and the memories we have made during
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
You know you are having fun when time flies !!!
I met the touring party at Oliver Thambo International Airport, and found the group ready to have a fun filled South African experience. One would think that visiting the Voortrekker Monument, may be boring, however we had great fun at the curio shop discussing first the big 5 animals, then the tiny 5 witch include birds reptiles and insects, and the the discussion on the ugly 5, really set the cat among the pigeons when the ladies had to decide who, among the men resembled the, big or the ugly 5. remember that the ugly ones are the hyena, warthog, Marabou Stork, baboon, and aardvark (I am still not sure what the ladies decided I look like)
Our tour included two nights at Andy's Camp, part of the Drifters Private Bush lodges, in the Balule section of the Greater Kruger Park. Our hosts Joostie and his Team went to great lengths to ensure that we have the best opportunity to spot as much wildlife as possible, attached are just a few pictures. It is also amazing to walk in the wild bush, finding out about how all the little animals, insects, plants and even the soils create an environment that supports the larger animals and plants. We also had fun when a Impala dung spewing competition was started by Joostie.
Victor ( one on the Trackers) have developed a friendship with one of the Hippo's nearby and this huge animal responds to Victors calls by grunting and showing off its teeth, all in all I would like to state that the best way to experience a place like Kruger is to stay in a fence less tented camp, the sounds at night followed by the sounds of countless birds at break of day, is what I would classify as Heaven.
Driving the well known Panorama Route has its splendour, with Panoramic Mountains, Canyons and Rivers supplying plenty of eye candy, but at the end of the day, when the day's driving is done Tourists need to unwind. Jaco and his family at Stille Woning in White River are the perfect hosts, with fun filled welcome drinks (Mampoer and sherry, for the less adventurous) perfect dinners, as well as perfectly appointed rooms. but it is in the Lapa that stories, and some jokes are told. the odd song could be sung until late after midnight, it is this atmosphere that makes one want to stay for another day.
Arriving in Port Elizabeth one gets reminded that this City has been named as the friendly as well as the windy City. we could hardly stand upright when we stepped off the Aeroplane. Singa Lodge in Port Elizabeth is very comfortable but oh so formal, you need to unwind a bit to have all those tired Tourists warm up to you. I have herd so many good comments about Singa from my tourists, but they all ended with a proviso, we would have liked a more relaxed atmosphere.
Driving to Tsitsikamma one gets the feeling that the garden of the Garden Route is just waiting on our arrival, with huge and deep gorges, mountains and even more rivers, competing with the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga. the splendour of the Tsitsikamma National Park is legendary and one can have some fun crossing the suspended bridges while admiring the spectacular coastline. Some hotels and Lodges have fantastic charm together with dinners to match. two that needs special mention are Tsitsikamma Lodge with its wooden chalets, and the other has to be Tsitsikamma Village Inn, the rooms here are wonderful and their restaurant and pub has just the right old school charm.
The road to Oudtshoorn from Tsitsikamma is one of the reasons that this route has become a tourist attraction because there is the Knysna Forrests, yes there are Elephants living in those forests, I know because I have seen one a few years back, followed by the Lakes District and Wilderness Beach and Victoria Bay. beyond George lies the Majestic Outeniqua Mountains over witch many spectacular Mountain Passes have been build, travelling any of them is well worth it. Arriving at Thorntree Lodge near Oudtshoorn is always quite special, you are escorted to your room and the Ostrich dinner is so good that seconds is always an option, if one could find space after the meal. Our every single whim is tended to with a smile ,,,,,,,mm mm.......not always capable to do, yes some even 5 star Hotels are having problems with
The Swartberg Mountains and the Ostrich Farms, and related activities in the Oudshoorn district warrant a stay of several days, and if your group is big and needs to be fed with a memorable dinner a visit to Kobus se Gat is a must. this time he supplied music and we all sang along and even danced most of the evening away, yes even my alter ego misbehaved, and apologies should be in order, thanks Kobus you and the team make a visit to the Swartberg special!
After one has visited the Kruger park with its vastness one sometimes feel a little disappointment when visiting a Private Game Reserve or Park and it feels that the animals are captured behind the fencing, well it is true but one must not forget that these parks have place in the tourism industry, and when they make a special effort to ensure that our visitors have that special experience they deserve, it is to be appreciated. The Garden Game lodge near Mosselbay, has during the past year gone through great lengths to make our visits special, and it is for that reason that i would send Tourists Friends and Family to them for a visit.
