It is not as big as Kruger and as crowded as Kruger, but still give you a wildlife experience like none other.  Here you can not only see the Big Five but also, hyena, warthogs, various buck species, zebra, smaller creatures and birds (more than 417 species have been listed).  Remember that you will see lots and lots of elephants – it is after all Addo Elephant Park – and do not forget the smaller creatures and birds.

The park is within easy reach for a day drive from Port Elizabeth.  Pack a picnic basket and leave early as the gates open at 06:00 during summer and closes at 18:00, but check before you go as times change according to season.   If you do not want to do a self-drive there is also a hop-on facility at reception where an experience guide will share his knowledge with you.  They also offer horse back rides in certain sections of the park.

At the main gate near reception there is an interpretative centre where kids (and adults) can explore all kinds of interesting facts on wild animals.

For me elephants are quite amusing and I can sit and watch them for hours, especially the smaller ones that do not yet have such good control over their trunks and it more or less flip-flop all over the place.   The teenagers on the other hand are very daring and will chase anything that have an element of possible fun.

Most important of all is to respect speed limits and park rules.  Rules are there for everyone, and to the benefit of everyone, to have enjoyable experience.   If you need some tips head over to the post:  At the waterhole.

http://travelbucket.co.za/at-the-waterhole/?hilite=%27waterhole%27  

There is also more than just game viewing to the park.  Along the Woody Cape area you will find the longest untouched sand dunes in the Southern hemisphere and of course whales along the coast.

Bonus tip:  Remember during SANPARKS week in September entry to the park is free

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We’ve been blogging under the radar for a few years now, but we could never understand why our following would not pick up.  For the month’s leading up to the ECMeetUp, we would follow and keep a close eye on the event on social media.  Being a traveling family, we would always choose a solitary life in the wilderness somewhere.  There where we would be alone and make memories for us to remember.  Even though we were sharing our memories with fellow and potential travelers, we never saw the need to attend any events where you mingle with fellow bloggers.  Being adventurous, we decided to take the big step and signed-up for the ECMeetUp to get out of our comfort zone and see what all the fuss was about.  If you don’t attend, you will not be able to say that “you aren’t one for events like this”, and then simply crawl back into your cocoon and carry on traveling solo.  Even after buying our tickets, we were still looking for excuses not to go, but we took the leap of faith and there we were, all dressed up and ready for the high tea.  We have made it!

It was nothing like we expected and from entering the venue right through to the prize giving, everything was just so amazing!  The food was of a very high quality and the caterers from Petronella Fine Dining really did a beautiful job.  Port Elizabeth has just outdone itself once again and I am so proud to call this city our home (for one half of the Travelbucket team atleast)!  Not only is the ECMeetUp an opportunity to meet fellow bloggers, it is also the opportunity to collaborate with brands like Travelstart, the leading online travel portal in Africa!  Wow, what a privilege to learn from the knowledgable Kirsten Litsen and fellow blogger and influencer Lyle Scritten (VersatileLyle.com).  New ideas on how to improve our blogsite to provide better feedback to our followers arouse from their talks and working in collaboration with them, is a dream come true for the Travelbucket team.

The organisers of the ECMeetUp event know what they are doing and they sure know how to make you feel spoilt and important.  The goodie bag that we received at the event speaks for itself.  Popular local brands like Cape Mohair (mohair socks), Travelstart (Discount flight voucher), Nutristart (honestly the best cereal), and Five Roses (tea is our favourite beverage) to name a few, were onboard and us as travel bloggers could see how we could utilize every single gift in our goodie bag.  We like practical presents.  The competitions that were running on the day was mind blowing and once again Nutristart, HPH Publishing and Daily Dish, just to mention a few, have partnered with the ECMeetUp event to make this one of the events to attend in the Eastern Cape.

