Greens Camp – Escape to the bush for the weekend. A perfect hideaway designed to recharge your batteries. Continue reading
It’s Spring and time to go hunting for wild flowers in the Cape – We show you where to find them. Continue reading
About an hour north of Cape Town, you’ll see a turn-off to the left into the West Coast National Park where a road will lead you to a hidden hamlet on the Langebaan Lagoon. Chattering seabirds swoop over faded fishing … Continue reading
Tucked against the mountains in the Overberg of the Western Cape, Greyton is a perfect weekend getaway that gets you into the country to exercise, relax, and indulge in gorgeous fresh farm food, fabulous wine and craft beer… in whatever … Continue reading
Tourists visiting South Africa usually have the Big 5 on their tick-lists: Probably Cape Town, Kruger National Park, The Garden Route, Johannesburg, Durban. I would be far more specific. If I could only visit 10 places in South Africa – these … Continue reading
The slowfood movement and the revival of crafted goods has resulted in a plethora of markets in Cape Town. These are a couple of my favourites.
1. The Neighbourhood Goods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. This award-winning market stands head and shoulders above the rest. It has over 100 specialty traders every Saturday, including local farmers, fine-food purveyors, organic merchants, bakers, butchers, artisan producers and designers. Wander through the old warehouse and courtyard at the Old Biscuit Mill or chill on hay bales outside.
2. The Porters Market, in Tokai. Probably my most visited market, because I love the MoerKoffie, the amazing bacon and egg rolls, and the Marimba’s. The market is the perfect place to stop off after a bike ride, or walk in Tokai forest. Look out for the handmade breadboards, Karoo lamb, chocolate brownies, raw honey and heritage seedlings.
3. The Slowmarket and Treasury Market, in Stellenbosch. If you’re willing to trek out to the Winelands, this market is worth the trip. Well organised and laid out around the Oaks and Cape Dutch buildings of Oude Libertas, the Slowmarket offers quality, gourmet treats, quirky crafts and some great finds. After quaffing champagne over breakfast, I came home laden with marinated olives, cheese, a Havanna hat, a real Indian embroidered throw, a bird brooch and the intention to return. The Treasury craft market, within the larger market, is only there on the first Saturday of the month.
4. The Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay. This market has grown into a sprawling mix of great food and crafts. Its popular – especially on the weekends when there’s live music – so expect a busy, vibey atmosphere.
5. The Earthfair Market, in Tokai. This small market has some gems – curries, cheesecakes and fresh organic juices. Try By Nature for organic nuts and dried fruit, Constantia Cheesery for delicious cheeses without colourants additives or preservatives, and SaladLover for the best vegetarian, gourmet selection of salads you could wish for.
Road-tripping is hungry work, and after an early start of out Cape Town, northwards up the N7 to the Cederberg, we were ready to plunder roadside farmstalls. Citrusdal was our last stop before hitting the dirt roads. But, everyone … Continue reading
800km from Cape Town there is a campsite with hot springs, wild horses, and a river running through it. There is also a canyon carving through arid rock, and that is what we went in search of.
The Fish River Canyon, Namibia, is over 300km long, but hikes are mostly done between the campsites Hobas and Ai-Ais for 70 – 95km, depending on how many shortcuts you take.
We climbed down stumbling shale and rock
We saw scorpion trails everywhere
We slept under a blanket of stars
We cooked on open fires made from gathered driftwood
We drank the river
We got cold in the predawn and dived deeper into our sleeping bags
We got powder soft sand in our shoes
We saw kudu
We heard kudu whistling and drinking water next to us at midnight
We saw a German grave and wild horses
We followed Ryan Sandes
We made friends
We were small and wrapped in the mountains
We held the world away
We dozed in the midday heat
We scalded and soothed our bodies in hot springwater bubbling into rock pools
We saw saturated blue sky and unflinching resilience in plants and animals
We loved the simple life
We finished.
Overlooking pristine beaches and nature reserves, Plettenberg Bay is the playground of South Africa’s wealthy. It’s also a town of contrasts that has somehow retained a village feel in the face of burgeoning informal settlements and luxury property developments.
Come winter, the town hibernates – boarded up, awaiting the summer migration of upcountry lemmings and international swallows.
It’s the secret green season in the Cape – moody and wet, but with mild weather between the cold fronts. Drive the N2 between Cape Town and Plett and you’ll see a spectacle of wheat and Canola fields, blue cranes, herds and aloes against misty mountains.
But the beaches are deserted, bar intrepid retirees who walk their dogs every day … long invigorating walks. And the nearby forests are magical – dripping green and mossy, brackish water rushing over dank earth.
We stayed at Gemini in Plett – a turquoise shuttered, Cape Cod style house right on Robberg Beach, booked through Perfect Hideaways.
Gemini is the perfect holiday house – beautifully designed and decorated, with great entertainment areas, stylish bedrooms and lots of little luxuries – relaxed and welcoming.
The house is well thought through, from the landscaped indigenous garden with its wooden walkways and hidden boma, to the open plan living area and kitchen with its top of the range appliances, it oozes comfort.
We loved the detail, Philippe Starck taps, the enormous Gaggenau stove, an espresso machine and juicer, a great selection of books, deep comfy sofas and Lloyd Loom chairs. The owners are clearly travellers and avid collectors, and they’ve shared their collection of beautiful artifacts around the house.
If you can raise yourself off the lounger, the beach is a close walk across the road and down a boardwalk through the beach vegetation, and you’ll have miles of sea and sand to explore. For the more adventurous, there’s a hike on the Robberg Peninsula – the views are worth the effort.
The Plett area has endless entertainment, exercise and foodie options. Try walking or biking Harkerville forest, visiting Natures Valley, taking a boat or canoe up the Keurbooms River, or just relaxing over a long lunch at Bramon wine estate or at the Lookout Deck.
For more info about Gemini contact www.perfecthideaways.co.za. Tel: 021 790 0972, or email: stay@perfecthideaways.co.za
The Knysna Festival is around the corner, and for anyone entered into the fun, there is always a mad scramble for accommodation. Last year, as a festival virgin, I entered the 21km run, gathered a motley crew of faithful supporters and planned the pilgrimage.
By a stroke of luck, we found accommodation at the Two Angels (previously Rockery Nook) on Leisure Isle, in full view of the Knysna Heads.
We rented ‘Lovers’ Nook’ cottage, the ‘Oyster Nook’ studio, and a small loft room upstairs. The ‘Nooks’ were both stunning – stylishly decorated and very comfortable with en-suites, kitchenettes and incredible views, but the loft room was a tad basic – no frills but fine for overflow accommodation that you could put your kids into.
Best part of our stay? Hard to choose between the incredible sunsets on the lagoon, waking up to the lapping, rushing sounds of the incoming tide, or early swims and lazy bike rides around Leisure Isle.
Best places to eat? If you’ve had enough of relaxed mojito’s and braai’s at the house, venture out and try champagne and oysters at Sirocco on Thesen Island or breakfast at East Head Café http://www.eastheadcafe.co.za/
And yes, we also ran a race that required us to get up in the middle of the night, queue to catch a thumping taxi into a dark, muddy, freezing forest, just to run all the way back – and it was fabulous fun.
Book accommodation at Two Angels through www.perfecthideaways.co.za. Tel: 021 790 0972, or email: stay@perfecthideaways.co.za
South African Travelista 