Roxanne Reid's Blog

Why to visit the Royal Hotel, Bethulie, Free State

By Roxanne Reid
It’s like falling down Alice’s rabbit hole to a wacky world where there’s no front door, walls are made of books, friendly ghosts walk the passages, and you’ll meet a character just as intriguing as the March Hare. Find out why to visit the Royal Hotel, Bethulie, Free State. Bethulie lies in sheep-and-cattle country in South Africa’s dry heartland. Call it the Free State or even the Upper Karoo, no one will argue. Founded back in the 1830s, it sits on the northern banks of...

Places to visit and things to do in Namibia: the north

By Roxanne Reid
Deserts, rivers, wildlife, amazing landscapes. I’ve written elsewhere about the best places and things to do in south and central Namibia. In this companion piece about a country I’ve visited more than 30 times and has crept into my heart, I’m sharing my pick of places to visit and things to do in Namibia: the north. You’ll also find some tips to know before you go. As I said my companion post, Places to visit and things to do in Namibia: south and central, I’ve broken the...

Best African countries to visit for epic things to do

By Roxanne Reid
Think African travel and chances are the first word that pops into your mind is safari. Much as I love wildlife and safari, there’s so much more to Africa than that. This collaborative post highlights some of the best African countries to visit for epic things to do, from scuba diving and surfing to hiking on the rim of a live volcano. We’ve hiked and e-biked, camped out in a cave, ridden a motorbike and sidecar, crossed national parks on horseback and tracked desert-adapte...

Safari honeymoon in Africa: romantic breaks for nature lovers

By Roxanne Reid
If you’re a safari lover (or even dying to embark on your first safari adventure) there’s no better time than your honeymoon. And there’s no need to rough it. Imagine candlelit dinners, romantic bath tubs, spectacular sunsets, amazing wildlife and fresh air. Here are some destinations to enjoy a safari honeymoon in Africa and find romantic breaks for nature lovers. Maasai Mara, Kenya
Inspired by the romance of Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa, Kenya is one of the best honeymoon...

Golden Gate Highlands National Park: the ultimate guide

By Roxanne Reid
The sun casts a golden glow along the sandstone buttresses in the foothills of the Maluti mountains, giving rise to the name of the Free State’s only national park – Golden Gate Highlands. About a three-hour drive from Johannesburg or Bloemfontein, it’s home to grasslands, mammals like eland and oribi, and the rare bearded vulture. Discover more about Golden Gate Highlands National Park in this ultimate guide. Golden Gate Highlands National Park lies between 1892m and 2829m...

Places to visit and things to do in Namibia : south and central

By Roxanne Reid
I’ve been to Namibia more than 30 times and I still love it and want to go again. It’s so diverse, with deserts, rivers and floodplains, wildlife big and small, spectacular landscapes, a place that touches your soul. People often ask me for my tips on Namibia, so here’s my pick of places to visit and things to do in Namibia: south and central. I’ll write up the north in a separate post. I'm breaking up my Namibia recommendations into south/central and north for two good rea...

Paternoster accommodation: Azzuro self-catering

By Roxanne Reid
Sea. Beach. Fresh air. This is the stuff of weekend getaways in the West Coast village of Paternoster, South Africa. To enjoy it to the full, you’ll be looking for Paternoster accommodation. So here’s a cool place to stay that I recently discovered: Azzuro self-catering.  When you live in Cape Town it’s almost impossible to resist the temptation to visit Paternoster for a couple of days every year or two. It’s just 160km away and it’s everything you could want in a weekend...

Paternoster restaurants worth visiting

By Roxanne Reid
You’ve spent the day exploring the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve and lighthouse, walking on the beach at Paternoster and kayaking in the sea. Now your stomach is growling. Luckily, there’s no way you’re going to go hungry in Paternoster, with 17 restaurants offering everything from pizzas and burgers to seafood and fine dining. Here are some Paternoster restaurants worth visiting.  One of my favourite things to do in Paternoster  on South Africa's West Coast is to eat out. R...

20 things to do in Wilderness on the Garden Route

By Roxanne Reid
Wilderness. Even the word speaks to my soul. Visit the village of Wilderness in South Africa and you’ll discover a world of rivers, lagoons, lakes, beaches, forests and mountains. Spoil yourself with everything from nature, hiking and birding to paragliding, eating and shopping. Here’s my pick of 20 things to do in Wilderness on the Garden Route. 1. Visit the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park. Stay over at the Ebb and Flow Rest Camp to make the most of th...

Semonkong Lodge: how to fall in love with Lesotho

By Roxanne Reid
Lesotho, mountain kingdom awash in streams and waterfalls, place of Basotho ponies, blankets, donkeys and gumboots. Just as picturesque as Switzerland when it’s green in summer or white in winter but with a lot fewer tourists. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Lesotho, especially if you venture into the highlands to Semonkong Lodge. Our route from Maseru to Semonkong Lodge took us through Roma, home to the University of Lesotho and a Catholic mission, complete with V...