Stepping out into the last of the afternoon sun we make our way down to the beach. There are two paths directly in front of the hotel; one hidden along a white wall and one clearly cut out from a charming dry boat with “Paternoster” on the side. The Abalone…
As the balmy Tulbagh heat starts retiring for the day, the light is fading from bright blue to creamy peach. The perfectly lined orchard of dark green trees leads the eye down the dusty road towards the ashy purple peeks in the distance. We never miss sunset at Bergsicht cottages;…
Large globes hang from 3 to 4 meter long industrial chains from the ceiling. The white rafters and panelled ceiling is clean, accenting the arch of the celestial window. When I open my eyes in the morning I’m met with a vibrant green canopy of leaves outside the window. The…
Great news for those who love camping and self-catering accommodation! CapeNature’s winter special has launched and provides discounts of up to 40% on selected holiday bookings from the 1st of May to 31st of August 2022. The offer includes self-catering accommodation and camping facilities across the Western Cape and offers…
Great news for those wanting to travel between Durban and Harare. There are now direct flights from Durban to Harare on Airlink’s modern Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. Southern Africa’s premier airline, Airlink, launched its inaugural flight between Harare, Zimbabwe and King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa on the 5th…
It’s dark and I can’t sleep anymore. Work anxiety is manifesting in insomnia and even though the sheets feel good and this bed is comfy, I can’t lie in the dark anymore. Dean told me to bring my new workout clothes – may as well use them! I heard him…
“Ahhhh! Is this not so joyful? Delicious cheese, sweet figs, cold meats, fresh fruits and *clink* a glass of Rickety Bridge Chardonnay; pure bliss!” The dripping ice bucket is no match for the anticipation I have when entering the pool in the 35 degree day. The hot wind, passing over…
Finally, the intense heat of the day is starting to subside. Gone are the days when the sun would peek between midday and 2pm and turn the heat of the day slowly down. Now, afternoons stay sweltering until 5pm; only then does the tension of the atmosphere start to ease…
Great news for our wildlife tourism industry! German airline, Eurowings Discover (not one I’m familiar with to be honest) will be commencing flights from Frankfurt to the Kruger National Park from mid-November 2022 on a part-time bases. Part of the Lufthansa Group Eurowings will have 3 direct flights from Frankfurt…
If you’re like me you’ve spent quite a considerable amount of time planning holidays you have no intention of going on. Sure – you’d LIKE to go on them, but until you find the budget there’s no harm dreaming, right? With that, sometimes the curiosity takes over and you start…
“And there’s a place that I’ve dreamed of,Where I can free my mind,I hear the sounds of the season,And lose all sense of time…” With over 20 million views on YouTube Coastline’s Hollow Coves describes the impeccable Brookdale Estate to perfection. Granted, it’s set in the mountains not the seaside,…
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…
I can feel the soft carpet on the soles of my feet as I watch the clouds drift over Table Mountain. As the clouds mould in the sky, shadows and pockets of light interchange across the city. The floor to ceiling windows make staring at nature’s display very easy on…
2015 I knew this would be the perfect place to get engaged. I’d have liked for you to have taken a less time to visit the Vineyard Hotel gardens with me, because I knew they were magical. The mossy floor under the bows of the leafy, low-hanging trees. The ivy-lined…
I can’t figure out what these bow-shaped, green metal poles are for in the garden of the 12 Apostles Hotel. I know they do something, but I have no idea what! It’s only when I sneak off to find the beautiful wedding reception garden that I realise they are hammock…
PASSPORT TIME! Hard to believe that our international borders are open and we have a chance to explore the world again. BOTH our passports expired during this time and the anxiety of having to renew kicked in. Having heard FNB renews (we’re FNB customers), we decided to give the service…
The travel ban between South Africa and Mauritius has been lifted as of the 10th September 2021. South Africans can now travel to Mauritius on authorised commercial flights without first having to spend fifteen (15) days outside the country. “We welcome the decision by the Mauritian government. South Africa remains…
Welcome to the South African world of Cap Classique! Because “Champagne” is trade marked exclusively by France’s champagn region, Cap Classique has become synomous with South Africa’s version of the sparkling wine. Produced in the traditional method, there are over 200 Cap Classique creators in South Africa, excluding makers of…
The waves gently caress the smooth boulders protecting the restaurant and rooms. White squares across the bay remind us that civilization isn’t far, however, the enveloping mountainside and sweet sea scent make us feel a million miles away from life’s stresses. Sipping on Aperol in a low-hanging seat, the hotel…
Conservation history has been made in the Western Cape with the registration of Sanbona Wildlife Reserve as a non-profit company, following its rezoning from agricultural to conservational use. Sanbona is one of South Africa’s largest privately-owned nature reserves, stretching across 58 000 hectares of rich protected ecosystems within two biodiversity hotspots. This vast…
Cape Country Routes (CCR) South Africa is a leading group of owner-operated and managed accommodation and activity establishments located along popular road travel routes in the Western and Eastern Cape. CCR’s collection of more than 20 privately owned hotels, lodges and guest houses. Unusual places, attractions, activities and tours are…
I find these floors odd. Stones compressed into cement. Very popular these days but somewhat unique when I looked down at our Venetian floor. Also, an odd, heavy choice for a floating city. Well, that’s not entirely true. Venice is built on pylons like a forest turned to stone over…
The Stellenbosch Wine Routes are celebrating a golden milestone this year; its 50th anniversary. The famed wine routes boast over 200 wine estates and have played a significant role in developing South Africa’s wine tourism industry, no small feat as the sector contributes a massive R7.2bn to the country’s GDP…
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…
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 skirts the dam edge out front as the vineyards…
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…
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 no cares, they just keep growing. Why does the…
A man casually sails past me in his kayak cutting through the glass-smooth canal water. The sun is finally out in Knysna and I’ve snuck off to the deck to catch up on some mails in the morning light. A group of young visitors sit sipping Castle Lites at 10am,…