History, Food and Countryside: What to Do in Swellendam
This post has been sponsored by Expedia I stayed in Swellendam, on South Africa’s Garden Route, two years ago. It was part of a long held ambition to explore the Eastern Cape, the southernmost tip of the African continent. This is an area teeming with history,...
The Best Way to Explore Stellenbosch’s History – On Foot
Stellenbosch is a stately town. From the starched linen cloths on the tables outside the restaurant to the wide roads lined with ancient oak trees, the whole of South Africa’s second oldest town has a period feel to it. And, as I found out, exploring by foot is the...
A Rich Heritage: The Cape Dutch Buildings of Swellendam
Historical buildings can tell you a lot about a place, giving clues to its past and present. I was reminded of this as I walked around Swellendam, South Africa’s third oldest town, and home to more than 50 heritage buildings, each with its own story to tell. The Cape...
A Place to Remember: Augusta de Mist Country House and Kitchen, Swellendam
I don’t normally blog about the hotels I stay in, seeing them more as places to sleep a night or two than as destinations in their own right. But every so often you come across a place that is unique. Such as the Augusta de Mist Country House and Kitchen, a charming...
A Close Encounter with African Penguins at the Stony Point Sanctuary
I wanted to see African Penguins while I was in South Africa but I didn’t fancy battling through the crowds to get to Boulders Beach. So the Stony Point Sanctuary, at Betty’s Bay on the Garden Route, was a logical alternative. Thousands of penguins, spectacular...
The Stone Age Cave of Cape St Blaize, South Africa
Mossel Bay, on South Africa's Garden Route, is known as the place where Europeans first set foot in southern Africa in the 15th century. But its history is much older than that and it is now thought that everyone living today may be descended from the people who lived...
Photo Gallery: the Buildings of Cape Town’s Long Street
Cape Town has been on my bucket list for almost as long as I can remember. And one of the places I most wanted to visit was Long Street, the vibrant artery of the city with its bars, restaurants and old Victorian buildings. I wasn't disappointed. The buildings,...
Spotting Wildlife at the Gondwana Game Reserve
Many visitors to safari parks opt for large, well known reserves where they are almost guaranteed to see lions and other large animals. But I wanted a different experience: a smaller park where we could go off-road, enjoy the scenery and still have a good chance of...
The Glittering Allure of Cape Town’s Diamond Museum
I’ve never been a jewellery fiend but diamonds are a big part of South Africa’s history. And I’ve been intrigued by the diamond industry ever since I started to plan a novel based, in part, in South Africa. So it seemed logical to pay a visit to the Cape Town Diamond...
A Walking Tour of Bo‑Kaap, Cape Town’s Historic Malay Quarter
We were on the slopes of Signal Hill, a stone’s throw from Long Street, the bustling heart of Cape Town. The Table Mountain rose up above the buildings and we were surrounded by lots of brightly coloured houses. This was Bo‑Kaap, the former slave quarter and home to...
