Tag: travel blog

Paris

Paris: Souvenirs worth bringing back

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on Paris: Souvenirs worth bringing back

I lived in Paris for a few years as a student and then kept coming back regularly whilst working in London… it’s definitely my favourite city in the world. I have so many memories and favourite places in Paris. I remember, before becoming parents, Hubby Dearest and I would often go there for a week-end away from London and I always made a point of bringing back some of my favourite French goodies, from silk scarves to tea perfumed jelly, and delicate eau de toilette…

I have a few must areas: Saint-Germain, Passy, Le Marais, and Rue Saint-Honoré are top of my list, and if I can avoid it I never step anywhere near the Champs-Elysées, which is merely a tourist trap in my book. With children, our Parisian escapades became a little more rare and more focused around activities that our munchkins enjoy (the playgrounds at the Luxembourg, the Louvre etc), and now that we live on the other side of the world we don’t get to visit as frequently… but when we do, I always manage to visit my favourite boutiques around all the lovely neighbourhoods. Take it from me, when visiting Paris, forget about the souvenirs Made in China, and bring back some of these instead…

French teas and delicacies

I know when people think Paris delicacies they automatically think Ladurée macarons but I find macarons a little too sweet to really enjoy themand they don’t age well, so you need to eat them within days of purchasing them… I prefer more durable souvenirs, especially if I am bringing them back to South Africa, however I do love Ladurée for hostess gifts and the packaging is so pretty.

What I always bring back, without fail, is tea from Mariage Frères, a French gourmet merchant, founded in Paris over 150 years ago. They have a few boutiques and tea rooms across Paris, but my favourite is the one in the Marais, it looks like a tea merchant’s house from the olden days… I love coming for brunch on a Sunday: you can only reserve for the first service, and the queue starts building fast from 1pm onwards, especially as there is no limitation in how long you get to sit, this isn’t like the places in London or New York where the host tells you you need to gobble your food in one hour to free it up for the next patrons… Here you get to eat at your pace and enjoy yourself. If there is time, I like to book for family brunch, the menu is filled with delicate dishes all thought out around tea, and they have the most delicious desserts, including the famous Coup de Soleil, a tart of summer berries topped with a creme brulee layer. Service is one of the best in the French city.

I then wander the shop floor before leaving, and make a little stock of all my favourites. Usually it goes like this: 100g of Russian Breakfast tea (great citrusy breakfast blend that also yummiest iced tea with a few slices of lemon and some agave nectar thrown in), 100g of Rose Himalaya tea (such a delicate darjeeling, my choice for cold afternoons), a couple of tea “chaussettes” (super soft cotton filters to infuse tea) and some muslin filters to use in the office, a tin or two of matcha powder, one jar of iced tea from the new collection (tea blends that work especially well for a cold brew and come in gorgeous glass jars, I love Panama) and finally, a jar of tea jelly, which is my favourite thing to spread on toasted challah. I know it’s odd to reference a French brand for tea, but the blends here are super delicate and the shopping experience is wonderful. I do shop for tea in London as well, but most places have lost the luxury feel for it these days.

I sometimes let myself be tempted by the beautiful tea-ware that comes in the most beautiful porcelain and glass (I have my eye on the Rumba glass teapot… maybe on my next visit), although I have to think about luggage allowance these days, so I try to not get carried away!

Artisan perfumes and my favourite candles

I know there are hundreds of new perfume launches each year, and yet I find most of them dish out the same type of boring scents: on the one side, heavy perfumes loaded with oud or patchouli, strong enough to give you a migraine before you’re out of Sephora, and on the other, chemical versions of someone’s memory of the beach (most of them remind me of the sea breeze option of bathroom cleansing gels…). I prefer classic artisan houses, and two of my favourites are Paris based. Firstly, L’Artisan Parfumeurto stock up on their Mûre et Musc Extrême perfume, a powdery and fruity mix that reminds me of the very first perfume my mother bought me when I was a teenager. The brand has a range of perfumes based on natural scents, and I love exploring the new collection each time I visit their shops, usually in the Marais or in Saint-Germain. If I’m on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (and the odds are I will be at some point…) I do a little detour by  Annick Goutal, where I come to stock up on Petite Chérie, a fruity floral which makes me smile every single time I spray it, and the old-style bottles look absolutely gorgeous, I love to have a few standing next to each other (the new ones, not so much, but now I mainly buy the refills, which are also lighter to carry in luggage).

