For those who need an extra boost of conditioning power, be warned that Philosophy no longer touts its product as a combo body wash, shampoo and conditioner. I wrote them to inquire about the reason and they replied that it just wasn’t living up to the conditioning claim. So now it’s marketed as a body wash, shampoo and bubble bath. Clever. It’s still better than say, Prell (or dirt), but just know you need to bring a separate creamy rinse.

They’ve got a ton of other delicious, yet sadly inedible flavors as well. Feel free to travel around the world so you can try them all.

“I feel like we’re home again.”

“Me too,” he agrees.

The feeling that I am coming home to South Africa was not something I ever expected. Me being American and all. But here I was in Cape Town heading back to the Cape Heritage Hotel with the same contented excitement usually reserved for a trip back to my parents’ house in Ohio.

It was my second visit. And only a week since my first. This second stay was to only be one night as we were returning from a week in Namibia and set to fly back to San Francisco the following day.

As our cab pulled up to the familiar façade of Heritage Square, we were greeted with genuine smiles and inquiries regarding our trip-within-a-trip. The staff we’d grown so fond of during our previous 10-day stay was there to welcome us back and show us to our suite (a complimentary upgrade, no less). A cozy living room led into the spacious bedroom, which led into the modern bath, each room containing its fair share of strewn rose petals. It is thoughtful little touches like these that set boutique hotels apart and make for fond memories and glowing recommendations. (fledgling hoteliers take note!)

The charm and details leftover from the gunsmiths and bakers and undertakers of the 1780s who once occupied the spaces in Heritage Square don’t hurt either. The Cape Heritage Hotel is the perfect blend of history and modernity. The yellowwood and burnished hardwood floorboards groan under your weight, while the bathrooms gleam. Showers separated from the tubs (as it should be). Water pressure surging as you gaze out the modest wood-framed windows held open with blacksmith’s hardware. In fact, no shower in my life ever felt as sumptuous as the first I took upon our arrival after over 20 hours of flying from San Francisco. Thoroughly lagged, I stood under stream wondering if the gauzy, hazy dream world could be real. Three days later, when I finally recovered, I blinked a few times and looked around again and discovered it was!

If the unique, timeworn building and emphasis on historical restoration aren’t enough, then the service will make you go fetal. The owner, Nick engages you upon check-in before putting you in the capable hands of Sam, who takes care of you like family. The rest of the staff is personable, thoughtful and so attentive that after my first night there as I sheepishly descended the stairs for an afternoon debut, the staff laughed at me and said, “We were giving you until 1 o’clock before we came and woke you.” I ask you, in what kind of chain hotel would they have known I was even staying there, much less trapped against my will in the deep sleep of jet lag?

It’s easy to feel lost and alone on the other side of the world, even in a place as beautiful as Cape Town. But the Cape Heritage Hotel truly steps up to remedy that. Originally it was Travel Boyfriend’s work that brought us here, but it is the feeling of home that will bring us back.

Some of the highlights you’ll discover should you have the privilege of being a guest at the Cape Heritage Hotel:

-Nick and especially Sam and basically any and all staff-members (they are ALL delightful)

-Delicious breakfasts featuring croissants and eggs and cheeses and fruit and oatmeal and basically anything you’d care for

-Insightful recommendations for restaurants and tour guides

-Two sitting areas with fires a-crackling and free beer and soft drinks

-Staff waiting by the door with an umbrella to lead you in from the rain

-Fork distance away from Savoy Cabbage, Simply Asia, Africa Cafe, Caveau, and Porcini restaurants

-Crisp clean sheets and fluffy comforters to encase you nightly like a breakfast burrito

-Bottles of complex white and red South African wine set out in your room (a small extra charge, but convenient nonetheless)

-Home to the oldest living grape vine in South Africa, planted in 1781

-Skeleton keys (my all-time favorite kind of key!)

Travel Betty Basics

Cape Heritage Hotel
Heritage Square, Cape Town
Standard, Luxury and Suites available
from $120-$320
(if you’ll be staying for awhile, ask if a discount is available)

It might seem sacrilegious to watch TV on the road, but you’d be surprised how often it comes in handy. When you’ve been sightseeing from 9-5 and your belly is full of dinner and maybe even a few drinks and you just feel like kicking back, but can’t stomach anymore Thai MTV, sometimes the only thing you want to do is watch something familiar from home.

When we went to South Africa and Namibia, we brought the entire first and second seasons of Deadwood. I’d never seen the show before, but I was instantly obsessed. It didn’t hurt that our room at the Cape Heritage Hotel was old and historic with lots of wood and charm. It made us feel like we were right there in Deadwood, swearing and fucking around with the hookers.

In Egypt, we stuck with the idea of bringing a series with us. And since they still haven’t written a show called Egypt, we decided on Rome. The best part was Caesar coming to Alexandria near the end of the first season. Not long after we finished watching Season One, we made a trip to Dendera where we saw the only known carvings of Cleopatra and her son Caesarian. Life imitating art imitating TV imitating life, perhaps?

For the long desert car rides, I actually spent a great deal of time just staring out the window watching the scenery go by and waving at children (they LOVE to wave in Egypt). It’s great because you never know what kinds of life snippets you might catch. Donkey carts piled high with sugar cane awaiting their turns outside of a sugar factory. A man swatting a little boy on the back of the head for no good reason. Women walking arm and arm wearing colorful hijabs on their way to the market. My most disturbing sight though was when we were on our way to the Dashur and Saqqara pyramid groupings and I found myself staring directly into the decaying anus of a horse left to rot in the canal running along the side of the road. Ew! And you know that not 30 seconds later, I saw someone sticking a bucket down in the very same canal for what I assume would soon be drinking water. That’s when it’s good to have something else to look at.

Right before my trip I splurged and bought a video iPod. I felt guilty at the time, but not for too long because it ended up really coming in handy. Besides being able to access music and shows, I was able to upload a bunch of my photographs to save space on my CF card. Mostly though, I used it to watch one of my favorite shows, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.

(Season One is now available for download)


I’m sorry, I love to travel and even when I’m traveling I can’t help dreaming about traveling some more. In fact, when Travel Boyfriend proposed in Luxor, my first thought was, “Awesome! Where are we going to honeymoon?!” Of course, he pointed out that we were already on vacation and maybe we could hold off on that decision until we at least got back home. I didn’t really see his point.

Travel Betty Banter

So what kind of entertainment do you bring when you travel? Are there certain places where you like watching certain things? Madagascarin Madagascar? Lostin the South Pacific? Clue us in to some of your favorites in the comments section.