Exploring Eswatini and the Barberton Geotrail
I’ve been to Swaziland many times. During my early years in South Africa, Swaziland felt almost like a second home to me. But I hadn’t been to Swaziland since it was renamed Eswatini in [...]
Sleeping in a Retro Campovan in Kameel, North West
I last visited Kameel, a tiny hamlet in South Africa's North West Province, in February 2020 as part of my (never finished) #10SouthAfricanTowns project. At the time, I was certain I'd be back in [...]
Two Months in a Suzuki Jimny: My Review
Happy New Year! Thorsten and I recently returned to Joburg after an incredible 10-day road trip through Limpopo province. I have many stories to tell about that trip, but before I get into that [...]
Vredefort Dome: The Ultimate Weekend Getaway Guide
People of Joburg: Pay attention because I'm about to let you in on a seriously good travel secret. Most of you have probably heard of the Vredefort Dome. But if you're anything like me [...]
Quirky South Africa, Part 3: The Garden Route
Read Quirky South Africa Part 1, about padstals, and Quirky South Africa Part 2, about Bethulie and the Gariep Dam. I was talking to some South African friends about my visit to the Garden [...]
Quirky South Africa, Part 2: Bethulie and the Gariep Dam
As described in my previous post, my mom and I took a road trip from Joburg to the Garden Route and back. Along the way we stopped over in Bethulie for a journey through [...]
Quirky South Africa, Part 1: Padstals of the Platteland
My mom came for a visit and the two of us took a weeklong road trip through the South African platteland (Afrikaans for countryside). We drove from Joburg to Bethulie, Bethulie to the Garden [...]
A Writing Holiday in Leisure Bay
I just returned to Joburg after a week in Leisure Bay, a seaside community on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. I went there to escape Joburg's cold, dry winter, and also to work on my [...]
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 3
Before reading this post, read Part 1 and Part 2 of the Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures. After our double-tire-puncture fiasco, Thorsten and I were stranded at the entrance to the Tembe Elephant Park (about an hour from [...]
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 2
Before reading this post, read Part 1 of the Blogitects' Excellent (Mis)adventures. Thorsten and I woke up early on Friday morning, eager to explore the Kosi Mouth beach and estuary. Amangwane Camp sits right [...]
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 1
Thorsten and I, a.k.a. the Blogitects (one blogger, one architect), recently took a much-anticipated road trip through South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. It was a very exciting trip but it did not go as planned. [...]
Cruising Along the Eastern Cape’s Route 72
There's a beautiful stretch of coastline in the Eastern Cape, about halfway between Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and East London. Sometimes referred to as "the Sunshine Coast", this area stretches along Route 72 and [...]