A Bit Difficult To Find Accommodation Without Pre-Booking In Cape Town For six weeks we traveled in South Africa and flew by the seat of our pants. We would show up at a destination and have no issues finding accommodation. That was until we reached Cape Town. We were informed that Cape Town is busy with tourism all year round. The only time of the year that is a bit slower is the month of May, this would be the peak of their winter season. We were having issues finding a place that had vacancy for more than a few nights. We decided we would break up our time in Cape Town. We booked a few … [Read more...]
Cosmopolitan Cape Town
Cosmopolitan Cape Town Just when you think you have seen the most spectacular views and scenery that South Africa could possibly offer, the country pulls out another punch. Cape Town is a city that should be on everyone's must see list. You have the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, beautiful Table Mountain smack in your face and the city circling around it. Cape Town is a very upbeat and vibrant city with so much to see and do. It has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere, some call it's Africa's New York. Long Street And Kloof Street Long Street stretches for over … [Read more...]
Franschhoek, Fantastic Wine And Gastronomic Delight
It was finally the time that Jack had been dreaming of. We were about to enter the wine lands of South Africa. The wine lands encompass several regions, with the most popular towns being Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Franschhoek. Each place has it's own unique character and atmosphere. After doing a bit of reading on each we decided that Franschhoek appealed to us the most, we would make it our base. The mountain pass from Montegu to Franschhoek was full of stunning scenery, but the best was yet to come. We were driving along a bend through the mountains when there was a sudden … [Read more...]
Sleepy Little Montegu
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...]
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...]