25th March 2018 Mrs L

 Magical Cederberg Mountains: For years my family have been telling me about the Cederberg mountains, but as I was living abroad for so long, I never got to visit. When my husband suggested we arrange a weekend away with friends, we decided that the magical Cederberg mountains was going to be our destination. So, we packed, hit the road and were off on our adventure. Where we stayed: We stayed at Algeria Campsite, which is located at the foot of the Cederberg Mountain and alongside the Rondegat River. It is a grassy campsite with lots of trees to offer shaded…

15th March 2018 Mrs L 2Comment

Kogelberg Bio Reserve: Considering the water crisis in Cape Town and the looming Day Zero, I thought I would write a post on our stay at Kogelberg Nature Reserve a while ago. The structures are designed with a low impact on the environment and uses minimal amounts of water. This makes for the perfect eco getaway, whether you would like to contribute to water saving in the Western Cape or continue being a water warrior when on holiday! Oudebosch Design Thinking: Oudebosch cabins are located in a fairly isolated and remarkably unspoilt landscape within the Kogelberg…

6th March 2018 Mrs L

Early morning adventures: Our day started way before dawn, it was an early (4am) start, for a somewhat unusual experience. Red eyed and armed with coffee flasks, we left Pretoria and headed for Hartbeespoort dam. This was going to be an exhilarating experience, one to tick off the bucket list. We opted for an early morning paratrike and arrived at the paragliding club to see the sunrise and enjoy the views from the skies. I have been skydiving before, but this was going to be my first flight, taking to the skies in a car. The Skywalk paragliding club came…

22nd February 2018 Mrs L

Pretoria has become one of my favourite cities to visit. I often fly up for work but this time, it was a nice change to go sightseeing and on adventures instead. Below are some of my favourite things to do, some places I have visited before and some first time visits. For me, organising the trips we go on, is the first and exciting part of my travels. Usually I love spending hours doing research and websites such as Travelstart make searching and booking flights a lot easier. As I have all the available options at a glance, it leaves…

4th February 2018 Mrs L 4Comment

Vilakazi Street: On a recent trip to Johannesburg, I finally got the chance to visit Vilakazi street, in Soweto. Soweto is an acronym for South Western Township. We drove to Soweto ourselves and opted not take a guided tour, as we wanted the freedom to explore at our own pace. There are public parking areas and you can do a self-guided tour. We parked our car at the top of the street and walked down Vilakazi street and some of the surrounding streets. Street signs The importance of numbers: Our first stop was 8115 Vilakazi street,…

21st January 2018 Mrs L 3Comment

The Bare Necessities: To celebrate my husband’s birthday, I treated him to a forest getaway. Even though he is an avid camper, we decided to go glamping for this occasion instead. We opted for the east coast, as we had not explored a lot of that area before and Platbos forest seemed like the perfect choice for a tranquil getaway. This rustic accommodation is set in an ancient forest, perfect for experiencing nature at its best. First Encounters: I knew this was going to be a memorable stay when we approached the entrance to the forest and we were greeted…

29th November 2017 Mrs L

The Historical Old Town: While I loved the modern area of Dubai, which you can read about in my blog Dubai, part 1, I was very intrigued too see what Al Fahidi, Dubai Old town looked like. Visiting the old town gives a small glimpse into life pre oil and the expanded modern city. The Old Town is steeped in history and traditional architecture. We walked through some museums and cultural centers for some historical insights into what once was. Dubai is very hot and humid in summer, so plan your outdoor time carefully!   The interiors are these centers are…

26th November 2017 Mrs L 6Comment

First impressions of Dubai: As a first-time visitor to Dubai, arriving at the airport, I could immediately see by the opulent design features and the grand scale of things, that this stopover was going to be a memorable cultural experience. As soon as we stepped outside the airport building, it felt like stepping into an outdoor sauna, as the hot humid air hits you. This is expected in the heart of summer. We were ushered to a taxi with a female driver, to take us to our hotel. This is perfect if you are a female solo traveller and prefer…

6th November 2017 Mrs L

Utrecht: Utrecht is one of the hidden gems of the Netherlands. Located only 35 minutes by train from Schiphol airport and under 30 minutes to Amsterdam. It is small enough to explore by foot and boasts historical buildings, modern architecture, museums, Dutch charm and one of the largest shopping malls in the Netherlands. They have adopted the European terrace restaurant culture, so locals and tourist alike can enjoy meals and drinks alfresco. Some of the main attractions in Utrecht are Schroder House, Oudegracht canal, The Dom cathedral, the Miffy Museum and Hoog Catharijne. Locals appear to be very proud of…

29th October 2017 Mrs L

The Black Forest. Miles and miles of dense evergreen forest. Germany is one of my favourite countries to visit. I’ve been to Germany a few times before but never managed to visit the Black forest. I finally decided to go and we based ourselves in the small picturesque town of Gengenbach. It is located on the outskirts of the Black forest and less busier than Freiburg, which is one of the more popular Black Forest towns. We stayed at the Weinhotel Pfeffer and Salz (Pepper and Salt) hotel, which is located 20 minutes walk out of town. The hotel has…