South African Travel Digest

A view of Table Mountain from Bloubergstrand . Bloubergstrand (Blaauwberg - literally translated as Blue Mountain Beach) is one of my favourite areas in and around Cape Town, not only because of the spectacular views of Table Mountain, but also because of its scenic beach with long white sand. It is a very popular tourist destination and usually attracts large numbers of local and foreign visitors and is only 20 km away from Cape Town city centre. On a clear day one can even see  Robben Island in the far distance (Robben Island is best known for its most legendary prisoner, former president Mr Nelson Mandela). Numerous and affordable self-catering accommodation is available in this area via   wheretostay   and we usually try to stay close to the beach with unspoiled views of the surrounding area.  The only downside is that the seawater is very cold because of the cold Benguela current but the area is very popular for kitesurfing. View from Big Bay, a ...

Will you be travelling with a small child to South Africa soon? The idea of traveling with a small child to a faraway foreign country such as South Africa can be a bit overwhelming at first. But with careful planning  such a trip can become really rewarding and enjoyable. The only disadvantage is that the child will not remember much about the trip after becoming a bit older, but you will be teaching him or her some skills that will last forever.  South Africa is generally safe to travel with children but you will need to do your homework. My son has been traveling overseas with us since the age of three. When flying from and to South Africa you should be prepared for a really long flight.  The key is to anticipate specific situations that you have to make provision for.  Packing for the long trip Make sure that you know exactly what your travel insurance covers and what you need to do in case of an emergency as well as who to contact. Take additiona...

Mini trains at Cedar Junction Theme Park. Want to take your children for an outing? The school holidays or weekends can be the ideal time to take them for a train ride to keep them busy. Pretoria has some remarkable train rides to offer.   Having a young kid myself, I know how exciting it is for them to ride on the trains and to hear their sound.  But you can also take them for a ride in a real train. Here is my list of favourite train rides in Pretoria. Centurion Society of Model Engineers Each Sunday the Centurion Society of Model Engineers meets and offers rides on their mini locomotives with little carts for a small fee. These ride are really value for money with some interesting scenery. They can be found each Sunday at Kwikkie Crescent Street, Zwartkops, very close to the Centurion Gautrain station. Barry rides most Sundays in Centurion, except for the third Sunday of each month. Below to the right is one of the many steam trains. Childre...

Next time you fly to South Africa, why not also use your iPad as your travel guide and companion? With the numerous free travel applications available in the Apple iPad's application store, you will be assured of a wonderful stay with all the information you need right there at your finger tips. Recently I realised that that there are numerous free travel applications available which will just be as good as those one you have to pay for. In this post I would like to recommend my  five best free iPad applications  you should consider downloading for your next trip. Triplt Free trip organizer (7.9MB) This trip organizer will merge all your travel details into one itinerary. It also links with other social media platforms and your emails to access your travel arrangements. You will never be confused about your travel details ever again. Touchnote Postcards for iPad (11 MB) With this free application you can use your own photos and send them as postcards to you...

About 30 kilometres from Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, is Bettys Bay,  a small, tranquil seaside village which is home to a penguin colony at Stony Point which was declared a municipal nature reserve in July 2002.  There are currently about 4 000 penguins at Stony Point. To enter visitors have to pay a small R10 (1,25 USD) entrance fee each which is used to maintain the reserve.  To reach Bettys Bay from Gordon's Bay, visitors have to drive along the R44 scenic ocean  route which also passes the Rooi Els and Pringle Bay beaches.  This route is by far one of the most beautiful ocean  routes which will take any visitor's breath away and will make the trip to Bettys Bay even more interesting. Stony Point at Bettys Bay. To watch the African penguin colony in their natural environment in Bettys Bay is quite an experience.  The penguins are used to the daily stream of visitors and go their own way, undisturbed and oblivious to the people who are watc...

Photo credit: There are some great things to do in Pretoria if you are a first-time visitor.  Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa and situated in the Gauteng province.  It is very close to Johannesburg and the Oliver Tambo International Airport. Although it is a big city with a population of about 2.3 million, it is still small enough to create a feeling of being in a large town. The best time of the year to visit Pretoria is in October and November when all the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom (the reason why the city is also known as the Jacaranda city). Here are my top 5 places to visit in Pretoria if you are a first-time visitor to the capital: The Union Buildings Source: South Africa Travel Net. The Union Buildings Visiting the Union Buildings should be first on your list of things to do in Pretoria.  These buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the Presidency. ...

Farm life in South Africa can provide a unique travel experience to the visitor looking for something different. Visitors are treated to wide open spaces and lots of fresh air. Numerous guest farms opened their doors to tourists and visitors. As a South African, I have experienced several farm stays in addition to also visiting our beaches, different lodges, going on safaris and life in our different cities. Staying on a farm as a guest has always been enjoyable and energizing. Overlooking a mountain in the Magaliesburg district while staying at a guest farm. Having a full-time career and family commitments can be exhausting, and therefore we often go weekends away to nearby guest farms. Apart from experiencing true hospitality of the hosts, being away from the city in a tranquil environment with the most beautiful scenery is truly peaceful. Nothing is as relaxing to me as watching the sunset surrounded by bushes and the sound of the farm animals in the distance. Farm stays o...