World Wide Travel Blog

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

5 things you should know about Etosha (other than looking for the animals):

1. The gates open at sunrise and close as sunset – there is generally a mad rush to get to the gates for sunset so make sure you don’t get caught in  someone else’s dust otherwise you will miss the magnificent sunset

2. If the sign says stay in your car, they mean STAY IN YOUR CAR!

3. The only accommodation within the Etosha National Park is run by the Namibia Wildlife Resorts.  Visit the old German Fort of Namutoni – great views and a super waterhole with a resident group of very entertaining striped mongeese

4. You should not miss out on Sproukieswoud (Fairy Forest), the amazing Moringa Trees – known to feed people as well as animals.  In Etosha these are growing uniquely in soil and not on rock

5. The main road in Etosha runs from East to West or visa versa.  It can easily take a day to drive just along this road (there and back) so don’t get caught out by thinking it is not that far!

5 Things you should know about driving in Namibia:

1. Always have at least 5 liters of water in the car with you.  It is very hot, and dusty and there are not a lot of water stops

2. Know how to change a tyre and make sure your car comes with a spare one!

3. Fill your car up regularly – don’t chance it to “make it to the next town”

4. Have plenty of music and plenty of battery life in your iPod.

5. Estimate the time you think it will take you and then add on another hour or two (don’t always rely on the map) – road conditions are generally good but driving on dirt roads makes for a longer trip

5 of the amazing things to see in Damaraland:

1. Views Views and  more Views
 
2. The Organ Pipes – a series of dolerite pipes that resemble organs pipes - though these ones were created 100 million years ago.  Caught at the right time, the colours are amazing and this is a geologist’s dream stop.
 
3. The mighty Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia (2,573m).  Its name meaning “Fire Mountain” which comes from the glowing colour it can get around sunset.  It also houses the famous “White Lady” rock painting of the San (Bushman) tribes – a spiritual site.
 
4. The imposing silhouette of Spitzkoppe – the Atlantic wind blowing sand particles and significant temperature changes between day and night have sculptured the ochre granite of these mountains into polished curves, arches, columns and countless extraordinary shapes.  The light generated by the setting sun is magical – rock and sky merging together in a blaze of gold, crimson and deep purple…..

5. Twyfelfontein – 2 thousand rock carvings created over 2 thousand years – in 2007 this was approved as Namibia’s first World Heritage Site

5 amazing things about Sossusvlei:

1. The colours and scenery here is some of the most contrasting and remote that you will find anywhere in the world

2. The combination of Sand Dunes, Grasslands, Mountains, Desert & Game – which all make for a photographers paradise

3. The highest Dune is Big Daddy at 300m

4. The closest dune to the road is Dune 45, which is what makes it the most popular one

5. The most amazing way to witness this phenomenal place – is from the heights of a hot air balloon

 

I thought I would compile a list of all UK airlines that operate within the UK, most operate over seas but not all.

Air southwest
http://www.airsouthwest.com/

Aircraft Charter Passenger and Cargo
http://www.aviation-consultants.com/

Astraeus
http://www.flystar.com/

Aurigny Air Services
http://www.aurigny.com/

Avianca
http://www.avianca.com/

Blue Islands
http://www.blueislands.com/

BMI British Midland
http://www.flybmi.com/

BMI Baby
http://www.bmibaby.com/

British Airways
http://www.britishairways.com/

Eastern Airways
http://www.easternairways.com/

Easyjet
http://www.easyjet.com/

Fly BE
http://www.flybe.com/

Fly Globe Span
http://www.flyglobespan.com/

HD Air
http://www.hdair.com/

Logan Air
http://www.loganair.co.uk/

Lydd Air
http://www.lyddair.com/

Monarch
http://flights.monarch.co.uk/

Scot Airways
http://www.scotairways.co.uk/

Thomson Fly
http://flights.thomson.co.uk/

Titan Airways
http://www.titan-airways.com/

Virgin Atlantic
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/