I don't think I've been to a proper zoo since I was 11 years old and we visited the Pretoria Zoo while in the old Transvaal to visit relatives (actual people and not zoo primates). On my recent stay in Johannesburg I decided to take a free morning and head down the M1 to the Johannesburg Zoo to see what it is about.The Zoo is situated surprisingly close to the Johannesburg City Centre. Established in 1904, it has traditionally been…
Ok, so this one is a bit tongue in cheek. But heck, its Saturday night and we don't want anything too serious. On my recent visit to Johannesburg we walked past this curio shop in the Nelson Mandela Square mall section of the of Sandton City every night after dinner. To stop would be thieves from carrying the hippo away, it gets chained to the door. I felt so sorry for it. Shame, poor hippo.
The town of George at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains was founded in 1811 and was the first town to be established in South Africa by the British. It was named after King George III. The town is the main commercial town on the Garden Route and is often just used by tourists as a stop over. It is also where visitors will find the Outeniqua Railway Museum where the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam train is based. Unfortunately the…
I have always said that if my boat had to come in I would one day retire in Wilderness on the Garden Route. Somewhere against the hillside from where I can see the ocean, mountains, lakes and beaches of this beautiful area. Wilderness is a nice central base from where visitors can explore the Southern Cape and Garden Route and if one needs to get away from the hustle bustle of life there are forests, lakes and rivers all within…
While visiting Janet and Mr P (Greetings from Gauteng) for lunch during my Johannesburg trip, I asked them for suggestions on things to do while in the area. Mr P suggested I look up Liliesleaf Farm close to Sandton.Liliesleaf Farm was purchased through an overseas contact of the SA Communist Party to be used in secret by African National Congress activists in the 1960s. A white family was put in the main house as a front while activists came and…
The little town of Sedfield is situated about 20 minutes from Knysna and can be found right in the heart of the Garden Route's lake district. Some of the lakes are interlinking while others are on their own. Most of them were formed when the ocean pushed into hollow areas behind the ancient sand dunes while the only fresh water lake, Groenvlei, filled up through fountains in the area. The lake in the pic is Swartvlei and has a great…
Connected to the Sandton City Shopping Centre and Nelson Mandela Square is the exquisite Michelangelo Towers. One of Sandton's landmark buildings and rising an impressive 143 metres above the Sandton skyline, the Towers offers panoramic views of the Magaliesberg and Gauteng. It consists of an all-suite hotel and boasts its own shopping mall. We stayed at the hotel across the road and every morning walked through the Michelangelo Towers Mall to get to our exhibit stand. The shops in the…
Knysna has been chosen as South Africa's favorite town twice in a row and only last year lost their title to Mossel Bay. It is surrounded by indigenous forests, mountains and the Knysna Lagoon. The town's most prominent landmark is the Knysna Heads situated at the entrance into the lagoon from the sea. Knysna has so much to do and see. The area is a haven for artists and many of their wares can be found in the town's abundance…
Plettenberg Bay is generally knows as a millionaires' playground. It was originally called Baia Formosa (Beautiful Bay) and is a popular holiday spot on the Southern Cape coast. There are a lot of adventure activities in the area and in season whale watching is at the top of most visitors' list. In the back of the photo one can see Robberg Peninsula while the Piesang River is seen in the foreground.
Nature's Valley truly is one of the secret spots on the Garden Route. To get to it one has to get of the N2 highway and drive down the Groot River Pass to get to the coast. Nature's Valley is a very undeveloped holiday village with its main features being the lovely stretch of beach and the Groot River lagoon.