An unabashed tourist and her family explore the world one holiday at a time.
African penguins, formerly known as jackass penguins for the distinctive braying sound they make, are probably some of the cutest wildlife you’ll get to spot in South Africa. We never miss the chance to spend some time with these little monochrome charmers, so of course we had to stop at Boulders Beach when last we were in Cape Town. ...
Seagulls squawk overhead and the salty tang of an ocean breeze tints the air. Gareth and I are sitting at a seafood shop at the harbour in Hout Bay, one of the many small towns that dot the Cape Peninsula just outside of Cape Town. This is surely one of the most picturesque of them and just sitting here makes...
“There it is! There’s the boomslang!” It’s not every day that I’m excited about a tree snake, and this day is no exception. The Boomslang is not some slippery cold thing with a forked tongue come to haunt my waking hours, but rather the name of the tree canopy walkway at Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town’s botanical gardens situated at the...
Seasick and swaying slightly from the rough crossing, we were hustled onto a bus the moment we set foot at the docks of the infamous Robben Island, with hardly any time to look at the series of placards explaining the former prison island’s history. Apparently we weren’t going to get a chance to explore by ourselves. Was this intentionally so...
Gareth and I spent a blustery August morning exploring Cape Point and its surroundings inside the Table Mountain National Park just outside of Cape Town. I can definitely recommend this outing if you’re a nature lover. While we climbed up to the lighthouse and then, legs quivering like jelly, spent the rest of the morning driving from viewpoint to viewpoint,...
“This was not a good idea.” I’m only halfway up the mountain, my legs are killing me and already I’m holding my breath when people pass me on their way down so they won’t hear me wheezing in agony. Yes, I’m vain enough not to want random strangers who I will never see again think I’m having trouble walking up the...
When two people are travelling together, there are bound to be some things that the one didn’t enjoy quite as much as the other one. I think it’s a good idea to reflect on the trip afterwards, to learn from possible mistakes and to better plan for the next one. So… the verdict is out on our recent whale watching...
After our stopover at Betty’s Bay, we continued along the scenic R44 on our way to Cape Town. We were undecided on how to best use the few hours we had before we had to head back to the airport – we wanted to visit some friends we hadn’t seen in a while, but since Gareth had never been up...
I consider myself to be a very good driver (don’t we all?), but I’ll be the first to admit that if there’s one virtue I have not been blessed with, it’s patience. Especially after 16:00 on the N1 when stuck in the fast lane behind someone with a foreign province number plate (you know who you are, Mr FS and...
On our way back from Hermanus to Cape Town last weekend, Gareth and I opted to take the more scenic R44 route, which winds along the coast with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. We happened upon a small holiday town called Betty’s Bay. While most people come to this area to admire the exquisite fynbos, we were excited to...