I stumbled across La Colombe when reading the Eat Out Guide 2018. According to Eat Out, La Colombe is listed as the 7th best restaurant in South Africa. It is also positioned amongst the top restaurants in the world and is known internationally for the quality and innovation of food. Winter Fine Dining: Winter is one of the best times to try out some of the fine dining restaurants in Cape Town. Many of them offer a winter menu, for a reduced price, you can sample some of the finest food in the world. To celebrate a good friends birthday,…
Other than the vastness and open space, driving in Namibia and road tripping, is part of the appeal for me visiting the country. Namibia is one of my favourite self-drive destinations. I visited Namibia a few times and enjoy the long open road and change of scenery as you drive from one part the country to the next. Muted landscapes General rules for driving in Namibia: They drive on the left side of the road. The speed limit is 120km/hr on tarred roads and 100km/hr on gravel roads. The main roads are a mixture of tar…
For our stay in the desert, we chose Desert Quiver Camp as our base. Surrounded by rocky outcrops and the Namib desert, it is conveniently located a mere 5 kilometers away from Sesriem Gate. This modern self-catering accommodation located on a private reserve, is a perfect base for exploring Sesriem park and accessing the famous dunes in the oldest desert in the world. From afar Glamping not Camping: Even though it is named Desert Quiver Camp, this is not a camping site. It is more of a glamping experience! It consists of 24 units with private…
Every year, the Christmas in Winter festival takes place in Tulbagh. This year Christmas comes early once again! If you have not experienced Christmas in Winter in the Western Cape, here are some reasons to visit Tulbagh this weekend. White Christmas: You can experience a ‘white’ Christmas in June. Expect ‘snow’ in difference forms at the various establishments partaking in the festival, like this display at the House of Krone, which was my favourite. House of Krone MCC , Christmas in Winter display Passport: A passport includes a Christmas hat, entrance to 4 museums and access…
Sesriem Park: Namib-Naukluft National Park The highlight of visiting Sesriem Park was seeing the Dunes and Deadvlei, but there is so much more to Sesriem. This area is best known for its dunes, which are considered some of the highest in the world. The main attractions in the park are Dune 45, Big Daddy Dune, Deadvlei and Sossusvlei. Sossusvlei is best viewed after rains when the area is partially filled with water. Sesriem Park Main Entrance Gate The lesser known attractions: Most visitors visit the popular Dune 45, Big Daddy Dune and DeadVlei. There are however…
Deadvlei: (Dead Marsh) Roots embedded in a textured white clay pan, surrounded by towering of red sand dunes. It is renowned for its dark mysterious trees, a photographer’s dream, this is Deadvlei. This spectacular area of the Namib-Nakluft National park is one of the most photographed landscapes of Sossusvlei area. This is Deadvlei First Impressions: It is 10h30am and Deadvlei is heating up. After a gruelling climb in the sun, the reward for climbing Big Daddy Dune, was exploring DeadVlei. This was our last stop in the desert for the morning. Shaking the dune sand out…
Desert Dreams Part Two: Big Daddy Dune After our Dune 45 climb yesterday, Big Daddy Dune, as named by locals, is our challenge for the day.The towering giant, standing at 325 meters tall, dwarfs the surrounding dunes. Big Daddy Dune is the tallest dune in the Sossusvlei area, but not the tallest dune in Namibia, that title belongs to Dune 7. Big Daddy Dune in the distance Early mornings: I wake up, it is still dark in our tent and I cannot see thing. A quick check on my phone and I see it is only…
Desert Dreams: Visiting Sossusvlei in Namibia, has been one of my travel dreams. Somehow I never got to visit the area. I was always fascinated by photos of this orange landscape and Dune 45. The Sossusvlei area is best known for its dunes and the dunes are considered as some of the highest in the world. What makes this area so unique is orange red sands found here. This year, my husband and I made a spur of the moment decision and headed to the desert for my birthday. Dune 45: We arrive at Sossusvlei and first on my list…
I AM WATER Foundation: It’s 9am and a group of enthusiastic grade 7’s are briskly walking towards the beach. Excitement beaming from their faces, they start running toward the I AM WATER Foundation camp. For some, this is going to be a first, swimming and snorkelling in the ocean, even though the sea is within walking distance from their homes. While this is hard to believe, this is the reality for a large percentage of under privileged children in the Western Cape. How it all started: It all started when I attended a talk about Ocean stories. The talk focused…
Kagga Kamma Private Nature Reserve: Kagga Kamma Private Nature Reserve nestles in the Southern Cederberg mountain area. My husband and I decided to celebrate completion of our part time studies with a well-deserved break, and this reserve was a perfect choice. Break This trip started with a bang! As we approached the campsite, we had a bit of a hiccup/ “Voetspore” incident in Kagga Kamma reserve. Our car got stuck in unexpected soft sand, on the only road to the campsite. We wanted adventure but the last thing we needed was getting stuck 20 metres from…