COUNTRIES VISITED Archives - Page 19 of 28

HISTORIC MONTAGU PASS

The historic Montagu pass is situated in my town’s backyard . When you take the N12 from George towards Oudtshoorn you will find the sign to turn right onto a gravel road. Calm down and don’t be in a hurry when following this road. It is very narrow with only single lane traffic possible and no trailers, caravans and trucks are allowed and just a special warning: it is popular with mountain bikers coming down hill at great speeds! At several occasions we narrowly missed these projectiles. I swear that they do not have nerves or they are so high on adrenaline that they do not think straight …. Travelling with a 1962 Landy we do not have a choice other than to go slow, very slow and enjoy the ever changing views of the Outeniqua mountains covered in all shades of green, purple and pink as the flowers… Read more >

ELEPHANT 101

This post is not about travel as such, but seeing that we had several close encounters with elephants in Mana Pools, Matusadona as well as in many of the Botswana wild parks this may come in handy. Even in lately in Kruger National Park there were some incidents/accidents. Let’s start off with some interesting and lesser known facts about the trunk of an elephant: Feeling the vibe: Aside from smell, the trunk is sensitive to vibrations; from the ground it can sense the rumble of faraway herds and even far-off thunder. Mighty muscles: An elephant’s trunk has eight major muscles on either side and 150,000 muscle bundles in all. It is so strong that it can easily push down trees or roll over a vehicle. Move it: Like the human tongue, the trunk is a muscular hydrostat – a boneless muscular structure that allows for its excellent maneuverability. Phenomenal sense… Read more >

MALELANE RUSKAMP (KNP)

Malelane Sateliet Kamp is een van die kleiner ruskampe in die wildtuin, sowat 3 kilometer vanaf die Malelane hek, wat selde vol bespreek is. So dit is ideaal as jy op die ingewing van die oomblik besluit om wildtuin toe te gaan om diere te gaan soek. Maar miskien is die kamp ook nie vir almal lekker. Daar is nie ‘n winkeltjie of restaurant fasiliteite nie. Ook nie gras staan plekke nie. Jou naaste inkopiesentrum gaan wees by Berg en Dal ruskamp ongeveer 10 kilometer verder aan. Daar is ook nie WiFi in die chalets nie, maar wie kom nou wildtuin toe om op die internet te lê? Maar as jy stilte soek weg van die gejaag en gemaal in die wildtuin is dit ‘n baie lekker kampie om in uit te span. Die kampplekke het nie almal gras en bome nie en sommige effe skuins, maar ons kon daarmee… Read more >

GET a FIX

This little gem is tucked away in a quiet space next to the Botanical Gardens at the top end of Caledon Street, George. This is a child friendly venue where kids have fun (and milkshakes) while moms wander through the nursery and afterwards sip on their coffee. In summer the children play under leafy green trees while the Outeniqua Mountain watches over them, but being winter and rainy a Bedouin style tent was erected to provide some protection against the elements. The menu at Get a Fix is small, but still provides a good choice to everyone. Why do I like it? Because dogs are welcome too here. While you are having your coffee you can hook up your dog’s leash at your table and they will even provide a fresh bowl of water to your best friend. Oh yes, and they have a loyalty card program for their regular… Read more >

KILI MEMORIES

Learning about the tragic death of South African rally driver, Gugu Zulu, on Mt Kilimanjaro this week brought back some vivid memories of this majestic yet unpredictable mountain in Tanzania. My first glimpse of Kili was in 2007 when we were on an overland trip to Khartoum, Sudan. Arriving in Moshi well after dark and pitching our tent at Honey Badger camp, where we had some interesting experiences, I had no idea what was waiting for me in the morning when I wake up. When unzipping the tent the totally unexpected view of Kilimanjaro took me totally by surprise! Being born and bred in Africa I have always dreamt about seeing Kili. All my life I had this picture of the mountain in my head and imagined what it would be like to see it for the first time, but never ever did I expect this. And there… Read more >

FUN IN KOH CHANG

What the hell if it is the rainy season and you are in Thailand? Enjoy the rain and have as much fun as you can in Koh Chang, Thailand’s second biggest island after Phuket. To get to the island you board one of the ferries, which depart about every hour, for a 40 minute ride to your destination. The cost is something in the region of 120TBH (+- R48) for a vehicle and 80TBH +-R32) per adult. We did not book accommodation in advance seeing that it was the low/rainy season. First we wanted to have a look at what is on offer. We are not very fond of the upmarket accommodation types. We normally look for something basic, but clean. I mean after all you only need a comfortable bed and a proper shower – the rest of the day we will be out exploring or hanging on… Read more >

THE FOUNDER OF KNYSNA

Knysna is synonymous with the history of woodcutters, silk farmers and gold diggers made famous by Dalene Matthee in her books about Knysna and the forest. And probably the most colourful character of Knysna is the famous (or maybe not) George Rex who was the founder of this pretty little town loved by many. George Rex was rumoured to have been the illegitimate son of George III (Prince of Wales at the time) and a Quaker girl, Hannah Lightfoot. The legend is that he was sent to the Cape Colony to avoid a Royal embarrassment. Rex, who settled on the farm Melkhoutkraal, also contributed to the economy of Knysna as he was a timber merchant and trader and played a major role in the development of the town and the surrounding area. Whilst the grave is no great sight to behold, it can be found close to the N2 and… Read more >