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Traveltime
Monthly Newsletter
View Newsletters ArchiveMarch 2024
Our first scheduled Traveltime tour for January 2024, the “Mystery Venue tour” had to be cancelled due to low numbers. Also our KwaZulu Natal-Battlefields tour in March also suffered the same fate – low numbers, even though we did extensive pre tour advertising.
We believe this is directly as a result of South Africa’s bad economy and upcoming elections.
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February 2024
Our normal December “Old Year” tour was cancelled due to low numbers and proved to be a great disappointment for all. This was heightened by the need to cancel our January “Mystery Venue” tour as well. For once in our almost 24 years of existence the general feeling (besides low numbers) was that many felt the need to “relax at home” after a busy festive season.
This gave us time to relook at our upcoming tours and to add additional destinations.
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December 2023
As we welcome the new year, we also welcome a brighter and more exciting newsletter. We have been working hard to bring you destinations that will whet your travel appetite. But we also want to hear from you! We value your feedback and suggestions, so please feel free to reach out to us with any areas or venues you’d like to see us include.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the new and improved newsletter. We’re excited to embark on this journey with you and look forward to sharing all the exciting content we have in store.
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June 2023
On Thursday 18th May eight of us gathered excitedly at the Cape Town International Airport to head up to the Garden Route Game Lodge. This game lodge just 13kms from Albertinia and only 329kms from the airport is a very pleasant drive from Cape Town.
Travelling on the N2, one goes over Sir Lowry’s Pass and past the towns of Caledon; Riversdale; Swellendam; Heidelberg;
Riviersonderend, all the time going through fabulous scenery. We all commented how stunningly green everything looks after the start of the Western Cape winter rains.
Arriving at the lodge at about 14h30 we were all checked in by such friendly staff all welcoming us to the lodge – augers well for the time spent there! We were shown to our rooms – all staying in the Hotel Rooms – very close to where the daily game drives leave from & also close to the swimming pool.
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April 2023
Namibia 2023
Day 1: We have confirmed seats on a mid morning Airlink flight to Windhoek, where a vehicle awaits to transfer us to our overnight accommodation. We drive through mountainous terrain to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia.
With inhabitants totaling nearly 350,000, Windhoek constitutes the largest city in the country and is situated in a lush and scenically appealing valley of Auas Mountains, Namibia’s second highest mountain range. Tonight, we will enjoy a welcome drink before dinner. Request the full Itinerary.
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March 2023
Garden Route Game Lodge-Page 5
We have often passed this Game Lodge situated off the N2, near Albertinia, whilst on various tours and have made mental notes to plan a tour here. This is now a reality.
Our 4 day tour offers:
# Road transport to and from the Lodge ( 3½ hours from Cape Town).
# Accommodation in spacious Main Lodge rooms with balcony / Dinner (Serengeti Restaurant) / Bed &
Breakfast. (Lunch optional extra) / Complimentary Wi Fi available.
# 2 x 2hr game drives per day included (Open vehicle) / Guided game walk available (optional extra) /
Bird walking trail available.
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January / February 2023
Friday 30th December and our group of 12 (11 locals and one French lady (Caroline Claverie) headed out from the Cape Town International Airport at 10h00. It is always easier to use Domestic Departures as a meeting point for everyone prior to departure – shuttles collect guests from their homes and the airport has easy access to the N1 or N2.
We chose to go along the R300 on the N2 which links to the N1. After a short coffee stop, we headed through the Du Toitskloof tunnel to Bosjes, 107km from CTIA.
Tour Report
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December 2022
Our next tour departure is on 30th December, when we head to Tulbagh with 12 passengers, with daily trips to view the numerous local attractions.
Other scheduled tours up to September 2023 are now available and include our popular Flower Tours.
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November 2022
We have updated our tour planning with 2023 tours up to June, together with two remaining tours to complete 2022.
Our Spring Flower tours are currently in the planning stage with dates selected. These will be available in our December 22 Newsletter.
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October 2022
Elgin Open Gardens: When planning this tour our first option was to visit the area for two days, spending a night away for one of the two periods (29-30 October or 5-6 November). Regrettably we found that accommodation is at a premium over these dates and we have now decided to only do a day trip into the area, with a set selection of gardens, to view on Sunday 6th November
Start on page 3 once open.
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September 2022
17 eager flower seekers left Cape Town in the rain – all keen to search for the fabulous flower season that the West Coast has become famous for. We had 2 from KZN; 6 from Gauteng; 2 from George; 5 from CT; 1 from Somerset West; 1 from Tarkastad; DESPITE THE FORECAST, “LIVE LIKE ITS SPRING”– Lilly Pullitzer is so apt as 18 people started off not knowing each other but when the tour was over, we all felt so close! Amazing what the ‘power of nature’ can do!
Highlights of the tour were: the West Coast National Park, Darling Orchids; Dinner at Kossie Sikelele; Hopefield Market on Saturday; Koekeloer and Koffiemoer in Aurora; and flowers, flowers everywhere. The weather was typically ‘Spring’ in Mid-August – some days overcast and cool but the flowers played along and everyone went home with photographs galore.
Start on page 2 once open.
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August 2022
The Spring Flower season is fast approaching. We have 2 major tours in August plus a few smaller tours through September.
