If the last fifteen months have taught me anything, it’s to be creative with week-end getaways and local escapades. It’s been hard not to be able to hop on a plane to London or Paris, but we have been luckier than most in South Africa, and there are so many lovely places to discover it almost doesn’t feel like travel has been restricted. Evidently, limited travel doesn’t mean that the school refrains from sending the children on “holidays” every six weeks, on the contrary! So keeping our two little minis busy and entertained has also been a full-time task lately. Alas we can’t go on safari or to the beach every week, so we mix those with getaways closer to the city, and finding Rosemary Hill and its adorable cabin cluster (CabinVille) so close to Johannesburg was a god-send.
Although Johannesburg feels like a giant forest and the winters here are lovely with the warm light and sunny afternoons, we sometimes miss a little bit of countryside, the kind that you would get from a trip to the Cotswolds or to Provence… It’s all a little urban at times. However, if you drive about an hour to the outskirts of Pretoria, you will find the most lovely farm now revamped into a wedding venue cum B&B. The farm offers more traditional accommodation in cottages, but what is unique is the little pods out in CabinVille: the idea of glamping in a very cool modern cabin just was too good to pass on. This is how we arrived at the Big Pod.
The Big Pod is a two-level cabin where upstairs is a large sleeping and lounging area with beautiful views out to the tree line; the full wood cladding look gives it a wonderful hygge atmosphere and the kids were so excited at a family sleepover opportunity. Downstairs is a double bedroom, a bathroom with the most perfect tiling, and a very well appointed kitchen. Outside is a deck with loungers, space to dine out, and a braai (you’re in South Africa, of course there is a very well functioning barbecue area!).
Whilst the Big Pod feels very open to nature, it is beautifully built and quite warm in the evening, not to mention the fluffy duvets. This did not feel at all like camping and my mind was very far from sleeping bags and communal showers, thankfully. Considering I am not the biggest fan of sleeping in tents and sharing my bathroom space with creepy crawlies this was perfect.
There are lots of things to do on the farm, from exploring the walking and bike paths to going on a horse ride, visiting the farm animals… The Autumn weather is perfect to walk around, as it doesn’t get too hot and the colours are beautiful, especially in the afternoon. The next morning we had signed the munchkins off for a session at Acrobranch, also on the farm, and they had a blast with the zip lines and climbing features.
All in, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Rosemary Hill. It is perfect for a quick one-night getaway from the city, to break out from the routine and enjoy something different as a family.
Some vacations keep a special place in your heart, and to say that is the case of my Summer 2013 holidays is a major understatement. After months of stress, too much work travel and a lot of hours spent at my desk, I was desperate for some time off, time to spend with my little munchkin just playing around and relaxing. I had wanted to visit the Sugar Beach on Saint Lucia, previously Jalousie Plantation, for a very long time, and eventually booked us for just under two weeks of utter bliss.
I’d heard this was a beautiful place with luxury service in a fabulous setting, so my expectations were, quite simply, sky high. We arrived early on a Sunday afternoon, skipped the usual check-in stop at the reception desk (at the Sugar Beach, check-in is done in your room) to be greeted by our butler, who took us up a short flight of steps to our little villa, which included a large suite with a bright and wide bathroom, a walk-in closet (we all know how much I love those), a little bar area, and, amazing perk, a tropical garden with our very own pool… The furniture is all white, like the walls, doors, and shutters, everything designed in pure island style, and within a couple of hours I felt myself relax in this blissful environment. In all honesty, they had me at ‘no check-in’ (after a long-haul flight from Europe, with a toddler in tow, you’ll be grateful for any shortening of the formalities and barriers between you and the beach).
We ended up spending many days on that beautiful crescent beach, enjoying the warm water with hardly any swell at all, meaning Little Monsieur swam very happily for hours on end. He did however insist in a little splash in our small pool at the villa at the end of each day, and his squeals of delight were all we needed to know he was just as happy as we were at the Sugar Beach.
Food is equally lovely, with breakfast served on the terrace of the main plantation house, and a choice of settings for lunch and dinner as wide as you want them. We never felt over-crowded, and the guests were a nice international mix of honeymooners and families with children. There is a spa up on tree houses in the middle of the jungle behind the original sugar mill buildings, I did spend a pretty fantastic afternoon there getting pampered to the singing of tropical birds (and maybe mosquitoes,… maybe).
When we did venture out of the resort, we visited the Soufrière region,  where the sulphur springs, botanical gardens and gorgeous waterfalls left us in awe of the wonders of the island. Little Monsieur, barely two and a half at the time, really enjoyed himself during these visits and when we got to the mineral baths at the sulphur springs he was adamant he wanted to apply the full body mud mask on himself, and swim in the warm bath, and so I had to give in and jump with him, despite being a bit cautious at first, seeing as the water is quite hot! We all came out with super soft skin, although each pore seemed to have absorbed a tiny bit of the iron-sulphur powder mix which wasn’t quite washed out by the baths cold showers and almost had to be scrubbed out in the comfort of our bathroom later that day… The swimsuits we wore that day still have a grey tinge to them, all these years later… In Castries, the capital, we enjoyed the colonial landmarks and the beautiful arts and crafts market, although all in we were very happy during this holiday to just chill most of the days.
