Zona_Za: travel

Thursday, 16 May 2013

I took a short left!

I won't even talk bout my long absence. I'm a really bad blogger, I know. But please allow me to gloat about the awesome time I had last weekend. On Friday I packed up and went to visit a friend in Durban. The weather was terrible in East London, heavy rains and strong winds, and the predictions weren't looking good for Durban and the south coast areas either. Wasn't sure what to and not to pack. As I result I brought a whole bunch of things I never got to wear. The plan was to arrive in Durban early on Friday chill a bit then drive to the breathtaking San Lameer, a golf estate resort before sunset. But the weather would just not allow :( We drove down on Saturday. It wasn't sunny but better than Friday. Honestly I just didn't wanna go anymore, what the point of going to such a beautiful place in such crappy weather? Luckily the weather cleared up on Sunday, sunny without a single cloud in the sky. We drove around the estate in a golf cart, just admiring the beauty of the place. Apart from the lagoon there are plenty of private beaches. I didn't take any pics in my bikini though. lol...From San Lameer we drove to Sun Coast sun for the awesomest river cruise, drinks, lunch and dinner. Here are some of the pics I took.

View from my room at San Lameer Mondazur hotel and spar(this was taken when it was raining on Saturday)

Then Viola! The sun came out

Me cheesing :)

spotted the national animal, the Springbok at the estate

The name of this tree though lol

during the golf cart drive around

Fast forward, this now the Mtamvuna river which goes down to 'meet' the ocean

how Avatar cool are these river banks? (if that's what it's called)

Scenic River Cruise

Dinner on Saturday

freshest prawns I've ever tasted

I always have time for a selfie, even on holiday! lol

San Lameer estate

Moral of the story? We all dream of Mauritius and all but there are gorgeous places in South Africa to explore. Start here. Take a short left.

Friday, 4 November 2011

REBORN AFRO-OPTIMIST

I often get a bit annoyed by Americans going on about how in Africa people keep wild animals as their pets. I now realise that a part of my being annoyed is rooted on the reality that I don't know much about my continent. We may not keep the big 5 on our back yards but they roam freely in our fields. The continent is supposed to be the home of nature, the wild and culture, as a dweller of this "mother" I should know a thing or two about my "co-dweller". I jumped at the opportunity to go for a game drive for the second time in my life last week Friday, 28 October, 2011.I was invited to the launch of the new national Absa Vuka Festival at Mpongo Park Game Reserve. The invite promised an event that will awaken my Afro optimism, and boy did they deliver!The ABSA Festival will be an annual even held in East London every year around October starting next month. The launch was modeled on what will make the festival next year. There were different stalls that "vusa" your Afro-Optimism. Vuka Sound | Vuka Taste | Vuka Vision. There were different people from different industries which contributed to the colour and feel of the event. The Vuka Sound was equally amazing, pop/classical band Coda played beautiful music, performing their own compositions and doing a few covers.I first saw this band sometime in 2009 on Top Billing but they have since changed their vocalist, introducing the very talented Zami Mdingi from Cape Town. While my tastes buds were tantalised by different dishes, from sea food to wild meat...Vuka Taste...At the bottom of my invite there was a line that said: "no ties/ cocktail dress" but ladies came out in their finest cocktail dresses..maybe I read wrong, but I went there with my jeans and flatties on, but was surrounded by ladies and gents dressed to the T. Felt a bit under dressed but who cares?...I enjoyed myself. We were all taken on a game drive, from the entrance to the actual venue. For the first time I saw beautiful, big white lions, uncaged... I just couldn't believe my eyes. I kept asking Thando( my friend and co-journo) to pinch me.and boy does he pinch hard...The icing on the cake was the Rhino though, the swagger of the creature! my gosh it's unbelievable...

Now for some pictures!