No trip to Paris would be complete without a stop by Diptyque to purchase a couple of über chic candles, which look beautiful but most importantly smell amazing: scents are carefully composed, with bouquets inspired by nature, childhood memories or travel impressions. My favourites? Baies, Genevrier, and Feu de Bois, but I have many more that I am slightly obsessed with, usually from their classic collection, I rarely find one from the special collections that I really love. Remember, once you’ve burned out the candle you should clean out the glass to make a beautiful pot for beauty brushes, pencils, or flowers. I do it with every single candle, from the tiny ones to the giant ones.

French luxe

Being in Paris means I get to enjoy a few visits to my favourite luxe houses, starting, of course, with Hermès. I enjoy the flagship at 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, but seeing as it’s part of the tourist circuit somewhat, I now prefer to shop in the Saint-Germain boutique or the George V one, which will always have a special place in my heart as it’s where I bought my very first Hermès bag. I come here because I love the intricate windows filled with one-off pieces (though they are not quite the same since Leila Menchari’s passing), and I love everything, from the bags to the tableware. I have dreamt many times of moving in permanently, or at least being allowed to stay overnight… I follow the seasonal collections, and arrive prepared with a wishlist, usually a GM shawl, maybe a small wallet, or a couple of cups.

For other brands, I tend to shop the duty free boutiques at the airports: Heathrow and Roissy are fantastic for Dior and Chanel in general, although some other brands are best found in town…

Everything under one beautiful roof

If I’m only in Paris for one day or less, I head straight to Le Bon Marché, my favourite department store in the city, which was founded in 1852 and holds the title of the oldest and longest-running department store in the world. This is my favourite one-stop shop, where I can find everything from books to lingerie, all under one gorgeous roof. I love coming here for a quick visit, I know I will find most of my favourite brands, both on the exclusive luxury front but also the new and emerging brands. Compared to Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, Le Bon Marché is more manageable in size and conducive to slower paced “promenades”, and its location is an added bonus: Saint-Germain is a much more pleasant neighbourhood than Les Grands Magasins of Boulevard Haussmann. The layout is simple, filled with light, and the store often hosts temporary exhibitions and partnerhips, making each visit a special one.

Right now it’s not possible for me to visit my favourite city… but I hope to be able to go soon, and to be sure I’ll visit all my favourite shops and restaurants (there’s an idea for a future post!) when I do.

With love, S.

Africa

Ostriches and blue lagoons in Churchhaven

by s.a.b3 Comments on Ostriches and blue lagoons in Churchhaven

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…

With love, S.

London

London: Afternoon tea favourites

by s.a.b2 Comments on London: Afternoon tea favourites

I lived in London for 13 years, enough to get quite keen on a few British traditions, and there is one in particular that I love: afternoon tea. It is the perfect excuse to indulge in eating sweet little pastries in the middle of the day, and whilst I don’t have much of a sweet tooth I do enjoy sitting around a pristine table laden with delicate china and elegant pastry trays, between a steaming pot of delicious tea and a cup of champagne, to enjoy an utterly civilised moment with friends or family.

Over the years I have fine-tuned my list of London favourites for afternoon tea, but, before we start, a little piece of trivia: some people confuse afternoon tea with high tea (in South Africa the chic-est places that offer tea call it high tea), when they are two very different meals. Afternoon tea is a light meal of bite sized tea sandwiches and savories, followed by scones with clotted cream and jam, and ending with sweet pastries, which you eat with fingers, usually around 4PM. The tradition was started in England in the 1840s when The Duchess of Bedford wanted a small bite between lunch and dinner, and it became a thing amongst the high society. High tea on the other hand was a working class family evening meal or supper, made of of meat dishes, potatoes, baked beans, basically a nourishing meal at the end of a long day at work. It’s called high tea because it is eaten on a high kitchen table.

