It’s strange how noisy peace and quiet can be.
For a change my laptop is safely packed away, my cellphone is off and there is not a TV in sight. No telephone to yank me from a mid-afternoon snooze… not even the whirring of a mini-bar fridge. And yet, still, there is a cacophony of chattering, and footsteps scratching through the dry undergrowth, outside my canvas window.
The folks at Tanda Tula – meaning ‘to love the quiet’ in Shangaan – do what they can to ensure their elegantly decorated safari-tents are as serene as possible, but there’s little that can keep the sounds of the bush at bay!
Situated in the heart of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Tanda Tula’s safari tents are a breath of fresh air in a luxury market seemingly dominated by ‘more is more’. More bells, more whistles, more opportunities for distraction. And yet, at so many lodges, they usually add up to less opportunity to experience the mesmerising bushveld.
At Tanda Tula you’ll find quite the opposite, with the rustic-chic feel of a loved and lived-in getaway where Leadwood trees grow up through the deck of the dining area, the staff greet you by name and your favourite drink is poured before you reach the bar.
‘Our rates are all-inclusive, so there’s no fussing about with bar tabs or anything like that,’ Nina Scott, who together with husband Don are operational partners and managers of the lodge, tells me as we wander past a small herd of sunbathing Europeans. ‘We’re quite happy for guests to spend the whole day drinking G&Ts at the pool!’
It’s a hospitable, whatever-makes-you-happy attitude that courses through the veins of Tanda Tula. Each of the lodge’s 12 tents enjoys its own private nook of riverine bushveld, with a simple wooden deck and comfortable armchairs allowing you to sit back and soak up the scenery.
Tents are elegantly furnished with wrought-iron beds, understated African carvings and an ‘Out of Africa’ bathroom complete with ball-and-claw bath and outdoor shower. Rough walls fashioned from mud, elephant dung and grasses complete the rustic luxury picture where the delight is in the detail.
A flask of iced water – the lodge avoids eco-unfriendly bottled water – magically refills itself throughout my stay, a field guide lies at the ready on a side table, and a tray of coffee delivered to my deck makes the wake-up call for the early morning game drive bearable.
The sun has already risen as I savour the freshly brewed coffee, scanning the riverbed for early morning visitors. It’s the end of a long dry winter and the Nlharalumi River, which only flows at the height of the summer rains, is dry. Deep holes in the sandy watercourse mark where elephant dig down to the water table, carefully siphoning off the seepage until crystal clear water flows freely.
The region may be famous for its white lions, but elephants are the reason I’ve travelled to the Timbavati; a fence-free 60 000ha wilderness shared by just eight safari lodges. With fences dropped on three sides the wildlife roams freely between this private reserve and the Greater Kruger National Park.
For elephants, of course, these are artificial boundaries to be ignored at will and it’s precisely the migration and movement of these ponderous pachyderms that brought Michele and Steve Henley to Tanda Tula five years ago.
Working under the auspices of ‘Save the Elephants’, an international body dedicated to conserving the species, the pair’s Trans-boundary Research Program based at the lodge has done pioneering work into how the elephants of Kruger graze and migrate; essential information when planning how to manage the region’s growing pachyderm population.
‘We’re trying to find out what drives elephant movement from core areas into peripheral conservation areas,’ says Steve. ‘If we’re going to manage elephant populations we need to know what elephants need, and where they go to get it.’
Using GPS-technology, the pair has collared 45 elephants in their five years at Tanda Tula, building up an impressive body of knowledge of how elephants use their habitat to full advantage.
‘Elephants move over a much larger range than we previously thought,’ says Michele, ‘and using GPS tracking we’re learning how males and females will graze in different areas, and spread their impact on the environment.’
Elephants – and whether there are too many of them – has been a hot topic in recent years, and the pair are at the forefront of research into how to manage the species within the confines of the Park.
‘We help the Kruger National Park management make decisions about managing elephant populations. The goal is to look at controlling impact, not numbers,’ remarks Steve. ‘It’s important to understand that elephants are part of an ecosystem, and we don’t promote the survival of elephants over everything else. However, elephants enhance biodiversity and if you protect elephants you create a resource base for a host of other species.’
Funded by, and based at, Tanda Tula, it’s groundbreaking work that the pair is only too happy to share with guests, and visits to their on-site research centre can be arranged.
I bump into some of their boisterous subjects on a late-afternoon game drive; a breeding herd silhouetted against the sunset as they kick up plumes of powder-dry dust.
Gathered around one of the waterholes that are a lifeline before the rains arrive, the herd casually trundles through the veld, pulling over trees and stripping bark as if pulling items off a supermarket shelf. Judging by the foliage this small herd is chewing through, Steve and Michele have their work cut out for them in gathering data to manage the region’s elephants.
As the sun dips behind the skeleton of a gnarled Marula tree we head back to the lodge for dinner. Fires flicker in the sandy riverbed, where tables bedecked with lanterns beckon diners to settle their camp chair into the sand and stare up at the stars.
