We made it to Ais Ais! So happy. We arrived yesterday evening and checked into this MASSIVE house. We both have our own bed rooms, there’s a massive terrace and Alex, the manager, was so kind to bring us a braai so that we could do our own braai yesterday evening and didn’t need to eat in the restaurant. We bought wood in the little shop (not much available so make sure you bring all you need) at the resort and had some delicious Spare Ribs. In Namibia it’s 1 hour earlier than in South Africa so we won back some time that we lost in the morning, how fabulous!!

In Ais Ais there are natural hot springs of 65 ° C so today we’re planning on just relaxing, do some spa treatments and lie in the hot baths.

August 10, Augrabies Falls, Northern Cape

The relaxation day at Ais Ais was very nice. We started off with a full body massage. Alex, the hotel manager, turned out to be an excellent massage therapist as well. Haha! The facial was also quite nice although it lacked a bit of finesse and care. It was HOT that day, it was 35 ° C outside so most of the afternoon we spend inside the house. I did quite some reading but also had a nice afternoon power nap. In the evening we had dinner at the restaurant and to be honest we were not really impressed. The buffet was so so but they still charged ZAR 165 which was over priced. I must say, in general, anything run by Namibian Wildlife Resorts is not up to standard. Their pricing is quite steep but service and quality lack. When you travel to Namibia it’s best to stay in privately run places and the ones that always exceed your expectation are the ones that are run by Germans. That was my experience when I did a trip through Namibia with clients. German precision and efficiency obviously got to Namibia when it was still a German colony and it’s really appreciated after a long day of driving in dust and heat.

We left Namibia again the next morning and had a long way to drive via Keetmanshoop and Koës to Mata Mata where we entered the Kgalagadi Transfrontier park again. The road trip was long and we were driving on gravel road all the time. We hardly came across any cars and that really is the charm of Namibia. Some people hate it and can’t deal with the silence, I love it!

I was driving for a couple of hours already, had to concentrate really on the road and hold the steering wheel with both hands. I was getting a bit tired though but still it happened very unexpected. I lost control of the car. Somehow we slipped, I was probably going a bit too fast, we went from left to right and ended up off the road. I remember thinking: There we go, we’re going to roll now. But luckily I had already lost most of the speed and the car came to a standstill without any damage nor anyone hurt. Poeh! Jeez, what a relief! My whole body was shaking and I couldn’t say a word for a few minutes. I guess it was time to swop drivers…

In Mata Mata we had a horrible night of no sleep (braai and wine was really nice though…). There was a lot of wind and all windows and doors in the cottage were going with the wind. We hardly slept so instead of 6am we got up at 7am and then left for Nossop. The plan was to arrive early in Nossop, have some lunch and then head out again in the afternoon for a drive. Between Mata Mata and Nossop we saw 1 lion king on top of the sand dune, quite spectacular! Another nice sighting was 10 Jackals. Upon arrival in Nossop we were exhausted, I guess the desert was just getting a bit too much so we had a good afternoon rest before we went out again at 15h30. The afternoon sun is just beautiful. The colors are spectacular. We had nice sightings of Honeybadgers. It was the first time for me to see them. They often are seen together with Black-back Jackals and Goshawks. In the evening we were too tired to braai so off to bed without a meal.

The original plan for today was to get out of the park and then drive towards Namaqualand and see if the wild flowers are out. But we had to change our plans because it was already 1pm by the time we left the park. We had to do a detour so we drove about 6 hours in the park. We had a spectacular sighting of a Leopard. WoW! It was super awesome. It was walking on the road just in front of us. It must have been a juvenile one because it wasn’t very big and I first though it was a Jackal but then yes, it REALLY was a Leopard. We could hardly believe it. And we were the only car there. WoW!! Luckily I managed to take one good picture before it took off again. We could follow it for about 5 minutes and then it disappeared again. It was worth all the hours and all the km we had to drive. A bit further down the road, we saw a whole bunch of Gemsbok cross the road and when we looked to the right, we saw a Lion approach. WoW! Another nice sighting today. We hoped the Lion would go for a kill but I guess we disturbed it and she just left over the dunes. The last km in the park we didn’t see any cats anymore just a whole lot of Springbok, Gemsbok, Ostrich, some Jackal and birds.

