Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 30

Why you should visit these Swellendam museums

By Roxanne Reid
Not everyone is madly enthusiastic about history. They’ll wave off philosopher George Santayana’s words: ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ I’m not one of them. So when I went to the Overberg and found three museums within spitting distance of each other, I was hooked. Here’s why you should visit these museums in Swellendam. Nowadays, Swellendam markets itself as ‘the Republic of Swellendam’ and unless you know your history it’s just a catchy p...

Barrydale Karoo Hotel: look beyond the surface

When we arrived in the tiny Karoo town of Barrydale to stay at theBarrydale Karoo Hotel, the early afternoon sunlight was not kind. The hotel looked as though its glory days were long past, its present faded and faintly sad. But when we stepped inside and took time tolook beyond the surface, its quirkiness crept into our hearts. The date on the pediment is 1937, so a little fadedness isn’t unreasonable. But the exterior paint-job – an odd mauve-tinged shade of brown – isn’t really helping...

Where to stay in Swellendam

There’s so much to do in and around Swellendam, smack bang between Cape Town and George on the Garden Route, that you’ll need at least three to five days to do it justice. Where to stay in Swellendam? Luckily you’re spoilt for choice, with everything from camping to five-star country hospitality, and everything in between. On a recent visit we stayed at four very different places that give a good notion of the range Swellendam has to offer.

1. Camping
Share your campsite at Bontebo...

10 things to do when you visit Swellendam

People who live in Swellendam know how much there is to do in the area. People who just think of it as a two-hour drive from Cape Town on their way to the Garden Route need a little encouragement to stop and explore. Here are10 things to do when you visit Swellendam. We spentfour days there and barely touched the surface. 1. Bike around town Hire a bike from the Swellendam Tourist Info centre and explore the town Swellendamis small and quiet enough to be a pleasurable place to ride a...

Where to eat out in Swellendam

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out in Swellendam in the Overberg, about 200km east of Cape Town. The town has more than 20 restaurants where you can get anything from a pastry to a pizza, a toasted sarmie to bobotie, a plate of pasta to a fine dining experience. Here are some ideas aboutwhere to eat out in Swellendam. 1. Pennantwing
I’m mentioning this first because it was by far my favourite foodie stop in Swellendam. All the other choices are in random order. Pen...

10 facts you should know about water

By Roxanne Reid
For Earth Hour this year, the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA) urged us as consumers to consider the choices we make about food, water and energy, and the effect our choices have on the environment. It highlighted 10 facts you should know about water thatmight change the way you use this precious resource. 1. The availability of freshwater is a huge limiting factor to South Africa’s development. We’re a water-scarce country where supply will probably exce...

First timer’s guide to Mokala National Park

By Roxanne Reid
The sun is setting over the Kalahari thornveld as jackals squabble in the distance. The darkening sky already has a sprinkling of stars, hinting at the festival to come. You're in the bush near Kimberley in the Northern Cape and ready for thisfirst timer’s guide to Mokala National Park. Mokalais theSetswana word for the camelthorn tree that's such a feature ofSouthern Africa’s semi-desert regions. The parklies about 75 kilometres southwest of Kimberley, off the N12.Although...

Find the lost city of the Kalahari & some dead trees

By Roxanne Reid
You’ve had a hard morning’s game viewing when you arrive at the Kamqua picnic site on the Auob River in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. You’re looking for a spot of shade where you can get out and stretch your legs. What you find is the lost cityof the Kalahari & some dead trees. The camelthorn trees at Kamqua have been providing shade to picnickers in the park for decades. Then sometime in the last year or so, they withered and died; all that’s left are their skeletons....

The cutest elephant calf ever (video)

By Roxanne Reid
You know that tiny elephants don’t really have all that much control of their bodies, right? But in their minds, they think they’re great big scary giants. Watch this video and see if it isn’t just the cutest elephant calf ever. The video, shot during a stay at Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, shows a little calf charging aBushcamp Companyvehicle, all waggly legs and floppy trunk. It even gives a little jump – not an easy thing for an elephant – to...

Strange things happen in the Karoo

By Roxanne Reid
If you’re ever in the Karoo, deep in the heart of South Africa, make time to chat with random people you meet. Guesthouse owners, restaurant staff, shopkeepers, even people you bump into on the street. You’ll be captivated by their stories of what strange things happen in the Karoo.

Like the chap who has thousands of hectares of farmland but says he doesn’t have the money to pay the R23.00 increase in his life insurance; he wants to cash it in instead. Or the people who w...