My all-time favourite: Jean-Georges at The Connaught 

This is my favourite, probably because this is the place we came to for my birthday right after the birth of Little Madame, it was our first outing as a family of four. Things could have gone horribly wrong had she needed a feed half-way through, but both she and her brother behaved absolutely perfectly (much to the relief of the other guests who had openly gawked when they saw us arrive with a pram and toddler in tow), thanks to the colouring book and little cars we brought for Little Monsieur and the fact we had fed the baby just before leaving the house, but overall I’m a big believer in taking small children to all types of places to ensure they get used to behaving accordingly from an early age.

The setting is a winter garden style gallery overlooking Carlos Place, with stained glass panels and beautiful art work. The room is sophisticated but not stuffy, and very light: tea is served on the beautiful marble tables, whilst you sit in the plushest soft grey sofas. We came on a Spring afternoon and there were gorgeous floral arrangements everywhere. Service at the Connaught is always impeccable: think “make clients feel like uber VIPs” and dial it up a notch. The meal itself is delicious and quite unique compared with other teas in London: a classic tea menu with a twist, with South-Asian and Mediterranean inspirations and a nice addition of spices to what can sometimes be quite bland recipes. The scones come with the traditional clotted cream and jam, as well as delicious lemon curd. The cakes are very elaborate, with a lot of mousse textures and beautiful colours.

A classic London grande dame: The Wolseley

The Wolseley is the quintessential Mayfair eatery, and I would happily eat here for breakfast, lunch, tea and supper any day. I always try to come when I’m in London, and my favourite time of the year to eat here is late Autumn to Winter: I absolutely love coming at the end of a shopping spree in Mayfair on a cold and dark afternoon, it’s the perfect hang-out from which to look out onto busy Piccadilly. There are three options for tea, including a very affordable “Cream Tea” if you just want to sample a little bit of London luxury without breaking the bank, and if you’re coming with anyone who is not too keen on the full tea experience there is a broad menu of sweets and savouries to pick from. I love the Champagne Tea, and usually ask for a table on one of the balconies at the back of the room to enjoy it with a little less noise, whilst still enjoying the view of the restaurant’s bustling floor.

The menu is quite classic, but totally delicious, with warm scones at the top of the three-tier tray, under a little cloche, six cakes on the middle tier, made each morning by the restaurant’s pastry chefs, and five sandwiches at the base, washed down with a tea from the special Wolseley selection, as well as a glass or two of champagne. Remember, this place is super popular, so it’s key to book in advance, as the Wolseley will rarely have tables for walk-ins…

Perfect for tea with the girls: The Gallery at Sketch

Tea at the much-hyped Sketch in Mayfair is served in the millennial-pink Gallery from 11:30AM, and this is where I like to come with my girlfriends for an afternoon of edulcorated fun in what looks and feels like the inside of a fluffy pink cake. This place is the epitome of English eccentricity, with the egg-shaped toilets (google it, they are world famous, but the first time is a little interesting, I’m not going to lie…), the interesting prints all over the walls and the funny quotes on the crockery. The string quartet in the corner plays the Beatles rather than Beethoven, a bit of a contrast to the elevator music of most hotel lobbies.

First course is a spoonful of caviar on a perfectly poached quail’s egg yolk on top of silky béchamel sauce (my favourite course of the whole meal!), then you move on to the usual dainty sandwiches, cakes, more cakes, some shot glasses of white-peach and verbena cheesecake, as well as a giant pink marshmallow. Warm scones arrive later (by now I’m stuffed), and then a huge slice of Victoria Sponge from the trolley is the finale, if you have space left. I always come here with loads of time, as tea at Sketch is a drawn-out affair, there is the need to pace oneself seeing as there is so much food…

Best to lose track of time: The Dorchester

I have been coming to Dorchester for tea for quite a while, in fact I had my mini baby shower for Little Monsieur here, and we all had such an amazing time chatting about babies, style, and life that we totally lost track and didn’t realise we had been sitting around our teas and cakes for hours.

