Recommended Cape Town guide

Selwyn Davidowitz, who owns I Love Cape Town (4 Ostende, 296 Beach Rd., Sea Point, 8005, South Africa; phone +27 [0] 21 439 1778, www.ilovecapetown.com… or, in the U.S., phone 310/601-8531), guides small-group tours only on the Garden Route of South Africa and in the Cape Town region. His love for his country is infectious.

We toured the Garden Route with Selwyn for one week in November ’07. At the very beginning he reminded us that his tour was all-inclusive (even laundry and room service). We were to keep our wallets in our pockets, and he did not accept tips. We stayed at 4-star guest houses, not hotels.

Stopping to see the sights of this beautiful coast, we also made many market stops to see what produce the locals shop for and where they eat (I am a cook and “foodie”). We ate some of the finest meals — African, Cape Malay and European cuisines — and drank some outstanding wines (all included).

One of the highlights of our tour was a visit to Kayamandi township, a large shanty town near Cape Town. There, Selwyn and the Rotary Club support after-school activities and sponsor kids to go to high school. Even though high school is tuition-free, students still have to provide their own books, uniforms and transportation to the more distant high school.

The one-week tour cost $6,500 (land only) for two and included three extra nights at a 4-star guest house in Cape Town.

On the final afternoon of touring, we stopped at a viewpoint on the Cape Peninsula. Selwyn pulled a bottle of sparkling wine out of his ice chest, performed “sabrage” (dramatically opening the bottle with a swipe of a sturdy knife) and we celebrated the end of a perfect tour.

Selwyn’s enthusiasm lingers with us to this day. What a nice guy! If anyone has questions, e-mail me at [email protected].

PETER KLATT

Berkeley, CA