Luxury Travels with Guest Blogger Koketso Chipane - "My Euro '17 Rendezvous"

King Gina’s Luxury Travel Journals are about highlighting how young Africans travel the continent and the world. We caught up with Koketso Chipane after her Euro ’17 Rendezvous and asked her to document her trip for our readers… Luxury Living all the way. Enjoy Europe through her eyes.

Name:

Koketso Chipane

Age:

28

City:

Pretoria

Occupation:

Associate Market Risk Analyst at The South African Reserve Bank

Business Interests:

Beauty/fashion, design and Art

Favourite Luxury Brand:

Chanel and Celine.

Luxury Leisure Activities:

I enjoy attending fashion shows, champagne festivals and I love fine dining. I'm always discovering new restaurants to try out and enjoy exclusive, intimate spaces. Being a jazz and art lover, I visit art galleries and attend art events religiously, as well as enjoy jazz events and clubs such as The Orbit, home of Jazz in Braamfontein.

What does African Luxury mean to you?
For many decades we have supported international luxury and fashion brands without embracing and cultivating the talent that we have here at home. Of late, we have seen more and more designers (fashion, art, interior) coming up and showcasing their work. They are not only outstanding locally, but some are well-known internationally as well. I think we need to start supporting African luxury and local talent; more so that we can be placed on the map as a global fashion hub one day.

Which African luxury brands do you support and why?
Maxhosa. This is a Xhosa inspired knitwear brand founded by Laduma Ngxokolo. I love his clothes because they are African culture inspired, comfortable and colourful. I feel and look vibrant whenever I wear Maxhosa. The garments are absolutely gorgeous and authentic.

Being a tea lover, I discovered Yswara some time back. Yswara is an African brand specializing in luxury African tea and lifestyle. The tea is grown in the finest African estates and I love them because they are fragrant, delicious and home-grown. The packaging is absolutely beautiful and creates a beautiful display at home.

My Euro'17 Rendezvous as told by Koketso Chipane

London

London is ALWAYS amazing. I had to quickly adjust to the hot weather as soon as I got there. European Summer is great though! Everyone is out and about; there are plenty of bars and restaurants to try. You will never run out of things to do in London.

My first day started with a light lunch in Primrose hill with a friend at a lovely quaint spot called Greenberry café. They have a lovely brunch menu and the most delicious Mimosas. The lovely lunch was followed by the first day of shopping. London allows you to shop forever and with the late sunset and ease of getting around, shopping was an everyday experience. My favourite shopping spot is, of course, Selfridges. Selfridges is your one stop high-end fashion house, where you can experience luxury shopping in a single location. It also has amazing restaurants to try out. On the upper level, a beautiful champagne bar awaits for a sparkling refreshment which can be enjoyed with fresh oysters and seafood. I love Selfridgeds because you can do all your shopping and dining in one place. The customer service is out of this world, and it is simply a shopper’s paradise. 

Valentino: Selfridges

I cannot leave out shopping on New Bond Street which is a strip of high-end shops ranging from Hermès, Chanel to Dolce&Gabbana. If you enjoy London street walks in between your shopping, this is for you. This street is located in Mayfair.

Of course if you are not a high-end shopper, London caters for that as well. There are plenty of places and shops to visit and it is so easy to get around. The best time to visit London for shopping is in June. This is when all the sales start and you also get to catch the warm weather.

I have visited London a few times and every time I have gone there I have come across a million new bars and restaurants to try, and I can never get through all of them. I will touch on my favourites on this trip.

For luxury high tea, you have to visit The Savoy Hotel. This is ultimate luxury. The Savoy is a beautiful Fairmont five star hotel located on the Northbank of the River Thames, where the ballet, opera, museums and theatre of vibrant Covent Garden are only a few metres away. Afternoon tea (as it is called by the English) is served in the Thames foyer. Now I do not particularly like sandwiches, but I have never had such amazing sandwiches in my entire life, I finished every single one of them. The assortment of savouries and fresh cakes are out of this world. This is all accompanied with crisp champagne of course.

Afternoon tea: Thames Foyer

SKETCH! For this restaurant I have no words. If you are an Art and Design lover like me, you will definitely enjoy sketch restaurant. The minute you walk into Sketch, you are greeted by art. It was conceived by French master chef Pierre Gagnaire and restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, and is a complex and unique site which has five different seating venues to choose from or move between, as we did. We began our experience at the Glade, a wonderland bar full of colour. We enjoyed amazing cocktails in the beautiful scenery before moving onto dining in the next room.

Glade Bar at Sketch

Dinner was served in the Gallery. All I knew at this point is that I wanted to sit on that beautiful pink chair. The interior of the room is welcoming, warm and luxurious, with beautiful art sketches by various artists on the walls. As if the look of the room is not enough, the food was unlike anything I have ever tasted and I have been around! The flavours were impeccable and the service was just as great. Compliments to the chef!

The Gallery: Sketch

We ended our evening in the Parlour with bar snacks and more cocktails. The Parlour is a beautiful bar with amazing interior once again. Enjoy good music and have your night cap in this amazing bar which also serves breakfast and brunch during the day.

I HIGHLY recommend Sketch for anyone visiting London. What an experience!

The Parlour: Sketch

Craving a great cocktail? You have to visit monument bar in London. This is a New York style hideout which also serves great small bites if you are feeling peckish. It’s great for any day of the week. Another London treasure.

Monument

For seafood and great champagne, we visited Wright Brothers in Soho. I cannot begin to describe how amazing the shellfish and seafood we had was. This restaurant is in a relaxed setting and, if the weather permits, you will be happy seated outside. The food experience was overwhelmingly remarkable!