We’re a little far from the Caribbean at the moment but I am sure that we will be back, this time bringing Little Madame with us, to enjoy the beauties of this very special place. After all, I missed the hikes (this holiday was before I discovered my love of a, ahem, fitter life), and just that beach is worth getting on a plane for.
I recently was on safari at AndBeyond Phinda and was very amused to observe a lady about to climb into the game drive car in LV high heels, with a matching Neverfull. It prompted me to think about what people pack to go on safari… In my very opinionated mind, there is an appropriate dress code for every occasion (just wait until you read the post I will write about beachwear) and packing for a safari in the African wilderness is totally different from packing for just any other trip. It’s a challenge for first-time safari goers, but it’s not that complicated: I’ll give you a hint, you needn’t pack your designer heels.
First, let’s talk about luggage. Usually, if you are flying from abroad, you will likely be arriving into Kruger or Serengeti on a bush flight, and those are often very small planes, with very strict weight limits: 15 kilograms per person, in a soft-sided bag so it can fit easily. I find the best bags for safaris are duffel bags made of sturdy canvas with leather handles, but basically just think about soft luggage rather than the square wheelie you take on big airplanes. Worth noting: Kenya and Tanzania don’t allow plastics in the country anymore, so bear that in mind when organising zip-lock bags for your toiletries and other small goods: it’s best to take a mesh one than a plastic one.
Now… clothes… Just because you are going on safari doesn’t mean you need to dress frumpily. In fact, I’d venture that with so many photos being taken you ought to try and look extra stylish. Extra stylish, but comfortable. See, the main activity of a safari in this part of the world is going on game drives: you will be sitting in a game drive vehicle for hours on end, so whatever you wear make sure it’s crease-proof (if possible) and comfortable. Do you bring formal wear on safari? For most lodges, even the most luxurious ones, I’d say don’t bother. You’re likely to go straight from your evening game drive to drinks to dinner, with no time to change. Sometimes there is a little time to change, so I usually pack a silk shirt and a semi-casual maxi dress: they also work for the game drive, and are not too fancy.
A few things are important though, such as layering. The morning drive starts just before sunrise and the evening drive tends to finish well after sundowners (probably my favourite part of a safari), and in this part of the world the temperatures vary dramatically from day to night, so wearing layers helps a lot. I generally prefer cashmere to fleece, but my children love the lodge zippies we get from Morukuru, they are super soft. I always take at least one large Hermès cashmere and silk shawl, for me of course but also for Little Madame who likes them as blankets (I know, shock horror… an H shawl as a safari blanket). I also recommend long sleeves and trousers rather than shorts, to avoid getting cold but also to try and protect your skin from the sun, which is far stronger here than you would expect, if you come from the Northern Hemisphere. And finally, there is a reason game rangers and regular safari dwellers wear neutral and earth tones: first the neutrals don’t call the attention of animals as much as bright reds and oranges (yes, even when you are in a game drive car, they see each individual person, no they don’t think it’s one large animal), but also many countries in Africa are the home of the tsetse fly, a biting fly who loves dark blue and black… so leave those black leggings home, and pack on the khaki and beige trousers.
How about footwear? Whilst you may be lucky to go on a walking safari at some point, I don’t think heavy hiking shoes are that useful on safari. Usually just a pair of comfortable fashion sneakers or high-top canvas shoes are fine: the lighter, the better. If you’re coming during rainy season make sure to pack some waterproof shoes, and do bring some flipflops to wear around the pool between game drives. Whatever you do, forget the heels. They are useless and you would be hobbling down for the morning coffee like a baby impala. Not a good look.
And finally, don’t forget a good hat. I am repeating myself, but the sun is really strong. So pack a wide brim hat. Please don’t go all Melania and order a colonial monstrosity. Noone wears those, and if anything they are reminiscent of a time we should always strive to move on from!
There you have it. Of course you will know to bring your chargers (including for the camera… very important), plug converters, good SPF and mosquito repelent, and cash for the tips. Bon voyage!
If you are based in South Africa, Mauritius is the ideal island get-away for young families, with all the ease that comes with an extremely tourist friendly destination, the beautifully appointed hotels right on the beach, and an easy 3.5 hours flight hop. I love Mozambique, but if you have a baby or a young toddler and want something easy, then I would recommend Mauritius. Similarly, if you are in Europe, Mauritius is an easy choice: despite the long flight, the time difference is minimal, even for babies who are on sleeping routines, and the weather is pretty fabulous all year round, making Mauritius a great escape when the weather gets a little too miserable. With the recent border closures and the disastrous oil spill on the Mauritian shores, one can only hope that the local tourism will be able to bounce back and thrive once again.
Although we had been to Mauritius before, we only discovered Lux* Belle Mare about four years ago… With two little munchkins in tow we wanted to find a hotel with great service, a pristine beach and possibly a children club, so we decided to stay at the Lux*, and we’ve never looked back. It’s easy and convenient and we stay here every time we come to Mauritius.
Like the gardens, the family suites are beautiful, modern and big enough to accommodate our little family of four. When Little Madame came as a baby, she had a baby cot, and now she shares the pull-out bed with her brother: the super attentive housekeeping team quickly learned that our littles go to bed by 8pm every night, so the bed gets pulled out whilst we are out at dinner, and ready for their early bedtime whilst we can enjoy one last drink on the terrace which leads on to the gardens and the beach (the view in the morning is spectacular). The bathroom is super roomy, with a bathtub perfect our two little munchkins to bathe together, and there is even a little walk-in closet, meaning nothing stays in the way.
