Celia Rabie of Betty Blue Bistro, Hermanus

I would love to relax and switch off but it’s not in my nature – my husband calls me a Duracell bunny because I never stop. I believe food is an experience no matter where you are. Food is usually our focus for holidays. There are always funky new places to eat at in Cape Town, and to pick up on new trends. We recently went for a ‘create your own gin’ night at the Woodstock Gin Co where we could each flavour our bottle with different ingredients; I used lime, rose petals and rooibos. Halfampieskraal is a working farm just outside Napier that serves wholesome food. There was an abundance of tomatoes last season so everything had some form of tomato in it. My most memorable holiday was a ‘summer saunter’ – eight fabulous days with eight ladies, eating, shopping and sunsoaking along the French and Italian Rivieras: food markets, beach picnics, an amazing dinner at JAN and walking from Santa Margherita to Portofino, stopping for apéros on the way. We ate the most amazing tartuffo pizza at La Chèvre d’Or in Eze, a village near Nice. Thin base with mushroom cream, Parmesan and truffle pesto. We went back for seconds. I might be a bit biased but Hermanus is a must-visit place in SA. They say it has ‘healing air’, our beaches are beautiful and the whales are something you have to experience at least once. Betty Blue Bistro, 028-125-0037 Hermanus Wine & Food Festival, 11–12 August. winevillage.co.za