaeologists to draw upon.
One of my favourites is her Craft Art Tour which is a fabulous day out visiting niche cottage industry businesses, meeting cutting edge artists and seeing showcase galleries which you’d otherwise never know about.
And, all-importantly, she has a wicked foodie side. With a history in the restaurant industry, she’s owned one of Cape Town’s most legendary restaurants … so she knows her jus from her roux. You’ll want to get in on that tour.
When it all becomes too much, there’s a lazy lunch to look forward to in any of the achingly trendy/picturesque /remote spots she can conjure out of her little black book” …
Robyn also writes for Just The Planet, a luxury, on-line travel magazine for independent travellers