Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 2

Why to visit Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village in Lesotho

By Roxanne Reid
Thaba Bosiu, 24km from Lesotho’s capital of Maseru, is a national monument for its historical significance as the birthplace of the Basotho people. At the foot of the mountain is a place no visitor to the tiny landlocked country should miss. Find out why to visit Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village in Lesotho. The Lesotho government built the Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village in 2006 but it took until 2016 for it to open. There are conference rooms, a restaurant and chalets where you c...

Maliba Lodge, Lesotho – a romantic and honeymoon getaway

By Roxanne Reid
Lesotho is an inspiring destination full of soaring mountains and rushing waterfalls. I love it for its scenery and people, its fascinating history (think Moshoeshoe’s visionary leadership) and its Basotho culture (think ponies, blankets and conical hats). Now there’s another reason: a romantic and honeymoon getaway at Maliba Lodge, Lesotho. If Lesotho is the Kingdom in the Sky, then Maliba Lodge is a Destination in the Sky because it snuggles among the mountains of the Ts’...

Sleep in the Makkedaat Caves in the Baviaanskloof

By Roxanne Reid
Wondering what your Baviaanskloof accommodation options are when you visit this part of South Africa’s Eastern Cape? Would you like to sleep in a cave? Forget notions of dank, dark caves filled with smelly bats and sign up to sleep in the Makkedaat Caves in the Baviaanskloof. If you’re like us, you won’t regret it. I’m lying in bed looking up at the same rock overhang that probably provided shelter from sun and rain for a wizened old hunter-gatherer some 20 000 years ago. E...

The truth about Katse Lodge in Lesotho

By Roxanne Reid
Don’t you love it when something turns out better than you thought it would? Maybe our expectations of the Katse Lodge were just low, but it sure was a nice surprise. Twice. Read on to find out the truth about Katse Lodge in Lesotho. The guidebooks we’d been reading before our trip to Lesotho in 2012 told us the place ‘resembled a hospital in every sense’ and talked about its rooms being ‘drab’ and ‘staid’, but it was the only place we could find to stay in Katse. And we we...

15 things to do in Clarens in the Free State

By Roxanne Reid
The eastern part of South Africa’s Free State province, lying along the Maluti mountains, is a place for all seasons. Enjoy afternoon thundershowers in summer and see it transformed into a snowy wonderland in winter. In autumn, trees and grasses form a mosaic of red and copper. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do in Clarens in the Free State. 1. Visit a national park  What to do in Clarens? Your list should definitely include a visit to the Golden Gate Highlands Nationa...

15 Namibia campsites: a guide for camping in Namibia

By Roxanne Reid
I love Namibia and I love camping, especially in quiet wilderness places without many people. I’ve written before about 5 campsites in Namibia: the southwest, but haven’t focused on much of the rest of the country. So here are 15 Namibia campsites: a guide for camping in Namibia, from the southeast to the north. Southeast Namibia

1. Mesosaurus Fossil Camp There are chalets and a ‘normal’ campsite here, but my favourite is the bush camp about 3km from the main camp alon...

Quivertree Forest and Giant’s Playground, Namibia

By Roxanne Reid
Not far from Keetmanshoop in southern Namibia is the Quivertree Forest. The sheer number of these aloe trees here makes them special. Nearby at Giant’s Playground, huge boulders form strange patterns like massive Lego bricks. Find out how to visit Quivertree Forest and Giant’s Playground, Namibia, and where to stay when you do. Quivertree Forest
About 14km north-east of the town of Keetmanshoop in southern Namibia, along the C17 to Koës, you’ll find the entrance to the natu...

Endless Vineyards: things to do in Botrivier in the Overberg

By Roxanne Reid
Explore vineyards and fruit orchards on foot or in the saddle, enjoy a wine tasting or simply relax. Stay at Endless Vineyards and you’ll discover these and other things to do in Botrivier in the Overberg. There used to be a joke about the little settlement of Botrivier (or Bot River) on the eastern side of the Houw Hoek pass in South Africa: don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Certainly it’s not a big town centre, just a hotel and a sprinkling of shops. But it has an official wi...

10 things to do in Kalk Bay, Cape Town

By Roxanne Reid
The fishing village of Kalk Bay lies between the mountains and the sea on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. It’s a place to walk cobbled streets and find quirky shops. There’s an arty buzz, with galleries and people selling crafts on the street corners. Stop for a cup of coffee, browse the bookshop, buy fish fresh from the sea, watch seals at the harbour. Here’s my pick of 10 things to do in Kalk Bay, Cape Town.  You won’t be alone if you just walk the streets gawping at the s...

Self-catering Wilderness accommodation: Boardwalk Lodge

By Roxanne Reid
We’ve stayed countless times in the Wilderness-Knysna area on the Garden Route because it’s just so gosh-darn beautiful and there’s so much exciting stuff to do. We’ve even parked off at the same accommodation more than once. But recently we stayed in different self-catering Wilderness accommodation at Boardwalk Lodge and it was a great find. Here’s why. Boardwalk Lodge is a four-star lodge that offers B&B and self-catering log-chalets. Set on the hillside above the village...