For a change it’s the chatter of happy travellers that breaks the silence, but as the wine flows and conversation slows the bush reclaims its hush. Feet in the sand and head in the stars… not a bad place to love the quiet.
Visit http://www.tandatula.co.za to find out more.
Originally published in Signature magazine; the official publication of Diners Club South Africa
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Luckily, there’s more to the most gorgeous islands on earth than sitting on the beach all day. Pack your adventuring-shoes and head for these intoxicating destinations where slip-slops and deckchairs simply won’t do…
Reunion
Driving the precipitous road to Reunion’s remote village of Cilaos, it’s easy to believe that the island is trying to kill you. Calmly, and with true Gallic flair, it’s doing its utmost to toss you into the ravine below.
Switchbacks, blind-corners and single-lane tunnels make this mountain-pass the stuff of Thomas Bain’s dreams; a white-knuckle heart-in-the-throat commute from the coast into the interior. But as with all things terrifying it’s oh-so-worth it when you finally make it to this lost-in-time village cast away in the Cirque de Cilaos, an ancient volcanic crater.
La Reunion is all about volcanoes, making it the perfect option for an Indian Ocean escape with a difference. It’s an island built by fire and, although today it’s lush and forested with wonderful winding roads to explore, the 2631-metre Piton de la Fournaise still throws up a bellyful of lava from time to time.
Trekking in the Rempart de Bellecombe ¬– the Piton’s relatively safe caldera – is one of the island’s highlights, but simply marvelling at the mountaintop volcanic desert is impressive enough to make you forget all about those French drivers on the ‘wrong’ side of the road!
There’s still an undeniable French connection on Reunion (it remains an Overseas Department of France, so you’ll need a visa) and it’s not hard to imagine yourself exploring a corner of coastal France.
As you wind your way down to the coast, small villages boast boulangeries on every corner, with piles of piping-hot croissants and local cheese begging to be packed in a picnic basket and enjoyed on the wonderful beaches of the West Coast.
Head in the clouds: read more on Reunion in an article from Shape magazine...
Mauritius
Together with Reunion, Mauritius and neighbouring Rodrigues form the island chain known as the Mascarenes, named for the 16th century Portuguese explorer who discovered these coral-fringed islands.
Mauritius has long been popular with South African holidaymakers who flock to the island’s range of resorts where the luxury on offer is proportionate to the size of your bank balance… or overdraft.
The island has proven especially popular with family travellers, with activities and child-minders on tap to allow frazzled parental units the chance to relax, recharge and perhaps order another multi-coloured drink with an umbrella in it while the kids run riot.
Most resorts offer extensive kids and teen programs with everything from sandcastle competitions to cooking classes to keep them entertained. You’ll also usually find a selection of complimentary water sports on offer, all of which are carefully supervised by instructors and lifeguards. Safe, shallow waters are perfect for young ones learning to swim and snorkel.
It’s not all about the beach though. If you can wash the sand off your feet and drag the kids out of the water you’ll find life is also sweet in the island’s lush interior.
Mauritius was built on the cultivation and harvest of sugar cane and the modern, interactive exhibition at L’Aventure du Sucre is sure to keep kids entertained. The museum traces the way simple sugarcane transformed the island and brings to life the process of transforming cane into crystals. To make it more family-friendly, kids are led on their ‘Sugar Adventure’ by two mascots common to the island; a mynah bird and a mongoose.
If you need to get the kids to work off the sugar rush, the Black River Gorges is another must-see in the hinterland. This 6574-hectare national park protects some of the last remaining indigenous forest on the island, along with endemic plants and rare bird species. Follow the marked trail from Le Pétrin information centre and tell the kids that if they spot a dodo they can have another ice cream.
Now doesn’t that sound more appealing than a day on the beach?
Seychelles
But if there’s anywhere on the planet where a deck chair and powder-soft sand is likely to prove irresistible, it’s the Seychelles. The island chain cast away in the northern reaches of the Indian Ocean (it’s a five-hour flight from Johannesburg) is all about luxury, and boasts some of the world’s most exquisite hotels.
If you don’t want to mingle with the masses, and feel like giving your credit card a workout, there are even private islands to enjoy. Hop on a flight to North Island or Frégate Island Private and you’ll find a tropical paradise to be shared with just a handful of other lucky souls.
All sounding a little rich for your blood? You can still enjoy the flour-soft sands and crystal waters on the main island of Mahe, where four and five-star hotels abound. Beau Vallon, Anse Souillac, Sainte Anne, Anse Patates. How is any mere mortal meant to resist the charms of these impossibly idyllic beaches?
Well, perhaps tales of an erotic seed that love-starved sailors believed came from a mystical tree on the bottom of the ocean could help?
To discover the real story behind the seductive seed of the Coco de Mer palm you’ll need to tear yourself from your deck-chair and hop on the fast ferry (about €8) from Victoria, the Seychellois capital, to the island of Praslin.
