The Crags - South Africa

15th October

Late evening (little natural light left) we arrived at the wild spirit lodge in The Crags and although we were not able to see the place in all it's glory we could already tell we had made a wise choice to book 4 nights. After using shared dorms everywhere up until this point we decided to upgrade to a private with ensuite, still very affordable and the decision was very easy after seeing the amazing view we got with it. 

We were given a tour of the beautiful treehouse style open to the elements communal lodge, fire pits and handmade glasses, the social area - a large old log cabin alongside a stunning elevated bar with a large old tree growing through it. As the site was based on an elevated spot at the side of a beautiful forest, the view from both our room and the main lodge was extraordinary.

Not only were the volunteers and fellow travellers really helpful and friendly but the food there was amazing, we ate together on the communal outside decking area overlooking the incredible view of the forest.

We did all the local forest walks, one of which led to a lovely waterfall.  The hostel was home to three pet dogs, two cats and a couple of horses which was really nice. There was a local farm shop just a 5 minute walk from wild spirit lodge, they sold the most delicious cheese and bread. Can't ask for more than that :) 

                                       

Our second day was spent exploring the area and some of the beaches around Plettenburg bay. We discovered a selection of crafty gift shops and a cafe with some amazing bread and yummy cakes.

We made friends with lots of great people from all over the world. (Germany, Brazil, America, South Africa and The Netherlands) On our third day we arranged to visit Robberg Nature reserve with a group of new friends. Robberg marine protected area is a long broad peninsula jutting out from Plettenburg Bay. It plays host to massive groups of Seals, which were amazing to discover along our route, however they do have a potent smell. 

                                 

Apparently Robberg got its name decades ago from the seals who live there, 'Rob' is Afrikaans for Seal. You can also sometimes see Dolphins, Whales and Sharks among the waves off Robberg. 

 

Giant sand dunes stretched along the beach.

We did the long hike around the whole peninsula which took us a good few hours. The views from the reserve are really quite breathtaking. It was lovely to stop and take in the views as we walked. On our way back we decided to stop at the famous cheese man shop to buy a selection of very tasty cheeses, A great day.

                                       

On our last day we started another hike which would take us through an array of different terrine. Through forests, along an empty river bed and down to the beach and lagoon. We set of as a three with a friend we made at the lodge, the route was really fun, navigating the forest with all it's hidden gems, even discovering a vine swing we had to play on.

     

After the descent of the steep hill with very deep steps we finally reached the beach. At this point we met some more of our fellow wild-spirit friends, who we then joined for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Although we were halfway through our hike, due to a knee problem I was suffering with I made the decision to hang out at the beach with the others instead of continuing with Andrew and Annika. Once we were all ready to head back we were picked up in a truck and taken back to the lodge.

On discovering that the Baz bus was going to be a couple of hours later than scheduled we had a tasty dinner and said goodbye to a beautiful place. 

Kynsna - South Africa

14th Oct 2014

In Kynsna we stayed in an attractive looking Victorian house perched up the hill which overlooked the Kynsna lagoon, We booked a dorm which is usually a bit of a lucky dip as to what the standards are like, whether you get any sleep is dependant on snoring Dorm Buddies! This one slept 6 people, we were the last two to check in... Let's just say our fellow travellers were less than tidy/considerate. But hey it's all part of the experience :)

  

On the evening of our arrival we treated ourselves to an Italian dinner at a restaurant down in the harbour area with a stunning view of the sunset and yachts moored in front of us - one of the best Italians and yet cheapest We've ever had. 

The following morning, after recovering from feeling sick due to the over indulgence at the Italian, we headed out to the harbour for Brekkie and to the shops to continue our mission to get Birthday presents for the fast approaching Birthdays of those back home. 

After failing miserably we rented a set of bicycles and rode around the lagoon and up the rather steep hill to the Kynsna heads viewpoint - A hard ride up; a fun ride down! 

The view from the heads was stunning, From the top of the left hand side cliff where the lagoon meets the sea. 

Knysna Heads

After returning to the hostel and lounging around in the sun on the steps up to the lodge with the German couple and a very lovely Dachshund dog we made friends with, we were eventually collected by the baz bus again heading toward our next hostel in the Crags

Wilderness

12th October 2014

After the long journey with Solomon and Carolin in the compact little car and stopping at Mossel Bay, we eventually drove through a pass which opened out onto the beautiful start of the wild coast commencing at Wildnerness and ending in Port Elizabeth.

After checking into Fairy knowe Backpackers and dropping our bags off we had lunch with S & C near the sea front. We said goodbye to the pair and took the twenty minute walk back to our hostel through the nature/national reserve on the boardwalks.
         