Nelson Mandela Bay is a city that is underestimated and underutilized in the travel industry.  People are often under the impression that because we are not an economic hub (although the motor industry is big in the area), that we do not have a lot to offer.  This incredible city is a gold mine of activities and so affordable.  Since one half of the Travelbucket team resides in the Garden Route, they are situated right in the middle between the beautiful Cape Town and the adventurous Port Elizabeth.  Having the best of both worlds, the logical go to city that has everything and more on offer, always ends up being Port Elizabeth.  Make no mistake, Cape Town is a world class city, but Port Elizabeth is not far behind.

Nelson Mandela Bay with Port Elizabeth at the centre point, offers you everything that Cape Town has to offer and more.  Sun, sand, sea, wind and eateries, but there’s more.  Nelson Mandela Bay boasts with the largest South African flag proudly displaying in the wind on  a daily basis, an hour’s drive from the only Big 7 National Park in the Country in Addo Elephant National Park, a world class horse racecourse in Fairview Racecourse (also the venue of the ECMeetUp), a beautiful coral reef to explore with one of the diving companies in the city, ziplining, segways, horse riding, sandboarding, boat trips, surfing spots, a very rich history (we are named after one of the world’s rolemodels afterall), Cheap flights to Port Elizabeth and best of all, friendly people – yes we are called the Friendly City!

To top all of this off, everything is affordable and aimed at family experiences, which makes it a perfect holiday destination and gives you a reason to prolong your stay to have the full experience.

Travelbucket has experienced a big variety of different cultures and activities during our travels, but we highly recommend making your flight bookings, jumping on a plane and making your way to the Friendly City for an experience you will never forget.  We have had a great time and we will definitely be making our way back to Port Elizabeth soon to bring you another few items to add to your bucket list.

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The little hamlet has its origin as far back as 1765 when land  was first allocated to Jacobus Scheepers.  Once a blooming farming community over the years it also fell victim to the economic trends and hardships and today it is a real rural community.  One beautiful feature of Twee Riviere is the Belfry Kitchen in the hoofstraat.  Make sure you pinch yourself, because you can soon forget that you are in the Langkloof.

When I visited the autumn colours were in all its glory!  It felt as if I was walking in in an English setting with the red brick buildings, autumn colours, the sheep grazing in the street next to a red letter box.   Peeking through the impressive gate pillars – it is private property so I did not want to trespass – I saw the beautiful campus gardens which comprise several hectares.  Schrijwershoek is a tree arboretum that has been arranged to emphasize the different colouring specimens and the tree collection varies in age between 14 to 22 years in age and is apparently an ongoing project.  I wish I was allowed to enter the grounds to have a look at the trees as it must have been dressed in full autumn colours.

Unlucky for us we did not do our homework properly and The Belfry Kitchen was closed.  It was their day off.  While we were clicking away one of the resident students came around the corner to investigate what we were doing at the restaurant as it was closed and we were peeking around – I think we triggered the security beams!  The Belfry Kitchen prides itself that they produce fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, dairy products, poultry and meat for their own consumption and produces treats at a fraction of the price that you will pay elsewhere.  It was part of our planning to have lunch at the Belfry Kitchen, but today this was not going to happen for us as our planning sucked.   I think we will have to make a booking for Sunday lunch and make a road trip to the Belfry Kitchen.

The Belfry Kitchen also marks the site of Twee Riviere’s original post office which operated when the R62 was the main route to Port Elizabeth.  With the coming of the N2 small towns, like Twee Riviere, and many other, suffered a great deal.  Another demise of Twee Riviere was the establishing of the nearby Joubertina with a bigger school and church.

Until 1921 the post office was operated by the post master, storekeeper and school master, Denis Samson Schreiber. On Schreiber’s death in 1921 the responsibilities of the postal agency were initially assumed by the new shopkeeper, Mr Harold Strimling of Jewish Lithuanian decent, but the growing economy of Joubertina soon spelled the closure of businesses in Twee Riviere.   Despite this the postal agency carried on for another period of time until 1989 when it finally had to close its doors.  However, the day I visited I still experienced the old school post office atmosphere that I remember from childhood.

