09 February 2022

With more updates in the news that Australia is opening up their borders to vaccinated travellers. I am so excited to think that this is it, the travel world is getting back to “normal”. My thoughts went into overdrive - How? When? Where? What? How will I get there? When should I go? Where can I go? What do I need? How do you choose a travel destination when like a child in a candy store you want it all… after 2 years of restricted borders… I want the whole world! 2022 is the year of GOAT travel! Greatest Of All Time! (…not an Austrian countryside singing back the sound of musics… “High on a hill was a lonely goatherd. Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo with a bleating Gooooaaaaaattttt!) I’m kidding, my overactive mind went straight to that vision the first time I heard the phrase. Think of a destination that you have always wanted to visit, an experience that you have always wanted to enjoy, a sight you have to see with your own eyes. Now is the time to plan and get it done. Tick it off that bucket list! Eat lasagna and drink red wine in Rome. Walk the streets of Paris in blue and white stripes. Feel your arms around family whilst sightseeing in London. Your toes in the sand in Bali. Smell the fresh flowers of the Namaqualand or see the ice caps of Antarctica. GOAT travel is about using everything you can, to get the most meaning out of your experience. Fill all your senses, stop and take it all in. Go somewhere new, treat yourself, feel the excitement bubbling in you. Go where you have always wanted to go and do it 100% in the right way for you! To fine-tune your inner GOAT dreams and feels, call or pop me a mail – let's discuss your ideas and make it happen!

25 August 2021

My happiness bucket was filled with all those good things they say you should fill your bucket with when we hit the slopes at Afriski in Lesotho! We’ve waited 2 years for this trip! And wow was it worth it! PS… for those who don’t know... Yes, you can ski in Africa! Check out my pics as proof! We set off early morning on Thursday the 5th of August for our self-drive holiday to Lesotho. Heading towards Clarens for a lunch stop and then onto the Caledonspoort border to Lesotho. I can’t lie the border was hair raising and took longer to get through than we anticipated. Travel Agents personally make the worst travellers… Why print it all out when it is on our phones? When travelling in Africa always take printouts! I know this and always advise my clients to do so! Once through the border, wow what a drive... winding through the mountains of Lesotho. It takes approx 1 hr 40mins to get to Afriski from the border. It’s a beautiful site to be coming round the mountain (when she comes, Yeehaw) and to see this huge white snowy slope standing proudly amongst the brown dry terrain. Our little home for 3 nights was beautiful. We booked ourselves a 3 bedroom Swiss Chalet called Lillehamer, it was so warm, with a heater in every room. Each bedroom had its own ensuite. The kitchen was well kitted with good crockery, pots and well everything that is needed if you planning on feeding a big family delicious “home-cooked” meals. Friday morning – we were up and at it. 10h00 Ski lessons were booked for the 4 adults and the 2 kiddies had the kids club to go explore. We went down at 08h30 so that we could get kitted with all the gear. Yowsers I forgot how uncomfortable I find ski boots. We kitted the kiddies who then went off to join the kids club and we gulped back a Jagerbomb for a bit of courage. The last and first time I had been skiing was 15 years ago when I was young and fit. Time stood still as I walked my way to the beginner's slope. I was that slow on land in these boots. A few exercises later and tadaa ski’s on and I was motoring like a snail down a portion of the baby slope. My family were pro’s and were all skiing successfully on the first day. Afriski provided us with the most awesome ski instructor who helped us every step of the way. Afriski provides for the experienced and the beginners. You will not be disappointed with an Afriski holiday. It ticks all the boxes for couples, friends, families.. even corporate team building would be great fun here! You have a choice of two restaurants. The Gondola Café has the most delicious muffins and panini’s as well as other light meals. This is where the rowdy gather in the evening. The Sky Restaurant – also known as the highest restaurant in Africa, has more of a 3-course, bigger, formal menu and also provides evening entertainment suitable for families. Then there is the Cooler Box, a little ice-box themed bar – ready to serve you a cold one when you get off the slopes, topped with a DJ. It’s out in the open, vibey and well just great! There are many accommodation options available that will suit different budgets. Having been there in person, I would love to assist and guide you with booking your Afriski holiday! This is a must for the bucket list! We certainly can’t wait to go back!