It’s here that you’ll find the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to over 6000 of these rare palms. The Coco de Mer may produce the world’s largest seeds, but it’s true that size doesn’t matter. It’s the shape that counts, with the male and female seeds mirroring the human form in a blush-worthy detail; a curvaceous, hip-shaped seed for the female and a long tube for the male.
You can discover more of the intriguing history and horticulture of the Seychelles, along with some pirate history, at the magnificent Jardin du Roi on Mahe or the L’Union Estate on tiny Praslin.
Click here to read more on visiting the Seychelles...
Quirimbas
The tropical islands of the Indian Ocean seem inextricably linked with colonialism. While the French and English made themselves at home in the Seychelles, the Portuguese sailed the length of east Africa claiming harbours as their own. In 1522 they chanced on the Quirimbas Archipelago, in northern Mozambique, and set up shop.
Of course the Arabs who’d traded slaves and spices here for centuries were none too happy about that and the inevitable clashes ensued. It’s just one of the many intriguing tales to be discovered at the star-shaped Fort of São João Batista on Ibo Island.
While the islands of Matemo and Medjumbe to the north offer tropical paradise by the beach-bucketful, the intriguing history of Ibo is certainly worth venturing south for.
Walking tours led by local guides from Ibo Island Lodge take you on a wander through the crumbling ruins left behind by Arabs, Chinese and Portuguese traders. Of course, the mass deportation of foreigners after independence didn’t help either.
As the tour ends at the Fort, history echoes into the present to the sound of silversmiths’ hammers. It’s a craft that’s been on the island for generations and today their fine filigree jewellery makes a perfect, and affordable, souvenir.
Historic tours aside, you can also explore the nearby mangrove forests by kayak, cast a fly for Kingfish or enjoy a castaway lunch on your own deserted island.
As you leave Ibo behind and soar above the eddies and reefs of the Quirimbas it’s easy to see why Bob Dylan sang: ““I like to spend some time in Mozambique/The sunny sky is aqua blue/And all the couples dancing cheek to cheek/It's very nice to stay a week or two.”
Read previous Quirimbas articles from Shape Magazine and Travelideas...
Zanzibar
It would certainly be easy to stay a week or two on the island of Zanzibar, not far north of the Quirimbas. The Arab dhows that sailed the coast of Cabo Delgado province no doubt stopped in here on their way north, and the ‘spice island’ has a long and chequered history that is well worth exploring. While most travellers spend a day wandering the narrow alleys of Stone Town before heading to their beach resort, the island has much more to offer history buffs.
The Mbweni Ruins is a good place to start. Built on the site of an old Arab house, Mbweni was originally the St. Mary's School for Freed Slave Girls. Built in 1871 by the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), an organisation established by explorer David Livingstone to educate freed slaves, the ruins are now managed by the Mbweni Ruins Hotel.
Other ruins built with less noble intentions include the Mruhubi Ruins, built in 1880 by Sultan Burghush as a retreat for himself and his many concubines!
Bathing beauties abound in the islands of the Indian Ocean, but remember that it’s not all about the beach. Pack your adventuring shoes and explore the hidden hinterlands beyond the sands.
Originally published in the AA Traveller Magazine, Spring 2009. |
“The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks, and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide.”
John Steinbeck may have been writing of the deep Pacific when he wrote this paragraph in ‘Tortilla Flat’, but he could well have been standing on the quay at Cape Town’s picturesque Kalk Bay Harbour, gazing out over False Bay.
As the sun sneaks westward and dips below the sea off Kommetjie, the shadows leaking out from behind Muizenberg Peak, the self-same fishermen are standing patiently, casting their lines out into the bay, hoping for a bite.
False Bay has long been home to some of South Africa’s best fishing grounds, and today draws anglers from across the country keen to hook a big one. If that sounds like you then your best hopes lie some 20-kilometres off Cape Point. It’s here in the deep where the Yellowfin Tuna and Marlin roam, playing cat-and-mouse with men like Sean Amor.
Amor has been fishing these waters for over 25 years and there isn’t much he hasn’t caught. Today, it’s the thrill of getting guests to hook the big one that is the driving force behind his Hooked on Africa Fishing Charters. With a range of boats and tackle on offer you can choose in-shore fishing for hard-fighting yellowtail and snoek, or tackle the deep for the bountiful Tuna from September to June.
Even if the fish aren’t biting, a day out on the bright blue ocean offers the chance to watch Albatross dancing on the winds, Killer whales on the hunt and Dusky dolphins at play.
With ocean on three sides the Cape is certainly a great spot for sea fishing from boat or shore, but its fresh mountain streams also offer fantastic fishing in pursuit of the wily trout.
One of the Cape’s best rivers for stalking trout is the Holsloot River as it tumbles out of the picturesque Stettynskloof valley near Worcester. Widely regarded as one of the best dry-fly rivers in the country, crystal clear water and free-rising rainbow trout will keep you casting long into the afternoon. Trout Haven on the banks of the Holsloot is the perfect place to stay for a few days, swopping tales around the fire of fish lost and landed.
