During the summer months, the five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa will once again host its popular Astronomy Gastronomy evenings, taking place once a month from October 2014 to March 2015. Guests will be treated to a sunset dinner in the light and airy Café Grill before embarking on a starry journey to the hotel’s unique outdoor events space, ‘The Kraal’, accompanied by the astronomy experts of Over the Moon Tours.
The Kraal is situated on the slopes of Table Mountain and offers mesmerising views of the Atlantic Ocean. The historical site, used as a milk shed in days gone by, today presents a rustic outdoor setting that is perfect for a spot of stargazing. Thanks to the unique seaside and mountain location of The Twelve Apostles Hotel there is minimal light pollution, making for spectacular night skies.
3 course dinner menu
The 3-course menu offers mouth-watering choices such as Executive Chef Christo Pretorius’ starter dish of Prawn Dhal with cauliflower, pickled cucumber, sultanas, coriander yoghurt and mango chutney, and the famous Vanilla Crème brûlée as dessert. Named one of eight WWF-SASSI (South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) Trailblazers at this year’s SASSI Seafood Circle Awards, Pretorius is an enthusiastic fisherman himself. He loves working with green listed, sustainable fish such as hake, farmed cob, monk, pole caught yellowfin tuna, salmon trout and dorado to create his delicious Fresh Catch of the Day as main course, served with dill pancake, Malay spiced butternut, mung beans, confit baby fennel and curried velouté.
Stargazing experience in Cape Town
After dinner guests will walk up the path to The Kraal via the hotel’s fragrant herb garden, passing ancient Milkwood trees and taking in Table Mountain’s magnificent flora. During the 1.5 hour stargazing experience on the slopes of the Twelve Apostles the astronomer will enlighten guests on the spellbinding stars in the Southern Hemisphere – a professional telescope allowing for a close-up look at the Milky Way.
Over the Moon Tours is run by Kechil Kirkham and Chris de Coning, who are well known South African astronomers. Kirkham is a member of the Cape Town branch of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA), while de Coning is Director of the Historical Section of ASSA. Both are Founding Members of ‘The Friends of the Cape Town Observatory’. They are highly experienced in running outreach events and astronomy tours, making it their mission to share the wonderful southern hemisphere night skies with everyone.
Directions to The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa
Victoria Road
Camps Bay 8005
021 437 9000