In the meantime we had decided that the next stop was going to be Augrabies Falls. I had never been and was really keen to see this. So we left Twee Rivieren at 1pm, drove through to Upingtion where we arrived at 3pm, did some shopping and carried on to Augrabies. I loved the area of Augrabies! It was all so green and we came across some lovely villages like Keimoes, really cute, with little coffee shops and wine cellars. This area is well known for its table grapes as well as Sultana grapes. There are many small B&Bs and guesthouses where you can stay comfortably. We’re staying at Augrabies National Park in one of the SANpark chalets. Very well appointed cottages, right next to the falls. We love our Wildcard!! The Wildcard gives you access to all the South African National Parks. You pay about ZAR 250 per year and gives you access to all the parks for free and you get a discount when you book accommodation. It’s fantastic!! And for me, who travels so much, it’s ideal. This year so far I’ve used it in: Kruger National Park, Mlilwane Wildlife (the Biggameparks in Swaziland also allow Wildcard members for free), Hluhluwe-Imfolozi in KZN, Tsitsikamma National Park, Table Mountain National Park, Kgalagadi National Park and now Augrabies.

We just finished our last braai for this trip so now it’s off to bed. Tomorrow we will try to get to Namaqualand National Park and hopefully get to see some wild flowers.

South African road trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Ais Ais in Namibia. More than 4000km and temperatures between -8 ° C and 35 ° C. The road less traveled.

Oh, how we had been looking forward to this trip. I had never been to this part of the world and are always very excited to explore new areas of Southern Africa. After a slight delay on our day of departure we had to rush quite a bit to get to Upington before sunset. South African roads are fantastic. Once we passed through Clamwilliam (3 hours north of Cape Town), traffic was really quiet and we could go pedal to the metal. The R27 all the way up is a very good road and still has once in a while a village to fill up for petrol. That is something one shouldn’t forget when taking a road trip in this area: fill up with petrol whenever you can because you’re never sure when the next opportunity is. Upington is booming!! I couldn’t believe it when we asked at the Protea hotel for a room and they were fully booked. WoW!! The other Protea hotel was ALSO full. Never mind, Upington apparently has 80 guesthouses to choose from so you can be sure, there will always be a room available somewhere. We found a very spacious room at Affinity Guesthouse, ZAR 600 for Bed & Breakfast. Perfect!! We could also put all our meat in their freezer which was great. In the Kalahari we will be doing self catering, braai (=BBQ) every evening so the meat has to last us quite long. In Upington we went to a restaurant called ‘Le Must’, so I guess it’s a must to eat there. Although a lot of the menu items were not available, we had great me. I had beef fillet with mushroom sauce and my friend choose the Oxtail. Really nice ‘kos’ (= food in Afrikaans).

From Upington it’s another 230 km to get to the entrance of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park so we left early, pedal to the metal and entered the park at around 10am at the Twee Rivieren entrance. I just love the beautiful red sand of the Kalahari. The colors are just so warm and being in the desert just completely relaxes you. Cell phone reception was gone so now we could really take in nature. And lucky we were, within an hours drive we saw 3 cheetahs, quite far away, but yes they were there. And a bit further there were 4 lions waiting for us. Well done! By now we were quite tired and actually wanted to get to our camp, The Kalahari Tented Camp. While driving we saw herds of Springbok, Gemsbok, Meerkats and Blue Wildebeest and Ostriches as well.

Kalahari Tented Camp is set by the banks of a river and each of the tents overlooks the water hole. It’s a lovely setting!! We had a tent with 4 beds and ensuite bathroom. The kitchen area is separate with a wooden deck and Braai facilities. The different tents are built in such a way that each one has privacy and you don’t see your neighbors. Really really nice! We had a lovely afternoon just reading and enjoying the Mongoose that came to visit us. By 17h30 we lit the fire to prepare for the braai and by 19h00 we were indulging in juicy lamb chops, salads and big mushrooms. The nights are wonderful in Southern Africa. The skies are so clear that you can see the whole milky way when stargazing. It’s very very special!!

