Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Travel Tuesdays...Swaziland!

For our first anniversary Riaan and I decided to get our passports stamped together for the first time...I can't believe it took us 8 years but hey, we finally did it!

Since we got married on a public holiday we were lucky to have a nice long weekend for our first wedding anniversary.

We set off on Saturday morning nice and early on our 400km road trip, once we were through the border we found our way (after quite a few wrong turns) to Swazi Candles, it's a local candle factory and mini flea market. All of the candles and pretty much everything else that is sold here is hand made, it is awesome!
We strolled through the candle store and watched one of the candle makers make Rhinoceros candles, these guys are so talented, its insane!
After the candle factory we made our way to the Swaziland Botanical Gardens, the gardens are beautiful and lush, and are home to a very unique dining experience.
There is a restaurant set on the edge of the water with wooden walkways snaking over the water to private little landings where you can enjoy an intimate meal or a few sundowners if you prefer.


After our refreshments we decided to make our way to the Wide Horizons Retreat - Our home for the weekend. Rose (the owner) advised that we try to arrive before sunset as we would be travelling a dirt road.
We stopped off at a supermarket to get some groceries for the weekend and off we went.
Little did we know that our Honda Jazz was about to become a miniature 4x4. We traversed the slopes of the mountain (pictured above) and eventually after what felt like an eternity and a few heart failures, we arrived at our destination, thanks to Riaan and his mad driving skills!!

We spent our weekend relaxing and exploring, we went on a few hikes up the mountain and enjoyed the fresh air! We stayed in the luxury tent, which was wonderful. It is extremely secluded and has an outdoor shower and a semi-outdoor bath. On the first evening we forgot to tie down the tent flaps, and since the tent was so secluded (and we were in the middle of Africa) and the wind was extremely rough I spent the night worrying that we might die! Hahaha such a drama queen! We were literally living on top of a mountain above a small village, everyone knows everyone there, so I actually had nothing to worry about!! Needless to say, I slept much better on the second night.

A random little hut on our campsite
Pathway leading up to the tent
Sunset over the mountain

Before heading home on the Monday we made a stop at the Ngwenya glass factory, here they handmake pretty much anything out of glass. We bought awesome whiskey glasses that will work perfectly on our yacht one day, as well as some pretty seashell paperweights, unfortunately cameras are not allowed in the factory so no pictures of that.


Saturday, September 20, 2014

A note about Wanderlust


Definition: A strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.

I think wanderlust is both a blessing an a curse.
It not only takes you to the most beautiful of places, but also away from your home and your family.
Thanks to modern technology the missing home and FOMO can be reduced substantially, but nothing will ever quite replace actually being there.

My innate wanderlust has landed me in some interesting places. I have never said no to travel, be it for work or pleasure. I long to see the world, be immersed in different cultures and experience different lifestyles.

Here are a few (unedited) snaps of the places I have travelled to.
Wine Tasting in Cape Town.
Selfie at a stop in The Kruger National Park.
The sun's reflection on the ocean, view from Table Mountain - Cape Town.
Southern Sun Maputo - Mozambique.
A Baby Hyena in the Kruger National Park.
Sunset at a dam in The Kruger National Park.
My Favourite Animal - A Giraffe at sunset in the Kruger National Park.
The Pinnacle - Mpumalanga.
God's Window - Mpumalanga.
Bourke's Luck Potholes - Mpumalanga.
Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia.
Umhlanga - Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The spot where we got engaged! Wild Coast Sun - Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Kayaking in Cape Town.
Wild Coast Sun - Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The Marginale - Angola.
Swaziland.
Jumeirah Lake Towers - Dubai.
Scottburgh - Kwa-Zulu Natal..


We live in a beautiful country and I have been lucky enough to have seen quite a lot of it.
Having said that, I can happily tell your that I am excited for our impending adventure.