Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 20

Videos that will inspire you to visit KZN

By Roxanne Reid
When I was a child, summer holidays usually meant a trip to Durban to visit my granny, then on to the north or south coast for a beach holiday. Recently I’ve watched three videos that brought some of those memories flooding back, videos that will inspire you to visit KZN. Durban
I can still feel the sand between my toes, smell the sun cream, see the bright beach umbrellas and taste the melting ice cream cones, though those memories are wrapped in a syrupy humidity that was l...

6 reasons to visit Langebaan on the West Coast

By Roxanne Reid
About eight years ago I enjoyed a fun weekend of rubber ducking and go-karting in Langebaan. On a more recent visit, I barely recognised the town because it'sgrown so much. But it’s still a kick-ass destination with lots of fun stuff to do. Here are my top 6 reasons to visit Langebaan on the West Coast. 1. West Coast National Park The town of Langebaan borders the West Coast National Park. Although you won’t find the Big Five here, it does have what Langebaan Tourism...

Game drive in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia

By Roxanne Reid
There’s lots to do at Namushasha River Lodge in the Zambezi region (formerly Caprivi) of northeast Namibia. Its position along on Kwando River makes it perfect for boat trips or fishing. As we discovered, it’s also a good kick-off point for a game drive in Bwabwata National Park. Our drive began with a short boat trip across the river to where the lodge parked their Land Cruisers. After our boat cruise the evening before, it was another chance to see sacred ibis, bee-eaters...

Stop fracking in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana

The Botswana government has sold rights to frack for shale gas in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, one of Africa's largest protected conservation zones. Do you love the Kgalagadi as much as I do? Are you as outraged by this as I am? Read on to find out how we can work together tostop fracking in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana. The Botswana government has granted licenses to UK company Karoo Energy. Now you can add your voice to a petition targeting PresidentIan Khama of Bot...

Gansbaai: best destination for responsible travel

Gansbaaiwon Gold for being the best destination for responsible travel in the World Responsible Tourism Awards in London in early November, competing against destinations from across the world. So what is ‘responsible travel’ and why is Gansbaai so good at it? On the one hand, responsible travel is when tourism companies and travellers take responsibility to protect and conserve animals and the natural environment, respect local cultures, and contribute to a better quality of life for loc...

Watch a video and get something for free!

Last week I shared the news that the updated 2nd edition of A Walk in the Park is now available from Amazon. The e-book follows our road trip around South Africa, visiting 12 national parks along the way. (You can read more about the book and what it's abouthere.) This week, you can watch a short video of some of the wonderful places the journey will take you. And don't miss the special offer at the end of this post.I’d love to share more about these awesome places with you, so here’s the dea...

Cruising down the Kwando River in northeastern Namibia

By Roxanne Reid
Namushasha River Lodgenear Kongola has an expansive bar and dining area on a deck with three levels. It has shady trees and lovely views down onto the river. It was a perfect place to go cruising down the Kwando River in northeastern Namibia. Our skipper and guide was Rector Tetuka, who knew his trees, animals and birds pretty well, attributing his knowledge to his late father. Rector had a high-pitched laugh and a good sense of humour, but was happy to get serious and shar...

AfriCat: working to conserve Namibia’s large carnivores

By Roxanne Reid
When we visited AfriCat, the non-profit foundation that’s working to conserve Namibia's large carnivores, we didn’t expect to come face to face with the Adams family. But don’t go imagining black hair and pale skin; AfriCat’s siblings – Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday and Pugsley – are hairy with spots. They’re cheetahs who never knew their mother. Delivered post mortem after their mom was shot, they can never be released into the wild because they were hand-reared and are too h...

Road trip in and around South Africa's national parks

[image error] By Roxanne Reid
‘This is a delicious book. It evokes things we love about the country around us. It conjures up places that soothe the soul. Its huge fault is that ... well, people are going to read it. And then where will all our best-kept secrets be?’ So said author and TV presenter Denis Beckett in his foreword of A Walk in the Park , which takes readers on a road trip in and around South Africa's national parks. Now an updated 2nd edition e-book has been published. If you read the first...

The enchantment of Mountain Zebra National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Summer thunderstorms and the exhilaration of lightning streaking across the sky. A Verreaux’s eagle soaring high over the crag. A steep pass giving panoramic views over scrub-dotted plains. A gentle dawn light stretching across the mountains while the Cape mountain zebra grazes. These are part of the enchantment of Mountain Zebra National Park. Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock in the Eastern Cape is one of the most scenic of all South Africa’s parks, especially if...