20 January 2021

A couple of months before the December holidays fell upon us, I sat thinking what we could do that would give us limited contact with other people. Being in a worldwide health pandemic where would be the best place to go??? My clever 10-year-old came up with the fab idea… KRUGER! She has been eager to go back since our last visit when she was a little 5-year-old. Her love for animals is huge! First check – SANPARKS. Clearly others had the same idea. My number one priority when booking was Air-conditioning! We were not fussy which park we would end up in as long as we had air-conditioning. I could not get a 4 sleeper anywhere in the park. So, we settled on 2 rondavels with AIRCON in Pretoriuskop. Well on arrival… it was not much to the eye. Certainly, no bells or whistles. Each rondavel had 2 single beds, 2 plastic chairs, 1 cupboard, a fridge, and a sink. Outside a plastic table which would become the lounge and dining area... and a snake. They do not all come with one of those! There was a communal kitchen and bathroom. It had everything that we needed. The aircon worked like a bomb. It was like a little icebox – perfect for the hot summer nights! Our next couple of nights we went for a spoil. It was over New Years, so we decided on Mdluli Safari Lodge – a new lodge situated near Numbi Gate. We have amazing rates and different package options. Well…. I breathe in and out slowly as I reminisce, we arrived there, and it was a breath of fresh air. It is beautiful, modern, elegant, luxurious. I love it. Our luxury tent had an outside shower, inside shower, all the other bathroom necessities, couch, bar fridge, desk, and a king size bed with canopy. The couch turned into the kiddie’s bed plus they threw an extra mattress over the top, so it was very comfy. It is so glam. We took pics quickly before we littered the beauty of the room with our belongings. Our mornings were spent out on game drives and the afternoons we spent in the infinity pool overlooking the park, allowing us to dreamily wallow around like a hippo gazing into the African bush. Our last 2 nights we wanted to spend relaxing and not driving around. We booked into Nextdoor Kruger in Marloth Park. We made memories to last a lifetime here. Paul and Les have done everything to make one feel comfortable in this 2-bedroom self catering unit with a pool. Their place is stunningly beautiful, elegant and modern. Sit back, pour yourself a drink, read Paul’s interesting and quirky memoirs of their times in the Kruger and Marloth Park and wait for the animals to come to you. If you haven’t been recently or never at all, put the Kruger National Park on your bucket list. I have great rates and packages on hand as well as many tips and tricks for when holidaying in the Kruger National Park.

22 June 2020

If you are travelling with Emirates via Dubai – you must do a stopover. Dubai is exhilarating. There is so much to do, and it really does break up a long flight. We stopped in Dubai after a family holiday in the UK. WOW! What a great ending to an already great holiday. We stayed in a hotel apartment that was huge! Fabulous value for money. It had a kitchen, lounge, fully air conditioned, laundry room, ensuite bedrooms etc. etc. Breakfast was included. We could go to a supermarket and buy a few basics to do an easy dinner fix or late-night snack on our return from a busy day. First day in Dubai. We spent the morning by the hotel pool, chillaxing and swimming. Very important to add in downtime especially when travelling with children. That evening we set off on a desert safari. My children loved the dune bashing and seeing the desert with their own eyes. It was amazing for them to see and to understand how this huge city has been built amongst the sand and dust! When we arrived at the camp, the boys set off quad biking, the girls horse riding. Camel rides, dancing, feasting followed. Day 2 - Aquaventure Waterpark at The Palm, Atlantis Hotel. EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! So much excitement. Having a pre-purchased ticket is a must. There are long queues to get in. What a day. We all loved it. There were rides for all of us. If we ever fly via Dubai … we would stop for a night just to do this again! We were there from the time it opened, to when it closed. Big rides, little rides, tube rides, jungle gyms in the water… we even swam in the ocean. LOVELY DAY! We had a combo ticket, which if you speak to me, I can organize easy peasy for you, so we spent the evening at the Aquarium at the Palm, also WOW! Day 3 – started off on a high… up, up, up we went! Burj Khalifa. If you scared of heights this probably won’t be for you. But what a view! We then donned our winter woolies on (luckily one can hire the outfit) and went to Ski Dubai. Situated at the Mall of Emirates. So much fun that a ski holiday has been added to our list. Afternoon and evening were spent at Dubai Theme parks. We only did one of the 4 parks – Motiongate. Rides, games, meeting the famous Shrek, Toothless, characters from Madagascar, Smurfs etc. We were labeled 'parents of the year' after our 3 nights in Dubai! The children are still saying… “Mom when we next fly with Emirates we must definitely stop in Dubai”. I can assist you with putting together an itinerary to best suit you and your travel partner’s needs. There is so much to do. You can do it all in a short time if planned properly. I’m waiting for your call!

