The dimly lit, cool chamber that we are seated in, resembles an underground church. A prayer is chanted, followed by a rhythmic drum and the deeply spiritual call of a reed flute. The ancient ceremony begins.The Dervishes enter wearing tall hats and voluminous white robes. They bow respectfully to one another and then slowly begin to […]
The magic of Cappadocia, Turkey Read More »
Istanbul is a unique place to visit. Straddling two continents, there is an amazing amount of history and culture to experience in this city where two major civilisations meet. It’s a magical place and the former names of Byzantium (660BC) and Constantinople (330AD) hint at the exotic traditions and customs that hail from bygone eras.
Iconic Istanbul, Turkey🇹🇷 Read More »
“Welcome to Trat!” proclaimed the sign at the airport. We admired the green topiaries that had been cleverly crafted into elephant shapes. After all, Thailand’s third largest island after Phuket and Koh Samui, Koh Chang is fondly known as ‘Elephant Island’ because of its mammoth size and elephant shaped headland. 🐘 Forming part of the Mu
Koh Chang archipelago, Thailand🇹🇭 Read More »
We’re gently swaying along the dusty track in the back of an open Landrover when the on-board radio cackles to life, breaking the peaceful solitude: “Ngala yi famba yi ya ka qivi“. Our game ranger, Robert mutters back in Shangaan and accelerates deep into the bush. Our hearts begin to race. Ngala…Lion on the move…
Milkberry Lodge: A sanctuary in Sabi Sands🦒 Read More »
Andrew meets our train looking slightly flustered. “We’re in a hurry,” he tells us, taking my suitcase, “the vaporetto service will be suspended in the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco for most of the afternoon.” Expertly guiding us through the crowds, he ushers us onto one of the last departing vaporetta taxis.
We flew into a shimmering 36 degree Florence and spent a glorious 24 hours reacquainting ourselves with why we love Italy so much (the people, the food, the wine, the scenery). We were looking forward to exploring rural Italy, the hill towns and endless green fields and the best way to do this is by driving.
Summer in Umbria, Italy Read More »
The sun starts to sink, casting golden light on the River Arno. A few late canoeists cause a ripple as they streak beneath the Ponte Vecchio. A band begins setting up on the famous bridge, tuning their instruments and giving us a taste of what is to come. The locals wriggle into position on the pavements,
Florence, Italy: Journey into the Renaissance Read More »
Ushuaia is a charming resort town at the base of Argentina. It’s located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, and is nicknamed the “End of the World.” There is even a post office from where you can send family and friends a postcard that is stamped “End of the World.”
Ushuaia, Argentina – “The end of the world”🇦🇷 Read More »
Stepping onto an expedition ship that is bound for one of the most remote regions of planet Earth is a thrilling experience. We watched the twinkling lights of Punta Arenas gradually fade in the distance as we began crossing the Strait of Magellan, the gateway to a labyrinth of channels that define the most southern
Cruising the Fjords of Tierra del Fuego Read More »
“What’s new, Buenos Aires?! I’m new! I wanna say I’m just a little stuck on you! You’ll be on me too! … And if ever I go too far It’s because of the things you are Beautiful town, I love you!” Evita – Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Header photographer credit:Photo by Vincent Pelletier from Pexels
Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷 : The Paris of South America Read More »
All good things come to an end and we had to tear ourselves away from our friends Carol and Roy and the endless enigma of Rome. Our next adventure beckoned. Roy dropped us at the station in Rome to catch a train to Venice. The train route went through Florence and Bologna although we caught
Venice, the Floating City Read More »
We had an early start in the morning ahead of our 4-hour drive from Rome to Positano. Roy and Carol were taking us to see the Amalfi Coast, which is a 50-kilometer stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in the Campania region. It’s a popular holiday destination dominated by sheer cliffs
Positano, Italy’s glorious Amalfi Coast🌞 Read More »
We flew to Rome on Air Emirates via Dubai and Milan. It was a tiring journey because the Dubai stop was at 3am and we hadn’t had much sleep. As a serial shopper I now know that shopping in the middle of the night is actually not that much fun and the effort was quickly
It’s so frustrating to miss a flight! My head had already checked into our next destination and Geoff and I were beyond excited to be going to Boston for the first time. Unfortunately traffic jams out of Garner had us stranded in Raleigh-Durham airport from 8am. This was followed by a further flight delay due
