COUNTRIES VISITED Archives - Page 7 of 28

….. AND WE ARE OFF TO THE BAVIAANSKLOOF MEGA RESERVE

This will be our eighth escape to the magical world of the Baviaanskloof in the adventure province of the Eastern Cape! From all of our trips we entered only once from the Eastern access gate and all the other times we entered through the Nuwekloof pass on the Willowmore side. It does not make any difference from where you enter, the rugged beauty is always special to us. On 15 March 2019 the catchment area of the Baviaanskloof had a down pour of about 75 mm in a time span of 40 minutes which caused huge damage to roads and alike. Once through Raaskrans and crossing the first “drif” we noticed that big amounts of water rushed through the kloof. Debris was hanging from trees to indicate the water’s reach. This was the trend for the next two days – short and easy water crossing, longer water crossings, washed away… Read more >

LET’S GO CAMPING INNIKLOOF

by Inge Triegaardt Nestled in the heart of the Gamtoos Valley, 12km outside the town of Hankey in South Africa, lies the perfect spot to spend the weekend. John and Catherina Wait have outdone their selves with providing an enjoyable camping spot for the whole family at inniKloof. Whether you are looking for a place before you enter Baviaanskloof or have just exited Baviaanskloof or even just a nice breakaway weekend, this is the place to be. inniKloof offers a main campsite with grass and multiple electricity points. The ablution facilities are neat and clean with an attached scullery. A big undercover platform is available with a built-in braai for those who do not wish to make use of the big round braais in the middle of the campsite. Might I add that these big braai pits becomes the centre of attention when a big group descends on inniKloof. A… Read more >

WHO DID WE MEET AT THE KNYSNA LITERARY FESTIVAL?

So, who DID we meet? We met well-known Australian (or is it New Zealand? 😊) author Tony Park. And what a nice guy he is! The Knysna Literary Festival, hosted by Pam Golding, celebrated its 10th year in 2019. Although living around the corner from Knysna I never even knew this festival existed. So, what do you learn? That you are never too old to discover new things. Sounds a bit like travelling to me; you keep on discovering new things. The two lovely ladies of the Travelbucket team was invited to the event where Tony was speaking at the Knysna Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa on Thesen Island in Knysna. The invite to attend was extended as personal guests of him, even though I only met him the Friday before the event! Apart from being an author who researches his books extensively he is also very concerned about nature… Read more >

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 >