We were up early for our 8am African Wood Massage at the spa. The massage itself was uh-mazing! But about 2 minutes into it, I realized it was awfully quite.
No relaxation sounds playing. At first I tried not to think of it, but the more time passed the more I couldn’t ignore it. My ears were sensitive to EVERYTHING! I heard my muscles scream as she pushed out all the knots and stretched them. I could her my masseuse’s stomach gurgle and her phone vibrate. Finally, I had to ask about the sounds. She apologized and went to address it. She came back and resumed the massage, but no audio. By this time, my mind is racing, what happened?? Is it not working?? Is it music that only dogs can here? Every now and then, we would hear a diesel truck go by outside and each time I’d imagine I was in a war scene from M.A.S.H. Finally Cha asked her masseuse about the music (did I mention they booked us for a couples massage session? Hahaha!) my masseuse then shared that the music wasn’t working today. I wanted to ask her to play something on her phone! It was then I realized the importance of every element of ambiance. While my body was in heaven and getting all the kinks worked out, my mind was in agony. When she massaged my scalp it sounded like sandpaper sanding down wood in my brain. I was surprised how much sounds and music impact an experience. Would I do it again, absolutely. But I would ask about the relaxation music immediately and request another room if needed. I discovered that if this girl right here is going to fully relax, she needs the whole package. All of her senses need to be addressed and brought down together.
The whole experience at the reserve was great! The staff was excellent and had offered great customer service. The food was amazing, the buffet offered a wide selection surely to appease any selective diet. The rooms were simple yet comfortable.
I highly recommend the reserve. If you stay, be sure to stay at least two nights for complementary perks: the horseback Safari and access to the spa pools, saunas and locker rooms.
After the massage, we had breakfast, finished packing, checked out and got back on the bus for the 2 hour return trip into the city.
We arrived at our hotel, La Splendida in Cape Town a little after noon and our tour guide was waiting. The weather was warm with a cool breeze, quite refreshing after being at the reserve.
After checking in and grabbing a snack, we headed right back out for a tour of the city.
Camps Bay was our first stop. Sandy beaches and a gorgeous view. The wind was super crazy vicious and almost blew me away!
Then we headed to Table Mountain. It was closed for the day due to the wind so we soaked in the views of the city and coast.
Then we went to Signal Hill, where you can see Robben Island, Table Mountain, more views of the city and where the paragliders run off the hill. Unfortunately it was again too windy for paragliding. I actually wanted to do it, but the wind scared me!
After that, we ventured down to BoKaap. When freedom was given to the slaves, they were also free to decorate and paint their houses as they pleased.
Finally we were off to the diamond store, where we received quick education on diamond, tanzanite and other precious stones I’m not ready to invest in!
After a long day, we made it back to the hotel to settle in. We had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, which is a lively place with amazing food!
#priscillastravels 
So beautiful!