Kerry-Anne and I were stuck at home (as she's still recovering from that arthroscopy), but over this past weekend many of our friends attended fancy-dress Halloween parties and nightclubs organised special parties to draw the crowds.
Did you do something "special" this past weekend? Did you attend a Halloween party? Please leave a comment here.
It's not often that we go away for a weekend, so when we have the opportunity to escape for not one, but two consecutive weekends, we grab it with both hands. :) Some time ago, we were invited to spend a weekend at Horizon Holiday Cottages in Noordhoek, and we were finally able to take up the offer this past weekend.
Noordhoek is just 59km from our house, so it's close enough for a quick weekend getaway, and yet far enough to feel like a real holiday. The village is not too far from Cape Point, and just over the mountain from Fishhoek. It has a wonderful countryside feel about it, with lots of big farm dogs and plenty of horses about - I think Noordhoek could well be considered the horse-riding capital of the Western Cape.
We spent the weekend pottering about at Noordhoek Farm Village (lots of craft shops and a few really good restaurants) and Imhoff Farm (more craft shops, a cheese shop, a deli, and live music on the lawns), and enjoying the spectacular view from the balcony of our cabana.
The bottom of the wooden house you see in the photo was ours for the weekend. While you can't expect a luxury apartment for R550/unit per night, the self-catering cabana we stayed in was modern, neat, clean, comfortable and had everything that we needed. I'm seriously considering getting a few friends together and renting one of the larger family cottages (lower down on the property) for a long weekend. Who's in? :)
By the way, Horizon Holiday Cottages are running a World Cup special - 50% off for stays of longer than 4 days, until 18 July. So if you need a break from the crazy party that's going to be happening in the city over the next five weeks, this might be an option.
I couldn't believe how Mark, the guide on our night-time game drive, was able to spot insects and little reptiles (like this chameleon) hiding in bushes. With one hand he drove our open-top Landcruiser 4x4 along the park's dirt roads and with the other he panned a flashlight across the bush, spotting impala, zebra, owls and a multitude of other larger and smaller animals and insects. It quickly became obvious to me why it's an absolute bonus to have a guide take you on these drives!
The night-time game drive was one of the highlights of our trip. The evening air was cool and fresh, and the smell of the the African bushveld bathed in the light of the setting sun was more relaxing than a day at an expensive spa. Although, that said, I have to admit that the spa at the Royal Legend Luxury Lodge in the Timbavati Nature Reserve (not far from our lodge) sounded fantastic! :D
If you're confused as to how Kruger Park fits in with Cape Town Daily Photo I'm guessing that you missed my previous article . :).
I mentioned in my previous article that we would be on away a short holiday in Kruger National Park (one of Africa's largest game reserves, north-west of Johannesburg).
Kerry-Anne and I woke up bright and early on Thursday morning to catch a two-hour flight from Cape Town International to OR Tambo International in Johannesburg. Once there, we waited at the arrivals area (shown in the photo above) to be whisked away by Thabo, one of the lodge's drivers and probably the most jovial person I've had the pleasure of meeting in a while. :)
I'll tell you a little more about our our first day in the Balule Nature Reserve in my next article, but in closing let me say that the five-hour drive to Tremisana Lodge in the Balule Nature Reserve (part of the Greater Kruger National Park) was awesome, because I didn't have to drive! :) The route winds its way through some beautiful scenery, with wide-open skies and seemingly endless fields. We were driven through several towns that we'd never visited before, the prettiest of which was definitely Dullstroom, where we stopped for lunch.
If you don't fancy the five-hour drive, there is another option: you could instead fly to Phalaborwa or Nelspruit airport, both of which are much closer, though a lot smaller, than OR Tambo. If you have limited time, this would be a great idea!
It's 12h48 in the morning and I've been awake for far too long! You may have gathered from one of my previous posts that we'll be heading up to Tremisana Lodge just outside of the Kruger National Park for a 4-day get-away this weekend. In fact, our flight to Johannesburg leaves in about 5 and a half hours!
I guess this may explain why I've posted a photo of a cat today. :) While we've often seen big cats in captivity I've never had the privilege of seeing them roaming through the African bush, or lazing about on the plains. It's going to be awesome!
We have a jam-packed four days ahead of us, filled with game drives and walks in the bush, along with traditional African food and just enough time to laze about (like said lions) as not to be completely worn out when we return home on Sunday.
So, please excuse us if Cape Town Daily Photo heads off into the bush for a little while. We'll definitely be back with photos and stories, but if you'd like, follow Kerry-Anne or myself on Twitter... we may just give you a preview of what we're up to. :)