We spend our days here mostly on the beach, because neither Hubby Dearest nor I understand the appeal of flying half way across the world only to lounge around a swimming pool (you can do that at the Harbour Club …) And what a beautiful beach this is: white sand, plush loungers, coconuts and parasols providing well-needed shade from the tropical sun, clear blue warm water where you can just bobble for hours on end.
There are four restaurants, including one Indian and one Chinese, but the beach one was our favourite for lunch. The main restaurant is great, with buffet for breakfast and dinner, and options for all the family. The chefs didn’t mind making vegetable purees for Little Madame when she was a baby, she has since graduated to helping herself from the great buffets. For snacks, there is a food truck on the beach, serving American junk food (there is no nicer way to describe it but it is delicious!) and fabulous ceviches, although in the afternoon the little ice cream parlour by the pool is quite popular, when children and adults flock for a taste of the tropical sorbet lollipops. My favourite? Coconut milk.
Children have a grand time at the Lux* Belle Mare, with the kids club fully equipped for children from 0 to 12 years old, and for teenagers there is a hang-out club with a ping-pong table and games by the tennis courts. We don’t really take our children on holidays only to have other people take care of them full time, but this is definitely an option Lux* give you, if you want… The kids club has a busy schedule which starts at 9AM, and children can even have dinner with the kids club team instead of their parents, if that’s your cup of chai… Whilst we don’t make use of these options full time, it is lovely for our children to spend time with others, go on beach themed adventures with a very dedicated team, and when she was a baby Little Madame had a nanny looking after her each day during her lunchtime nap and the hottest hours of the early afternoon (also meaning I was able to fit in a one-hour workout everyday whilst in the resort, including some pilates reformer work!)
If it’s your first time in Mauritius and you want to explore a little, I highly recommend a morning out at Port-Louis’ market, the fruit and veggie displays are quite unique and you can shop for local arts and crafts on the second floor. I also love the Pamplemousse botanical gardens. There are dozens of fantastic things to visit and explore on the island, but after five stays we just like to come here for the R&R…
One of the most beautiful places to visit in South Africa is the West Coast National Park, which lies just an hour drive away from Cape Town Airport yet features some pretty amazing scenery and incredible wildlife, not to mention the lagoon where I have finally been able to find water warm enough for me to swim in… By warm I mean not as cold as the rest of the region, but it’s still pretty chilly.
We rented a fisherman’s house in the off-grid village of Churchhaven, which is located inside the the West Coast National Park, right outside the Postberg Flower Reserve. The village was once the home of whalers and fishermen, and has gorgeous white-washed houses, which have now been refurbished as holiday homes. We rented Whaler’s Way through Perfect Hideaways. This is the perfect place for off-grid relaxation and some peace and quiet, especially if you come outside of the most popular times (usually August to October when the flowers are blooming and during the December holiday month). We came in February, it was blissfully deserted.
The West Coast National Park features a flower reserve which is incredible during Spring, but it also houses over 250 bird species including flamingos, ostriches, etc. Funny story: on one of the nights, I woke up convinced someone was roaming on the gravel right outside of the house, it was in fact a couple of curious ostriches. Flamingos would walk in the lagoon in front of the house most afternoons. On the sea-side, we could spot many marine birds, as well as sea lions. In the Postberg section of the park we saw some kudu, mountain zebras, and of course springboks… If you come during September and October, you may be lucky and spot a whale or two, and some dolphins.
There are many hiking trails in the park itself but our favourite outing was KraalBaai just five minutes from Churchhaven, it has the most transparent water and whitest sand I’ve seen in South Africa, and yes as I mentioned, warmish temperature, good for swimming! The water is shallow and super safe for the children. We really enjoyed watching time go by and reading on the terrace of the house, looking over the lagoon and seeing the light change as birds came and went… We did try to walk over to see the flamingos up close a few times but they are very skittish animals, they don’t like company much.
A few great outings just a short drive away are Yzerfontein (surfer’s paradise), Paternoster (a bit like a Greek village if it weren’t for the super long bay and the waves) and Langebaan. We spent a delicious afternoon there at Die Strandloper, a seafood boma restaurant by the beach, where you come with your own wine and then lazily graze through the most amazing seafood dishes (ten in total), all cooked on open coal fires on the beach, as your children make sand castles by the tables, and someone plays reggae tunes on a guitar. We were so spoiled we were sent away by the hostess with a loaf of their fabulous freshly baked bread to enjoy with breakfast the next day. I cannot recommend the place enough.
My advice, come to Churchhaven for the quiet off-grid life right by the edge of the water, the unspoilt surroundings deep in a natural reserve, don’t expect a nightlife (bring some good books), and expect to just chill, cook, eat delicious seafood. Remember you can find this trip in my Instagram highlights, it’s under Churchhaven. We combined this with a three-day stay in Cape Town, for the perfect balance. But that’s for another post…
Towards the middle of my gardening leave, before starting my current role, I booked myself for a week in Tulum in search of a bit of me time and a lot of zen. I found both, of course, but much more. This was my very own version of ‘eat, pray, love’…
My amazing trainer become close friend N. and I arrived in Tulum one balmy evening following quite a long flight and the most surreal passport experience ever (there wasn’t a queue so much as a sea of people trying to get through to a police official, of which there might have been more than one, but it didn’t feel like it…): I had scheduled my trip exactly on Spring Week, not by design of course, but that explained the scrum at the airport! Thankfully most people were headed to the slightly unsavoury resorts around Cancun right by the airport, whilst we were driven down a bit further to the thin land strip that is Tulum.