Tea is served in the Promenade, behind the lobby, a ballroom-sized space filled with oversized bouquets and the largest brocade sofas I ever sat on, and inhabited by the most delightful staff who all treat you like their favourite guest (even more so if you are an heavily pregnant mama fond of the Christmas stuffing sandwiches…). Everything here is classic luxury, don’t expect modern or contemporary but it’s just perfect as it is. The food is divine, especially the scrumptious scones, and the tea selection is very good. I usually opt for Lapsang, and theirs is extra flavoursome. The afternoon easily rolls into the evening, and when not pregnant this is a perfect time to move to cocktails.

Fashionista favourite: The Berkeley

The Berkeley’s Prêt-à-Portea in Knightsbridge is where you go to mix afternoon tea with fashion, and over the years the chefs have taken some of the most memorable looks from the catwalk and beyond (recently the V&A Christian Dior exhibition) and transformed them into a tasty assortment of cakes and biscuits. This is the most instagrammable of all afternoon teas in London, if you’re into fashion. The tea is served in the the Collins Room, which is decorated in Dior grey, making for a beautiful background to the whole experience.

I first came here with Little Monsieur when he wasn’t even one, and our friends had a toddler daughter, and yet both babies had an amazing time with the atmosphere remaining lively and totally un-stuffy. We did laugh at how the waiter described every cake and confection and the fashion inspiration behind it in minute detail, though he did seem to have absolutely no interest in fashion whatsoever… I come here more for the style than the food, altough it is perfectly lovely as well…

Afternoon tea makes no sense as a daily meal, but as an occasional indulgence, nothing gets quite close, and each time I am back in my beloved London I make a point of having tea in one of the beautiful restaurants and hotels of the city. One last tip before I leave you: it’s usually a good idea to skip tea in the museums and galleries, as the food is usually bought in and far from fresh…

With love, S.

Africa

Morukuru, our borrowed home in the bush

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on Morukuru, our borrowed home in the bush

Moving continents like we did a couple of years ago is a big adventure, and I wanted to celebrate our arrival by going on safari as soon as we arrived, showing our little travellers just how wonderful our new home country was. One of the first things I did when we moved to Johannesburg was research safari options that would accommodate our littles, not just at the lodge, but also on the game drives. Not many places are flexible about it, with most only allowing children on game drives after the age of 12, some after the age of 6, and a lot of lodges will tell you to bring your children and leave them with the lodge babysitter whilst you go on safari… I’m still not quite sure what the point of that would be (come all the way to the bush, then leave your child with a stranger in a closed room with videos about animals whilst you go enjoy a game drive?) but thankfully I soon found out about Morukury Family and their houses in the private section of the Madikwe game reserve.

Where is it?

The Madikwe Game Reserve is about 4 hours drive away from Johannesburg, although many tourists fly here from ORT with the small planes, as there is a landing strip. It’s a “Big Five” reserve and is malaria free, so quite popular with families, but not many of the 20-odd lodges in the public reserve side can welcome children as little as two.

Being entirely private, Morukuru allows babies on game drives, and the ranger then exercises their discretion on how close to get to animals or how long to stay at a sighting, depending on how the littles in the car are behaving. It also means everything is adapted to you and your family, so if baby needs a later start or if your son doesn’t eat tomatoes, then things will be arranged exactly to suit you. And bring a baby we did: on our first visit, Little Madame had a baby seat and drank her bottle on the sunrise drives, although she did express a strong preference for sitting on her dad’s lap and really got quite interested when she saw her first cheetahs, inquiring if she could go play with the kitties…

Which Morukuru house is best?

