An unabashed tourist and her family explore the world one holiday at a time.
Gareth and I usually like to tour independently when we’re on holiday. I would read up on local history and the sights to see, then plan our itinerary around that and tell Gareth all about it on the day when we’re there. This works well, because we can then decide what we want to see and do so at our...
Before coming to Spain, I was warned that driving might be difficult. Not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road (which is to say, on the right side), but the Spanish are notoriously indifferent to speed limits or road rules, or so I’d been told. After having been here for a week now, I can honestly...
Ordering a meal in a foreign country is always a bit of a gamble, especially if you and your waiter don’t have anything other than sign language in common. How does one say scrambled eggs with toast with no Babel fish readily available? Gareth and I were in just such a predicament a few days ago when we were on...
Living in South Africa, there’s nothing for it but to make peace with the fact that anywhere we want to go is at least a 10-hour flight away. So we grin and bear it, knowing that the destination will be worth the journey. Sometimes the journey turns out a little more interesting than we thought it would be. At 22:10...
When going on safari in the Kruger National Park, or any of the big game farms in South Africa, there are a number of do’s and don’ts that you should keep in mind to make sure that the experience is both rewarding and enjoyable to all those involved. Here are some general guidelines to consider: Do book your game drive...
On our first day in the Kruger National Park, on our way from Numbi gate to Berg-en-Dal rest camp, we were driving at a leisurely pace, following closely behind another car that seemed to be heading the same way we were. At one point, we saw movement in the bushes next to the road and stopped while the other car...
With a little luck and perseverance, you’re bound to have some amazing encounters with the local wildlife while in the Kruger National Park. Although the four days we spent camping in Berg-en-Dal wasn’t nearly enough time to explore as much as we’d have liked, we were lucky enough to meet up with some of the Park’s more elusive residents –...
When people think of Africa, they think of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. While South Africa has many, many private game reserves where you can view the Big Five up close, nothing compares to the Kruger National Park for seeing the animals in their natural habitat. The Park is larger than either Israel and Wales...
While I’m busy researching my upcoming trip to Spain’s Andalucia and Costa del Sol area, I thought I’d review one of the guides that I’ve been reading. The DK Eyewitness Top 10 Andalucia & Costa del Sol guide has been very helpful in giving a good overview of the area. It contains (as the name suggests) loads of top 10...
My hometown, Pretoria, is known as South Africa’s Jacaranda City. Every October, as the mild spring weather with its daytime thunderstorms starts giving way to the heat of summer, the jacaranda trees are in full bloom. The whole city is covered in a blanket of purple flowers and the sweet scent of its blooms lingers in the air. It is...