In Africa we like to go to bed early so by 9pm we called in a day. The nights were quite chilly so an extra blanket or sleeping bag is not a bad thing to have handy.

The following morning we woke up and a giraffe was drinking at the waterhole. No better way to wake up I would say so.

We wanted to get out through Mata Mata gate but when we got there we were told that our passports should have been stamped at Twee Rivieren and no one had told us at Twee Rivieren (120 km south..). We were not happy but just had to deal with a 3 hour detour. So instead of going out and going straight to Namibia we drove all the way back again to Twee Riveren. We were treated though to the best Cheetah sighting ever. The 3 Cheetah’s that we saw yesterday were now very close to the road and they were moving around. We could follow them for at least half an hour and the detour was all worth it.

The road from Twee Rivieren to the border crossing at Rietfontein was still tarred but after that we had to deal with a few 100 km of untarred road. Very good road though and we still go at a good pace of about 120 km/h. Namibia is incredible. The country is MASSIVE but only has about 2.000.000 inhabitants and most of them live in Windhoek, Swakopmund and in the north close to the Kunene River. So in this country you can drive for hours and hours without seeing a single soul. We drove, I think, for about 2 hours and only encountered 2 cars. So ya, also important to make sure you lots of water with you, spare tire and some food in case you have a breakdown. No cell phone reception so you would have to wait for someone to pass, which might take hours or maybe a day.

After lunch we popped in at Tokare Deli. Also a nice place!! Especially for families with kids. It’s one big play ground and you can relax in the very very comfortable couches. It was hard to get going again…

Obviously I had to get  their olive oil YAM!!

Saturday afternoon well spend!!

It was great to share my passion with them and to show them my 2nd home country. It was a great privilege to be able to change their opinions about a country that deserves so much more than all the negative press it was given before the world cup. And now they know! Now they know that South Africa ROCKS! So what next? I think the World Cup was only the beginning for South Africa. Lots of visitors will come back over the next 2 years, lots of people have seen opportunities to invest and will take those ideas to the next level, lots of people have seen where help is needed and will come back to do just that. I’m really confident that this World Cup has brought a lot of good and will continue to do so.

To help foreigners be well prepared for the World Cup and their visit to South Africa, the Sunday Times has devised this handy lingo guide:

BABELAS (bubble-us): hangover: usage: “jeez, I had too many dops last night. I’ve got a hectic babelas.”

BAKKIE (bucky): What Americans would term a “pick up”. A two seater light vehicle with an open rear cargo area. The rear is often used to transport an impossible number of workers who stare back at you in traffic and make you feel awkward and a bit guilty.

BERGIE: Term used for a type of homeless person in Cape Town. Originates from “berg”, which is the Afrikaans word for mountain, referring to the homeless people who used to live on Table Mountain but who now live mainly in the city. Pronounce the harsh “g” as if you’ve swallowed an insect and are trying to clear it from your throat.

BLIKSEM (bluk-sem): If you’re in a pub and you accidentally spill a beer belonging to a man with a thick neck, he may say: “Do you want me to bliksem you?” Don’t respond. Just run. Run for your life. It’s the Afrikaans word for hit or strike or punch.

BOET: Means “brother” in Afrikaans. An affectionate (though not too much) term for a friend. It’s like saying “dude” or “buddy”.

BROEKIES (brookies): Panties or underwear. Usage: “I phuza’d with this girl last night and she came back to my hotel. When I woke up this morning, she was gone but she left her broekies behind.”

CAR GUARD: Found in most urban areas, a car guard’s office is the parking lot. He keeps an eye on your car while you’re at the match, in the mall or at the pub. You’re expected to tip him when you return to your car and it hasn’t been stolen or broken into. No. That’s a lie. You’ll be expected to tip him even if it has.

DAGGA: Again pronounced with a harsh “g”. Marijuana. Illegal but admittedly very easy to get hold of if you’re inclined. Just ask your car guard.

DINGES (ding-us): An indeterminate, nondescript thing or term for an object whose name you’ve momentarily forgotten. Like this: “Please pass me my dinges there.” “ What?” “My dinges. I want to blow it.” “ You mean your vuvuzela?” “Yes, my vuvuzela.”