When visiting a great city like Cape Town one tend to forget about the effort some of the smaller establishments take and go to to make a visit to them, I would like to mention three of these by name and thank them for being what they are and say keep up the good work, they are Welgemoed B&B,Leonore you are and will remain a friend. Afton Grove, Chris you and your team had some troubled times this year, but a a Guide and Tour Operator, I am more than impressed, then lastly De Noordhoek Hotel, small friendly, yes I always feel welcome. It is places like yourselves that ad value en make time fly, while we are having fun
Our tour included two nights at Andy's Camp, part of the Drifters Private Bush lodges, in the Balule section of the Greater Kruger Park. Our hosts Joostie and his Team went to great lengths to ensure that we have the best opportunity to spot as much wildlife as possible, attached are just a few pictures. It is also amazing to walk in the wild bush, finding out about how all the little animals, insects, plants and even the soils create an environment that supports the larger animals and plants. We also had fun when a Impala dung spewing competition was started by Joostie.
Victor ( one on the Trackers) have developed a friendship with one of the Hippo's nearby and this huge animal responds to Victors calls by grunting and showing off its teeth, all in all I would like to state that the best way to experience a place like Kruger is to stay in a fence less tented camp, the sounds at night followed by the sounds of countless birds at break of day, is what I would classify as Heaven.
Driving the well known Panorama Route has its splendour, with Panoramic Mountains, Canyons and Rivers supplying plenty of eye candy, but at the end of the day, when the day's driving is done Tourists need to unwind. Jaco and his family at Stille Woning in White River are the perfect hosts, with fun filled welcome drinks (Mampoer and sherry, for the less adventurous) perfect dinners, as well as perfectly appointed rooms. but it is in the Lapa that stories, and some jokes are told. the odd song could be sung until late after midnight, it is this atmosphere that makes one want to stay for another day.
Arriving in Port Elizabeth one gets reminded that this City has been named as the friendly as well as the windy City. we could hardly stand upright when we stepped off the Aeroplane. Singa Lodge in Port Elizabeth is very comfortable but oh so formal, you need to unwind a bit to have all those tired Tourists warm up to you. I have herd so many good comments about Singa from my tourists, but they all ended with a proviso, we would have liked a more relaxed atmosphere.
Driving to Tsitsikamma one gets the feeling that the garden of the Garden Route is just waiting on our arrival, with huge and deep gorges, mountains and even more rivers, competing with the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga. the splendour of the Tsitsikamma National Park is legendary and one can have some fun crossing the suspended bridges while admiring the spectacular coastline. Some hotels and Lodges have fantastic charm together with dinners to match. two that needs special mention are Tsitsikamma Lodge with its wooden chalets, and the other has to be Tsitsikamma Village Inn, the rooms here are wonderful and their restaurant and pub has just the right old school charm.
The road to Oudtshoorn from Tsitsikamma is one of the reasons that this route has become a tourist attraction because there is the Knysna Forrests, yes there are Elephants living in those forests, I know because I have seen one a few years back, followed by the Lakes District and Wilderness Beach and Victoria Bay. beyond George lies the Majestic Outeniqua Mountains over witch many spectacular Mountain Passes have been build, travelling any of them is well worth it. Arriving at Thorntree Lodge near Oudtshoorn is always quite special, you are escorted to your room and the Ostrich dinner is so good that seconds is always an option, if one could find space after the meal. Our every single whim is tended to with a smile ,,,,,,,mm mm.......not always capable to do, yes some even 5 star Hotels are having problems with
The Swartberg Mountains and the Ostrich Farms, and related activities in the Oudshoorn district warrant a stay of several days, and if your group is big and needs to be fed with a memorable dinner a visit to Kobus se Gat is a must. this time he supplied music and we all sang along and even danced most of the evening away, yes even my alter ego misbehaved, and apologies should be in order, thanks Kobus you and the team make a visit to the Swartberg special!
After one has visited the Kruger park with its vastness one sometimes feel a little disappointment when visiting a Private Game Reserve or Park and it feels that the animals are captured behind the fencing, well it is true but one must not forget that these parks have place in the tourism industry, and when they make a special effort to ensure that our visitors have that special experience they deserve, it is to be appreciated. The Garden Game lodge near Mosselbay, has during the past year gone through great lengths to make our visits special, and it is for that reason that i would send Tourists Friends and Family to them for a visit.
When visiting a great city like Cape Town one tend to forget about the effort some of the smaller establishments take and go to to make a visit to them, I would like to mention three of these by name and thank them for being what they are and say keep up the good work, they are Welgemoed B&B,Leonore you are and will remain a friend. Afton Grove, Chris you and your team had some troubled times this year, but a a Guide and Tour Operator, I am more than impressed, then lastly De Noordhoek Hotel, small friendly, yes I always feel welcome. It is places like yourselves that ad value en make time fly, while we are having fun
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Traveling an alternative route
As Tourist guide one travels the most popular tourist routes and we do find them just and enjoy them as much our tourists does. Sometimes as with the tour I have just completed we are booked on an alternative to the normal routes and although they do include some of the very best tourist destinations, they visit some of the remote and often overlooked spots of note in our beautiful Country. I am going to do a short photographic essay of the tour. just for you to get a sence of what we have experienced
A visit to Soweto is always an experience and although I know the important tourist destinations well, I prefer to use one of the Guides who live in Soweto, they have a lot to offer and I also believe that I also ad to the creation of job opportunities bu using the local talent. here we stoped near the Soccer City World Cup Stadium, specialy buid for the 2010 World Cup Tournament.
