Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 29
July 28, 2014
Top 100 experts on travel in Africa
If you're a lover of Africa, travel and wildlife as I am, I'll bet you're always keen to find new sources of information about these passions, new places you can go to drool over the wealth of options that Africa offers, to discover new destinations and travel experiences on this beautiful and diverse continent. Well, if you're on Twitter, you've hit pay dirt! Read on to discover who are the top 100 experts on travel in Africa. 
Online travel agency TravelStart Nigeria has put togeth...
July 23, 2014
Take a township tour in Swellendam
By Roxanne ReidAt first glance the town of Swellendam in the Western Cape is an elegant blend of museums, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and places to stay. Yet just over the railway line in the satellite township of Railton, things are very different. If you don’ttake a township tour in Swellendam, you’re not seeing the full picture or all its colours. The lady to help you do that is Meisie Bokwana of Ubuhle Besintu. She was born in Swellendam of a Xhosa father and Pondo mother from t...
July 16, 2014
Things to do in Barrydale on Route 62
By Roxanne Reid Barrydale lies in a fertile valley between the Langeberg mountains and the Karoo. Once a sleepy little town, today it’s well worth staying over for a couple of days to ease into the slower pace of life here and then to experience some of the many things to do in Barrydale on Route 62. 1. Eat out
Barrydale has nearly 20 restaurants and coffee shops – a huge number for such a small village. Don’t wait until you’re driving out of Barrydale towards Ladismith to discover a fab...
July 14, 2014
Why feeding wild animals is a bad idea
By Roxanne ReidYou’re standing at the perimeter of one of the rest camps in our game reserves and you see someone throw his chop bone over the fence to lure a hyena or other animal. Do you join in and do the same, despite clear signs telling you not to? Or do you politely engage him to explain why feeding wild animals is a bad idea?
Spotted hyenas will quickly learn that camp fences are a source of braai scraps Most of us who visit game reserves and national parks regularly know it’s...
July 7, 2014
10 things to do at the Bontebok National Park
By Roxanne ReidWe arrived at Bontebok National Park near Swellendam at the foot of the Langeberg in the grip of a heatwave. The veld was dry, the sun was on the boil and hundreds of miggies were elbowing each other to get up our noses. But the tiny park makes a good stopover between Cape Town and the Garden Route, offering a raft of activities. Here are10 things to do at the Bontebok National Park. 1.Go on a game viewing drive
If you come here expecting a Big Five game safari, you’l...
July 2, 2014
Taste honey and see live bees in Swellendam
When you visit the historic town ofSwellendam, about a two-hour drive from Cape Town, your first stop should be the Tourist Info centre, where friendly staff will send you off with a mindful of ideas. Just a few paces down the road, makeJW Beekeeping, Honey & Equipmentyour next stop, totaste the honey and see live bees. JW is Jaco Wolfaardt, a one-time hobbyist beekeeper. When he decided to go big and launch a beekeeping business in 2009, he couldn’t find the equipment he needed, so he sa...
June 23, 2014
Anysberg Nature Reserve – adjusting to nature’s rhythm
By Roxanne Reid We’re at a cottage in the Anysberg Nature Reserve just before the sun slips behind the koppie, its last rays filtering through the tree branches. We watch the hills turn pink as we sip red wine and enjoy the silence. There are no distractions, just the sense of adjusting to nature's rhythm; that’s what the Karoo reserve of Anysberg is all about. Yesterday, when we approached the reserve from Laingsburg, we noticed how green the Karoo veld was. Evidence of the heavy rain o...
June 22, 2014
Human-elephant interaction: how to get it right
By Roxanne ReidThere have been a number of instances in the news in recent months of humans behaving badly around wild animals, especially elephants. Unfortunately for the humans, their transgressions are captured on video for the rest of us to shake our heads at in disbelief. But in human-elephant interaction, do you know how to get it right?
In general, elephants are gentle giants, great mothers and animals who enjoy social interaction and even a bit of fun when there’s water around. T...
June 18, 2014
How to avoid congestion and temper on safari
By Roxanne ReidThere’s nothing better than being on a game drive in the bush, watching some of Africa’s beautiful wild animals. But humans behaving badly can ruin the experience for everyone. So what are the golden rules that tell ushow to avoid congestion and temper on safari? If you’re lucky enough to have spent some time in game reserves in Africa, you’ll have seen some amazing things. You’ll also have seen some unbelievable acts of human stupidity like people driving off-road to get c...
June 16, 2014
Goukamma Nature Reserve on the Garden Route
By Roxanne ReidCold, wet, wintry weather. Not ideal for a seaside destination like Goukamma Nature Reserve on the Garden Route, between Sedgefield and Knysna. Luckily CapeNature was one step ahead of us at Otters Rest, our chalet for the next few days.
They’d thought to provide a fireplace in the lounge for just such weather. The deck and braai, with a wide view out over the Goukamma River and estuary and towards the Indian Ocean breakers, was perfect for more summery days.
River, es...
