South Africa Archives - Page 12 of 24

TSITSIKAMMA GARDENS RESTAURANT

A quaint little restaurant situated conveniently along the N2 highway in close proximity to Storms River, Tsitsikamma Gardens Restaurant is a welcoming stop exactly halfway between Port Elizabeth and George. Here you will find anything from home cooked South African meals such as Bobotie to lighter lunches such as quiche and toasted sandwiches. This gem can easily be passed by and before you know it, you end up missing the most delicious venison pie and you will have to settle for a garage pie at Storms River petrol station. At Tsitsikamma Gardens Restaurant, you can park your car in the shade and take a stroll through the beautiful garden or relax on the ‘stoep’ while sipping on the homemade Ice Tea. Or maybe you were adventurous and tired yourself out on one of the many activities the area has to offer. The refreshing garden salad, all locally harvested from the… Read more >

TSITSIKAMMA ADVENTURE LAND

GUEST BLOGGER: Inge Situated along the N2 highway halfway between Port Elizabeth and George in the beautiful Tsitsikamma area in South Africa, lies a place that offers you a chance to discover your inner child again. You can find Tsitsikamma Adventure Land next to Tsitsikamma Gardens, 9km from the Storms River petrol station towards Port Elizabeth. Upon arrival you are greeted with friendly faces and the wooden office already gives you a sense of what lies ahead. As you walk into the office to do your paperwork, it feels like you are walking into a forest hut nestled in the Tsitsikamma Forest. A 5min admin break is necessary before you are assigned and introduced to your guide who will lead you to your transport for the day. Do not fear if you are not an experienced quad bike rider and do not think that if you are a motorbike rider… Read more >

BUNNY CHOWS FROM DURBAN

Bunny Chow is actually not a name that I will normally associate with a food dish, but in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, with its large Indian community, it is a very popular dish. It is things like this that makes us the Rainbow Nation and I am loving it. This interesting dish was first served for the plantation workers and the hollowed out half a loaf of white bread was an easy portable container. It originated as a vegetarian dish, but over time meat was added – I am sure this is because South Africans just love their meat! Like many recipes, such as melktert, every cook has his/her own take on the curry recipe filling the bread bowl. The half loaf of white bread acts as the bowl for the curry and gravy filling. Traditionally you will also get a scoop of carrot salad on the side, which is welcome… Read more >

CHASING CHEESECAKE IN HOEKWIL

There are many recipes for cheesecake, and everyone claims that they have the best recipe under the sun, but I must say this IS one of the best recipes that I have eaten in a very, very long time. And as you can expect the Country Café also has its own secret cheesecake recipe, made by a local lad from Hoekwil. Locals and visitors come here on a Sunday morning to meet friends and have coffee and some of the famous cheesecake and while enjoying your treat the owner will come around to chit-chat, proudly inform you how many slices they have sold thus far. The café owner meticulously keeps track of each cheesecake slice that is sold in the shop as he earnestly tries to improve on his previous year’s total. So, guys and girls, grandma and grandpa, go, go, go, to the Hoekwil Country Café to help him… Read more >

“YOU ARE MY LIGHTHOUSE”

This iconic lighthouse which sits upon a rocky feature in Mossel Bay was first lit on 15th of March, 1864, about 100 years before I was even a twinkle in my parents’ eyes – by no means a modern observation post! So, why named Cape St Blaize? It is so-named because Bartolomeu Dias, the Portuguese explorer, and his crew first landed in Mossel Bay on St. Blaizes Day (3 February) in 1488. Originally the lamp was visible as a single red light for 15 nautical miles but after several upgrades and electrification on the 6th of April 1931, today it can be seen at 22 nautical miles. Then in 1914 the lighthouse received its first foghorn and later a radio beacon with the call sign ZRF was added. This manned lighthouse with a tower height of 14.9 metres is open to the public and is situated at E22 09 25… Read more >

BRAAI – A WAY OF LIFE!

We have just celebrated Nasionale Braai Dag (National Braai Day) or, as it is officially declared as part of the public holiday system in South Africa, Heritage Day. This is a yearly celebration on the 24th of September. I think you can imagine what we as a nation do on this day – we braai! Although we have 11 official languages in our country the word braai is understood across the board. Now there are no ”official” rules for having a braai. The people of the Rainbow Nation each has his/her own preference on the when, how and what to braai. Some of us like to have a basic fire place where you can sit as close as possible to the fire when it is cold – and do not mind smelling like smoke – and some of us like to do a classy braai in a build-in fireplace inside… Read more >

A LONDON RED BUS IN MOSSEL BAY?

A ride on a red London bus is still on my bucket list, but I was not really expecting to find a red London bus parked in the Garden Route. This was a leisurely Saturday outing on a winter’s day in August in search for some good old-fashioned, value-for-money food. And this is just what we found here. This no frills-no-fuss fish and chips take away is located on the water’s edge in Mossel Bay Harbour. Things work simple here – decide what you want from the minimalistic menu, place your order, pay at the window, get your order slip and go on the top deck until your food is served in a white Styrofoam dish. That’s it. With the smell of sea and fresh fish in your nostrils you have a fantastic view over the glistening water of the bay towards the Outeniqua Mountains, which also forms the back… Read more >