Once again, I must say if it was not for geocaching I would never ever have discovered this peaceful and tranquil placed tucked away on the R62.  Sometimes it is worthwhile to get off the highways and explore the backroads and discover and support establishments in rural communities like Twee Riviere.

Lastly, if you need to send a letter to Twee Riviere the postal code that you need to used is:  6411.

—oOo—

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RISE AND SHINE!

Get up nice and early.  Go for a stroll along Shark Rock Pier to watch sunrise over the Indian Ocean.  What a better way to start your day?

BE A VOLUNTEER

Sancobb (but you will probably still remember it as Samrec) is always looking for volunteers of any age to help with daily tasks caring for the penguins at the centre as well as to help protect our precious marine life.

A GIANT FLAG

Did you know that Port Elizabeth is home to the largest flag in South Africa?  Take a walk around The Donkin  and watch the giant flag of 12 meters by 8 meters, sitting on a 65 metre high pole, fly in the wind.   It has become a real landmark on the Port Elizabeth horizon.

TAKE A WALK

Take a walk on the Heritage Trail and visit 51 historic places around the old Hill area.  While on the trail you can marvel at 1820 Settler history and historical architecture.   Did you know that you can even meet a Queen in front of the public library?

FUN ON THE WILD SIDE

Stay clear of overcrowded beach and head for miles of unspoiled beach at Sardinia Bay.  It is perfect for long beach walks, playing on huge sand dunes until you are exhausted and the German Wurst Wagen.  You can even take your pet there if it is on a leash.

Also see the post Sardinia Bay.

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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 serves everything fish related.  So, we had fish for lunch – had a hake and calamari combo served with chips, hubby’s fish served with rice and the ‘little one’s” fish and some fresh healthy salad.  All the dishes are served with a tartar sauce on the side.

Somewhere during our lunch I noticed this somewhat unusual tree in the middle of the outside area and on closer inspection I saw that it was a cork tree – yes, those that they used (nowadays they use a plastic version) to make the wine bottle corks from. The very first time in my life that I see such a tree up close and personal!   I do not know how old they get, but I guess this one must have been around for quite some time as it has a very big trunk.

This cork oak tree inspired me to do some research once we were home.  Reasearch that took me on a fascinating journey of discovery.  On average a cork tree can reach an age of 200 years during which the bark can be harvested only 17 times.  The art (as it is not that simple to harvest the cork) of harvesting cork can only be done every 9 years and the trees are mainly commercially grown around the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.  Next time when I sip on my glass of red wine I will appreciate that cork stopper in the top of the  bottle!

“If  you do not like how things are, change it – you are not a tree!” — JIm Rohn

The post THIS IS EAT, PORT ELIZABETH HARBOUR appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

This year started with a Sunday breakfast at the Rose Garden Tea House at the Floradale Nursery in Charlo.  Arriving a bit before nine there was already a queue of cars waiting at the gates.  I think we were at the right spot for a Sunday morning breakfast!

We chose a protected spot on the stoep with a view over the garden as the wind was unpleasant and inside all the tables were already chock-a-block.  Even the children were not too enthusiastic to visit the playground in the wind.

However we were welcomed with a smile and soon my aromatic cup of coffee arrived.  This was a good start to my day.

It was hard to decide what to eat as everything on the menu looked delicious and even more scrumptious as the food arrived at our next door table.   Even the cake this early in the morning looked like a good option to me.  Oi, choices, choices, choices.

With a full tummy and a lazy feeling we wandered through the well stocked plants section. Then unexpectedly I stumbled upon these angels and fell in love with one.

But today will not be my day to buy one as I opted for my Mini for the quick visit.  If I buy one then the angel will have to go to the roof of the Mini …   Okay, maybe not that good an idea!  So the angel had to move over to my wish list and a next visit to Port Elizabeth.

