We have been in need of a family holiday for a while now and so took the chance for a Malaria Free Safari in the Eastern Cape of South Africa along with a few days on the spectacular garden route.

When I say we I mean, my wife Jane and myself and our three small children, Michael (6), Thomas (4) and Beth (18 months).  What we experienced was an outstanding family holiday filled with excitement, fun and great memories.

Here is a short diary of our Travels;

Day 1 Sedgefield
We enjoyed a slow drive to Sedgefield about 440Km outside of Cape Town. With a number of stops for farm stalls and lunch and arrived in time for a quick trip to the beach and then off for supper. 

Day 2 Grahamstown
We got off to an early start as we wanted to get to Grahamstowns by lunch.  We did make the occasional stop along the route, including time spent watching the world’s highest commercial bungi jump at the Bloukraans.  Despites Michaels determined request, I choose not to participate.

Grahamstown is famous for two things, the world renowned National Arts festival held each July and Rhodes University.  Jane had spent her university years at Rhodes and we enjoyed an afternoon wondering round the town, playing in the Botanical gardens,  strolling through the beautiful campus, reminiscing and taking in the vibe of the student town.

Day 3 , 4  Marks Camp , Lilebela Game Reserve
What a treat, located in the Eastern Cape between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown Lilebela offers Malaria Free Big Five experiences.

Michael and Thomas were in awe, and could not get enough of the experience.  We saw Lion with cubs, Elephant, Rhino, Cheetah ,  Giraffe, Wildebeest, Zebra , Kudu... the list goes on.  The guides were excellent and catered fantastically well for the children. 

We had baby sitting on hand allowing us time to enjoy dinner with the other guests, special children’s meals, a play room and children’s game drives.  The staff ensured every detail was taken care of and even Beth was a settled and happy was could be.

Our accommodation was excellent, two large rooms both en suite, sitting room and a deck overlooking the bush and watering hole. 

Thanks to Michael and Thomas encouragement we came back with hundreds of photos as well as a few other bits and bobs for “show and tell” at school.

Day 5 St Francis Bay
After another outstanding game drive, which saw an Elephant walk within spitting distance, much to Beth’s amusement, it was with heavy hearts and a few tears from some disappointed children we packed and got ready to move on.
A quick drive to St Francis bay and an opportunity to play on the beach, watch the surfers and see the Penguin colony and we were now on our way to enjoying the Garden Route.

Day 6 & 7 Hunters Hotel, Plettenburg Bay
Five star luxury, was an outstanding way to end our holiday.  Hunter’s is a real treat, stunning setting, elegant and luxurious thatch roofed cottages with fireplaces and private verandas overlooking the gardens.

The experience is made through the attention to detail and service. Our children were in there element and no detail was forgotten in making this a wonderful family friendly hotel. Thomas and Beth quickly made friends at Cubs corner, the children’s play area, whilst Michael made the most of the splash pool.

The restaurant options at hunters are world class and the main restaurant offers outstanding fine dinning, whilst Jane and I loved our evening at Zinzi which offers an African fusion menu in a stylish setting.  I would recommend it as a must.

Our days in the area were filled with so much to do and so much to choose from.  There are an excellent selection of beaches, forest walks and drives and the area is home to Elephant, Cheetah and Monkey sanctuaries.

We choose to explore the Storms river mouth, Kynsana, the Wilderness and the beaches at Plettenburg bay. We could easily have spent another few days in the area, exploring but unfortunately it was time to head back to Cape Town. Our journey home was spent planning our next African adventure.

Now back at work in Cape Town I’m even further inspired by the awesome beauty and the world of adventures and experiences on our doorstep here in Africa.

 The 2010 world cup is now only months away and the whole footballing world will be descending on South Africa. I have compiled a list of sites that will help you on your travels;

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html - World governing body of football and organisers of the world cup
http://www.sa2010.gov.za/ - South African government website for 2010
http://fifaworldcup.durban.gov.za/Pages/Default.aspx - Official Durban world cup website
http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/2010/Pages/default.aspx - Official Cape Town world cup website
http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/654/167/ - Official Johannesburg world cup website
http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/home - Official South African tourism website

http://www.thefa.com/ - The English football association
http://www.ussoccer.com/ - Official USA soccer home page
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/ - Football Association of Autralia
http://www.figc.it/index_en.shtml - The Italian FA

http://www.capetownactivities.co.uk/ - Cape Town Activities
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1071886.stm - Basic over view of South Africa from the BBC
South African Safaris - African Travel Experts South African Safaris
Great white shark diving - Great white shark diving in South Africa from White Shark Ecoventures

Camps Bay - The Sexy and Glamorous Holiday Hub Of Cape Town

Camps Bay is one of the most beautiful and sought after areas in Cape Town, South Africa. Residents enjoy panoramic sea and mountain views, beautiful beaches and a bustling cosmopolitan beachfront with trendy restaurants and bars within a few minutes drive from Cape Town City Centre and it’s about 27km (17 miles) from Cape Town International Airport.