19 June 2020

Last year September, my lovely Nan celebrated her 90th birthday with a disco! DJ, flashing lights, finger snacks. It was brilliant! Family and friends all flew in to the UK to join her celebration. What a crazy fun, fabulous, wonderful time. We reunited with friends and family from all over. The weather was superb, blue skies and sunshine, with temps in the mid 20’s. During the busy 2 weeks we took a few days out to explore the city of London with our children. We decided to use the overland train to get to London… which is pricey. So instead of having a daily 2 hour trip and as there were six of us we found it to be cost effective and time saving to stay the 3 nights in London. Oyster Cards were purchased and surprisingly it was easy to navigate using the underground system. It was a bit more of a challenge with the buses. But we got lost more on foot than when on the trains! Boy did we squeeze a lot in, with 2 full days in London… and a few hours on our arrival and departure days we managed to see just about all of the major tourist spots London has to offer. London Eye. Still very impressive on a dreary afternoon. I can arrange a pre-booked ticket, which allows you to skip the queue – very handy! Also good to know that should you miss your allocated time slot or the weather isn’t great you can change to another day / time easily. Seeing squirrels in Hyde Park. We had a lovely leisurely walk through Hyde Park. Eating out is expensive and with having fussy eaters, it was easier to pop into a Tesco or Sainsbury and buy pre-made sammies, chips, cooldrinks etc. for a picnic lunch. It was lovely sitting in Hyde Park and having a squirrel visit us to see what we were munching on. Houses of Parliament (unfortunately Big Ben was covered and is under renovation until 2021) It was still lovely to show the children the building that Guy Fawkes tried to blow up 400 years ago. St Paul's Cathedral. We stumbled upon the Cathedral, sadly it didn’t look as glam as I once remembered. I had to check the name to make sure it was certainly St Paul's. The dome of the Cathedral is far more impressive to view from the London Eye. The Household Cavalry Museum. On our walk back through Hyde Park, we ended up at the Household Cavalry Museum. The Queens horses are also stabled here, so it is a good photo opportunity to have a pic of the family standing nervously next to a beast of a horse and a grumpy looking guard. Trafalgar Square, which since my last visit when I was a child, doesn’t have 1000’s of pigeons anymore! Unfortunately the pigeon droppings were ruining the statues so they have since brought in a few hawks to get the pigeon numbers under control. I remember as a child being given a handful of seeds and then my parents clicking away on their Canon at us shrieking with fear! South African House. When travelling to see anything that is a reminder of home, makes one very patriotic. It was heartwarming seeing our flag and golden springbok! Bright lights of Piccadilly Circus. Very impressive, especially for little beings who have never seen anything like it before. Even better is that one is now very close to…. Hamleys. Seven floors! Rob a bank and commit to at least 2 hours for this! We had encouraged the children to hang onto their pounds, they battled to understand the conversion of rand to pound, so everything was so cheap! We on the other hand had sweaty brows! It was fun. It was fun for all of us. We interacted, played, explored. This will probably go down in their history as one of the best times ever. We didn’t interfere they could buy what they liked with the money they had. Shrek Adventure. If you have children you can’t deprive them of this adventure. Ours thoroughly enjoyed it. It is so well done. You get to join in on an interactive adventure with the Shrek family. Cruise on the River Thames. When the feet are sore. We cruised from London Eye to Tower bridge. Famous buildings were pointed out and an easy to listen history tour was had. Highly recommended. Tower Bridge. What an eyeful. Can you even say you have been to London if you haven’t seen Tower Bridge? Changing of the Guards ceremony at Buckingham Palace. No longer a daily occurrence. It is best to have this information on hand before you go and make sure you get there well in advance to get a good spot. Did you know… “The Royal Standard is flown at royal residences only when the sovereign is present. If the Union Flag flies above Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or Sandringham House, it signals that the Queen is not in residence.” Covent Gardens and a theatre production. We watched The Lion King, it was just amazing! I would always add in a theatre performance to an itinerary when in London! Last but not least the Warner Brothers Studio - Harry Potter. The children had never as yet watched a Harry Potter movie – they were too scared. Aunty Pauline who was with us, is an avid fan, so had this on her to see list. We loved it. We performed magic, had a ride on a broom stick and saw the set up and how the movies were made. Have since caught up on all Harry Potter movies! All in all, once boarded on the train back to the countryside, the children sat quietly admiring their newly acquired Hamley items, Mum and Dad had a relaxed smile on their faces, Aunty P relaxed her sore feet and Nana dosed! If we had more time, it would have been better to have had an extra night. But we did it all and the memories to last a life time were made! If you planning a UK holiday to visit family and friends, speak to me, I can help you put together a breakaway holiday it was great to do the tourist bits as well as catch up with loved ones.

