South African Travel Digest

  Jasmyn Farm Stall and Windmill Restaurant . Visiting the Hartbeespoortdam area is like visiting your favourite candy store with a surprise around every corner - with beautiful scenery.  This is definitely one of my preferred places to visit in the North West Province.  Situated in the Bojanala region, it offers visitors magnificent views of the Hartbeespoortdam, the Magaliesberg  mountain range and  a taste of life in the South African countryside, yet with all amenities nearby.  The dam wall was constructed in 1925 making it an amazing 88 years old.  Its shoreline is about 56 km when it is full and is a sought after destination for weekend getaways and day trips with visitors enjoying para-sailing, windsurfing, water and jet skiing.  For those who have the courage, other activities include paragliding, hang-gliding, hot air ballooning, scenic drives and hikes through hills and valleys. A nice way to explore the whole area is via...

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 ...

Gordon's Bay harbour . Are you planning a trip to Cape Town, South Africa and wonder whether Gordon's Bay is worth a visit?  I would definitely recommend at least a couple of days in Gordon's Bay since there are so many things to entertain the visitor.  This small seaside town with its beautiful harbour just 25 km from Cape Town,  is a scenic paradise and a visit will never be forgotten. It is also the ideal place to visit if you have small children. Here are my top five places to visit in Gordon's Bay: Bikini Beach View of False Bay from Bikini Beach. Although there are many  other better beaches around Cape Town to visit, Bikini Beach has Blue Flag status, meaning it is safe and clean to swim (an international quality award).  The water is also a bit warmer than the other beaches around Cape Town. The scenic view of False Bay alone makes this a must visit beach. Go for a swim at Pringle Bay. Drive to Betty's Bay to watch the Afr...

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...

S ince Table Mountain was nominated as one of the seven new Wonders in the World, there is even more reason for you to visit this magnificent city. Cape Town remains my favorite city in South Africa. As the oldest city in South Africa, to me it is also the most beautiful and my family and I visit here at least once a year. The city has such diverse cultures with a fascinating history. There is always something to do and to experience in Cape Town. It boasts many tourist attractions and is also a child friendly city. Here is my own personal top list of why you should include Cape Town in your list of travels whenever traveling to South Africa. Table Mountain Of course Table Mountain should be on any list of favorites. Table Mountain, a national museum, is a beautiful sight and is Cape Town's pride. This majestic mountain can be reached by cable car and is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The views from the top are spectacular when skies are clear...

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...