If you still have some outstanding gifts to buy and all the holiday makers, tinsel and Jingle Bells are freaking you out, so that you cannot think properly, I have some quick and easy travel gift ideas for you – and no you do not have to spent a fortune to impress someone.  Think about the person’s personality and his/her love of travel and voila you have many options to choose from!  I am leaving some of my thoughts for gift shopping ….

• For the friend that loves travel into remotes places where electricity is not always an option – how about a power bank to keep them connected to the world and social media?
• For the loved one (friend or family)  who is an adventurous coffee addict – Veer from the well-known coffee brands and try something from the African continent.  You will be surprised on what is on offer and does not have to cost a fortune.  Shop around, you will find something interesting.
• An international travel plug for that wish list destination in 2019! That couple of bucks that they save can buy a cup of coffee at the destination.   When they enjoy the cuppa you will definitely be remembered.
• Create a music play list or some something inspirational for your travel buddy when he/she has to wait in a queue to buy admission tickets to a popular attraction or buy the tickets online for them!  You can even buy a train ticket or a day pass on public transport for the city that they are going to visit.
• A good pair of socks (a big plus point for me as I am prone to suffer from blisters on a trip!).
• Search for a favourite preloved book to read in many of the book exchanges or buy an e-book online. (Usually I walk out at the book exchange with a book for myself too …)
• You will surely be remembered if you gift wrap some favourite food nibbles to enjoy at sunset whilst admiring the view over the Victoria Falls, Kariba Dam, Serengeti, at the pyramids in Egypt or Kilimanjaro.
• A re-usable cup (with a lid) for all those coffee take aways.
• A multi-purpose bandanna – the uses are endless!
• A small hip flask for the hype of the season — craft gin.
• A small pocket knife or a multi tool to eat the biltong and cut the cheese when on a trip.
• And if you really feel generous buy your buddy a tank of fuel to discover some unknown places and make a wish come true.

I can add a lot more to the list.  So, eat your heart out and think out of the box this CHRISTmas!  Let us keep the commercial side out of Christmas and remember what CHRISTmas is really about – celebrating a special birthday and spreading love amongst all.  If you do wish someone a “Merry Christmas” this year let it speak from your heart.

—oOo—

Christmas is the spirit of giving, without the thought of getting — Thomas S Monson

—oOo—

The post A LAST MINUTE WISH LIST WHEN YOU HAVE WANDERLUST appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Heading north or south Graaff Reinet is sort of the resting point and leg stretch for motorists.  It is the heartbeat of the Karoo with blue skies and wide open spaces yet it has a beauty and a charm of its own.

Make that trip, even in the middle of the winter, when it is freezing cold and the water stops flowing in the waterpipes because of minus temperatures.  This is a time to dress up nice and warm, muffled against the cold with  beanies, scarves, JBays, mohair socks, etc.  This is the best time for clear blue skies and starry nights, cuddling up in front of the fire place and sipping on hot chocolate and share the hospitality of the people from the Karoo.  Winter is also the hunting season in the Karoo.  Hunters turn up with their rifles and stalk Springbuck and Kudu in the veld, testing their hunting skills, and afterwards you are rewarded with the joy of biltong.  For us hunting is a yearling family outing.

In summer you will see yet another picture of the same landscape!  You will see lone windmills standing in the scorching sun, their big wheels driven by the Karoo breeze, faithfully doing their duty for the farmer and his animals.  I do not know if it is just me, but I always see a photo opportunity in a windmill …?  The Karoo is also a place where you will discover ravines with waterfalls, if you know where to look.

The Karoo is a place where you can turn back to basics.. Switch off all that tech stuff that you bring with.  Forget about social media and being connected.   Listen to the heartbeat of the Karoo.  Your heart will be filled with memories and you will never leave empty  handed.  Support the local businesses – they rely heavily on tourism in times of hardship – buy a pair of mohair socks, a piece of biltong, spring water …… whatever …… there are lots of entrepreneurs that creates interesting goodies.

This is a place where there is enough time in a day,  where you sit on the stoep, drink coffee in the company of good friends and chat for long hours, take man’s best friend and go for a hike to  admire the sun rising over the Karoo landscape.

The Karoo is a place of silence, long dusty roads, interesting plants and fossils, snow and sheep and homemade goodies stacked on farmstall shelves.  The Karoo is an interesting place indeed and worth a visit.  A place that you will return to for another visit and for another reason!

— Beauty is in the eye of the beholder —

The post THE BARE BEAUTY OF THE KAROO appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.