Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 26
January 14, 2015
Oudtshoorn's CP Nel museum & the Polish orphans
By Roxanne ReidWe’ve come to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo and rather unexpectedly met 500 Polish orphans. They lived here for four and a half years, but this is the first time I’ve felt part of their lives. That’s the joy of Oudtshoorn’s CP Nel Museum – there’s always something new to discover.
Pills and potions are still around, but the benefits of some gadgets from these days are hard to understand We’ve visited the CP Nel Museum before and loved the pharmacist’s shop, with its...
January 7, 2015
The scent of the Himba in Namibia
By Roxanne ReidIf you’re travelling to the far north-western Kunene region (Kaokoveld) of Namibia, you’re most likely looking for an off-the-beaten-track adventure and an encounter with the Himba nomadic pastoralists. What you might not know is that there’s an underlying story here that connects the scent of the Himba in Namibia with a Fair Trade manufacturer in the Western Cape of South Africa.
Rain Africamakes a wide range of natural bath and body products at its factory in the Swellend...
December 30, 2014
6 travel highlights of 2014
‘Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.’ So said Scott Cameron, and I agree with him. The more I travel, the more places I discover that still have to be explored. Apart from a trip to the Norwegian fjords, which is outside Africa so doesn't count on this exclusively African travel blog, here are my 6 travel highlights of 2014, in random order. 1. Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique 
Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort & Spa, Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozamb...
December 21, 2014
Discover Cape Town & the Western Cape (video)
If you’ve never been to Cape Town there’s a treat in store for you. If you have, I'll bet there are lots of things you haven’t experienced yet. Discover Cape Town & the Western Cape in this video – and be inspired. From beaches to mountains, wine tasting to local culture, from hiking, mountain biking and horse riding to activities like bungy jumping and paragliding that will get your adrenalin surging, Cape Town & the Western Cape have it all. Enjoy international quality cuisine or local fa...
December 17, 2014
Mozambique’s friendly people
By Roxanne ReidI was recently invited to visit the northern Mozambique port of Pemba in Cabo Delgado province and then take a short flight to Medjumbe Island in the Quirimbas Archipelago. Anyone who has visited that part of the world will know what an odd mix of true Africa and tropical paradise it is. But for me the highlight was Mozambique’s friendly people. Pemba is a fairly large town that sprawls across the land enclosing one of the world’s largest natural bays. It was hot and humid...
December 10, 2014
Drakensview self-catering cottages near Winterton
By Roxanne ReidWhen you’re on a road trip and you’ve had a day chockfull of activities and adventures, you really look forward to a comfy place to spend the night. Somewhere you can drink in the view as you sip an iced drink, watch the shadows lengthen and feel the heat seep out of the day. Drakensview self-catering cottages near Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal give you just that.
There are three units perched on a hillside overlooking the valley and the town of Winterton. We’d just slept two...
December 3, 2014
15 things to do at Mapungubwe National Park
In South Africa's far north, where the Limpopo and Shashe rivers meet and you can peer into Botswana or watch eagles soar over Zimbabwe, lies Mapungubwe. It’s rich in biodiversity and scenic beauty, has rocks that are nearly 3 billion years old, 24 species of acacia tree and a magnificence of baobabs. But what makes it a Unesco World Heritage Site is its cultural importance. Here are 15 things to do at Mapungubwe National Park. 
Just see if you don't fall in love with Leokwe's Venda-st...
November 27, 2014
Anysberg’s special plants, animals and stars
If you've been to Cape Nature’s Anysberg Nature Reserve,somewhere between Laingsburg, Ladismith and Montagu in the Karoo, then you already know how special it is. You know about the quality of its stillness, how easy it is to become attuned to nature, how delightful its simple little cottages are. And about Anysberg’s special plants, animals and stars. In another post, I got excited about our stay at Anysberg’s cottages and how easy it was adjusting to nature’s rhythm. About our dinky lit...
November 25, 2014
Food, culture and fresh air in 5 South African cities
Soon it's going to be the summer holidays and we’ll all be looking for fun stuff to do around South Africa. I asked five travel bloggers to share their favourite things to do along the themes offood, culture and fresh air in 5 South African cities. Here’s what they picked in the cities they know best. Johannesburg
Heather Mason is an American writer/photographer living in Jozi. When she moved there in 2010, she started a blog about her life in Joburg and quickly discovered that she had a pass...
Heather Mason is an American writer/photographer living in Jozi. When she moved there in 2010, she started a blog about her life in Joburg and quickly discovered that she had a pass...
November 19, 2014
Nostalgie restaurant in Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo
Completely bald and dressed in bright purple, she’s standing at the garden gate waiting to welcome us. We’ve come to
Nostalgie restaurantin Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo,
to see why Tripadvisor lists it as number one of nearly 30 in the town.The red banners and purple-dressed shop mannequin at the gate of Nostalgie restaurant are just a hint of what lies beyond. There are lace cloths on tables under the trees in the garden and on the stoep. We choose a table on the stoep among fresh flowers,...