The next day we traveled through the spectacular Koo Mountain pass to Montagu, on our arrival we visited a mid-town bird sanctuary for some spectacular photos. Our hotel was the quaint art Deco themed Montagu Country Hotel.
The last few kilometers through to Capetown also delivered what some would say the cherry on the Cake
A visit to Soweto is always an experience and although I know the important tourist destinations well, I prefer to use one of the Guides who live in Soweto, they have a lot to offer and I also believe that I also ad to the creation of job opportunities bu using the local talent. here we stoped near the Soccer City World Cup Stadium, specialy buid for the 2010 World Cup Tournament.
A drive through to Swaziland has to include Ngwenya Glass near the Oshoek borderpost, we stopped for lunch but to see the way some of those exquisite glass sculptures are formed from redhot glass is an education in itself, and the price of some of the articles is extremely reasonable. Our hotel the Forester Arms Hotel was located high in the mountains among luch forests, and about an hours drive from Mbabane the capitol of Swaziland. this small country despite its economic and political chalenges, has a lot to offer to the tourist, we visited, an Cultural show near Matenga in the Izulwini district, lunched at a Candle Factory and shopped at a huge Craft market, all in one day.
when driving through Swaziland I am always amazed at the contrast between the northwestern mountainous country and the south eastern flat country with the sugarcane and the rural villages, it seems that the country is divided in two because the flat countryside is also much dryer and the people seem poorer the those living in the northern mountains. going through border posts is also an experience, because each time, and with each official there are small changes that makes life interesting. Our arrival at Ezulweni Lodge near Hluhluwe, was made special by the owners and the fact that the tourists have spotted their first giraffe, zabras and wildebeest. The rooms were very comforable and well appointed too.
Although Kruger National Park is the most visited and and also worth visiting I find the multitude of smaller Parks special, because a sighting does not mean the resemblence of a major sporting event parking area, here you can view your animals in silence and mostly alone, Hluhluwe National Park is just like that, and my tourists felt that the game drive could be at least a full day, perhaps that is whawe will do next time. we have seen at least three of the big 5 and the birdlife was astounding.
The Rhono's in this park are spectacutar, jus have a look at the bull in these pictures and the female lying down's horn is at least a meter long (I still cant believe that anybody would want to kill such a magnifisent animal)
Our visit to the St Lucia Wetland Park (sorry I am still old school) was no less special, with wildlife everyware, and you know that you have had a good day when you have a African fish Eagle in full flight in close to the boat. Our evening back at Ezulwini Lodge was just great and viewing the Southern Cross and the Milkyway, with no light polution was a highlight for the group from Belgium.
We travelled to Umhlanga rocks were our guests stayed at the Oysterbox Hotel before we took a early flight to Port Elizabeth, did some shopping before we headed out to Kirkwood near Addo National Elephant Park. We stayed at Cosmos Cuisine, a Guest House with a 5 star menue. The next day was a day at leisure with a game drive in the park at sunset, we decided to do a full day game experience in our bus, and again it surpassed all our expectations, many Elephants Kudu etc. and we had no reason to complain about a shortage of birdlife, again a day well spent.
The next day was a short drive to Graaf Reinet an smal historic town in the Great Karoo, famous for the start of the Great Trek of 1835. We had lunch, visited the local Museum before we went to another of my favourite National Parks, the Kamdebo, with its amazing views from the top of the Valley of Desolation. We returned back to town to drive through Niew Bathesta to Ganora Guest Farm, situated in the middle of no-ware. Dinner was a cold affair, we had a visit to the farms fossil museum and viewed the starry skies once more before crawling into our pre-heated beds. The next mornieng we went searching for fossils on the farm with frost still clinging to our bus. We returned for breakfast end a visit to some very good San Rock Paintings on the very same Farm, before we drove to Beufort West for a visit and stayover to another less visited National Parks The Karoo National Park.
Our game drive with our bus delivered Mountain Zebra, Plains Zebra Kudu and Orix
the next morning we drove to Matjiesfontein, and were astounded at the amount of spring flowers the fields delivered, matjiesfontein's Lorn Milner Hotel and the Museum is well worth the visit and a evening with Johnny behind his honkitonk piano will remain in our memories.
The next day we traveled through the spectacular Koo Mountain pass to Montagu, on our arrival we visited a mid-town bird sanctuary for some spectacular photos. Our hotel was the quaint art Deco themed Montagu Country Hotel.
Our trip towards Capetown neared its conclusion, but before it does we had to go and spot soe whales in Hermanus, The whale spotting place to be in South Africa, and we were not disappointed. what a show ....wow. and a tour well worth doing the less travelled path
The last few kilometers through to Capetown also delivered what some would say the cherry on the Cake
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