DOF: Stupid.

DOP: If someone says “Do you want to go for a dop?” Always say yes. It means you’ll be going for a drink.

DORPIE (doorpee): Small town. But no matter how small, you’ll always find a KFC. And a pregnant 17 year old.

DOSS: Slang for “sleep”. Usage: “Is it cool if I doss at your place tonight?”

EINA (ay-na): Expression of pain, as in “ouch”. Usage: “ooh, looks like Rooney just shattered his pelvis. Eina!”

EISH (aysh): Common term that denotes a wide range of emotions from joy and surprise to confusion and anger. When in doubt, use it.

EITA (ay-ta): Casual African greeting, like “hey”. Actually, it’s the same as “Howzit”.

GATVOL: Literally means “hole fill” in Afrikaans. Means you’ve had enough of something that’s making you angry. Usage: “boet, I’m gatvol of this ref’s bad decisions.” Again with the harsh “g”.

HUNDREDS: Normally  repeated twice in a sentence as in “hundreds, bru, hundreds.” It expressed either total agreement with what someone just said or confirmation that your life is all good (e.g. “how are you?” Ah, hundreds man hundreds”). Can also be used as a way of simply saying yes.

IS IT?: Actually pronounced “buzz us”. It’s a casual way of saying “Oh Really?”. Usage: “Dude, I saw Messy coming out of a ladies toilet yesterday.” “Buzz us?”

JA-WELL-NO-FINE: Nobody really knows what this means, because it doesn’t really mean anything. But we like saying it.

JOL: Party. Can be used either a noun or verb, as in “That was a liker jolt” or “I went jollying last night and ended up in Fabio Cinnabar’s hotel room. It was great. We set fire to it.

JUST NOW: An indeterminate amount of time. If a waiter says “I’ll be with you just now”, it could mean anything from five minutes to ten, to never.

KAK (kuku): Literally “shit”. Popular uses include: “What a load of kaka” and “Don’t talk kaka.”

LADUMA: Celebratory exclamation when a goal is scored. For best effect, try to hold the “u” for as long as possible on one breath, so that the “ma” comes out as desperate choke. Laduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…ma.

LANK: Beyond cool is lank cool. Also means a large amount of, as in “There were lank vuvuzelas at the game last night.”

LEKKER (lakka): Great, awesome, amazing

MAMPARA: Idiot

MY CHINA: Or just “china”. An affectionate term similar to “boet”. “Howzit china” is a standard South African greeting. Except when meeting and actual Chinese person. Then you probably shouldn’t say it.

MZANSI: Popular term for South Africa. Best describes our country’s gritty energy and loud African spirit.

NOOIT (noyt): Expression of disbelief or disdain. As in “Aah, nooit! There’s chewing gum on my seat!” or “When I saw that advert with Ronaldo striking a homoerotic pose in a pair of tights underpants, I just thought “Nooit, bru!”

NOW-NOW: Not to be confused with “just now”. Now-now is a much smaller indeterminate amount of time. Hmmm. Don’t worry – you’ll get it.

PHUZA (poo-za): A drinking session. “Phuza Thursday” is a noble tradition in South Africa. Try to uphold it while you’re here.

ROBOT: When you’re asking for directions and someone says: “Left at the third robot,” it is not because our streets are overrun with menacing cyborgs made by Japanese scientists. No. A robot is simply our word for traffic light.

SHARP-SHARP: Okay. This is a complicated one. An expression of agreement. Or a greeting. Or a way of saying goodbye. Or a way of saying “Okay, sure.” Or a way of … forget it.

SIFF: Gross, disgusting. “Check, that guy is picking his nose.” Siff, boet.”

STOEP: A veranda or porch.

TEKKIE (tacky): Common word for sneakers.

TSOTSI (tot-si): Not just the name of the Oscar-winning film made by local director Gavin Hood. Tsotsi is a township term for a young boy who’s already committing crimes like hijacking cars and stealing. Hopefully not from you.

UMLUNGU (oom-loong-gu): African word for “white man”. For a laugh, if someone says “Eita, umlungu!” reply “sharp-sharp!”