Massachusetts, USA: Boston and Cape Cod 🇺🇸 Read More »
Is there anything more American than a road trip in a Buick and camping in a National Park? What an exciting adventure Lynn and Steve had put together for us. Leaving from their home in Garner, North Carolina we packed both their cars with camping kit and supplies and after picking up ice and bagels
Riding the Virginia Creeper Trail Read More »
It’s Christmas morning in Wakkerstroom and delightfully it’s a little cooler than normal. We’re excited to spend the day with our friends Janet and John, who also have a house in the village. We’ve booked lunch at the Country Inn where our friends, Danny and Paula, are the accomplished chefs and owners. We’re in for
We drove slowly through the sodden countryside marvelling at the rolling, green hills and the grazing flocks of white sheep. It felt like we were driving somewhere in England. Misty valleys and rich, dark soil. As we approached the village we passed weeping willow trees and a bubbling stream that spewed onto the expansive wetland
Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga: The early days (2001 – 2004) Read More »
From the dark green of the forested hills and tree-lined avenues, to the soft creamy beaches sliding beneath the vivid blue waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the many shades and hues of Rio de Janeiro are captivating. There is a unique energy derived from the ceaseless activity and the incessant sunshine. Youngsters play soccer on
7 days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil🇧🇷 Read More »
Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and the world’s third most populous city. Before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the capital was also known as Peking. Why this was the case seems unclear – it may have been related to the Cantonese dialect, or a mispronunciation
The gentle Saône River bubbles through the verdant hills and valleys of Burgundy’s pastoral landscape and along its run of 480 kilometres to the Rhône River at Lyon. The river is navigable from Corre all the way to Lyon, a charming stretch that covers some of the prettiest waterways in France including adjoining canals and
Burgundy by barge 🇫🇷 Read More »
Flying over the crystal clear waters of the Maldives is exciting and alluring. Slowly, hundreds of atolls and small islands come into view. The deeper blue water gives way to shallower pools of turquoise surrounded by coral reefs, that gently encircle the almost completely flat islands. Then more impossibly pale blue water and a stark
Magical Maldives!🇲🇻 Read More »
When in India, don’t miss the opportunity for a quick trip to Nepal! Staying with Carol and Roy always has its advantages, especially because they get us to do things that we would otherwise probably not have considered. Having been living in New Delhi for almost a year, they were eager to explore further afield
Kathmandu, Nepal 🇳🇵 – Gateway to Mt Everest Read More »
The frantic chaos that is India, assaults you as soon as you get off the plane.The airport is a seething mass of people and it seems like thousands of people have come to meet our flight. It’s a relief to see Roy’s tall frame towering over all the local people. Carol firmly fights off the
India: New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur Read More »
I don’t know where I got the idea that Disney World is for children, because that is completely misleading. Yes it’s a dream come true for kids, but it is an adventure for adults as well. Proving this point, we met a couple on the shuttle bus from our resort who said: “Oh we came
Dazzling Disney World, Orlando 🏰 Read More »
The early 1990s were carefree days. Looking back, our life during this decade seemed to be characterised by being old enough to know better and young enough not to care. It was an historic time in South Africa – Nelson Mandela had just been released – signalling a period of enormous hope, uncertainty, excitement and
The early 90’s: Being social without social media 😎 Read More »
We sit on the deck of the “Nile Legend” and raise our glasses in greeting as another river cruise boat putters along in the opposite direction. The sun is starting to settle in for the night. A lone felucca heads for home; and the sense that we are floating down the longest river and through
Egypt: Dynasty of Pharaohs 🇪🇬 Read More »
We’d left it a little late to plan something interesting for the Christmas holidays. Before we knew it, everyone at work was hopping onto flights to Europe or Thailand or departing for a road-trip to Durban or Cape Town. We made a half-hearted attempt to find something in Mauritius, but flying there last minute was
Lesotho: Kingdom of the Sky 🇱🇸 Read More »
Les saveurs de la vie is a blog about lifestyle, travel, food, photography and other musings. We are Nikki and Geoff, married since 1995 and based in Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦.