Blogs from Storms River, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Africa

Saturday morning has turned out to be another magnificent, sunny day and should be great for some sightseeing around Knysna before we take the short drive to Storms River in the heart of the Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape. We had had a longer and better night’s sleep in the rondele even though the bed was still quite firm. Perhaps it was the wine last night that gave us the perfect nightcap. Breakfast again was very fulfilling and Gretchen even had an option for Weetbix which would have made it just like home. But she is enjoying the yogurt here so much she decided against following what she would have at home. We had a good old chat with Katrin, the lodge owner, trying to put the world right .It is always very interesting ... read more

Ja, hallo allemaal, daar zijn we weer. We gaan weer even bijbloggen hoor. Onze laatste berichtgeving over de Fernery Lodge, dat het een prachtige verblijf is, kunnen we nog steeds bevestigen. Het is vrijdagochtend als het zonnetje ons wekt in de lodge. Vandaag een uitslaapdagje, dus pas om 10 uur aan het ontbijt, met uitzicht op de Indische Oceaan. En jullie raden het nooit, het is Kerst hier in de lodge. De kerstbomen ??staan vrolijk te fonkelen in de hal en het restaurant. Prachtige kerststukken versieren de ruimte en de geur van dennen omringt ons. De eigenaar leek het wel leuk om eens Kerst in de winter te vieren ?. Na het ontbijt besluiten we eerst bij de receptie ons dagelijkse portie App's en Facebook berichten op te halen. En niet te vergeten de door Ingrid ... read more

Day 2 to 5 - Oudtshoorn – Tsitsikamma – Addo Elephant National Park – Hogsback So this morning we were up at the crack of dawn for the departure from Cape Town for our Tucan Adventure. Waking up in our ocean view ensuite bedroom was our last chance to enjoy what most of us would call ‘living in luxury’. Waking up in a tent for the next 54 days was our accommodation now, and adding in the odd unexpected visit from a baboon, hippo, lion, scorpion, elephant, hyena or any other African animal you can think of and it becomes our luxurious accommodation. Alex said her tearful goodbyes to the legendary Nardee (the greatest Cape Town host you could hope for) and we sadly left Nards to start our trip with our new group. There was ... read more

Last night, Jerry excelled himself on the camp fire and produced the most tender, red steak you could imagine. Served with cheese potatoes, salad and two bottles of Pinotage, it was probably the best meal of the trip so far. Awoken by Maxwell at 06h00, I was still dreaming of the food. It had been a real pleasure to be back in the tent and I'd slept like a baby. Now it was time to get up, wash, dismantle the tent, pack the truck, eat breakfast and get on the road. So proficient were we that we were leaving the Elephant Park 15 minutes ahead of schedule along some very bumpy roads indeed. Although the dawn had been beautiful, dark clouds were gathering to our right as we bounced along. To our left, the clear weather ... read more

22nd Nov ======= Reached Storms River in the evening, this is a place full of adventure stuff and near the TsitsiKamma National Park. When I arrived at the backpackers, there was a fire going on and people sitting around it and drinking, met a group of South African girls who had just passed out of college and taking a roadtrip to decide what they want to do next. They had so many questions on India and opportunities there :) Its interesting how little people know about India in general and especially how the country is doing in the recent past. Partied till 2AM, then crashed, undecided what to do the next day. 23rd Nov ======= Met a British lady and decided to go hiking in the Tsitsikamma National Park, to the Storms River Mouth. It was ... read more