ZHOOSH: Very fancy. A word normally utilised by well-kept women with French manicures who will never, ever understand the off-side rule. Use the word if you must (if feels nice in the mouth), but aggressively avoid these women.

I must say, when walking into the One&Only you’re really feeling that you’re entering a great place. I love the bar area (anyone a bottle of Bling, still water for about  ZAR 1000??). And also Maze is beautifully set up, especially the massive wine wall. The restaurant staff was all very friendly and knowlegdeable and I liked the way they were upselling in a very subtle way. I’m very sensitive to this and normally don’t like it but here it’s done with so much charm so ok, just bring it on! We both started off with the carpaccio.  The carpaccio looked great and tasted fantastic BUT I think there was way too much garnish (cucumber) on the plate.  Actually more garnish than carpaccio which should be the other way around. For main courses  we ordered the chicken and the kingklip bouillabaisse with risotto, spinach and prawns.  I was super pleased they didn’t have mussels and  gave me prawns instead. My friend was a bit in a rush and the service was very efficient. Unfortunately, the main courses were not really hot so Paul gave his back but I didn’t feel like doing that. Within 7 minutes Paul got a new portion and all was delicious.  I liked the little cards that were given when you order a glass of wine and the knowledge of what seemed to me like a sommelier was incredible. Coffee was served with some delicious sweets and off we went! Just another ….day in Africa!!

Robertson is an area that doesn’t attract too many international tourists yet which is a bit of a pity because I think it’s one of the most beautiful wine regions in South Africa, it certainly is the biggest area. And besides wines it’s got so much more to offer. Towns like Robertson, McGregor and Montagu all fascinate me and I love spending time there. There are quite a lot of activities in the area and the first weekend of June, The Wacky Wine Weekend is organised, a whole weekend of wine, food, games, fun and spending quality time with friends and family. So maybe you can still get a room at The Robertson Small Hotel for that weekend…

I absolutely loved the place. I have a weakness for attention to detail and this place just gets is right. The garden, pool areas and verandas look fantastic and invite you to just chill. The rooms are quite big and all have their private little terrace outside. The bathrooms are beautiful. We obviously had supper at the restaurant and the food was outstanding. I’m still surprised how they could serve me the Prawn Salad with 6 tempura prawns for not even ZAR 70? Great value for money! We loved the fact that they had the Krone Borealis Cap Classique on their wine list.  Here are some pictures for you to browse and I’ll close off with a copy of the poem that they put on our bed at turndown service. Attention to details which I really really can appreciate!

Robertson Small Hotel

The Pool

Wishes by Anonymous

Wishes are meant for you to ponder, they pass along to someone in need, or can be kept all to ourselves. Wishes are sincere in belief that all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

My wishes for you are my own. They are an everlasting trust that miracles happen and dreams really come true. Understood is the value of a nurturing heart, the innocence of a child’s eyes and the wisdom of an aging hand.

I wish that the morning sky will forever intrigue you and the stardust of the night will captivate you. I wish you will always see the man in the moon and entrust him with you deepest secrets.

I wish for you a creative spirit that dusts your imagination with youthful dreams and opens you to wonderful surprises just waiting to happen.

I wish for you to yearn for nothing and find contentment from within. That you will always know what to say to a friend, that your compassion will heal, and many more names will be etched in your heart.

For bookings check www.therobertsonsmallhotel.com or contact me at Extraordinary Travel!

Other highlights in the area:

- Fraai Uitzicht Wine farm, www.fraaiuitzicht.com
- Soekershof, maizes & botanical gardens, www.soekershof.com
- a visit to the quaint village of McGregor, see other blog post

The beginning of May I was invited to go on an educational trip to the Big Game Parks of Swaziland. These are: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Hlane and Mkhaya. I was so excited that this trip was organised because until now I never had stayed without guests in Swaziland and it would just be nice to spend some more time in this beautiful part of Southern Africa. Swaziland is a small kingdom bordering South Africa and Mozambique. A trip into this part of the world can ideally be combined with the Kruger National Park, the beaches of Mozambique, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve and the private game reserves of KwaZulu-Natal. Swaziland is also a perfect self drive destination and wonderful for those that like to combine nature with some adventure stuff like mountain biking, white water rafting, horse riding or caving. Accommodation varies from Backpackers to beautiful lodges like Reilly’s Rock in Mlilwane and stone camp in Mkhaya.

