“Magical!” That’s the one word Vincenzia Diedericks uses to describe Kaapsehoop (or Kaapschehoop, according to the Dutch spelling). After a day trip to this small town in Mpumalanga’s highlands they bought a holiday home. “There’s something here, it earths you. When I put my feet…
I really enjoyed writing 2015 in Photographs earlier this year. It was a way to reflect on my travels throughout the year, to marvel once again at the magnificent paysages and UNESCO World Heritage Sites before me, to contemplate my smallness, to worship natural beauty, and…
When I was a kid I spent many weekends on the Vaal Dam because one of my closest friends had a holiday home there. We spent most of our time in or on the water. So I was REALLY pleased to head back there for…
Durban always makes me think of down time and summer holidays, frangipanis, Indian curry, puri pathas and bunny chow, but also its warm-hearted people – the tropical climate has obviously rubbed off on them, giving them a sunny disposition. In 2014 CNN named Durban South…
Of the three islands I visited in the Seychelles, La Digue may have been the smallest, but by far had the biggest personality for me. It wins. Hands down. Without a second thought. No competition. And I can’t say I wasn’t warned before arriving. “People…
Praslin was the second of the three islands I visited in the Seychelles. Along with Mahé and La Digue, it is one of the most popular and easily accessible of the 115 islands that make up the archipelago. From Mahé it’s only a 20-minute flight with Air…
On maps, the Seychelles seems like mere blips in the sea and in terms of land area they cover just 450km2. But these blips are spread over 1.4 million km2 of ocean, so there’s a vastness to the 115 islands and islets that make up this…
Updated January 2023: The road to animal exploitation is often paved with good intentions coupled with innocent ignorance. If you’re considering volunteering in South Africa (or anywhere for that matter) at a legitimate wildlife conservation project that’ll mean getting your hands dirty and no interactions…
When you explore eGoli, the city of gold, you’ll witness traces of the city’s early days from the 1880s when it was established as a gold mining town, and you’ll also see remnants of its fall, but know that you’re partaking in its rejuvenation, that’s…
After a week of cavorting around Mahé, Praslin and La Digue islands, I realised just how easy it is to fall in love with the Seychelles. This Indian Ocean archipelago is exceptionally charming… and knows it. It’s many allures are undeniable. Firstly, it’s 1 000…
In Art of Travel, Alain de Botton writes the truest of truths about solo travel. It goes something like this. “It seemed an advantage to be travelling alone. Our responses to the world are crucially moulded by the company we keep, for we temper our…
The Serengeti. It’s the safari to top off all safaris. All the superlatives you’ve heard, read and watched about the Serengeti are true. It’s not Tanzania’s most legendary national park for no reason, it’s also where you can witness The Great Migration – the seventh…
There’s really no time to waste if you only have 48 hours in Cape Town, so let’s get right to it. First off, make sure you plan a much longer stay in the Mother City on your next visit. A weekend getaway to Cape Town…
At the end of last year I travelled to Tanzania for the first time. It’s the furthest north that I have ever travelled in Africa and also the closest I’ve been to the equator. I planned to spend 12 days between Dar es Salaam, the…
Daréll Lourens of The Good Holiday invited Louise De Waal of Green Girls in Africa, Alfred Thorpe of Let There Be Light, me and a few others to join her on assignment in Cape Nature’s Gamkaberg Nature Reserve near Oudtshoorn, as she shot their new promotional video.…
Ask any local and they will tell you that there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who love the Maputo Fish Market and those who loathe it. During my trip to Mozambique’s capital city (read: 48 hours in Maputo: A guide…