We are now Morukuru veterans, having visited the Madikwe houses four times and stayed in all three of them, although Owners House is my favourite. It’s by the river, with two beautiful suites and a number of decks and terraces overlooking the water and the tree canopy, and the swimming pool is laid on a nice open flat area on the side of the house, which is very reassuring when you come with tiny ones: we did spend quite a few afternoons here enjoying Pimm’s whilst our munchkins enjoyed a swim, even in the dead of South African winter (when the temperature around 2PM is a balmy 30 degres celsius, don’t worry).

River House is a little bigger, very close, but the swimming pool has a sharp infinity edge I’m not totally fond of especially when my children see that as a perfect jumping edge into the water… Farm House is set in a completely different part of the private reserve, meaning you don’t get the river landscape, but it’s bigger and has a wonderful lawn where nyalas come to graze and children can roam wild, and the lounge features a very cool bar and many comfortable sofas, making it the perfect house when we came with my parents and a couple of friends last year. All three houses are beautiful, and whenever we are back I always feel like the luckiest girl ever regardless of which one we stay in.

What’s so special about Morukuru?

This place is magical, it feels like having your own private house in the middle of the bush, complete with a full staff and a ranger and tracker team whose sole concern is that you have an amazing time. We rarely come for more than three days, usually long week-ends, and always ask the same ranger – hostess team as we love Evan and Ilse and they looked after us on our first stay, but each time the experience is truly unique. The animal sightings are of course fantastic, especially if you consider that Morukuru is set in a private area where at most three cars will be out at once, so we were the only ones around when we spotted that two-week old baby rhino on our second stay, and when we’re lucky we get a breakfast feast in their special viewing deck by the watering hole, meaning we get to enjoy the most special spectacle as we’re sampling 3-star worthy food.

When we first came, Hubby Dearest and I had a special anniversary to celebrate, and of course the team prepared a surprise dinner for the two of us, and Evan and Ilse had dinner with our two munchkins whilst we had a romantic meal outside on the deck. On the same stay, we saw some amazing sightings, including spotted dogs feasting on a kudu, but when our ranger heard that a pair of cheetah siblings were out having breakfast a good drive away, he postponed our breakfast to a brunch and we went to watch Little Madame’s “two kitties”. Had I wanted a bubble bath after an evening game drive on one of the decks, that is also possible, although as a mama I usually prefer to have dinner with my children than bathing for hours on end in the open, but know that is an option, as are massages, walking safaris, and much much more.

Nothing is too much to ask here, Morukuru offers 5-star worthy Relais & Chateaux service through and through: there are hot bottles on your seat as you jump in the car for the pre-sunrise drive, you can enjoy your favourite cocktail at sundowners whilst a herd of elephants pass on one side and a couple of rhinos are grazing on the other, the turn-down team thinks of every little luxury you may want before going to sleep, and the cooks’ food is truly to die for. Each meal is different, from the menu to the setting, from a boma dinner on top of a hill to a breakfast on the deck looking out to the river… You are sent off as you leave with homemade cookies and biltong for the drive home, and little cups with cocoa and marshmallows for when you get there. Nothing is too much, the house is pretty much yours for your stay, and when I commented on how delicious the mini muffins of the morning coffee were, I got to take the recipe with me to try and replicate them at home…

Why is it perfect for families?

Beyond everything I mentioned already, the staff at Morukuru, and in particular the ranger and tracker team, are truly keen to ensure children enjoy their time on safari. Evan is always looking for ways to entertain our little ones, and he keeps his eyes peeled for animals that could grab their interest, such as snakes for Little Monsieur (much to my despair…). We went fishing one afternoon, and enjoyed the fun of catching small fish as well as seeing an elephant swim by. It is truly magical. Being alone in a big part of the reserve, a private area that also happens to be the home of a beautiful lion pride, means you get to stay as long as you want to admire some fantastic animals, even if your children are talking in the back of the car or playing with Little Ponies, because yes, at some point children will get bored of seeing wildlife and will want to escape to their own little world… By the way, take it from me if you’re going on safari with children for the first time: take some toys along, and a little camera for the older ones, and make sure you have snacks, because the odds are, they won’t want to wait until sundowners for a little nibble.

