We basically used it as a one night stop over en route from Oudtshoorn to the wine land areas. It was a very cute and quiet little town that is nestled in the mountains. It has a small population of friendly people. There is one main street that has a few restaurants and a small supermarket. We stayed at De Bos Guest Farm. It was a very charming and rustic place with free run chickens and some peacocks. Your typical farm dogs and cats too. We went out for dinner to a restaurant that had been recommended some time ago on our travels. It had just recently been opened. The name of the … [Read more...]
Knysna, A Pleasant Stop Along The Garden Route
Knysna is a charming town that we stopped at on our way through from Plettenberg Bay to Oudtshoorn. The main attraction of Knysna is called the Heads. They are two great sandstone cliffs that create a treacherous channel. The ocean runs through it to flood a lagoon at the mouth of the Knysna river. The city of Knysna itself is situated between lush forests and the lagoon. We walked around a quay that was full of quaint little shops and restaurants. The main street in town is also full of shopping. Knysna was very reminiscent of the smaller seaside towns that we have visited along the coast … [Read more...]
The Owl House Of Nieu Bethesda
Fascinating And A Little Creepy! We were anxious to go to a small town that we had read about called Nieu Bethesda. It's situated in the middle of nowhere in an area of South Africa known as the Karoo Heartland. Limited accommodation, two small restaurants and world recognition have come to the town all because of a wacky and weird place called the Owl House. It has been on several television programs that feature strange houses from around the world. It was also used in a movie. … [Read more...]
Magical and Mystical Hogsback
Like a transplanted English village, Hogsback sits in the Amatola mountains. It is full of such quaint multi-cultural names as Tidbury's Toll, Cookhouse, Lower Blinkwater, Tyume Post and Braunschweig. It has a population of only 500 residents, many of them very eccentric. It is an enchanting area of forests and mountains that we had been hearing about for weeks as we traveled through South Africa. This is an area inland from the coast. It was about a three hour drive from the last town we were at of Cintsa. Most people believe the towns name comes from the three barren looking mountains … [Read more...]
Coffee Bay, An Immersion In Xhosa Culture
We left Port St. Johns to start heading along the rest of the Wild Coast. Several of the villages can not be reached by a coastal route. You have to drive back to the main road and then back down to the next coastal village. This was the case for Coffee Bay. It is speculated that the village got its name when a ship crashed into the shoreline spilling its large load of coffee beans it had into the water. We fell in love with this place. The whole area had a friendly laid back atmosphere to it and the beaches were beautiful. Choice Of Backpackers There are two backpackers right across the … [Read more...]
A Relaxing Backpackers In Winterton, Central Drakensberg
Inkosana Lodge We made our way from the northern to the central part of the Drakensberg mountain range. Here we stayed at a backpackers called Inkosana Lodge. It is near the town of Winterton and the perfect base to use for Hiking Monk's Cowl. The trail head is a ten minute drive away. If you don't have your own wheels the owner take guests there when he is available or the walk to the trail head will take about an hour. The Inkosana Lodge is definitely one of the nicest backpackers we have stayed at. We paid a higher rate of 250 Rand ($50 Canadian) for a private double rondavel. It … [Read more...]
More Beijing Temples And Attractions
Temple Of Heaven The Temple of Heaven is the most holy of Beijing Imperial temples. The emperor came here in the winter to pray to heaven for a good harvest. The Chinese believed this location was the exact center of the universe. The entire area was designed to represent the relationship between heaven and earth. We enjoyed the actual grounds and surrounding areas of pine treed woods in the park. They were very pleasant to stroll through. The circular Temple of Prayer building is quite stunning. A lot of the other buildings are repetitive of ones in the Forbidden City but are on a smaller … [Read more...]
Day Trip To Lesotho
Lesotho (pronounced lee sue too) is a small country located within South Africa Many routes into Lesotho are only accessible by 4X4. They can be difficult to navigate, it's a wise idea to hire someone who is used to driving in this area. We booked a trip into Lesotho through the Amphitheatre Backpackers where we were staying at in Bergville. There were four of us and our driver. Beautiful Landscapes And Adorable Children We soon drove out of Kwazulu Natal province and into the province of Free State where we would have access into Lesotho. We went through the township of Qwa Qwa. A Xhosa … [Read more...]
Ladysmith
No, we haven't flown back home to Vancouver Island. This is Ladysmith, South Africa. I grew up and went to school in Ladysmith, British Columbia. I knew since I was in elementary school that there was a town of Ladysmith in South Africa that many of the streets in my town were named after. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever get to visit it. Buller's Rest Lodge We checked into a B&B called Buller's Rest Lodge. It is on the top of the list of places we have stayed so far. It was set on beautiful grounds and had a million dollar hilltop view over the city. There were three … [Read more...]
Exploring The Battlefields Of South Africa
We used the little town of Dundee as a base to explore the battlefields of South Africa. We received a warm welcome from our host at the BBI Backpackers and got details on how to get to the various battlefield sites. Talana Museum Before heading off to the battlefields went checked out the Talana museum that is located right in the town of Dundee. The museum has several displays of glass work which used to be one of the main industries in the area along with coal mining. There is a mock coal mine to go through, complete with sound effects. Some of the original farm houses are still on … [Read more...]