Wright Brothers: Soho London

Lastly but certainly not least, if you are looking for a good place to Jam with great music and delicious drinks, Artesian Bar is for you. The bar is located at the Langham hotel and was named the world’s best bar in 2015; that should tell you something. This bar comes alive at night with Londoners coming out to enjoy a social scene in a luxury hotel. We ended one of our nights there after dining at Wright Brothers in Soho. This is another must-do in London.

Artesian Bar: Langham Hotel

Italy

Ciao! Hello Italy!

It was my very first time in Italy, and I loved everything about it. First stop was Milano! A beautiful city for shopping lovers.  If you want to do some site-seeing and you are limited to the number of places to visit in Italy, then Milan is NOT for you. As lovely as it is, it is really a shopping paradise. On arrival, we had the traditional Aperol Spritz, as one should! We also could not wait to indulge in Italian food, their amazing world renowned wine and of course, Gelato! We were overwhelmed with the heat, but happy to be in Italy! The Italians are friendly and warm, not to forger generous with food. Every meal and order is guaranteed to come with a little something EXTRA!

Aperol Spritz: The traditional Italian aperitif cocktail

A definite must see in Milan is the Duomo, a cathedral that took some 500 odd years to build. The architecture is beautiful and a tour guide is definitely recommended to see the Duomo. The Italians are very religious and respect is commanded when visiting the cathedral. If you would like to enter the Cathedral, ensure that you are covered up!

    Milan Cathedral

Our first dinner was at the Bulgari hotel. This is a luxury hotel located in central Milan. On arrival, you will be greeted by luxurious cars in the parking lot, which sets the seen for what you will experience on the inside. The hotel has an amazing bar where you can enjoy a drink of your choice before moving on to the dining. An exquisite experience if the weather allows dining on the outside. This was ultimate luxury.

Bulgari Hotel: Milano

One of our shopping experiences was at the Serravalle Designer Outlet. This is a definite must do. It is about two hours away from Milan, but I guarantee that it is worth it. The outlet is home to luxury brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Bally. While you are there, you can also enjoy some great food at a lovely restaurant on the vicinity. I picked up loads of luxury items priced at huge discounts. If you are looking for something you saw at the retail store some time back, this is likely where you will find it.

Gucci

Florence! This has to be one of my favourite cities in the world. Home to amazing architecture and history, my Florence experience was like no other! While in Florence, we visited Boboli Gardens, a beautiful park that houses a collection of sculptures dating from the 16th through the 18th centuries, with some Roman antiquities. You can enjoy nature in the beautiful gardens which will take you all day to get around. This was indeed an experience and a half.

Boboli Gardens: Florence

We couldn’t leave Florence without shopping, so we took a “Big black bus” tour to the mall. Bear in mind that all the designer shopping outlets are usually far from central town. This trip took about two hours as well! Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Mall (as it is named) is a designer outlet in Milan that is home to luxury brands like Tom Ford, Gucci (once again) and Prada.

The Mall: Florence

The last leg of our Italy trip was Lake Como. Como is an upscale resort area known for its beautiful scenery; and that was certainly what we enjoyed the most. It was the perfect setting to unwind after a busy Italy rendezvous and a lot of walking. Como’s views are out of this world and it has that authentic Italian feel and look. For a while you may feel like you are in the deep south of traditional Italy. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the quaint experience we had. Only 40 minutes away from Milan by train, we would take short trips back to Milan if when we wanted to do a night out or more shopping. Como is exquisite and relaxing.

Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como, Italy

While in Como, you MUST visit a restaurant called IL Gatto Nero (The black Cat). Located in Cernobbio, the restaurant is a number one venue for celebrities such as George Clooney, who owns property there and is often seen dining at the restaurant. While seated in the restaurant, you have a breath-taking view of Como Lake from the top of a mountain. The food was lovely and it was definitely an experience to remember.

Ristorante IL Gatto Nero

   

View of Como Lake from IL Gatto Nero

Paris

Bonjour Paris! 

Another first time experience for me. Paris is absolutely divine, but I have to admit that I went there with a sole mission in mind, and that was to see the Mona Lisa at The Louvre, the world's largest museum and a historic monument in Paris.

In Paris, I stayed at a beautiful quant hotel called Le Saint in the 7th arrondissement. My choice of the hotel was very deliberate as this is a few metres away from The Louvre, and it is home to so much art. On the first day, I attempted to go and find Mona Lisa. Unfortunately I had arrived on a Tuesday and the museum does not open on Tuesdays. So I went around Paris restaurants having lovely French champagne and French cuisine.

In the evening, I took a night bus tour to see Paris. I highly recommend this! The highlights for me were obviously the Eiffel Tower which lights up at night and is unlike anything you have ever seen in your life.

Eiffel Tower: Paris

             

The second was Avenue des Champs-Élysées ,a street in Paris which is deemed to be the most beautiful avenue in the WORLD!

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Again, shopping in Paris is an experience and a half, and France is home to my favourite brand, Celine. One should once again visit the designer outlet in Paris called la vallee village.

Celine: 53 Avenue Montagne, Paris

Fellow luxury lover, while you are in Paris, do yourself a favour and visit Hotel Plaza Athenee. This is a personal favourite of mine.The hotel is called “Sex in the city” because this is where Carrie Bradshaw shot some amazing scenes at this very hotel. For exquisite fine-dining and champagne, the Plaza Athenee is a must do. The hotel also has a strong fashion Legacy, and is luxury personified.

Hotel Plaza Athenee

And the highlight of my Paris trip was me finally finding Mona Lisa, after having looked for her for a good 45 minutes. She hangs graciously in a room at The Louvre, and is about the only paining you cannot get too close to.

The Mona Lisa: Louvre Museum

Paris was an amazing experience and I have not seen a quarter of it, this beautiful city of Love.

All images taken and provided by Koketso Chipane.