During the first 5 weeks of lockdown in March/April 2020, we weren’t allowed to leave our house except to go grocery shopping which Pete did once a week. The restriction was then eased and we were allowed to exercise within 5km from home and only from 6am to 9am (don’t get me started about how ridiculous that was especially in the Western Cape where the sun only rose at 7:30). Beaches and parks were closed. Nothing like being told you can’t do something to make you want to do it. As soon as we could, we set out to explore our local area and we found some absolute gems that we can’t believe we ..read more

One benefit of lockdown has been that we have taken the time to explore our local area. And what gems we have discovered! Although winter should be in full force at the moment, yesterday’s forecast was for blue skies and low 20’s temperatures, so that was enough for us to plan a day trip to De Mond Nature Reserve. We set off after breakfast and took the tar road as far as the De Dam turnoff, then we hit the gravel roads. When we had visited Arniston and Struisbaai a few weeks ago the roads were in great condition, but after the recent rain they had become quite pot-holey. Nothing that required ..read more

As part of our big SA trip in June 2021 we visited the lovely town of Clarens, and camped at the Golden Gate National Park. We had also visited in July 2019 when the kids were a bit smaller, and on that visit we stayed at a resort instead. Both visits were great and we would recommend visiting this part of the world even in winter when the nights are cold, but the days are gloriously sunny and warm and we didn’t see a cloud in the sky. Although it can snow in winter, so worth checking the weather before you go! Clarens For our trip in July 2019, we met up with friends who were also travelling ..read more

Can you drive around the world in a two-wheel drive truck? Yes you can! All of our group overland trucks were two-wheel drive trucks and our new family overland truck is also a 4×2. In our experience of driving trucks across Asia, South America and Africa, here’s our thoughts on 4×2 vs 4×4 overland trucks. Most driving doesn’t require a 4×4 overland truck At the heart of it there is this – most of the driving that you will do on an epic overland trip will be on roads that don’t require 4-wheel drive. We have taken our 4×2 trucks along dirt roads and tracks, corrugations, through mud, o ..read more

Ha, I bet you thought we had forgotten to blog about our time in Turkey?  Not so, because here it is, the final update from our Beijing to Istanbul expedition.   Departing Batumi early, we headed just 20 or so kilometres along the Black Sea coast to the border with Turkey.  Arriving in the pre-dawn darkness in order to beat the crowds that are inevitable at this busy border, we realised quickly that this border doesn’t have a quiet time!  As busloads of local travellers spilled out of their coaches, stuffed endless packets of cigarettes into their socks, trousers, well anyw ..read more

Pete has seen cheetah many times, including an epic sighting of a mother and three cubs on a kill on our most recent visit to Etosha. However I haven’t had the privilege of seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild, so when we visited Mountain Zebra National Park and cheetah tracking was on the list of activities, I couldn’t resist… Here’s what happened, and why Mountain Zebra National Park is well worth a visit. Cheetah Tracking Cheetah tracking is an understandably popular option and was fully booked when we arrived, but we decided I should take a chance and turn up at reception at the de ..read more

The Tankwa Karoo National Park covers over 146,000 hectares of land in the Northern and Western Cape and is surrounded by the Roggeveld and Cederberg Mountains. It is a place of wide-open spaces, endless starry skies, stunning vistas, roaming wildlife and prolific birdlife. It is a place to explore on foot, by mountain bike or by vehicle, and the ultimate place for a digital detox with no cellphone reception anywhere in the park (and no, there’s no wifi). Why should it camping in Tankwa Karoo National Park be on your to-visit list? The feeling of space and alone-ness is quite incomparable. Bea ..read more

Winter in the Western Cape of South Africa can be a pretty wet and windy affair and so just before Miss C was born, we decided to escape to the more tropical climate of Mauritius for a couple of weeks of winter sunshine. Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean, around 5 hours flight from Cape Town or 3 hours from Joburg, and there are also flight connections from around the world.  With its relatively temperate climate and long meandering coastline, Mauritius is the island-break destination of choice for South Africans.  There are plenty of resort options available, many offe ..read more

Before we had kids we had visited St Lucia a couple of times, at one time we camped in the Sugarloaf campsite for 6 weeks, and we have often said it is one of our favourite places in the world.  But we haven’t been back for 5 years and we haven’t been there with kids, so we wondered if we would still love it so much with kids.  And yep, you guessed it, we loved it even more!  The town itself is so relaxed, and it is surrounded by activities that can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike. Child-friendly activities in St Lucia For us, St Lucia is all about the wildlife – hippos and ..read more

Our arrival into Baku coincided with peak hour on the roads – given the driving style of the locals, it proved to be quite a harrowing introduction to Azerbaijan’s bustling capital, with cars cutting in, queuing 5-wide on the 3-lane road, and police roadblocks to add to the excitement.  We were all very pleased to arrive at the hotel, the final hurdle being a dash across the multiple lane road to the hotel entrance – pedestrian crossings appeared to be as optional as indicators or sticking to your lane! Once into the hotel, the main thing on most of our minds was food – the Caspian cr ..read more