Tucked at the foot of Table Mountain, trendy Camps Bay is Cape Town’s most exclusive resort.  It has some of the most sought after, and expensive real estate in Africa, and regularly attracts celebrities and film shoots.

Camps bay is a dazzling, self-contained holiday resort where you can shop at exclusive boutiques, dine at a vast selection of restaurants, party in glamorous style, tan, paraglide, enjoy mountain walks and view cutting-edge architecture.



Restaurants and bars are dotted all along the hip and happening beachfront and spill over onto the pavement, creating a real café-culture, cocktails-in-the-sun feel. In the summer, the sun sets only around 9 0’ clock and provides the most beautiful sunsets and views.

Over summer from October to April, Camps Bay is packed with European tourist and local visitors and attracts affluent people looking for luxury in a beautiful setting. This time of the year daytime temperatures generally reach 22-250C (72-770F), perfect for lazy days on the beach.  The Beach is marked by beautiful white sands, a row of palm trees and a lovely grassy picnic area, ideal for families.  Camps Bay beach has been granted Blue Flag status, and is the place to do a spot of people watching.

Camps Bay boasts a fine selection of gourmet dining with many different restaurants to choose from. From casual light meals to five star international cuisine, Camps Bay offers it all. After dark Camps Bay’s bars and restaurants become a strip for fun and laughter that buzz well into the night. After dinner move on to a sophisticated nightclub or The Theatre on the Bay which regularly host cabaret and light entertainment and numerous shows for all tastes.

In short, Cape Town and more specifically, Camps Bay has become one of the holiday destinations of choice and is considered to be in the top 10 of places to see and beseen. Other notable destinations are as follows;

• Cape Town
• Rio De Janeiro
• St. Tropez
• Portorino
• Aspen
• Cannes
• Monte Carlos
• Ibiza
• St. Moritz
• Miami

Knysna has fast become one of the most popular places to visit in the Western Cape. But with its warm weather and attractions it’s no surprise that tourists flock to this small town when holidaying in South Africa.Knysna is the type of place you will leave thinking that you wished you had more time to explore. Its abundance of tourist attractions means that there will be activities and sights that will suite all visitors.

If water sports are on your agenda then Knysna is a perfect destination. Knysna has a beautiful lagoon which can be explored by either hiring a boat, or you are welcome to bring your own. You can also take a ferry across to Featherbed Nature Reserve or to the Knysna Heads. You will also find a lot of good surfing spots which friendly locals will be able to tell you about.

Adventure activities are very popular around this area. Whether you are into paragliding, abseiling, or experiencing the thrill of hanging from a cable and gliding from one tree top to another in the dense Tsitsikamma Forest, you can find it all here. Horse riding on the beach is another popular activity. Organised horse-trails can be arranged through various companies if exploring forests and other trails are more your thing. If leisure sports is what you are looking for, then a trip to Knysna’s 18 hold gold course is waiting there for you.

When it comes to wildlife, Knysna has various Animal farms right on its doorstep. You can see game, crocodiles, elephant, cheetah and ostrich, or leopards at a lot of wildlife ranch. There are many Nature Reserves in and around the Knysna area. Knysna is also famous for the Knysna Seahorse which can be found in the Knysna Lagoon. It is considered to be one of the most endangered seahorses in the world. A visit to see this celebrated African fish should definitely be a must on your stay.

Knysna accommodation is of a exceptionally high standard as well, with many 5star guest houses and bed and breakfasts around.

This article was brought to you by House Hammond - a luxurious 5star Knysna guest house

The 2010 world cup is getting closer and closer, with the qualifying rounds now fully underway around the world. Below is a quick list of where the games will be played in South Africa.

• Green Point Stadium Cape Town
• King Senzangakhona Stadium Durban
• Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Port Elizabeth
• Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit
• Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg
• Soccer City in Johannesburg
• Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria
• Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein
• Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg
• Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane

In order to get the full low down on all the World Cup news please visit Fifa.

My wife and I are taking a trip to Knysna in the next month and we are both really looking for ward to it. We managed to find some Knysna accommodation with a 5star guest house called House Hammond. Seems to be a very lavish establishment at a reasonable price.

While we are in Knysna we have a few things planned;

• Take a boat trip through the Knysna logoon
• Go diving in the lagoon
• Visit the elephant park
• Visit monkeyland
• Hiking around the mountains in the Knysna region

Can some one tell me where the year went?!? No I thought not, it seems that another year has flown by and I am left sitting back wondering where it went... yet again, the same thing happens every time around.

This year I have the prospect of a South African Christmas holiday season, I am told that the 25th will be warm (maybe 28C+) but there could be a few drops of warm rain in the morning but for most of the actual day it'll be hot! Beats cold, windy rain in London I guess :)

Cape Town is now my city of residence :) My fiancee and myself have been living here for the last 3 weeks now and plan on sticking around for at least two years. Bernie is from Cape Town (Muizenberg) but has been away for four years, so neither of us are sure of the price of bread or milk!!

From my front door I can see the back of Table Mountain, as well as the other mountain ranges in Cape Town (Cape Town is surrounded by mountains, not just Table Mountain).

All-in-All life is not too bad at the moment :)