We drove through Orpen gate and into the Kruger at lunchtime, our eyes immediately darting from the ground, into the tall grass and up into the tops of the trees, trying to perceive the minutest of movements. Quite quickly, we were greeted by a lone elephant near the side of the road, lazily enjoying a late lunch. Eager to find our rest camp, Satara, we drove at a reasonable pace - surely missing…
Continue reading: A Kruger Adventure: Satara Rest Camp
Like any great adventure, our time exploring Blyde River Canyon was filled with a few surprises and bumps along the way. After months of somewhat careful planning, we landed at the small, single-terminal Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport shortly after 12 and were immediately charmed by the rugged countryside and thatched-roof airport. Within a few minutes we’d collected our luggage and were…
Continue reading: A Kruger Adventure: A Guide to Graskop’s Blyde River Canyon
From the first page, I was intrigued as you're immediately thrust into the mind of Nora, who has decided to kill herself. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a novel with major self-help vibes that follows Nora as she finds herself in the space between life and death. There, she's able to sample alternative versions of herself - alternative realities shaped by decisions, small and big, that…
Continue reading: Book Review: The Midnight Library
It’s been a difficult year for many of us and this July was a particularly hard one for me so when my mother said she needed to escape the city for a while, I was more than happy to pack my bags and accompany her. I quickly put my love of online window-shopping to good use and scoured the web for a secluded spot that still had all the creature comforts we’d want and plenty of activities to keep…
Continue reading: Retreat Guest Farm: A Weekend in Piket-bo-Berg
Pip Williams’s debut novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, weaves a wonderfully whimsical story between real historical events. In between the writing of the first Oxford English Dictionary, the suffragette movement and World War I, you’ll be introduced to characters plucked from the past and a few conjured from the mind of the author. In this book, Williams imaginatively answers how the word…
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After reading The Flatshare I was eager to get my hands on more of Beth O’Leary’s novels. To my shock (and equal delight), this author had already written two other books. Her second book, The Switch, sounded right up my alley but her third, The Road Trip didn’t tickle my fancy quite as much. But after falling in love with the cast of characters featured in The Switch, I decided to put my faith…
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Winding your way along Plateau Road towards or from Cape Point you’d never know that another, much smaller country escape was patiently waiting for you to arrive. That is what stumbling upon The Scone Shack feels like. Situated on the stunningly rustic Lalaphanzi Farm, the charming shack surrounded by succulents and a variety of farm animals beckons you in. An assortment of outdoor seating means…
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Trying to hold on to the last bit of summer, my friend and I ventured to Stellenbosch for an alfresco feast in the form of a picnic. Our destination: the impressive Hazendal Wine Estate. The family-friendly estate manages to perfectly combine South African and Russian traditions to offer unique experiences from their Pivnushka beer garden and Cape Dutch guesthouse to their Russian tea ceremony…
Continue reading: Picnics at Hazendal: Bountiful Babushka Baskets
It’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Beth O'Leary. I devoured her second book, The Switch, almost as quickly as I did her first book, The Flatshare. If The Flatshare is the perfect poolside indulgence then The Switch is the kind of book you curl up with in an armchair while drinking hot chocolate next to a roaring fire. The story follows Eileen Cotton the elder and younger, who goes by Leena, as…
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Summer, and the holiday season, is upon us. While we might do things a little differently this year, Covid-conscious travel, outings and activities are possible. And nowhere has proved this more than De Meye Wine Estate. (That I know of, anyway). De Meye is a gorgeous estate, perfect for a summer afternoon in the countryside. I’d been dying to visit the estate and finally on Saturday 5 December…
Continue reading: Picnics at De Meye: Superb Seasonal Summer BasketsAllow analytics? It uses cookies to show which stories and photos readers enjoy, and only runs if you agree.