I was very happy that a friend of mine joined me on this trip because when we drove from Jo’burg to Swaziland the weather was horrific and the road turned out to be not so ‘lekker’. (so guys, if you go to Swaziland, N4 from Jo’burg is the way to go and not N12 like we did….). It took us quite a long time to get to the border but once in Swaziland, all went super smooth. The first night we stayed at Reilly’s Rock in Mlilwane. I had already send clients here before and knew it was a beautiful place but I never had experienced it myself. It’s the most upmarket accommodation in Mlilwane in colonial style. It used to be the family home of the Reilly Family, founders of Biggameparks and conservation in Swaziland. So we were in very good  company. For my Dutch readers, prince Bernard used to hide away here and supported conversation in Swaziland in a big way. You can see pictures of him in the lounge. At the lodge we were welcomed by Ruth, Lusanda and Mike. Ruth the lodge manager and Lusanda and Mike the marketing team of Biggameparks. The place is absolutely magic to me.

The Veranda @ Reilly's Rock

We took a little drive with Stu, up to Execution Rock. The views were magnificent and the stress of the long drive from Jo’burg was gone within minutes. Dinner was served around the fire outside and consisted of DELICIOUS home baked bread &  soup, ‘braai’ meats, salads and  dessert.

Dinner at the fire @ Reilly's Rock

The animals don’t feel threatened at all, they know they are safe, so some Klipspringer joined us for breakfast.

Klipspringer joining us for breakfast. So cute!

After breakfast we went to visit the beehive huts, which is more budget accommodation but beautifully done and all ensuite. I’ve stayed there many many times with guests so I know the place well.  The huts are very spacious and all have 2 beds. There are also family units with 4 beds.

Beehive village at Mlilwane

In the afternoon it was time to leave this park and go to the next stop, Hlane. This is a completely different set up. There is no electricity so at night the room is lit up with oil lamps. Hlane is famous for it’s white rhino trackings so in the morning we got up close and personal with some of these giants. Hlane also has a lion concession and in the afternoon we were lucky enough to spot 1 Lion King. For a minute we thought he was going to hunt down an impala but unfortunately he decided to lay down and rest a bit more (lions sleep up to 20 hours per day..)

Up close and personal with white rhino @ Hlane

Our guide was amazing and very calm. By the way, before I forget, ALL the guides during our trip were fantastic, knowledgeable and you could just see their passion for the bush.

Hlane also offers a lot of very well appointed self catering cottages which is ideal for people that don’t want to get disturbed at all.

Chalets @ Hlane

After Hlane it was time to move on to our next stop, the cherry on the pie, Mkhaya. Since long on my wish list and now finally I made it here! I actually just want to show you pictures of Mkhaya. It’s a magical place set in a forest with Stone Camp Cottages that don’t have windows. So you sleep in the middle of nowhere and in the morning you wake up and see Nyala graze around your cottage. It’s an incredible place, fantastic guides, famous for the black Rhino. Only 12 cottages. Is also beautiful for a Honeymoon destination. Mkhaya is the most isolated park of the 3 and also the most luxurious one. I would say 4 star but who cares about stars anyway? It’s all about nature, the Swazi people and the experience. To me it was like a fairy tale forest but being Dutch, my English is perhaps a bit limited to exactly explain so best is you go and see for your self!!

Stone Camp @ Mkhaya

Nyala @ Stone Camp

Jeep @ Mkhaya

The Team

Dwarf Mongoose in a termite hill @ Mkhaya

Oh, I could tell so much more about the wonderful game parks, the lovely people we met and spoiled us rotten but you must just go for yourself. It is the perfect spot to escape the World Cup madness without having to go too far away. You can make bookings through Extraordinary Travel or check out the web site, www.biggameparks.org. Thanks to everyone from Biggameparks for making this trip so special!!