That evening we remained at the hostel which was both good and bad. The good being the lovely social area which was a large thatched hut with bar, sofas and pool table. The bad being the rather old and outdated house that contained the beds and bathrooms. Not the worst but could do with a little love to bring back it's charm. 
In the evening we met two nice Dutch lads and some American girls. We had dinner at the hostel which consisted of us all eating steak and veg at the table alongside some of the staff and the owner which was nice. The drinks were really cheap too.

                                   

The following morning we were dropped off with a double kayak where we would navigate the nature reserve lake area and make our way up the river into the jungle where we then abandoned the boat and continued on foot for 45 minutes to a beautiful double waterfall. 

                                  

We had lunch at the waterfall and made our way back to the kayak, playing around climbing vines and taking in the wildlife as we went. After arriving back at the mooring point we carried the oars and walked back to the hostel taking a different route this time. This took us along an old abandoned train track which used to run a steam engine years ago along the wild coast. We had come across this track during our kayak trip too 

        

       

Abandoned train track in wilderness 

    

       

On our return we were then collected by the BazBus where we travelled to Kynsna, bumping into a German couple we had met earlier on our stay who then stayed in the same hostel in Kynsna.

Our first day in Hermanus

On Friday 10th October we then took the 2hr BazBus journey from Cape to Hermanus. On our arrival  in Botsriver an old lady awaited to take us the final stretch south to our Hostel. We stayed in a comfy but rather eccentric & outdated hostel with swinger style jacuzzi. With most of the day left, we walked down to the sea front where we had lunch whilst watching countless Southern Right Whales splashing around in the Bay and beyond. After perusing the shops and getting sun burnt we returned to the hostel to have the macaroni cheese dinner we had bought. After sunset the temperature outside dropped quickly so we made use of the refreshingly hot jacuzzi under the stars.

 

 The following day we got a shuttle to Gansbay where we were due to go Shark Cage Diving. We went through the safety brief and introductory training before getting on the boat and heading out to the sight area. The sea was incredibly choppy and stupidly we were asked to get into our wetsuits out at sea rather than before we left - not a fun experience on a busy boat in choppy waters. After a couple of hours of hanging closely to the side of the boat ready to feed the fish our very own chunky soup all passengers were happy to return to dry land as the sharks were nowhere to be seen. At least lunch was included. On our return to Hermanus we moved to a hostel around the corner where some friends were staying. We finished the day with Tapas at a local restaurant ready and prepared for the early start the following morning where our friends would give us a lift to Wilderness.

                             

 

Boulders Beach -Cape Town

Cape Town - Day 3

8th October 2014

We caught the train to Simon's Town today to visit the African penguins at Boulders beach. The Train cost 50R for both of us 'first class' return which is about £2.79 altogether £1.39 each, Why can't trains be that cheap in England. However it was virtually Impossible to tell which was first class and which was regular, seats facing forward and a slightly cushioned seat perhaps! Was good fun though and the views from the train were very pretty.

We set off early from Cape Town and made a stop along the way at Kalk Bay. We went to the Brass Bell for lunch which is sat right on the waterfront overlooking the ocean. Whilst having lunch we spotted three 'Southern right' Whales splashing around a mere 50ft In front of us. It was very cool to see them so close. 

We continued on the train to Simons Town and walked up to Boulders beach to see the colony on Penguins living there. Apart from the cold winds blowing that day it was lovely to see the penguins laying on the beach and boulders chilling out. 
We got ice cream on the way back to the train which was very cheap and very tasty :) A lovely day.

Cape Town -Day 2

7th October 

Today we climbed Table mountain. We took the platteklip gauge route which for me (not a very experienced climber) was pretty tiring, however It only took us about an hour 40 to climb to the top which isn't too bad at all. It's very steep with big boulders to climb over.

Once we reached the summit it felt amazing, a satisfying achievement. The views over the whole of Cape Town are quite mesmerising. the temperature up there is very cold when the cloud draws over so we ate in the cafe and then around 6:30pm we took the cable car back down to the bottom.

Along the way we saw some Dassie's which look like giant hamsters AKA 'Rock rabbits' there were quite a few at the top of the mountain too. 

They came and made friends with us quite quickly, investigating and stealing food.

Dassie's on Table Mountain 

Cape Town South Africa

Cape Town - Day 1

6th October

So after a few sleep deprived days, two Long plane journeys and a lot of waiting Urgh, we finally arrived in Cape Town South Africa. Our first port of call on our round the world adventure. After a brief check in at our hostel we wasted no time in walking the 30 minutes down to the waterfront, very busy in the town, we sat down by the harbour and looked out over the sea. 

We visited the Aquarium too which was really fun, sharks and huge turtles being the highlight, towering tanks packed with jumbo sized fish and sharks, a small area with penguins splashing around too.

19:00pm on our first evening sat in a hammock on the balcony of our lovely hostel, looking out over lions head and table mountain with the twinkling lights of Cape Town shimmering beneath it...Beautiful