Where to stay
Our hotel, Sanará, was neither the largest nor the cheapest, but it promised a haven away from the stresses of urban life and the most beautiful setting, and it didn’t disappoint: minimalist boho decor with raw wood and brushed cement everywhere, and the super soft sand from the beach starts at reception, meaning you can spend the full week barefoot here. I had arrived in my kind of heaven. The room was gorgeous, such an inspiration for that holiday home that I’m still saving for, and we could hear the sea, but waking up the next morning we realised we had a jaw-dropping view from the balcony, which featured a lovely hanging chair, basically a front-row seat to the best sunrise show I’ve seen, pinks, purples, oranges. We also found out that reception had fresh coffee every morning, and we could pick up our cups on the way to the beach to admire the sunrise and its ballet of fishing pelicans.
Where to yoga
The main reason for choosing Sanará as a base was the yoga room: it faces the ocean and has big full height glass doors that can slide open. It is nothing short of spectacular. We went for daily yoga classes and sometimes double classes, and enjoyed most of them (there was a very grumpy and authoritarian instructor one day who really made me wish I had stayed on the beach and enjoyed cocktails instead of going for a second class that afternoon, she managed to strain my shoulder by forcing me down on chaturanga), enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, and looking out on to the turquoise waters and swaying palm trees. In the morning the sun shines directly into the room, adding some extra warmth to the Power Yoga classes, and I did wear my sunglasses for a couple of classes…
Where to eat
The other thing I’d been looking forwards to at Sanará? The in house restaurant, The Real Coconut, which offers fresh healthy food with a focus on wellness, plant based recipes, and fantastic taste-packed dishes. Before you look at the menu, you are struck once more by the beautiful simplicity of the decor, on par with the coolest hang-outs in NY and London. The breakfast here is to die for, especially if you sit on the sea-facing terrace, but do pack on the SPF50 sunscreen when you do, as the sun is super strong even at 8AM! My favourites were the coconut flour pancakes and the delicious Easy Green smoothie.
After morning yoga, we spent most of our days on the beach, enjoying our reserved sunbeds (super comfy of course) in front of our hotel room, with no cares at all beyond whether to read or swim, and when to get our lunch snacks delivered from The Real Coconut: delicious herb-infused cocktails (and mocktails for the very rare times we felt virtuous) and some pretty awesome guacamole and hands down the best tortillas ever, nice cream smoothies, all coconut milk based, also to die for etc. We also sometimes walk over to next door’s La Zebra and The Mulberry Project beach bar for the live music, the bespoke cocktails (my favourite: rhum, coconut, lychee), the ceviche and the adorable fishing boats filled with cushions that are used as seating areas. Further up the beach, we had some delicious cocktails on the swings at CoCo Tulum.
We tried a number of places for dinner… although we gave the legendary and over-hyped Hartwood a wide berth. According to the concierge at Sanará the famed place hadn’t answered email bookings in over three months; as someone who’d come here looking to leave stress behind, stressing over dinner was not an option. Instead, we sampled Kitchen Table (delicious, inventive and fabulous service), Nômade (sit in Macondo’s berber-inspired lounge area and order from both the vegan and non vegan menus), and of course the Tulum legend that is Posada Margherita (you guessed it, Italian, of the amazing variety, served by some pretty lust-worthy staff, as you’d expect).
Where to spa
Sanará does have a spa, which had some very tempting treatments and an adorable receptionist, but the cabins were a little boring and the European lady who appeared to be the lead therapist had a serious case of resting b*tch face going on, which made us look into other options. That’s when we came across Yaan Wellness Energy Spa, and with their treatment cabins on stilts in the middle of the jungle garden and the very cool water circuit to do before or after your treatment it did give us a more special experience. I had the house massage, where my sore back and hamstrings were rolled down to a soft pulp. Did I say zen?…
Other things to do
If you must do something else beyond beach lounging, yoga, and going to the spa, can I suggest strolling through the multiple little boutiques lining the beach road in Tulum, all selling a similar assortment of pared-down swimwear, boho dresses, and barely there (but oh so pricey!) jewellery. My favourites were the shops in the little alley around MurMur bar, although the most unique place was KM33 and its walls of fabulous Allpa Hats.
This trip doesn’t feature in my Insta highlights but I have a few pics from that week on my feed that are truly enticing… A few tips: 1) Tulum is a destination for everyone but this trip was only for R&R, if I had come here with my children I would have added some visits to the Mayan sites and an outing to a cenote, and included a couple more towns for variety, 2) Due to climate change and the sudden hype around the region, the beach gets positively inundated by seaweed most times of the year, so if you don’t like swimming in seaweed go somewhere else and 3) This is a very hype-ish place but you can avoid all the parties and all the craziness by just being you, doing your yoga, and enjoying your beachtime, as we did.
