TRAVELBUCKET

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PART 2: KEEP CALM AND TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA

This is a following up on a previous post about travelling South Africa and some basic tips on what to do and expect. Money and the ATM Plastic money (ie credit and debit cards) is widely accepted. However, make sure you have some cash on you for tipping parking attendants, etc. Do not you stuff your wallet with a wad of notes where everyone can see it. Just keep a small amount in your wallet where it is visible to the public. Keep the wad stashed at another secret place. This also ensure that you have money left if things turn out for the worst! Take care when drawing money at ATMs. In busy areas, there will be a security guard on duty. Of course, Avoid ATMS that are in dark corners. Be aware of accepting help from persons at the ATM as a lot of scams happen in… Read more >

10 ESSENTIALS TO PACK FOR A VISIT TO KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK

At first glance the Kalahari is harsh and hot, but once it gets under your skin it is hard to forget the beautiful scenery that was etched into your memory on your first visit. To make a visit to the Kalahari easier and more enjoyable I am sharing a short packing list for your visit: 1. The number one slot is filled by a good body lotion. The air is dry in the Kalahari and the water do not treat your skin gently either. Unless you want to look like the dry riverbed of the Nossob river, pack enough of it. You will certainly need it. 2. And while on the lotion and potions pack the sunscreen, especially during the summer. You will spend most of your time in your vehicle, but even then make sure you cover up with suntan lotion to protect you from the African sun. 3. … Read more >

A DAY HIKE IN WABOOMSKRAAL

As you approach from Oudtshoorn you will traverse a beautiful valley surrounded by the Outeniqua mountains where hops are grown. The name of this valley is Waboomskraal. It is home to about 75% of South Africa’s hops farms. There is a lesser known hiking trail called “Doringrivier” that takes you all the way to the Ronbinson Pass, which connects Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, but today we only planned to take a shorter day hike up and over the mountains to a nearby trig beacon. Just as well, because with my unfit state I will never be able to complete a strenuous hike of 50 kilometres. Even the hike to the trig beacon is uphill all the time. (Remember that a trig beacon is normally at the highest point on a mountain!). Reading a description of the hike they mentioned that you can maybe see klipspringer, grey rhebuck, leopard and also… Read more >

ABOUT SMALL TOWNS AND CHURCHES

Every small town has a certain ambiance when you visit it. Some of them immediately speak to me and others, well they do not actually speak to me … and I just observe and pass by. However, there are small towns with tons of history dating back hundreds of years. And then there are churches with unique architecture and some interesting history on the why, what and how it came about. With its rich history and influences from the Dutch, French and English, who all reigned South Africa at some period in the early years, you can just imagine the different church styles that came about. Each church structure tells a story. One can feast on some fascinating stories that at times can be humorous or a bit shocking, this includes that has been set alight by deranged persons and destroyed by fire, and steeples collapsing. Looking up the history… Read more >

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

Lately I am very much leaning towards the “greener” side of things. When we take a drive with Wallace (for those of you that do not know yet, that is our Landy) I am more than average noticing plastic pollution on the roadside. Plastic is sadly killing our planet. Reading National Geographic a horrific picture popped up about a turtle with a plastic straw embedded in its nose. This made me ponder on how can we, in our ordinary every day lives, make a significant impact to reduce plastic waste to save our planet. Like a lot of things it starts at home with educating our children from a very young age. I know we are living in a quick and easy, fast paced life where everything is individually wrapped, etc. This to me is one of the biggest problems at the moment! Do we really need all that individual… Read more >

SOUTH AFRICAN BLOG AWARDS 2018: BEST ENVIRONMENTAL BLOG

It is official! Travelbucket was awarded the title of Best Environmental Blog during the 2018 South African Blog Awards! A full list of all the winners and runners-up in all the categories is available here. We are still stunned! We woke up one day, going about our business to save the planet one plastic piece at a time, when suddenly, we were hit by the big surprise of the announcement of the Category Winners and the Runners-up. Not in our wildest dreams could we ever hope to achieve something like this. Blogging is not about winning, it’s about sharing and learning from others. Travelbucket is a true reflection of our everyday adventures as a family. A family who has a passion for nature and it’s wildlife. We appreciate the fauna and flora that we are blessed with. Yes, we do set goals for ourselves. We do have Bucket Lists on… Read more >

KAAIMANSGAT

So what is a “kaaiman”? Roughly it translates to a crocodile, but this is not what our story is about. Kaaimansgat is the place where the Swart river and the Kaaimans river join and gently flows to meet the sea under the well photographed Kaaimans train bridge. Kaaimansgat also has some historic significance as this was one of the few spots where in early years a river crossing with a wagon was possible. The first recorded crossing was made as early as 1752. Our story is about an eatery snugged on the Kaaimans River on the way to the iconic Dolphin’s Point near Wilderness. We recently discovered this eatery with excellent food and drink, although it is in existence for quite some time as we have noticed all the buzz in the social media of friends hanging out at this space. It was time for a visit. Tucked away under… Read more >