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With the expansion of Port Elizabeth’s residential area to Westbourne Road and surrounds the need for another Anglican church was seen and in June 1882 the Town Council granted a piece of ground for the erection of a church in memory of Bishop Robert Gray.

Due to lack of funds the first building was of wood-and-iron, designed by Mr WT Miles, the municipal architect.

The new chancel (the area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir) was built in 1889 and the original rectory in 1910 but it was not until 1932 that the present nave and vestries were completed and consecrated. In 1947, as a war memorial, it was decided that a chapel be built and that the great west window, (of stained glass), be installed.

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The morning was greyish but quite pleasant when we set off from home in St Georges Park. Our aim was to do a cache here, but on arrival was pleasantly surprised to see that the locals were out and about with dogs and children enjoying a sort of windless day – only a slight breeze tucking at my pants, so quite pleasant!

We walked up the dune and spent some time on top of it to admire the views and breathe in the fresh sea air.  Fantastic.  I must say our country must be one of the most beautiful places on earth that God has created!  Reluctantly we made our way back down a slow pace as we did not want to leave after having done the necessary observations for our geocache find.

Seeing that it was about lunch time we paid a visit to the Wurst Wagen which comes down to Sardinia Bay every Saturday morning to provide a bite to the locals.  The friendly owner served us a cheesegriller hotdog and a bockwurst hotdog at a reasonable price.  Must say for  “wagon” food it is quite tasty!  And for those of us with a sweet tooth there is apple crumble pie as well and some drinks to go with it too.

Thanks to geocaching I am exploring the lesser known places of my country box by box!

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My daughter took me for an early Sunday breakfast and what a nice surprise!  The mixed décor creates a fantastic relaxed atmosphere to create just the right mood to have something delicious from the varied menu.

Poached eggs and salmon

A first for me was the “craft” juice – something to the likes of craft beer, but a healthier option.  But do not forget that they also serve some craft beer here!  This is not just a coffee shop but much more.  It was just a bit early for me to have beer for breakfast!  Next time we will return to taste some of the craft beers that they offer and try something else on the scrumptious menu.   I am always in to try and test some new things.  After all that is what keeps life interesting!

Hand crafted juices

And if you feel like chilling go downstairs where you can curl up and be cozy on the leather couches and chat the time away with old, new or special friends.

Downstairs in the dungeon

To my beautiful daughter – thank you for introducing me to this place.  See you again, Friendly Stranger!

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Main street

Walking in the village you cannot imagine that yellowwood was actually used for railway sleepers in this forest community in the early 1800’s.   At the turn of the 1800’s Frank Mangold purchased several properties in the village and built a house and established several other businesses.  Today there are still not a lot of businesses in the sleepy village, but if you are an adrenaline junky this is the place to do a canopy tour and maybe catch a glimpse of the rare Knysna Loerie with its reds wings gliding from tree to tree or do some tubing in the icy black mountain waters.

Adrenalin junkies converge from all over the world

If you have a more laid back attitude or age is getting to you hiring a Segway might be more the thing for you to experience the village and surrounding forest on a guided tour.

Sedgeways

Well, and if you are an Elvis fan … this is it!  Next to the brewery is a small American style diner for a quick bite or two.  Surely something to do for everyone in the village.

Diner

However we enjoyed to just sit on the stoep of the local micro beer brewery and taste some of the fine crafted beers offered by this establishment and just watch village live pass by in slow motion.

Micro brewery

Nothing and nobody is in a hurry at this side of the world.  The friendly brewery owner even took us on a little tour of his pride and joy and explained a bit of the processes of beer brewing to us.  I even told the brew master something that he did not know!   A lesser-known fact about hops is that it belongs to the Cannabaceae Family of which the infamous Cannabis is also a member.

At the brewery

After a laid back day and delicious dinner we retired to our room at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn. We enjoyed some good food, good service and  … yes, a good rugby day as the South African teams did well in the Super 15 Series!  After all rugby is South Africa’s favorite pastime!

The Inn @ Storm River Village

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