Of course when it comes to fly-fishing for trout the cold waters of Mpumalanga as they tumble down the escarpment are famed as being home to some of South Africa’s best catches.
In the heart of the region is the village of Dullstroom; arguably South Africa's fly-fishing capital. While some might say the booming town has become a victim of its own success, the area still offers excellent still water and river fishing for both Rainbow and Brown Trout.
Dullstroom offers two town dams (no spinning allowed, and one is catch-and-release only), but much of the best fishing in the area is found on private waters and there are a number of wonderful farms and lodges with excellent rivers and dams waiting to be fished.
Before you hit the water though you might want to stop in at the Mavungana Fly-fishing Centre. Billed as South Africa’s largest fly-fishing outfitter, this emporium of all things piscatorial has all the gear you need to hook a trout, a full-time fly-tyer (lessons available on request), outside casting area for trying out rods as well as on-site casting instructors. Once you’ve mastered the art you can practise your skills on the 20-metre casting pond that is stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Black Bass.
You’ll also find trout-filled rivers tumbling off the escarpment in the high hills of the Eastern Cape, in and around the towns of Barkly East and Lady Grey, as well as in the picturesque KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
This last area is also home to the wonderful Midlands Meander. With green rolling hills, quaint towns, and more cosy pubs than you can shake a pint at it’s no surprise that the Meander has become a popular destination for weekend escapes and ‘semigrants’ looking for a quiet country lifestyle.
The region is brimming with streams and dams to be explored – both private waters and in the province’s nature reserves – but there’s one spot you should definitely end up at: Rawdon’s Hotel and Fly-fishing Estate.
Scenic walks on the Estate lead you to some excellent fishing waters, and invariably end up with a glass of fine ale from the Nottinghamd Road Brewery. Whether you decide to toast the day’s fishing at the end of the day, or come back at daybreak when the fish definitely bite better is up to you.
One thing’s for sure though, a day spent casting a line in the midst of some of South Africa’s most beautiful scenery is without doubt a day well spent.
Originally published in the Blue Train customer magazine. |
You can buy almost anything on the beach in Mombasa.
Kilometres of white sands stretch away north and south of this island town, and on almost every mile of that you’ll find someone trying to sell you something. In the nicest way possible, and with a friendly chat beforehand; but nonetheless doing their best to part you from your shillings.
People like Miriam; standing beside her racks of khangas as they flutter in the kusi; the southeast monsoon wind that brings rain and rough seas.
“When you buy a cow you must see it first,” she insists, pulling three, four, five khangas from her beachfront boutique and displaying them proudly. “These ones, they are just 800 shillings but,” she says with a wink, “everything is negotiable.”
“How about a ride on my BMW?” asks Abdul, appearing behind Miriam with a bored-looking camel, “His name is Mr Mombasa. The price, we can negotiate!”
That should be the motto for Kenya; ‘everything is negotiable’. No fee is set and talking around the price seems a national sport. Batting away the beach boys, curio-sellers and camel touts is part and parcel of the beach experience in Kenya, but eventually they’ll realise that you really – no, really - don’t need a giraffe key-ring with ‘Hakuna Matata’ carved on it, and leave you to suntan in peace.
Or you can retreat to the sanctuary of your beach hotel. Palm-fringed resorts run for kilometres north and south of Mombasa and offer something for almost every pocket.
Diani Beach to the south is the most glamorous strip of sand in the area, but can get crowded in peak season. Keep going further and resorts like Pinewood Village attract a more family-friendly crowd, while down at Wasini you can swim with dolphins and explore deserted islands. This stretch is also popular with kite-surfers who come to take advantage of the steady trade winds, warm water and flat seas.
I chose to head north though; through the upmarket suburb of Nyali, past the Haller Park wildlife sanctuary and beyond Jomo Kenyatta public beach.
Twenty-five minutes from town we turn into Serena Beach Hotel & Spa, one of the best hotels in the area, offering both top-notch accommodation and value-for-money.
Many of the hotel resorts in the area offer a similar product – beach-facing rooms, water sports, three meals a day – but Serena Beach injects a dose of Swahili style into your stay.
A welcome departure from monolithic beach hotels the Serena is built in the style of a traditional Swahili town; a minaret watching over rooms scattered amongst lush gardens in stand-alone villas. Carved wooden balconies overlook courtyards that melt into winding lanes leading you towards the seafront.
Here you’ll find a grassy carpet dotted with sun loungers urging you to leave that book unopened, lie back and simply gaze out over the Indian Ocean.
And with good reason too. Even Karen Blixen waxed lyrical about that view: “The sea at Mombasa is as blue as a cornflower… the long breakers of the Indian Ocean draw a thin crooked white line, and give out a low thunder even in the calmest weather. "
Of course there’s more to tempt you than sun loungers if you feel like getting in, not gazing at, those blue cornflower seas.