Based on the posts I’m writing these days, escapism is definitely on my mind… I promise I will write a food post or a styling post this week, but right now my mind is on all the places I miss… And there are few places I miss at the moment like New York, its buzz, the museums, so many wonderful restaurants, and of course all that shopping. I also miss New York because I’ve spent some pretty fantastic times there over the years, both alone, with my family (I’ll write a post on a wonderful week we spent over Christmas there soon!) and of course with my girlfriends. But, first things first, let me tell you about my favourite bolthole in New York.
Finding my favourite hotel in New York took me years… I would go there loads with work in my previous job, and at first I was never able to find a place that I really enjoyed staying in. Some hotels come with a lobby which turns into a nightclub from 7pm: nice for some I am sure, but not so nice if you have to spend the evening reviewing presentations and a 5am wake-up call, but even when I come for a week-end of fun I like to decide where and when I want to go party, not have it brought just under my hotel room. Most hotels in New York also charge you a fortune for the smallest rooms you can imagine, complete noisy aircon units and no luggage stand to put your suitcase on. And finally, some of the grandest hotels in the city have decor that is firmly stuck in the 1990s…
I found The Mark after a few years of trial and error, and after that I never looked back. It is the most magical hotel in New York. Discretely tucked away on 77th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, its location is the best: a stone’s throw from Central Park, right at the beginning of Museum Mile, putting it within ten blocks of the Met, the Guggenheim, the Whitney etc, as well as just a few steps away from all my favourite NY shops… This is also quite far from the tourist areas of the city, making this a wonderful place to stay if you like to be away from the big crowds. The only downside for me is this has become quite the celeb hotspot over the years, complete with the requisite amount of drama… Sometimes the street outside swarms with paps as the hotel staff dutifully ignores the commons like me, waiting to get a glimpse of whatever B-list or A-list guest is staying, but personally I like to be ignored like that, as one of the things I enjoy in any hotel is the sheer anonymity you get from staying in a place where noone knows you. That said, I must confess I got quite star-struck that one time I waited for the lift door to open, only to find Stephen Hawkins roll into the lobby.
Once inside, The Mark hits you with old-world glamour, an elegant monochrome colour scheme that runs throughout the building, starting with the striking lobby and a grand staircase. Sconce-lit walls, mirrored lift doors, plush furnishings, and bold, abstract artwork add to the very unique elegance of this hotel. The bedrooms are big and comfy, with panelling and plush details, very classic but super comfortable, and bigger than most hotel rooms I stayed in in New York. The wardrobes are well thought-out to accommodate enough luggage to see you through a whole week of outfit changes, and the mini-bar area is both beautiful gorgeous and well stocked-up, from healthy snacks to less healthy tempting nibbles. The bathroom is so beautiful, the first time I stayed here I wanted to go back and refurbish the one I had at home to match it…
I love ordering room service here especially because breakfast doesn’t start before 7AM, a little too late if you’re travelling from Europe and are a little jetlagged, or if like me you tend to get on with your day early. The food arrives piping hot and is delicious. If you want to try and pop out to San Ambroeus next door, you’ll get a New Yorker version of the Milan outpost and enjoy the Italian pastries with strong coffee whilst watching the Upper East Side wake up. There are loads of delicious delis within walking distance, and some evenings I like to stop by at E.A.T for a takeaway to enjoy in the relaxed comfort of my room… That being said, the restaurant of the hotel serves delicious elaborate dishes, but I rarely have time to enjoy it… I do recall a delicious crudites plate one lunchtime, served in the mini courtyard with the most delicious Aperol Spritz. Next time I go, I’ll have to repeat the experience. I’ll also have to take advantage of the bike hire service and take one of the black and white bicycles for one of my tours of Central Park…
Bottom line: stay here for the location, decor, food, and neighbours, but be warned that this place can be a little snob and a little haughty, something some can find intimidating.
When we lived in London, one of the countries I covered for work was Spain and I would go to Barcelona almost weekly, without much time to visit properly: I spent my days in meeting rooms, my evenings in restaurants, bars and hotels, always with clients and colleagues, and constantly sped past the gorgeous sights in the city, often telling myself I would come back with time to see everything. So one week-end, to evade what promised to be a snowy Easter in London, Little Monsieur (a toddler at the time), Hubby Dearest and I relocated temporarily to Barcelona’s Hotel Arts and toured the city at length for three full days.
Day One – The Gaudi treasure hunt
The first place I wanted to spend time in was Park Güell: during my very first work visit to Barcelona, I was a junior analyst and I helped organise a majestic dinner for hundreds of clients on top of the terrace of the park, overlooking the city. I was amazed at the beautiful design of the whole place but I was so focused on not messing up with my table settings, who was who and who needed to talk to whom that I hadn’t taken a minute to walk around and look properly… So of course this was our first stop in the city: we took the hop on hop off tour bus (always a favourite for us, especially with a toddler in tow) and, after a short walk up the hill, we finally arrived at the gate. Park Güell is a fabulous place where you could easily spend a whole morning, and there is plenty for little ones to explore, from the columned hall with its doric columns and tiled ceiling (a court that was meant to become a market place for the local community when the park was originally designed) to the more modern playgrounds, but our little tyrant barely gave us enough time to take in all the details, I’ll need to go back when the children are grown up and I have all the time in the world.
After Park Güell, it was time for Hubby Dearest to choose a sight he wanted to see, so we headed back to Passeig de Grà cia to visit a building which is world famous as La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà . It’s situated on the most fashionable street in Barcelona, in the middle of some of my favourite boutiques, so of course I planned a little shopping tour following our cultural afternoon… The secret of happy family travel, I find, is when everyone gets a little of what they really enjoy.