19 June 2019

Should you find yourself in Amsterdam with a day to spare. Why not treat yourself to a relaxing soul rejuvenating day out, riding bikes in the Netherlands country side? Make your way to the bus and train station - Amsterdam Centraal, for a mere EUR10 you can get a full day bus ticket to explore any of their 3 routes. We chose Route 3: Small Town Harbours. Starting in Edam… not just a cheese but also a picturesque town that was once a well-trafficked port for cheese and timber traders. We explored the quaint lanes by foot and then decided to hire bicycles and with a wobbly start set off north to Warder along the coastline. Interesting to know we didn’t have any sea views. As a third of the Netherlands is below sea level. We cycled for miles and more. Stopping for a drinks break – coffee, beer and of course “appeltaart”. You can either return your bike to Edam or take it onto the next town Volendam. As non cyclists – 14 miles was enough for us. We hopped back on the bus to Volendam. Volendam is just beautiful. Lined with colourful flower laden houses. Seafood vendors galore and a harbour filled with old fishing boats. Visit the Cheese Factory have a tour, do a tasting and definitely buy some cheese to take home. You would be silly to not treat yourself to a seafood lunch and a glass or two of crisp wine or the equivalent to water in Netherlands .. Heineken. (bier for breakfast, bier for lunch, bier bier bier!) When your tummy is full and your mood is merry, take a ferry across to Marken. The Clog Experience will educate you on the interesting life of clogs and due to lunch time merriness you might find yourself now stumbling due to your newly purchased “wooden heels”. It’s a jump back on the bus and home to Amsterdam Centraal. Feeling well accomplished on what could certainly make the list of a “perfect day out”

17 June 2019

I won a trip to Dubai! How lucky is that! On the 11th February 2019 we flew out with Emirates direct from Durban to Dubai. We landed on a surprisingly cool “winters” day – it was even raining. Luckily the rain quickly passed and we were back to sunshine for the remainder of our few days in Dubai. The Mercure Dubai Barsha Heights had given us a one bedroom apartment. A beautiful room with all the amenities. There was a kitchen, lounge with couch and dining area and a large bathroom with a shower in the bath and a separate & spacious bedroom. This hotel is perfect for families and for business travellers. Barsha Heights is close to the Palm and the business district of Dubai. Our first morning we walked the Dubai Marina. This is a man made marina filled with luxurious yachts and surrounded by apartments and hotels. The Dubai Marina Mall is home to luxury big name stores, pop up stalls, cinema and many restaurants. After checking in at our hotel and freshening up we were picked up in a 4 x 4 and set off for our sunset Desert Safari and Tour. After some tame Dune bashing, we arrived at a camp in the desert, our evening was filled with camel rides, buggy drives, quad biking, horse rides, sand boarding, eating, dancing and music – It was such fun! Our second day we spent exploring Dubai on a half day city tour. First stop downtown Dubai with a museum and spice souk market shopping opportunity. Sites included the famous Burj Al Arab Hotel – the world’s only 7 star hotel, Burj Khalifa – currently the tallest building in the world, The Palm – a man made island and home to the famous Atlantis Hotel and the Dubai Mall which has its own aquarium and the dancing fountains. That evening we sailed down the Dubai Creek on a traditional dhow, lit up with a multitude of colourful lights and dined on traditional Emirati food. Day 3 – Dubai Parks and Resorts. I had such guilt being here without my children. Dubai Parks are made up of 3 different parks, Motiongate, Legoland and Bollywood. If you find yourself in Dubai – this is a definite must for every itinerary. We had 3 full days in Dubai – There is so much more that I would like to do! I have booked for us to go back and YES my children are definitely coming with this time.

03 September 2018

We had an afternoon and overnight stay at Fordoun Spa & Boutique. There couldn't have been a more romantic or magical way to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. Fordoun Spa & Boutique being just over an hours drive from Hillcrest is off Nottingham Road in the Natal Midlands. It is perfect for a sneaky escape from the real world. We started the afternoon off with a full body couples massage, followed by a liquid yoga bath. Have you ever had a massage where you drift in an out of a slumbering coma, when you are not sure how many pairs of hands are on your back and you can feel yourself melt into the massage bed. It was pure relaxation! After a little break of lounging in gowns and drinking coffee, flavoured waters, reading magazines we finished our pamper sessions off with a super cleansing facial. Dinner was delectable. Picture the romance - a roaring fire, hearty, beautifully plated, great tasting food, Red wine … I started with a Trio of Pâté - Midlands Trout-, Chicken Liver - and Forest Mushroom Pâté, Served with crisp Melba toast and Herb Salad. My hubby started off his feast with the Oak Smoked Duck Breast combined with a Mustard Cream Cheese Crêpe, Fig and nut brittle and herb oil. Mains were Cider Braised Pork belly for her and Slow roasted Lamb Shank for him . As much as we were tempted by the sweetness of the dessert menu we just couldn't and chose to rather finish off our perfect meal with red wine in front of the warmth of the fire. The rooms are spacious with underfloor heating, all the amenities that one needs from big fluffy gowns, big bath tubs, rose petals on the bed.. even the mist rolled in to help set the scene. Well done Fordoun and very well done to my Hubby for arranging the Flowers and Champagne! It was all in all so romantic I was almost tempted to start my blog with "Once upon a time, in a land far far away."