South Africa Archives - Page 13 of 24

FLOWER SPOTTING IN NAMAQUALAND

Apart from September being tourism month in South Africa the West Coast is well known for its spring flowers, because in a blink of an eye it appears after some good rain. First you have to understand what Namaqualand is about. This is a very dry area with little rain throughout the year. Then when the warmer weather arrives, the vibrant flowers appear on the barren landscapes. You might feel that you do not need any tips on flower spotting, – how difficult can that be? – but there are some points that you need to consider in making your experience memorable. It is always difficult to predict when the flowers are going to bloom, as like many things in nature, they are weather dependent, but keep the following in mind to ease you into flower spotting: The flowers are dependent on the sun to show their faces. So, the… Read more >

5 “LEKKER” PICNIC SPOTS IN THE GARDEN ROUTE

Well let’s first start with the word lekker for those who are not familiar with the Afrikaans language. It can be translated as a lot of things such as great, tasty, nice , scenic, pretty – it all depends in what sentence it is used – but what I mean with lekker is more the use of pleasurable and relaxing with a scenic view. There is not one word in the English language that can describe it quite the same. SPOT #1 : EBB AND FLOW (NORTH) Situated on the northern banks of the Touw river it falls within the Garden Route National Park, but day visitors are welcomed. You will be rewarded with some shade under old wild fig trees, a demarcated fire pit, clean ablution facilities and a Knysna Loerie (Turaco) or two. Need to know: Report to reception and pay your day visitor fee. If you have a… Read more >

CROSSING THE BORDER (PART III) – ARRIVING AT THE BORDER

You have made it to the border post! Now you need to keep calm and work through the process. Remember each country has its own rules. Which border post? In all our years of travel we found that it is much easier to enter/exit at smaller border posts. At the bigger border posts, the officials are sometimes tired and irritated and will take their time to work through the processes. Our experience is at the smaller posts they are friendlier and welcome a chat while doing their work. When? Try to avoid peak times, if possible, like month end, late Friday afternoon or popular public holidays like Easter. Everybody is in a hurry and the queues are longer, the tempers flare quicker and willingness is shorter. Be positive! No matter how frustrated you get, try to smile and be friendly. They are only doing their job. A positive attitude goes… Read more >

CROSSING THE BORDER (PART II) – VEHICLE AND INSURANCE

This is probably the most stressful aspect of any border crossing, with the most variables per country, but if you stick to the following you should be more or less okay. If your vehicle is still under a finance agreement, you will need to acquire a letter of permission from the applicable financial institution. Each institution has its own requirements and procedures to follow as to how to obtain it. Allow enough time to obtain the required paperwork. If you are planning to take a trailer or caravan remember to do the same, if financed. Make sure your ID number matches that used on your vehicle documents. If your registration papers show your RSA ID number, then take it with you. Rather take too much proof than be in a predicament. Take a colour copy of your vehicle’s registration papers. This is very handy. It is a popular document and… Read more >

INCREDIBLE AFRICAN ANIMALS

AFRICAN WILD DOG The sound of an African wild dog will send shivers down your spine if you hear it for the first time. One of it’s most striking features is it’s very large round ears. The ears are not only perfect for hearing calls over large distances but are also important for heat loss to regulate their body’s temperature. They are very efficient and agile hunters capable of reaching speeds of up to 55km/h. So watch out for them! Like the African civet, each of these dogs has a unique coat but they also stand out because of their interesting toes. While all other canid species have five toes, the African wild dog only has four. Bucket list: Ticked 🙂 Status at the moment: Endangered (estimated 5 500 left on the content) ooOoo AFRICAN CIVET These beautiful creatures are nocturnal and you have an off chance that you will… Read more >

OUR OWN LOVE LOCK BRIDGE

There are not a lot of swing bridges left in this modern world of ours, but it always brings some nostalgia for me. One of them are the one that spans the churning waters of the Storms River in the Tsitsikamma National Park. If you start at the restaurant/shop follow the 900 metre wooden walk under the indigenous tree canopy to the mouth. It is a fairly easy walk, but when reaching the end of the walkway you will need to descend some steep steps into the gorge to get to the bridge ……. just remember you have to return the same way …… so if the knees are not in that brilliant state anymore take note! After you crossed the 77 metre long bridge that hangs just seven metres above the river one arrives at a small pebbled cove which is protected from the elements and is a nice… Read more >

THIS IS EAT, PORT ELIZABETH HARBOUR

From the outside this eatery does not look like much, but definitely do not be fooled. They serve excellent seafood! We popped in here for something to bite after our first ever “amazing race” we did as a family as a fundraiser to make a sporty girl’s dreams come true and I can proudly add that we slotted into third place from 15 teams! After the event our stomachs were running on empty so it was time to pop in and fill up before heading home. As it was a windy Saturday afternoon in Port Elizabeth the shutters were drawn against the elements, but did not dampen our spirits as we finished in third place in the “amazing race”. So we had something to celebrate. The eatery was rather quiet as it was still early and there was some major rugby matches on television. Situated in the harbour area it… Read more >