Like most resorts in and around Mombasa, Serena has a well-equipped activity centre offering a range of complimentary water sports. Glass-bottomed boat trips, sailing on local dhows and snorkelling excursions (all of which cost extra) are also popular, but it’s the scuba diving that has many a water-baby flocking here.
The stretch of coral reef a few hundred metres offshore is part of the second-largest barrier reef in the world, stretching from Somalia to Tanzania, and this section north of Mombasa is some of the most pristine coral in the region.
Shark Point is home to territorial white-tip reef sharks patrolling the reef like silent torpedoes, while in spring and late summer whale sharks slide out of the shadows as they migrate along this coast. Further south, the wreck of the Dania lies at 30m forming a magnificent artificial reef. Shallow sites inside the reef are perfect for beginners, while the resort offers free ‘introduction to scuba’ sessions at the pool most mornings.
If that all sounds a little extreme the on-site Maisha spa will add a little pampering to your stay. Built in the style of an old Arabic fort, the spa offers an extensive menu of massages, facials and body treatments. Five spacious treatment rooms add more Swahili style, and there are separate-sex areas with sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.
It’d be easy to spend all your time in the spa or at the seaside, but then you’d be missing out on the real Mombasa. The beach resorts are a wonderful place to de-stress, but wandering the bustling pavements and winding alleyways of Mombasa’s Old Town is half the adventure!
In Kiswahili the island now home to modern-day Mombasa is known as Kisiwa Cha Mvita – ‘Island of War’ –and wandering the ramparts of Fort Jesus it is easy to imagine the fierce battles that once took place here.
Built by the Portuguese in 1593 to defend their trade routes to the East, the Fort sits at the entrance to the Old Town’s harbour; exactly why it was attacked, besieged and squabbled over for 250 years.
It’s a quiet, sombre sort of place today though, where 18th century cannons still gaze out over Tudor Creek, ever watchful for hostile sails on the horizon. Guides are available for hire at the entrance to the Fort, but simply wandering on your own through the ruins is an equally good way to soak up to the atmosphere of the place.
From the top of San Mateus bastion you can gaze out over the Old Town, a labyrinth of alleyways and Arabesque buildings little changed since the Sultan of Oman laid siege to the town in the early 1800s.
Parts of the Old Town can be seedy though, and unless you’re an adventurous tourist you might want to hire a guide to lead the way. If you’re a DIY traveller keep an eye out for the occasional maps posted throughout the area.
It’s a place well suited for wandering. Owners of curio shops will beckon you in from the doorstep, and winding lanes lead you past hole-in-the-wall restaurants and down to the old harbour, where goods from up and down the coast are offloaded.
Mombasa has always been a trading port, and there is a wealth of souvenir shopping to be had.
“Come my shop! You come my shop” is the call that’ll follow you as you wander down Biashara Street, the best place to shop for colourful khangas and kikoys. Many of the shops have similar designs, so sharpen your haggling skills and get to work.
Woodcarvings are another popular souvenir, and the Akamba Woodcarving Cooperative on the airport road is a great spot to stock up. Hundreds of craftsmen from the Akamba tribe turn out a range of products from the ever-present giraffes to wooden bowls and ornaments.
After a day pounding the pavements there is only one place in town to drop your bags and take a break; the delightful Tamarind restaurant with its gorgeous terrace overlooking the Old Town harbour.
Seafood is the speciality here; from local snapper to prawns scooped fresh from the Indian Ocean. Kenyan crabs are some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that the Chilli Crab is one of their most popular dishes.
My spiny crustacean arrives in a hand-carved wooden bowl, swimming in a delicious broth. The chef has done most of the hard (and messy) work in the kitchen, but the waiter sets a large wooden truncheon on the table.
“This one,” he says with a stern tone, “it is for the crab. Not for the wife!” a smile rippling across his face.
With a cold Tusker lager in one hand (wine is fiendishly expensive in Kenya) and a claw of chilli crab in the other, Mombasa’s Old Town starts to twinkle on the far bank of the Creek.
It may once have deserved the moniker ‘island of war’, but today it’s a fairly peaceful place. Chaotic, for sure, and a city that frustrates as often as it charms but, as with so many cities I’ve been to, it’s about give and take. You win some, you lose some. A bit like negotiating, I suppose. And remember, in Kenya, everything is negotiable.
Travel advisory
- November to April is the best time to visit Mombasa, when the ‘kaskazi’ northerly wind brings calm seas and warm days, with little chance of rain. This is also the best time for diving.
- Mombasa is a malaria area, so consult your doctor three weeks before travelling.
- Currency: Kenyan shilling. R1 = 10 Kenyan Shillings.
- Kenya Airways flies daily from Johannesburg to Nairobi, with frequent connections to Mombasa. For reservations, call 082 2345 786 or visit www.kenya-airways.com.
- Serena Beach Hotel & Spa. Visit www.serenahotels.com or call the Johannesburg reservations office on 011 0212 607/8/9.