Like Park Güell, this is another of Gaudi’s creations, and it looks truly magical from the street, inviting a long queue of tourists every day. When we got there just before lunchtime, the queue was going around the block… Ouch! But, here’s one piece of good news for those of you travelling to Barcelona with children: Casa Milà has a priority system for families with buggies, and you can store your pushchair in the locker room before progressing upstairs for the visit. We spent a lot of time on the terrace, which, in line with the rest of the building, is filled with curves and nature-inspired shapes. The chimneys are particularly impressive and Little Monsieur was quite taken with the tiling work and the fabulous shapes… Inside we saw what an apartment would have looked like when the building was built, in 1912, and I found it incredibly modern in its layout, and could have easily moved in had I been given the chance, seeing how beautiful it all looked compared with our London Victorian house!
Of all of Gaudi’s fabulous designs in Barcelona, my favourite is Casa Batlló, it’s almost across from La Pedrera, and though I always thought it looked like a house with eyes, due to the open work balconies, it’s actually known as La Casa de los Ossos, as when one looks at the facade it has quite an organic, skeletal quality to it. Inside there is the most beautiful blue tiled stairwell, and the terrace is just as magical. I never miss an opportunity to admire it when I am in Barcelona, even if just in passing.
Day Two – La Sagrada Familia and Montjuc
The following day was my birthday, so we started slow with a luxurious breakfast at Hotel Arts, with a little card from Little Monsieur (no, my son isn’t that precocious, my husband however is a doting father who never forgets a special occasion, unlike me…) and lots of cuddles. We took off for a morning visit at La Sagrada Familia: remember to order tickets online prior to your visit, that will save you endless queueing on the day. It is well worth it, for the cathedral is unlike any I’ve ever visited before, every little corner filled with artistic detail. Soon enough we boarded the tour bus once more, on the way to the hilly neighbourhood of Montjuïc.
Montjuïc is the home of the Palau Nacional, which was built for the 1929 International Exposition and now houses the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Here we found hundreds of works by Spanish artists, but in reality we were coming for a whole other reason: right under the dome of the museum cum palace, you’ll find an exquisite restaurant, called Oleum, where the food and the decor are truly amazing. With some of the best views over Barcelona from the double-height windows, reflected by mirrors on the ceiling, Hubby Dearest, Little Monsieur and I sat down for a most scrumptious celebratory lunch.
Two hours later, we put Little Monsieur in his pushchair for his nap and took off up the hill to walk off that amazing food. We ended up at the Miró Foundation and, as Little Monsieur was still fast asleep, we decided to go in and enjoyed all the rooms in relative peace. Soon enough it was the end of nap time so we had to sacrifice further cultural enlightening in favour of more toddler-friendly activities, so we went to the Aquarium where Little Monsieur squealed at the (hopefully sound-proof!) fish tanks… We finished our day on the harbour where we shared a crepe. All spent and tired, we returned to our room where the Hotel Arts staff had left one last little surprise for me: a meringue cake with a single candle for me to throw one last celebration before bedtime.
Day Three – Almost Picasso
The next day was our last day in Barcelona, and I had my heart set on visiting the Picasso Museum during the morning. Sadly, our mini despot wasn’t as generous as he’d been on the previous day, and rather than sleep through or enjoy the strange shapes, he screamed murder from the moment we entered the first room until we eventually gave up, within 10 minutes of having bought our tickets, and left, totally mortified and frustrated. Instead we walked the streets of the neighbourhood with Little Monsieur slowly settling down for a nap in his pushchair: he was just cranky… The Picasso Museum will just have to go on the list of things I must do next time I’m in Barcelona with a few hours to spare. In truth though, for a 15-month old, Little Monsieur had behaved admirably, visiting monasteries and incredibly fanciful buildings as well as trying foods he had never tried before… When I look back all these years later, I realise what an amazing little traveller he has always been.
Barcelona is, as I’m sure you know, a fantastic city with the most intriguing architectural, from Catalan Gothic to Modernist buildings, not to mention the amazing food scene and the truly hospitable Catalans themselves, it’s a place one yearns to go back over and over again. I know I will.
Growing up, I remember a lot of parents in our circle would travel the world, thinking nothing of leaving their children behind with nannies… My parents raised us with the exact opposite approach, taking my sister and me virtually everywhere with them, from Zimbabwe to Cuba, we were both incredibly lucky to be very well traveled even before we had left primary school. Fast-forward to the present, I’m now the mama of two wonderful yet quite buoyant children, and whilst I always knew I would follow in my parents’ footsteps when it comes to travelling with children, I can see why some people don’t.
If you think flying is stressful, try taking small children along: it becomes a unique yet very effective method of torture; suddenly you are a sherpa, a marathon runner, a UN negotiator, and even a food taster (the suspicious airport attendants always insists someone tastes the milk in the baby’s bottles… because planning a criminal attack with one or more toddlers in tow is the smart thing to do , didn’t you know?) So yes, you can opt for a travel ban, especially air travel, until your children are sulky teenagers who will sneer at everything you are trying to make them discover, but then, take it from me, you are missing out on so much: a little city escape becomes a magical adventure when you see everything through the eyes of an amazed little one, and taking a five-year old snorkelling and hearing her squeals of pleasure at seeing the fish so close is such a moment of pleasure. My approach? Take your children with you, continue to explore the world, but be prepared to change your travel style a bit… Read on for my tips on how to raise the perfect little travellers, one flight at a time.
