Winelands

Categories: Cape Town · South Africa · TravelTags: · · · · · 3 Comments

The large mountainous Winelands of South Africa is home to more than a hundred estates and farms. Stellenbosch, around 46 kms east of Cape Town, is a charming town founded in 1679 by Gov. Simon van der Stel, who among other achievements, planted hundreds of oak trees throughout the Cape. Today, Stellenbosch is known informally as Eikestad, or “City of Oaks“, and is the most historic of the Winelands towns.           Another 33 kms east of Stollenbosch is the prettiest valley of Franschhoek or French Corner. This is the land that Simon van der Stel gave…

Cape Town

Categories: Cape Town · South Africa · TravelTags: · · 3 Comments

I have taken the so-called “long road” to reach Cape Town in South Africa. A circuitous route from Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), I fly northwest to Nairobi (Kenya) and then head back south to Johannesburg, and connect further south to Cape Town. Never mind the 10 hour travel it takes to get here as I have always wanted to visit Cape Town – the oldest city in southern Africa and by far the most cosmopolitan in this country. The Mother City occupies one of the world’s most stunning locations, with the iconic Table Mountain in its centre, surrounded by beaches and vineyards. Driving through the Cape…

Sayari Camp

Categories: Accommodations · Serengeti · Tanzania · TravelTags: · · · ·

The camp I stayed at for four nights in Northern Serengeti is the Sayari Camp, part of the Asilia group of camps and lodges. Lying across the border of Kenya by the famed Mara River, this is where the migratory herds of wildebeest brave the crocodile-infested waters of Mara River to reach the grasslands of the south this time of the year. Sayari Camp is comprised of 15 tents spaced 20 to 25 meters from one another. There is a main camp with a lounge and dining room where it opens up to a pool overlooking the game-rich plains. The game…

The Great Migration

Categories: Serengeti · Tanzania · TravelTags: · · ·

The main reason I went to the Serengeti National Park is to witness what has been dubbed as the “greatest show on earth” – the annual migration of the hoofed animals. Of course, I wish to spot the Big 5 game animals as well, namely, the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and the black rhinoceros, but that was not my main purpose. This time of the year, the herds are to be spotted in Northern Serengeti close to the Maasai Mara (by the Kenyan border), as they head south in anticipation of the rains. The hillier and heavily vegetated area in this northern…

Tanzania

Categories: Accommodations · Arusha · Tanzania · TravelTags: · · · 2 Comments

Jambo (hello)! After a 10-hour flight from Toronto and an 8 hour stopover in Istanbul, I board another flight — this time for another 6.5 hours to bring me to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. And no, I am not here to hike the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro. Arriving at 1:20 am local time, I am driven for an hour to the city of Arusha for a short shut eye before I catch a bush flight to my final destination in Tanzania. Arusha is a cool, lush and green town near the foot of Mount Meru and fringed by coffee, wheat and maize estates. So it is no wonder that…

Dublin Eats (& Sleep)

Categories: Accommodations · Architecture · Dublin · Europe · Food · Ireland · TravelTags: · · · · · ·

Dublin is one serious food lover’s destination. Chalk it up to pure ignorance, but I was delightfully surprised at the number of excellent restaurants and eateries in town. My very first stop after I landed and checked into my hotel was to have the hotel concierge book me a late lunch at The Greenhouse located off St. Stephens Green. Chef Mickael Viljanen, who was crowned the Best Chef in Ireland 2015, prepares innovative Irish cuisine that is both sublime and “art” in itself.   Etto on Merrion Row was added to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list that recognize restaurants that offer…

Temple Bar

Categories: Dublin · Europe · Ireland · TravelTags: · · · · 1 Comment

Everyone hears about the Temple Bar area of Dublin. The city’s erstwhile down-at-the-heels neighbourhood that is now crammed with cafes, bars, pubs, clubs and trendy hotels – a mix of the old with the new. During daytime, Temple Bar is an artsy and cultured district full of hip shops and modern art galleries. At night, such refinement gives way to a non-stop party atmosphere with its 30+ pubs and bars.     The River Liffey separates the north and south sides of the city. Dublin takes its name from the southwest of the city when, in prehistoric times, there was a dark…

Art and Soul

Categories: Architecture · Art · Dublin · Europe · Ireland · TravelTags: · · · · · ·

The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is housed in what was formerly the Kilmainham Hospital. Built in the 1680s as one of Ireland’s Classical-style buildings modelled after Les Invalides in Paris, it is considered the finest 17th century building in the country. The hospital was handed to the Free State in 1922 and served as headquarters for Garda from 1930 to 1950. It was beautifully renovated in 1991 and reopened as IMMA. Christ Church Cathedral as it stands, is a 19th century restoration of what was originally a wooden church. Dublin’s first church was founded here in 1028 by…

Go to Jail

Categories: Architecture · Dublin · Europe · Ireland · TravelTags: · · · · · 2 Comments

Built in 1796, the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) in Dublin became notorious for the role it played in virtually every painful act of Ireland’s quest for independence. The material used to build the jail was sandstone which wept in bad weather, resulting in damp and grim conditions for its inhabitants. One of the largest unoccupied jails in Europe, Kilmainham Gaol was closed in 1924 and was restored as a museum in the 1960s and provides an informative guide to the country’s history. After a sobering tour of the prison, lighten the mood with what majority of the people associate Ireland with — Guiness. The…