Let me see if I can wash my makeup off without waking Dean & Tracey. Quietly, I flip open the duvet cover and gently put both feet on the floor. Standing up, no sound, success. The open banister reveals embers slowly dying in the dark lounge below. It’s kept us…

There’s a cat with a black head and white whiskers shaped like a firework trotting towards us. The sound of pine trees gently swish in the breeze as the echo of wood being chopped filters down the hill towards us. Having forced my Corsa on another drive along rain-washed dirt…

This post is part of a series called Recommended Three white ducks with bright orange beaks silently cut through the mountain’s reflection on the dead still dam surface. The scent of smoking wood emanates from the hot tub the sound of translucent mountain water babbles below the cabin. Golden bamboo…

One family day out in the Namib desert saw us reach the red dunes for a day of dune boarding. Sun shining down, clear blue skies, vibrant red dunes and a whole lotta good company was the order of the day. The best part of being a desert baby is the…

There’s a shongololo on the floor. I can’t help wondering if it feels trapped in a Temptation of St. Anthony type world where I’m the giant and the yellow-washed cement floors are a bare landscape. It just KNOWS there’s something more out there, but can’t see the depth and breadth…

Remember when you were little and you’d climb into your treehouse and think to yourself “I’m going to make this the best home ever!” You would venture inside and traipse out all of your blankets and pillows, to make your treehouse bed, bring out a few ornaments to make it…

This post is part of a series called Recommended Red clusters. Purple clusters. Yellow clusters. Green clusters. Do plums come in so many colours? What are these? Half ripe? Loquats? I’m assuming plums, but I actually have no idea! The trees have been chopped back, but these ambitious fruits have…

This post is part of a series called Recommended I’m ruining these slippers. I’ve underestimated how they’ll cope in the morning dew, but I’m not taking them off. I left mine at home and found these in the Werf Garden Suite cupboard; turns out they’re the best pair of disposable…

I can taste the acidy scent of the thinly sliced onion emanating from the hot, melted cheese. The cold, crunchy salad compliments the charred bread, hot between my fingertips, but too good to put down. This is freedom. Standing on warm cement, in my own puddle of hot tub water,…

Moody, pewter clouds swirl around the jagged mountain peaks. The sun is sinking, but the light is still bright enough to see the patchwork of green and stone rising up the mountainside. The Webersburg mountain face surrounds us like a crest of a wave, giving life to animals, plants, insects,…

I’m tired and I’m not feeling well. Simultaneously, it’s also spring! And the dark green colour of our room in the Franschhoek Boutique Hotel is keeping my spirits teetering on hopeful. We have friends arriving in the morning to join us for the Franschhoek Wine Tram and I’d love nothing…

The Ridgelands farm is vacant. The moody sky is slinking over the valley as workers retreat for the weekend and the sounds of nature increase with the darkness. The stark trees are silhouetted against the dusk sky as the stones crunch underneath our tires as we turn into the forecourt….

I can hear the slow crescendo of a kettle starting to boil. The large fluffy blankets indicate Kunjani Wines are well aware of the bitter cold Stellenbosch winters, but it’s taken us by surprise. Our attempt to get the aircon to blow warm air has failed – clearly not our…

This post is part of a series called Recommended I can feel a stone stuck in the bottom of my shoe and I’m concerned about it scraping the tiles. As soon as I can lean on the wall, I pull it out. The weather in Franschhoek‘s been icy and boots…

I can hear the stones crunch under my boots as the temptation to wander down a country road wins me over. The skies melt between dark blue and bright pink at sunset in April. The rustling of Eucalyptus trees settles down as the afternoon wind turns into an evening breeze….

I can’t help but try to find a little fish or frog as the river water babbles along side me. Slow, black tea coloured water swoons into nearby rock pools as the reeds sway to the sound of the river. Nothing soothes the mind like the sound of water over…

Glamping Hub launched in South Africa a year ago and I was keen to give “glamping” a go. If you’ve never heard the term “glamping”, it refers to “glamorous camping” (gla+camping = glamping) and takes regular camping to the next level. Characteristics like the tent being pre-pitched for you, sleeping…

The Lab Lifestyle in Franschhoek caught my eye after I had a similar experience with hotel room technology while staying at the Premiere Inn in Bricklane. The room featured electronic shortcuts on the headboard such as turning on/off lights, tv, etc. which were fun to try out. I was intrigued…

I can’t help but squeal when I see the large baboon sitting on the rooftop come Sunday morning. Much of Saturday afternoon was spend sitting on the upstairs balcony sipping sipping wine and heartily lauging about the week’s events. Had the baboon been eaves-dropping all this time above the Ivy…

The vibrant field of lavender is so beautiful in the morning light. Lavender Farm Guest House is located on the outskirts of famous culinary and wine town, Franschhoek. Just 90 minutes outside Cape Town, South Africa, this is the perfect location for couples, groups of friends or extended families to enjoy…

Paarl is not a place I know much about. It’s not very far from Cape Town, yet I never hear people talking about it or wanting to visit. Earlier this year, Mr John and I were invited to stay at D’Olyfboom Estate off the high street of Paarl. The farm…

The Wild Mushroom is a 5-star bed and breakfast located on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Set inside the private residential Digteby Estate, the Wild Mushroom offers safe and secure accommodation; with a step back view of the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve and Hottentots-Holland Mountains. The Wild Mushroom’s unique location gives holiday…

“In a cottage in a wood, a little man at the window stood, saw a rabbit hopping by, knocking at the door. “Help me! Help me! Help!” He said, “Before the hunter shoots me dead!” “Come little rabbit come to me, happy we shall be.” One can’t help, but sing…