| Roxanne Reid |
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 If you love nature and the outdoors, and you’re looking for a peaceful weekend getaway from Cape Town, why not give the Rocherpan Nature Reserve a try? Last time we went was years ago and on our recent visit we were impressed with the changes that have happened since then. Add Comment  Spend a few days on the Cape’s West Coast in April, as we did, and you’ll learn that autumn might just be the ideal time to visit. There were no summer winds, no overpowering heat, no crowds jostling to see the spring flowers the region is famous for. It was close to perfect. Here are some of the reasons why.  The West Coast village of Darling, just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town, is a well-loved weekend destination, particularly during the Darling Wildflower Show in September each year. But Darling has much more to offer. Here are 7 things to do all year round.  It’s hard not to love meerkats, or suricates, as they’re otherwise known. With their sharp snouts and dark eye patches, they’re attractive little guys. But what I love about them most is that they’re endlessly entertaining.  Anyone who thinks the Karoo is full of a whole lot of nothing just isn’t paying attention. Same goes for anyone who speeds through the Karoo town of Willowmore without stopping to scratch beneath the surface. Here are just some of the things to do in and around this little dorpie.  I was miffed. My travel companion had been slow that morning so we were twenty minutes late leaving Twee Rivieren camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Twenty minutes can be crucial at daybreak; the difference between spotting sunrise specials like leopard, brown hyena and caracal … and nix, nada, nothing. So the air was thick with tension.  This is what I love about the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Even if you come at exactly the same time of year, two years in a row, your experience will be as different as a banana is from a barrel of bugs. Late February/early March 2012 was green-green and festooned with flowers; this year the rains were late and the veld was khaki-coloured and dry, very dry.  Choosing a place to camp at Chobe National Park in Botswana isn’t as easy as you might think, as I showed in my previous blog. We may have hit on Toro Safari Lodge purely by luck or default, but we were more than happy, as it turned out. Here’s why.  Before we went to Chobe National Park in northern Botswana for the first time in 2012, we asked around to find out which was the best place to camp. Through various forums we got a number of replies from people who had their strong favourites.  Ever had car trouble on the way to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, only to arrive and find the entrance gate closed till the next day? Ever driven that long road from Upington and longed for somewhere to stop for a freshly cooked lunch or cold drink in the heat of the day? Or are you desperate for a booking in the park but you’ve left it too late and it’s now full? The new Kgalagadi Lodge just 5km from the gate into the park is the answer to your prayers. | About meI'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel to people, wildlife and conservation. I'm happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow. CategoriesAll ArchivesMarch 2013 |
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