An Evening with Charley Boorman in Cape Town
Charley Boorman has had an interesting life … he has been serenaded by a machine gun wielding Ukrainian man, chowed down on (and brought up) a stew of 200 cow, sheep and goat balls in a Mongolian yurt and watched Ewan McGregor try to use Jedi mind tricks on some rather unforgiving border patrolmen. And, most interestingly of all, it’s all been on the back of a motorbike. Ok, obviously he hasn’t lived his entire life on the back of a motorbike but lots of interesting stuff has happened to this man while traversing the globe with his bestie, fellow actor Ewan McGregor. The pair spent three grueling months travelling through three continents and fifteen countries and turned it into the super popular series, Long Way Round in 2004. Luckily for me I recently got the chance to listen to Charley Boorman recount some of his favourite childhood memories and memories of making Long Way Round over dinner at the oh-so-chic Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town – Upper Eastside and what an interesting night it was!
This will probably make me sound ignorant, but I had no idea how poplar Charley Boorman was until I got the chance to attend this unique dinner in Cape Town. Of course, I knew him from Long Way Round and I knew the show was popular back in the day, but I didn’t fully appreciate just how many people worshipped Charley Boorman and want to do what he has done. I was quite surprised to arrive to a packed conference area at the hotel and quickly realised that the motorbike culture in this country is strong. And, it’s not just men that are invested in the lifestyle (yes being a motorbike enthusiast is a lifestyle) there were tons of women there too – and most of them weren’t just dragged there by their Charley Boorman obsessed husbands. These days women all over South Africa are embracing life on the back of a motorbike, and judging from Charley’s recounts of his journeys, it’s a great way to live your life.
The great news is that if you’re a lady with a love of motorbikes and Charley Boorman then you can join the man himself on a journey around Africa (this is not a drill!) These days the famous petrolhead regularly visits South Africa to take a group of well-heeled motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe on an African adventure. Most recently he led a group out of Cape Town through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, ending at the breathtakingly beautiful Victoria Falls. But a 16 night adventure with Charley doesn’t come cheap, with the trip being priced at €7,450 for a rider, €4,200 for a 4×4 passenger and €4,200 for a motorcycle passenger (including bike rental, accommodation and meals).
If that’s a little too rich for your blood then you can also catch Charley Boorman at the Woema Adventure Shop (Glen Gables Shopping Centre, Lynwood Gen, Pretoria East) on 12 September 2015 or watch out for next year’s Charley Boorman dinner at Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town – Upper Eastside and spend the night in the company of this legendary traveller. It really was a night to remember! We dined on a range of delicious bowl food while listening to Charley recount some hilarious tales. The food was beyond delicious and the dinner has definitely inspired me to visit Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town – Upper Eastside for dinner soon.
For more information on Charley Boorman and upcoming motorcycle rides with Charley and his crew visit the Charley Boorman website. For more information on Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town – Upper Eastside click here. You can also keep up to date with upcoming events like this by saying Hi to Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town on Facebook.
