Blogs from Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 4

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Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna January 2nd 2012

sorry for the delay. Internet access is spotty in places. this trip is getting better and better. I would have never believed I love South Africa so much. Lets see, when I last left you, we were heading to the private game reserve. We saw baby Cheetas and were right up on them. We saw elephants, right beside theopen air safari vechile we were riding in, same with giraffes. I have some great pictures. this new camera is wonderful but it does eat batteries. that is one thing I dislike. Sorry no pictures today. I'm limited on time and want to right more, plus I need to resize some of them down before downloading. New Years eve I got to fly in a microflight plane. I did see some buffulo but not much else. We then ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna March 8th 2011

Here are some photos from South Africa.... read more
Front view of the house
Our room
Our breakfast stop

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna March 3rd 2011

Just for golfers....... Brother in law, Bill and I have played 5 different courses in the past couple of weeks. They vary greatly so I thought I would jot down a short summary for anyone interested or who may be thinking of coming to Knysna with their clubs. Golf costs converted to UK pounds sterling: Simola and Pezula both charge the equivalent of about 70. This includes a buggy and compulsory 'half way house'. The custom here is to stop after 9 holes for 10 minutes and have a snack and drink. If Bill and I had managed to find any kind of decent swing then the half way stop pretty much destroyed it! Knysna, Plettenburg Bay and Goose Valley all charged about 35 plus extra for a trolley, caddy or buggy and extra for the ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna March 3rd 2011

Bill and Karen are now on there way to the Winelands via the Little Karoo. It was very sad to see them go knowing we will not see them for another 3 months. But we have had the best time and shared a very special holiday. This week we have enjoyed several breakfasts over looking the ocean, a drive through the Phantom Pass (off road), named after the Phantom butterfly. We never saw the butterfly but the views over Knysna and out the heads was wonderful. We had a great meal in a pub called The Bell, the oldest pub in Knysna. It was by the lagoon and surrounded by Lavender. Just so relaxing. The area was called Belvidere and it is the prettiest place I have ever seen. It had a village green, no cars ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna February 26th 2011

What a week! We all played the par 3 course on Sunday. Bill and I lost but had great fun. A pair of Crowned Plovers, protecting a nest decided I was not going to play one of my shots - I agreed! Bill and Mike played Simola on Tuesday. The course is set high on a mountain with panoramic views, Jack Nicklaus designed, 6401 metres (add about 10% for yards) and par 72. According to Mike probably the best course he has played so far. The greens are championship standard and 3 putting was almost inevitable sometimes. The hotel, service and halfway house were all superb. We paid about 50 pounds to play, including a buggy and meal so not bad value as a treat. Later that day we decided to walk the coast by Brenton ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna February 20th 2011

Mike and I have had a few days exploring the area around Knysna. The rivers and inlets are a haven for wildlife, lots of fantastic birds and butterflies, which can be huge. We found a great par 3 course near Sedgefield which cost 8 for 18 holes. The greens were excellent and it would be a good challenge for any level of golfer. It was great fun and made even better by the birds on the lake next to us popping onto the course to say hello. Karen and Bill arrived Friday afternoon after a week touring The Cape. They had a great time doing all the tourist type things; going up Table Mountain, penguins at Simons Town etc. A couple of things made the trip fantastic. The drive itself. All the wildlife encountered on the ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna February 16th 2011

No jet lag. What a wonderful start to our holiday. In our house (that we have swapped) we have the use of an old PC so it is great for keeping up with e mails but there is no facility for photographs or skype; we will add photos when we get to Kerry's house in Perth. We have the use of a small renault, which is left hand drive and in SA they drive on the left so just like the UK. Not much traffic so very easy. Our hosts left a very comprehensive guide to the house and local ameneties. So off we set to "Woolworths". Mike was all set to check out all the local beers! oops. Supermarkets dont sell beer. So we found a beer shop, by now it was 5pm on Saturday ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna February 13th 2011

The flight was Ok. No delays so we caught our connecting flight to George - no problem. Alan was there to pick us up, which after travelling for 24 hours was great. He and Patti showed us round their house, left us a car and pile of keys and off they went. The house has the most fantastic views out over a valley, parkland and hills. Across the valley we can see the Simola golf course, which we have been told is expensive but maybe we can play it as a treat. There is a huge outside living area, kind of like very posh decking, complete with dining table and three piece suite. We have already seen lots of birds (no idea of names yet, need to consult the book) and a group of Springbok across ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna June 21st 2010

WATCH GMTV TURSDAY MORNING TO SEE KNYSNA ELEPHANT PARK LIVE. We spent most of today in the car driving to Knysna Elephant Park along the Garden Route. This is our stop over on the way to Port Elizabeth. The views were amazing. We have never seen such spectacular scenery. We first went over a mountainous area before driving along the coastal route. Everyone has said how wonderful the Garden Route is and they are not wrong. We are staying for the night in the Elephant Lodge. Six guest bedrooms have been built within the elephant sleeping quarters. The unique Elephant Lounge forms the central relaxation area overlooking the elephant stables where the elephants sleep. I don’t know anywhere else in the world where you could experience this. We went out with the handlers to meet the ... read more
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Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Knysna May 19th 2010

Fed up with touristy fish option and Indian rubbishness, we ventured into a restaurant that caught our eye the first day in Knysna but had waited for a moment to splurge, after all that’s why credit cards exist. A bit like Victoria 1906, except they seemed to want customers, we went in. Diners were thin on the ground but we felt we should support their efforts to raise the dining bar of the local restaurant scene. It was an evening when eating out is a proper occasion, an experience, rather than merely functional, though I think they may have overdone it a bit. I’m not sure what divides very polite service from becoming overly attentive service but here it was a hairbreadth. I also have a compulsion to say thank you after anything is done ... read more




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