We were meant to return to Morukuru Madikwe later this month, alas this has now been postponed with the lockdown, but we will be back as soon as we can. As you would expect, such privacy and luxury come at quite a high price, and I think I hear my card give a little sigh each time I book a stay here, but it’s worth every cent. I would rather come here a couple of times a year than go on safari elsewhere every other week-end…

With love, S.

Indian Ocean

From waves to volcanoes in La Réunion

by s.a.b2 Comments on From waves to volcanoes in La Réunion

The last trip we did as a family, a few weeks before the lockdown in South Africa, was a week in La Réunion, for the children’s half-term. A mere four hours by flight from Johannesburg, this was a good alternative for us after many trips to Mauritius, and we were keen to discover the diversity that the volcanic island had to offer.

Day One – A day on the beach

As long-time aficionados of the Lux* hotel group, we had opted to stay at the Lux* Saint Gilles, which is one of just a couple of hotels with 5*… We had been warned that hotel standards in La Réunion are nothing like Mauritius, Mozambique, or even mainland France, and indeed we were not particularly impressed with our hotel. It may be dubbed the best on the island, the buildings are beautiful and the beach is absolutely stunning, but the rooms and some of the public areas such as the pool are past due a major refurbishment. That being said, we enjoyed staying on a beach inside the lagoon, where the children could swim and snorkel with very friendly fish. For me, this first day on the beach was the perfect way to unwind after a gruesome eight weeks at work, although apparently I did spend most of the day checking emails and answering phone calls.

Day Two – Piton de La Fournaise

On our second day, we switched our flip flops for good hiking shoes and went up through the winding roads in search of La Fournaise. During the wet season (November to April) it does get quite misty around the volcano and we did arrive at the final viewpoint just in time for a major drizzle, so didn’t see much but did get positively drenched, especially as I had forgotten my rain jacket in the hotel room! However we had stopped en route to explore Pas de Sables, a large flatland of volcanic sand where you can walk on top of solidified lava flow ridges. Walking around the volcano feels like being on the moon, with some incredible flowers growing out of nowhere, and the most amazing bushes of wild hydrangeas lining the road on the way up to the viewpoint.

Day Three – Visiting the South East coast

Our third day was all about gardens and the coast. The botanic gardens here are something else: with the tropical weather every plant looks like a steroid version of what you find elsewhere, so beautiful and captivating. But also these places are totally filled with mosquitoes: even though I had sprayed myself and the children abundantly with insect repellent coming out of the car, we spent one hour admiring the trees and flowers at the Jardin des Parfums et des Epices, and when I came out my legs looked like they had chickenpox. Evidently no amount of appeasing gel would help and I spent most of the rest of our holiday scratching my legs like a dog with fleas.

We also went up to see the Cascade de Grand Galet, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in this part of the island. I love the turquoise pool it makes at the bottom, and a few years ago, when it was just Hubby and I, we would have probably jumped into the water for a little swim… This time we just took pictures. I don’t think it’s as tall as some of the ones in the North coast, but we wanted to avoid the heavy traffic around Saint-Denis and too long travels so we stayed mainly in the South of the island during our trip.

We had a wonderful creole lunch on the coast, where we filled up on curries and palm salad, before walking it all off on the lava rocks by the sea, admiring the souffleurs: that is where the volcanic rock forms an underwater cave which ends with an opening shaped like a small funnel, through which the water escapes into high jets when there are big waves.

The last we thing we did on day three is visit Le Grand Brûlé, which is basically the eastern slope of La Fournaise,  where you can look down to the ocean on one side and the volcano on the other side of the road. The hills down from the volcano have been covered by countless black and silver-tinted lava flows from the various eruptions, encroaching over the forest and creating a raw and mineral landscape that is quite striking.