- To book a table at Tamarind, or discover more about the famous Tamarind Dhow, visit www.tamarind.co.ke.
First published in Shape Magazine; November 2009. |
As a frequent global traveller there’s one rule I try never to break: do not laugh at the immigration officials. But when a burly Seychellois man in uniform takes his stamp and pounds a provocative set of feminine hips into my passport. Well… it’s hard not to giggle.
 The ‘hips’ in question is the outline of the seed from the Coco de Mer palm and while the plant itself is nothing to write home about, the seed – with its suggestive bulges resembling a voluptuous woman’s hips – has driven lusty sailors to distraction since the 1700s. It’s since become the icon of the Seychelles; a symbol as exotic and sensual as these sun-kissed islands themselves.
This string of paradise islands – a stone’s throw from the Equator – is scattered across hundreds of kilometres of ocean, but most visitors stick to the Inner Islands close to the capital Victoria. Unless you’re feeling especially adventurous the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue offer everything a sun-seeking visitor could ask for.
It’s always good to start at the beginning and, as you’ll be jetting into the international airport in Victoria, Mahe will be your first stop.
If you need to wash off those travelling blues you’ll find the island is home to some of the best beaches in the Seychelles. Beau Vallon is Mahe’s iconic beach and is home to a strip of ever-popular hotels; the sand is flour-soft and the water’s warm and turquoise, but it can also get crowded.
Over on the West coast, Anse Souillac (Anse means ‘bay’ in French) is a perfectly picturesque cove ideal for lazy days on the sand. Don’t be surprised to see a super-yacht or two moored a few hundred metres off the beach; these quiet coves have become the playgrounds of the rich and famous.
If you’d rather be active Grand Anse further south is a popular surf spot, while Anse à la Mouche is a family-friendly beach with shallow current-free waters.
It’s well worth stopping off for a wander around Victoria though; home to just 22 000 people it is the second-smallest capital in the world and feels more like a laid-back country town.
For a taste of local life make sure you wander through the Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market where local fishermen flog their catch, and fresh fruit, vegetables and spices lie waiting to be turned into delicious Creole cuisine.
A wonderful place to learn more about the local way of life is the hillside Jardin du Roi (Royal Garden), which was first planted in 1772 to supply passing ships. Today it’s tended by Mrs Micheline Georges, whose family have owned the garden for 150 years, and she runs a wonderful restaurant in an old plantation-style house.
Mahe’s smaller cousin is La Digue, an hour away by high-speed ferry or an easy 15-minute flight. Where Mahe is bustling and busy, Praslin is all the more laid-back and you can easily spend a day or two meandering around the island. Stop off at for lunch at Bon Bon Plume; a delightful toes-in-the-sand restaurant on Anse Lazio. Well-fed, make sure you leave time to visit the legendary Vallée de Mai; a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to an ancient forest of 6000 Coco-de-Mer palms.
From Praslin it’s another short ferry hop to La Digue, where the pace of life is slow and cars only arrived some 20 years ago. Accommodation here is all about low-key beach bungalows and tourists are more likely to hire an ox-cart to get around than hail a taxi. It’s perhaps too quiet for some, but is worth visiting for the day to enjoy the stunning Anse Patate and wander through the coconut and vanilla plantations of L’Union Estate. The enclosure of giant tortoises, some over 90 years old, is also a hit with families. In all, La Digue is laid-back with few frills and makes a wonderful change from the busy tourist bustle of the larger islands.
With easy ferry and flight connections it’s simple to hop between the islands, so a good bet is to base yourself at a resort you enjoy and spend your days exploring. When you can escape the clutches of the deckchair, that is.
For a five-star castaway experience you certainly can’t go wrong with the Sainte Anne Resort & Spa a short boat-ride from Mahe.
Situated on its own 200-hectare private island this Villa-only resort is slap-bang in the middle of one of the largest Marine Parks in the Indian Ocean. To help you make the most of the warm azure waters the Activity Centre offers complimentary kayaks, sailing dinghies and snorkelling equipment. There’s also a dive centre on hand for exploring the local reefs.
If that sounds altogether too strenuous then best you take a turn past the ‘Spa by Clarins’ in a quiet corner of Sainte Anne. The entire spa has recently been revamped to offer a range of treatment rooms along with a balneotherapy room, yoga studio and separate-sex hammams.
With all that exercise and pampering you deserve to splurge a little. Luckily the resort offers four restaurants, from family-friendly buffets at L’Abondance to island-style fine dining at Le Mont Fleuri. My favourite though is the appropriately named Le Robinson; a tables-on-the-beach, waves at your feet kind of place where the inventive European-style cuisine would have made Mr Crusoe proud.
In fact, if I had to be shipwrecked somewhere I think Sainte Anne would do quite nicely. Spacious villas, pristine beaches, a lush island to explore… and at least I wouldn’t need that passport stamp!