One – Check in online… planning ahead helps you get seats together, save time at the airport, and overall will save you a lot of aggravation.
Two – Assume you’ll be slower… Many of us are used to zipping through airports, with little ones it’s always a little slower than you’re normally used to, so arrive with plenty of time to fold the pushchair at security, divide the bags into the x-ray trays, negotiate with the little one to follow her brother through the security guantry without waiting for mama…
Four – Invest in a small easy-to-fold pushchair… Over the years we went through more than our fair share of pushchairs, always looking for the one which would be the easiest to travel with; nothing gets even close to the Babyzen Yoyo 2, which folds up and fits in the overhead compartments and makes it super easy to explore everywhere with babies and toddlers. Put some of their favourite toys in the little net so that when you’re in the restaurant waiting for lunch, they can keep entertained.
Five – Layer up and plan for accidents… Airplane temperatures tend to vary so I go for a multi-layer look for everyone, and it’s always a good idea to pack a change of clothes for them and for us, because you know… little accidents happen.
Six – Bring food and drinks that your children like… It’s well known that babies’ ears struggle with pressure and a milk bottle helps, but also plan for older ones because children can be a little fussy, and generally they are ill catered for by most airlines, as I learned to my detriment: last year we took a long-haul flight with British Airways, and when breakfast time arrived, the crew refused to give me a glass of milk for my toddler on account that they needed to keep enough to serve it with coffee for the other passengers; so now, one of the things I do hunt down in the airport is milk, even if it means begging the lounge chef for a bottle.
Seven – Relax your screen time phobia temporarily… Of course we all want our children to play with wooden blocks and puzzles, but sometimes you also need to take the easy road. You can fill ipads or kindles with kids-friendly apps, movies, and games that they will enjoy, meaning they will stay calm for a few hour.
Eight – For longer holidays, consider shipping some things ahead… This way you’ll have less to carrry yourself (when we went to Puglia with a baby, we sent a box of nappies, baby milk, fruit compotes, pool toys)
Nine – Head for the tour bus… Who ever thought mini city breaks with kids are hard work needs to be introduced to the Big Red Bus company and its equivalents, it’s the best way to discover the city at leisure, the children don’t get tired from walking, they can doze off in the bus for a few minutes, and you still get to see all the historical beauties you had on your bucket list. We did places like Barcelona, Rome, Cape Town, New York, Paris etc. by foot and by bus and it was perfect.
Ten – Variety is key. Try to alternate between cultural visits and children-friendly activities, such as parks with kids playgrounds, zoos, aquariums etc. Recently we’ve been on a lot of safaris and whilst kids are obsessed with animals after ten elephants it’s handy to have a few toys in the car or a child-size camera so they can play at being a wildlife photographer…
Over the years, our children have become seasoned travellers and they are used to seeing new things, experiencing new foods, and we get to indulge in our love of travel instead of spending ten or more years hiding in family-friendly hotel clubs that would make us miserable. Everybody wins.
As a family, we love travelling, but Africa has always had a very special place in my heart: there is so much to see and learn, so much contrast, you could spend a lifetime on this continent and still not have seen half of what it holds. Since moving to South Africa, we’ve managed to visit so many of the places on our bucket list, and I am so looking forward to sharing these with you. Starting with the week we spent in the extreme contrasts of the Namib Naukluft with our children and four of our darling friends…
First things first: if you know me, you know I like to research things thoroughly. Of course I love nothing as much as a comfortable luxury travel experience, but it turns out, if you want to really enjoy the Namib desert, you need to mix it up a bit, get out of your comfort zone and consider camping (yes, camping, not glamping). We flew into Walvis Bay, where we rented two cars with rooftop tents, built-in fridges and all the paraphernalia you need to cook in the wild. Word of caution: a car with two little tents on the roof was perfect for us and the two minis (the tents are relatively easy to unfold in the evening and back down in the morning), but the four big guys did struggle a little during the nights we slept in the tents…
Disclaimer: I had never camped in my life before this but self-driving let us follow our own rhythm, visit some of the most special sites, and most importantly sleep inside the Sossusvlei Nature Park within easy access to the gorgeous red sand dunes (whereas staying in the nearby lodges means you have to be out of the park between sundown and sunrise, missing the most beautiful light over the desert). Also the kids adored the experience and are begging for another go. Before you start thinking how impressive and how much I have adapted, let me put you right: we interspersed the nights of camping with nights in some of the most eco-luxe lodges in the region, just to keep the balance.
Day One and Two – Walvis Bay and Naukluft Camp
Our first day was an epic reminder of what a bunch of camping rookies we all were! Thanks to a slight delay in departing Walvis Bay (between a late flight and six coddled adults trying to buy groceries in a harbor town for five days in the desert, time can become a flexible measure), we arrived at our first base, Naukluft Camp, in the blackest of nights. And we had to find and set up our campsite, prepare dinner, shower in cold water because by then most of the other, cleverer, better prepared campers had all showered, and settle the kids to sleep, all pretty much in the dark. Doing all this with a couple of solar lamps that we didn’t really charge properly was, diplomatically put, a challenge. Cue big loss of sense of humour for me; thankfully we had a lot of wine from the grocery hunt, and we downed three bottles between six adults that first night. Nevermind, our reward was awaiting the next morning when we got to enjoy strong coffee and a cooked breakfast (by meal two you become a gas canister chef), before going on a 16km hike up the mountain, past some of fabulous rock structures, ancient trees and the most enticing natural pools, perfect for a refreshing swim.
