So you may (or may not as the case may be) be wondering about how our travel to SA went with a newborn. I'd love to tell you all about how we found travelling with a baby. The day finally came when we had finished our packing and to Heathrow to get the eagerly anticipated journey off to a start!! Sarabi and I were really aware that the following almost 24hrs of travelling through airports and countries was no easy feat, but here we are at Heathrow with our stomachs in knots thinking about the journey ahead of us. We had booked the flights way in advance and decided to try the cheaper alternative of not going directly to SA but getting a connecting flight. We flew with Air France from Paris CDG Airport, then onto Johannesburg. This meaning that to get to our final destination, we had three plane journeys, one being long haul from Paris CDG to Johannesburg OT. Looking forward our next trip will be direct, the rush in Paris was tiring and it caused serious sweats. With some help of wet wipes, away goes the sweats and we are shortly about to take off and depart to JHB. The flight went superb, simba settled in no time and with the plane vibrations he was up in the clouds zzzz'ing away. Europcar - We rented a vehicle from the airport, good service and quick too, they even upgraded us to a larger vehicle. Loved the ride, family friendly vehicle Renault stepway Sanderowith lots of boot space. Willows Resorts, Port Elizabeth coast, the drive along the coast was a wakeup and smell the ocean moment We arrived around 19:00 at the enclosed resort, pre booked. It was real dark and quiet with practically just the sound of waves crashing in the background. Our stay at Willows was a good one, despite it being out of season there were fellow travellers and families in the resort. On freedom day in particular the whole resort livened up, everybody was on their braai(bbq) the weather was great and the waves were within reaching distance of our chalet. There are great facilities like mini golf, pool table, sand football pitch and great walks. The rental of putters were cheap and a deposit was around 20r per putter £1.30 roughly. The bbqs and surrounding facilties were cleaned every day so no hassle of scrubbing the remnants of the braai the day after. We will one day be returning, for a longer stay... The roadtrip to Cape Town was relatively straight forward, by far the most scenic part of the journey. We stopped a few times along the garden route in places like Knysa, The wilderness and eventually stopping off in Mossel Bay half way through the journey. Pre packing and planning helped a lot, we were able to relax on our stop offs and feed Simba who was taking it all in and buzzing. Our stay in Mossel bay was booked through airbnb, a site I like for its convenience but with all the service charges not so cost effective. None the less our hosts were great, we received fresh bread which went down a treat. Our hosts were very welcoming to the family which made us feel at ease immediately. After an overnight stop to recharge our batteries (along with a glass of red wine and a small braai). We were ready to set off to Cape Town, we decided this time around that we should explore different areas of Cape Town. Stellenbosch, Western Cape, Cape Town - roughly 45 mins outside Cape Town. We stayed for a few nights, again booked through airbnb. We stayed on a farm on our hosts property, extremely homely with our own private entrance. Stellenbosch was wicked, the views are unreal and the farm we stayed on had great character and tons of space. We explored the local area for a few days and got good vibes, restaurants were cheap and the quality was excellent. Stellenbosch has many students because of the university and you really feel it in the vibe, we found a nice café to have some fresh juice and a lekker breakfast on both mornings. I was hesitant of staying on someone else's property but with our own entrance we felt we had privacy and I really enjoyed it. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town - after a few days on the farm we moved into town a two bedroom to share with the inlaws who were visiting for two weeks.... DOH. It ended up being alright apart from them setting the alarm off getting the local security down flashing lights through the window while the Mrs and I were relaxing in the garden. It was reassuring to know that the alarm worked and the security were on it. The locals were trendy, it seemed a place where the cool people hung out. Good bars with good staff, a good selection to eat in or take away. Walking is tiring due to the really steep hills, not ideal for pushing a little one but our baby carrier worked perfectly. It didn't stop us getting out. Gugulethe Township, Mzolis, Cape Town - My wife found out about Mzolis online. The best way I could describe it is an outdoor space to kick back and relax in the township with traditionally prepared meats and sides. You choose your own meat and quantity from the butchers, you pay sit down and your meal is brought out. pork chops, beef steaks and sausage along with chakalaka very yummy and worth the visit. What I would say is that the facilities such as seating could be improved. Well worth the visit, a good a couple of hours out, not ideal for baby facilities but great fun. Table mountain - awesome, cold with a restricted view due to weather conditions. A must when in Cape Town. The cable cart is good fun, I would like to walk it one day. Had a decent amount of time on the mountain to explore with the little one very alert to everything going on. V&A Waterfront, Cape Town were lovely with many to choose from, many right by the water. A bit more expensive than usual but again £40.00 gets a really nice meal. The local seafood is always good, even for people who dont like fish, try it. We used cab services in Cape Town mainly because I fancied drinking and not driving. The service was decent (sports cabs- the red ones), reliable at most times but worth taking the number of a good driver to do specific jobs for you. The drivers were approachable so don't be afraid to talk. Through our travels in SA food is always inspiring, comparing it to what we have in the UK considering the cost puts things into perspective. There is no doubt my waistline suffered a bit but worth every bite. Here are a few of the places we visited we would reccommend: Bocadillos, Walmer Port Elizabeth- We were hungry and fancied something healthy. We ordered a thai chicken wrap to go and it was delicious. Fresh, lots of flavour and hearty portions,yes please. Reasonably priced in a nice area and good venue. Apparently they do good lunches and evening food too. hmmm next time.. - Something Good Roadhouse - Summerstrand Port Elizabeth Something Good is always a favourite stop off for really nice quick bites to eat, whether you park up in the carpark and order from your car (Really cool concept, waiters come to you to take your order, its great) We would really recommend the Cajun Calamari, Breakfast Burrito and the ice cream are always winners. - Grass Roof - Sardinia Bay Port Elizabeth A real hidden gem, we tried on many occasions to buy a pie from this place and it proved to be really difficult. They sold out as early as 11.30am, a real testament to how good the food is. We had pizza here, we also had a cocktail here and finally breakfast with fresh orange juice and a great coffee. All in all, it became one of our more frequent stops, due to the lush scenery and a really lovely feel to the place. It was also a really nice area to walk with our Little Simba, so close to the sea. - The Blue Shed Coffee Roastery - Mossel Bay The BEST coffee in the world hands down. Honestly if you ever pass through Mossel Bay this place is somewhere you HAVE to stop to try the coffee. There is outside and inside seating and its a great place to let the kids run around and play whilst you enjoy a great coffee in the sunshine. - St Elmo's Pizzeria - Walmer Port Elizabeth & Col Cacchio Boardwalk Summerstrand Port Elizabeth Two pizzerias that you must try in PE. Both have great pizza and at a really decent price. There's so many to check out and if you have more suggestions for us next time we go please let us know! Aside from all the eating and enjoying ourselves, we felt it was really important that we have our little Simba checked out and who better than the Paediatrician that I saw as a boy growing up in SA. We managed to book an appointment before we left the UK .It worked out to roughly £40. It was so worth the money, the Dr was so professional and a great experience for us as a family. Our trip was so worth the wait, our Simba got to meet his family and took to the climate and sea air. The time we spent together and memories created were amazing . It gave us great confidence we could enjoy our holiday and take care of our boy. We will no doubt be returning again, potentially longer term and cannot wait to get back. Until then we plan to make the most of being in Europe exploring cities before our return. I will be blogging about our European city break experiences with the little one. Do feel free to comment and share
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T.L.PFirst time dad living in the UK with his Pride. Archives
August 2018
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