For more information:
Originally published in Indwe Magazine, the in-flight magazine of SA Express
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Screaming kids. They just don't do it for me. Unless they're blood relations or I have a vested interest in the young sprog (you know who you are), I just don't see why my eardrums need to be assaulted by the glass-shattering yelps of someone else's progeny. Out in the open they're bad enough, but within the confines of an aluminium tube zipping along at 30 000 feet they become completely intolerable.
The high-pitched squeals seem to bounce off the walls, collect a diamond-tip from the overhead lockers and bore directly into the core of my brain. iPods, in-flight entertainment and alcohol are all powerless in the face of a 100-decibel infant aria.
But worse than the 'scared or in pain' squeals — which, yes, I can summon enough sympathy to ignore — is the bored whining that carries on endlessly until I'm convinced that a seat down in the hold would be preferable to the incessant mewling.
And why do parents subject themselves to it? I can only imagine the bubbling annoyance and (well, perhaps hopefully) guilt they feel at inflicting aural torture on a few hundred unsuspecting fellow travellers. If it were me I think I'd be tempted to take my child for a quick walk on the wing to spare everyone the pain.
Now, before the hate-mail begins arriving in paper-bag form on my front doorstep, I'm not for one minute saying that parents shouldn't fly, I just don't quite understand why they and their offspring seem to rank higher up the economy-class food chain than others.
A Declaration of Flightiquette?
Surely we all pay the same fare (or near enough) and should have equal rights in the cabin? I'm willing to let the priority boarding slide (mainly so I don't have to squeeze past baby-carrier and assorted paraphernalia), but don't we all enter some sort of social contract when we step on board?
Don't we all subscribe to a Declaration of Flightiquette that begins with the premise that Thou Shalt Not Annoy Thy Fellow Passenger For 12 Hours Straight? What would the response be like if I stood on my chair and started belting out Bruce Springsteen covers in the middle of the night? Bar a few like-minded friends I bet you wouldn't stand for it, so why do some travellers have annoyance rights that are inversely proportional to their size? It's a bit like Equatorial Guinea running the United Nations — a small, dirty grump inflicting their will on two hundred others.
What I also don't understand is why airlines haven't cottoned onto the fact that — by and large — passengers would really rather not sit next to a squealing, food-throwing, snot-producing toddler that seems to think that the aircraft is their own private activity-centre fiefdom. Fair enough, they've paid for their seat and they should be allowed on board, but why not group them all up at the back of the plane where they can raise merry hell together and leave the rest of us in peace?
And parents are the worst. Either they're so darn exhausted they simply clip the kid in and collapse into a sleep-deprived coma or (even worse) they grin maniacally; ever-so-pleased with themselves that have managed to combine a few chromosomes to produce a two-legged miniature version of themselves.
"...Don't for a second think it's all innocent..."
And just for the record: when your kid paws my gleaming white Macbook with his sticky fingers, smiling proudly at me is not the appropriate response. Mortification and offers of professional restoration are what you were looking for, capiche?
And long-hauls are the worst. Invariably there is a selection of small humans who seem to have held conclave beforehand to carefully synchronise their yelling schedules. As soon as one tires of exercising their vocal chords (or perhaps reaches the end of their shift?) then the next one starts up in some sort of diabolical domino effect that's clearly intended to ensure that everyone on board knows just who runs the show.
So don't for a second think it's all innocent and that the little so-and-so's don't know what they're doing. Just witness how quickly the little blighters shut up as soon as someone pays them attention, or they get what they've been hollering for. I've even seen a two-year-old flip me a smile and a wink just seconds after bawling like he'd had his arm lopped off. I half expected him to slide a few bills into my shirt-pocket to buy my silence.
And, like dogs with people who don't like dogs, screaming kids seem to be magnetically attracted to me. Regardless of whether I'm up in Business Class or in the depths of Economy, it seems that Holmes' Third Law of Travel (the first two involve Customs Searches and Airline Headphones) dictate that travel writers and their nemesis are never far apart.
They're small, they're loud and they know exactly what they're doing. And they're out to get me, I'm sure of it. So if you can read this, young travellers… I'm onto you.
Originally published on http://travel.iafrica.com.
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It’s not often you get to hear the beat of a pelican’s wings as it flaps its lazy way across the water to roost for the night. But then again it’s not often you get to sit and watch the sky dissolve from burnt orange into a deep, plummy purple in absolute, all-consuming silence. Silent, except for the squawking that is.
Across the sunset mirror of De Hoop vlei, a cacophony of birds breaks the stillness as they noisily bed down for the night, chattering in the dark like schoolgirls on a sleepover. To the north, a spotted eagle owl hoots a warning or two, before vanishing into the gloaming.
 The rocky ledge where we sat and watched the scene unfold was the perfect spot for second sundowners, bidding farewell to another day at De Hoop Nature Reserve, a short way from the southern tip of Africa.
Second sundowners, I hear you ask?
Well, De Hoop is the kind of place that encourages you to put the brakes on, let your hair down a little and ease into the rhythm of one of the Cape’s best nature reserves. De Hoop is justifiably famous for its 55-kilometre Whale Trail that leads pampered hikers from Potberg in the east down to the rocky shoreline and along the water’s edge to Koppie Alleen. While the trail gets booked up a year in advance, weekend visitors can still enjoy the spectacular scenery that hikers enjoy uninterrupted for five glorious days.
In the height of whale season the solitary Koppie Alleen is far from deserted though, both on land and out at sea. Annual visitors of one kind – Southern Right whales – bring weekenders such as myself flocking to De Hoop to enjoy one of the best land-based whale-watching spots on the planet. At any one time you’ll be treated to a circus of cetacean acrobatics, as these portly passers-by breach, lobtail, spy-hop and generally lol about thanking their luck stars they’re not in the frigid feeding waters of Antarctica. You can almost picture them warming their callosities against the kitchen stove of the warm Agulhas current.
The high dunes of Koppie Alleen and the imaginatively named Long Beach are ideal for gazing out over the – officially, now that you’re east of Agulhas – Indian Ocean in search of whales, but the shoreline also has hidden surprises. The serrated coastline of beaches and coves is a perfect playground for kids. Calm, clear rock pools are filled with tardy fish who missed the last tide out, and endangered African Black Oystercatchers tip-toe through the waters in search of mussels… no, they don’t only eat oysters.
Undisturbed crescents of sand wait patiently for a picnic basket or bucket-and-spade with castles on their mind. Boardwalks make their way cautiously over the rocky headlands that separate beaches and, from the rocks, yet more whales are to be seen along with terns bombarding shoals of fish. Yet even the most avid whale fanatic surely has a limit for staring out to sea, waiting for a black blob to burst above the ocean. Mine is about an hour or two; after that every other wave looks like a whale and the binoculars rarely leave my lap, kamikaze terns or no. Luckily there’s more to the reserve than the watery visitors and when you tire of whale watching, or if you visit outside of the July-October peak season, the reserve is a wonderful place to wander.
From whales to warblers… De Hoop happens to one of the Overberg’s twitching hotspots. Even if you’re not a Roberts’-at-the-ready kind of person (I most certainly am not) you’ll enjoy the well-marked walking trails laid out from the accommodation area at the Opstal along the edge of the De Hoop vlei. Three separate trails separate the holidaymaker from the hiker, varying in length from 5kms (Coot Trail) to 15kms (Grebe Trail). All three follow a similar route along the eastern edge of the vlei, before looping back to the cottages and houses.
Wandering back through the fynbos you'll almost certainly bump into the herd of eland that never seem to venture far from the lush lawns surrounding the Opstal. Along with the eland, there are 86 mammal species wandering the 34 000 hectares of conserved land. Keep an eye out for the white snouts of the rather rare bontebok as you meander through the endangered lowland fynbos.
Part of the walking trail is also open to mountain bikers, although the 5.6-kilometre off-road route on the fringes of Dronkvlei will offer more of a challenge to enthusiastic riders. Cyclists can also tackle the 8.7-kilometre circular track in the hills above the Opstal. Keep your eyes open and you might spot one of the reserve’s endangered Cape Mountain Zebra. The circular track can also be enjoyed as a scenic drive, but is only recommended for 4x4 vehicles.
With such a range of activities it’s a destination for all types of visitors, and has the accommodation to show for it. Campsites under the milkwoods offer the bare basics for hardy travellers, while the Vlei Cottages and Opstal Houses offer comfortable accommodation for up to six people. If you don’t mind sharing communal bathrooms, the Vlei Rondawels (R500/night) are perhaps the best value to be had.
Most of the accommodation in the reserve was privatised in December 2008, with all of the houses and cottages at Opstal and Koppie Alleen completely revamped. A delightful restaurant, The Fig Tree, was also opened to provide for visitors, especially foreigners, who didn’t want to self-cater.
The standard of accommodation has been greatly improved, but inevitably the prices have gone up. Long-time visitors complain, with some merit, that locals have been priced out of the reserve, but I get the feeling that a cash-strapped CapeNature is between a rock and a hard place. Without government funds to upgrade facilities, it could either let them keep deteriorating or privatise and hope that locals will fork out for the new and improved cottages.
What is certain is that some of the once shabby rooms have been given a new lease on life, and perhaps some SA-only special deals will entice loyal locals back to the beaches.
As for me, I think I would scrounge together a few extra rands just to enjoy that sunset again. The second night of our stay we were back at our rock on the water’s edge; the burnished sky reflected in the mercurial vlei, a bottle of single malt and each other for company. With long summer days on the horizon and a fine meal waiting for us at the Fig Tree it was altogether easy to feel hopeful at De Hoop. The price may have gone up, but the magic of De Hoop is as powerful as ever.
For more information visit www.dehoopcollection.co.za.
First published in The Weekender. |
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Or just a sign of commercialism heading south? Refuse to shop at Melissa's nowadays: overpriced and average