Day Three and Four – Wolvedans Dune Lodge
After our big hike and a quick lunch, we took up towards our next stop, Wolvedans Dune Lodge… Driving through the Namib desert is an experience unlike any other. You drive hundreds of kilometres on dust tracks only to see the odd oryx or zebra on the side of the road, or a sign indicating a farm. Eventually we arrived at Wolvedans; evidently as we were still learning this travelling in the sand business, we followed the coordinates and arrived straight at the Dune Lodge, on top of the most glorious landscape of red sand, when the lodge protocol demands you drive to the reception lodge, where the air strip is, and be driven from there in one of the lodge’s Defenders… Anyways, that small mistake was soon forgiven, and we were shown to our wooden houses that sat on stilts on top of the dune; ours was the last one of the row, giving us an impression of total isolation that was incredible. Proper other-wordly.
The experience at Wolvedans is one that I would recommend to anyone who travels to the Namib; eco-luxury structures with a Star Wars feel that perfectly fit with the surroundings Martian, with all the amazing trappings of old-school African travel. I fell head over heels in love with the decor, the drives up and down the dunes to see chameleons and ostriches, and of course sundowners in the middle of the red sand, what’s not to love. The team stops at nothing to spoil you rotten, it’s a truly fantastic place.
Day Five and Six – Sossusvlei
After a couple of nights here we moved on to our next stop, and the piece de resistance of our trip as far as sights and magic: Sossusvlei. Back to camping, but this time we were almost experts. We stocked up for any additional goodies in the small gas station just outside the park, close to Sesriem Camp where we had booked to stay. Our site had a beautiful tree, we settled the two cars down on each side of it, and started putting out our dining chairs, and got to cooking a memorable braai to the tune of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (#travellingwithguncles) whilst I saw people eat out of plastic boxes, so yes we might have been camping but we were no savages… We spent two nights here and between the amazing starry sky, the beauty of sunrise over the desert, and the utter magic of Deadvlei, this is where I felt the most breathtaken.
After waking up in the middle of one night we scrambled through the camp to find the exit of the park (I may or may not have fallen flat on my face, tripped by one of the low level wires that protect the camp’s plants from being trampled on by tourists… but it was dark so I don’t remember) and go up in a hot air balloon with the lovely team of Namib Sky to see the desert wake up slowly. Watching herds of oryx pass by unaware, wondering about fairy circles, and then landing to a champagne breakfast is a once in a lifetime experience I highly recommend, and my only regret is Little Madame was too small to join us so I made her and her brother stay with the nanny on the ground as breakfast was being set… I hear they were bribed into patience with scones and muffins.
If you do only three things in Sossusvlei, it has to be: climb up a dune (we did Dune 45, which stands at 170m high and looks easy enough, it’s not, in fact it’s a nasty workout, but the view from the top is magical), go walk in Deadvlei and wonder at the centennial acacias that have calcified on the salt pan, and finally do take that balloon ride, nothing gets quite close.
Day 7 and 8 – Pelican Point and Sandwich Harbor
As far as contrasts go, the last part of our trip was so different from the first few days it seemed we were on a different continent. We drove back through the desert again, and back to Walvis Bay, where we left our friends and drove all the way through the laguna to spend two nights at Pelican Point Lodge, a cinema set worthy building sat by the side of a hundred-year-old lighthouse, on a slim strip of sand that is the home of a seal colony, a few jackal families, as well as flocks of flamingos and pelicans. Staying here feels very much like being on a boat in the middle of the sea, especially during foggy evenings, and the rooms are modern and lovely. By now it felt amazing to take a long hot shower to try and wash off the tons of red sand that seemed to have found its way into my hair, ears, and even eyes; that fully made up for the less than warm service from the hostess on duty, who is single-handedly responsible for the only poor service we had during the whole trip…
Nevertheless, we had an amazing day out on Sandwich Harbor, which is also part of the natural park, driving up and down the white sand dunes, admiring the pink salt pans and enjoying glorious seafood by the yacht club in Walvis Bay. As if we hadn’t had our fill of sand for a week, we reunited with the guncles who were staying nearby and spent the last afternoon of our trip sandboarding down some pretty impressive dunes (you have to use your legs to go back up for another ride down, no ski lifts here!).
We soon had to get back to Johannesburg and our day to day lives but with our eyes full of stars and our heads filled with memories of fantastic landscapes, amazing moments shared with friends and family, and the hunger to do it all again very soon.
Before I go, let me give you my top three tips about this trip: 1) pack light but ensure you have enough layers to dress comfortably through the day, the temperature amplitude and the wind are no jokes here, 2) opt for self-driving for at least part of the trip, you will see more and the kids will love sleeping on the rooftop tents but don’t forget quickdry camping and the headlights for reading in the tent, 3) do splurge with the balloon ride and Wolvedans, the experience in both cases was worth every penny. Also, if you want a day by day account of our trip go on to my Instagram, all our travels are in my story highlights, trip by trip.
A Styled Life 