Day Four – Saint Paul market and creole history

Saint Paul is one of the very first settlements on the island, and was the capital for a while until the 18th century. We started off by the market in the morning: although not the biggest, this is the nicest in La Réunion with a mix of fruit and vegetable stalls, creole nibbles such as bonbon piment, local arts and crafts… It’s on the seafront but even the slight breeze doesn’t mean I wasn’t sweating buckets by the time we’d finished haggling for a set of gorgeous raffia placemats.

We took off for the fresher hills of Saint Gilles Le Haut to visit the Villèle Museum. Once the home of the Panon-Desbassyns family, wealthy landowners who contributed to the growth of the local sugar industry through the systematic use of slavery with some of the most gruesome methods I’ve read about… We skipped the compulsory guided tour for the house (no offense, but I don’t need a 2-hour laboured tour to view a planteur’s house, I listened to enough history classes in my youth) and visited the gorgeous gardens instead, as well as the outbuildings where an exhibit of the family’s slave books, rules etc made for a very sobering visit.

We finished our day at the Mascarin Botanical Garden, a fabulous park laid out around another beautiful residence. The park is focused on endemic plants and is split into various areas: Réunion, Introduced Plants, Creole Orchard, Succulents, Palms, Orchids and Ferns, Bamboos, Coffee Plants. The Bamboo walk is amazing, I manage to get a pretty cool photo of it on my Insta.

Day Five – Up to the Maïdo and into the tamarin woods

The Maïdo is another volcanic peak, just above Saint Paul, with some stunning views over the Cirque de Mafate. You get some beautiful clouds flying up from the valleys, with little villages nested in the mountains below playing hide and seek. We went early in the morning so we could enjoy as much visibility as possible, and even so there were quite a few tourist coaches around. We drove down back to one of the tamarin forests, and tried to drag our little urbanites for a little hike and at first they were quite intrigued by bent and windy branches, the but the paths were both quite steep and slippery from the mist, so our attempt was quite short-lived.

Day Six – La Route aux 400 virages and Cilaos

Having laced the munchkins’ breakfast juice with travel sickness powder, we took off for our last visit of the trip, all the way to Cilaos, via a road of only 30 kilometers but that is famous for having 400 turns. I believe it has that and more, as well as super steep views down to the valley, and the tightest tunnels I’ve seen: in fact we saw a bus come out of one end and the driver must have a very special license as nothing else fit in that tunnel besides his bus… At the end of the road is a tiny mountain village full of creole charm and beauty, with colourful cases that I spent a couple of hours photographing from various angle, although there is a little shop where you can buy beautiful watercolours of all of them. We also visited the Maison de La Broderie, a place where ladies painstakingly embroider following decades-old traditions and make the most beautiful linen.

We flew back to Johannesburg the next morning, glad of all our adventures on this island with so much to see and do, regardless of whether you are visiting as a young couple, a group of friends, or a family with small children.

Before I finish, here are my top tips for La Réunion: 1) the place is infested with mosquitoes, more than anywhere you’d imagine, so spray yourself, the kids, your clothes, and do wear long trousers and sleeves whenever you are out to the parks or forests, 2) rent a car, because this island isn’t about staying on the beach, I mean Hermitage beach is nice but it’s nowhere as nice as the most average beach in Mauritius, what you want to see here is the scenery, the volcanoes, the winding roads up the tiny villages on the cirques, and 3) try to keep some time for cultural visits, the island’s history is full of turns, almost like that last road we took up to Cilaos!

Remember, this trip is also highlighted in my stories on my Instagram, including some pretty cool videos of the places we visited.

With love, S.

Travel Notes

Raising perfect little travellers

by s.a.b1 Comment on Raising perfect little travellers

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…

Three – Visit the lounge… If you can, once you’ve passed the over-zealous security staff and had your fill of baby milk and other purées, head over to the lounge and have a sip of champagne whilst your little ones run around, many lounges have play areas and food that children will enjoy, and the seating is far more comfortable than elsewhere in the airport.

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.

With love, S.

Africa

An epic trip in the Namib

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on An epic trip in the Namib

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.

With love, S.