Blogs from Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 3

Nadat iedereen weer gewekt was, hetzij door zijn of haar wekker, hetzij door een hond of overtrekkende gans, zaten we om half negen gezamenlijk weer aan een heerlijk ontbijt. Onze gastvrouw Ypie had op ons verzoek gebeld met de featherbed.co en een boeking gedaan voor de door ons uitgezochte gevarieerde tour voor die ochtend. Volgens het reisboek zou dit een boottocht zijn, met aansluitend een 4x4 tocht, een wandeling door het Featherbed Nature Reserve en aansluitend een lunch. Vervolgens zou de boot ons weer terugbrengen naar het vasteland. Al met al een excursie van 4 uur, dus de ochtend waren we onder de pannen. De zon scheen heerlijk en ook de temperatuur was prima. Nadat de auto geparkeerd was voor het Cruise Café liepen we naar binnen om de administratie en de betaling te regelen. Vanuit ... read more

Geo: -34.0405, 23.0719"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."- Archbishop Desmond TutuPerhaps the most infamous aspect of South Africa is the Apartheid Era, and one of its enduring legacies are the townships dotting the country's landscape, a reminder of how millions were evicted from areas ... read more

On day two of my stay at Knysna I decided to stop by the Knysna Forest for a hike which is a good way to see up close the different plants in the area, and there were many ferns there. For lunch I took my picnic basket and went to one of the picnic spots, which I found it better than going to a restaurant because it was a more peaceful environment. In the afternoon I went to the Elephant Park, where I went to view some Elephants. There I only saw one elephant, I was told that there aren't that many because they are endangered in that area.... read more

Geo: -34.0405, 23.0719The rain continued this morning, but began to ease after breakfast. With last nights game drive being so dissappointing, we decided to go for another morning game drive, before leaving Addo. The rain was off and on, but viewing was much, much better today, including a great encounter with some elephant, getting so close you could almost pet them. We also managed to spot some Spotted Hyena, Zebra, Osterich and Buffalo.From Addo, we headed towards Knysna, passing over the Storm River Bridge. Next, we stopped for a walk at the Tsitsikamma Big Tree; a giant Yellow-wood, standing 36.6 metres tall and over 1,000 years of age. This walk was a testiment to the unpredictable changing weather of the Western Cape, starting in radiant sunshine, and finishing soaking wet, as a random storm passed us ... read more

We left Oudtshoorn quite early and drove back towards the N2 and on towards the beginning of the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a coastal stretch on the Western Cape that is very popular with tourists. There are some beautiful inland forests, amazing coastlines and some attractive beach towns. As we came down from Outdshoorn, towards Paarl, there was some more spectacular scenery, similar to what there had been on our way to Outdshoorn. We didn't stop at Paarl, but instead continued on towards Wilderness NP. There are a number of lakes in the Wilderness NP, which attract a vast array of wildlife in particular birdlife. We stopped at one of the bird hides to see some of this. There are some walking trails you can do in the park as well, but we decided ... read more