Start on page 3 once continuing to read:
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July 2022
Every year in August and September the West Coast National Park opens the Postberg Flower Reserve. Here the colours of Spring burst forth and you are assured of seeing an awesome display of spring flowers. In addition to the Spring Flowers, the Park borders on the Langebaan Lagoon and it is a photographer’s delight. The views of the waves crashing on the rocks coupled with fields of beautiful yellow/blue and white flowers can paint an awesome canvas for you! On arrival in the Park the coach will go directly to the Postberg Flower Reserve. Enjoy a few hours of visual splendour!
Start on page 3 once continuing to read:
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June 2022
Witness a unique spectacle of nature
This is an amazing adventure from Cape Town into the intriguing West Coast region of the Western Cape to witness an extraordinary spectacle of nature. In the South African spring, in August, a brilliant array of diverse wild flowers transform this evocative semi-arid landscape into an unforgettable portrait of extraordinary colour and beauty.
Unique beauty of vast fields of spectacular wild flowers • Extraordinary floral diversity including endemic succulents • Warm West Coast hospitality and wine tasting along the Olifantsriver Wine Route .
Start on page 3 once continuing to read:
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May 2022
Some of our tours have become a permanent fixture in our calendar;
One destination which remains an exciting place to go to time-and-again is the Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve!
9 of us (of which 4 are brand new people on tour), head out of Cape Town on Sunday 8th May for 5 days ’in the bush’)
BON VOYAGE & THANKS
FOR YOUR FABULOUS SUPPORT
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April 2022
Nine of us headed out of Cape Town on Sunday 3rd April to the Eastern Cape. After two ‘Little hitches’ of shuttles going to the incorrect area, we gathered everyone, and headed off on the N2 heading to our first night’s stop – The Moorings Hotel in Knysna—En route the group enjoyed lunch at Tredici outside Swelledam – always a good stop! We arrived in Knysna about 16h30 and went out to Dry Dock for a delicious dinner.
An early breakfast and we all headed up to the Heads – what a fabulous view we all had on a crisp, cool morning. We also drove through Leisure Island as Marja had lived there many years ago, and wanted to see her ‘old house’. We collected our 10th passenger (Molly) in Plettenberg Bay – had a short stop at the Bloukrans Bunjy jump site. We eventually arrived at Zuurberg Mountain Village about 16h00 – our ‘home’ for 3 nights. Dinner tonight was a good a la carte selection.
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March 2022
We are fortunate to have secured a few tours commencing in April:
- A 6 day Road trip to Addo Elephant National Park which includes visits to Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, then
- In May to Graaff Reinet -Drostdy Hotel and Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve.
These, as well as a few others are detailed in our March Newsletter, commencing on page 4.
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February 2022
Our planning for 2022 tours has provided a number of exciting overland trips from April when we do a road trip to Addo Elephant Park. In May we visit Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve and then Namibia in June. Our flower tours have also been activated on our website for August.
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January 2022
REPORT: OLD YEAR TOUR (Scroll down to page 3 of the Newsletter for the report).
We headed out of the city, all meeting at the Cape Town International Airport, just before 09h00 on Thursday 30th December. The route chosen for our trip to Swartberg Country Manor was via the N2 and, of course, as per usual, first stop is Peregrine, where coffees and cappuccinos were the order of the day! We left the N2 at Swellendam and took the fabulous road up the Tredouw Pass to Barrydale, where another stop was made to fetch Siptje and John who were joining us on tour. We spent a lovely lunch hour at Diesel and Crème who have a ‘fabulous’ system going – you place your order at an on site caravan and ‘speedily’ it is delivered to your table. Their coffee milk shakes are legendary.
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November / December 2021
Our next scheduled tour departs on 14th November to Shayamanzi Houseboats on Lake Jozini (Northern Natal). Our 2nd trip to this area in 2021. The departure date was moved forward due to a problem with the smaller boat (Shayamanzi 1), which we had booked.
Our year end “Old Year tour” is scheduled to take place from 30th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022 and will be based at The 4 star Swartberg Country Hotel. Full details available on page 6.
Planned 2022 tours include a trip into Namibia (postponed from 2020 and 2021 due to Covid). Other tours are in the planning stage and will include Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve and flower tours in August and September. We also have an American group booked with us during this period.
Other good news is that the Ceres steam train to the Elgin Railway Market starts running again on 28th November.
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Scroll to pages 6 to 10 for Traveltime tours.
October 2021
Our next scheduled tour departs on 31st October to Shayamanzi Houseboats on Lake Jozini (Northern Natal). Our 2nd trip to this area in 2021.
Our year end “Old Year tour” is scheduled to take place from 30th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022 and will be based at The 4 star Swartberg Country Hotel. Full details available on page 6.
Planned 2022 tours include a trip into Namibia (postponed from 2020 and 2021 due to Covid). Other tours are in the planning stage and will include Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve and flower tours in August and September. We also have an American group booked with us during this period.
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Scroll to pages 6 to 10 for Traveltime tours.
September 2021
A group of 8 had a fabulous long weekend in Sutherland. Despite the fact that because of the Covid-19 pandemic all tours to the SALT telescope had been cancelled,
we made the most of the tour & we even managed to ’sneak’ onto the premises and take a few photos of the telescope in the background! Star gazing was cold –
(need I say more) – but when you have temperatures of –4 degrees what else can you expect?
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Scroll to pages 5 to 10 for Traveltime tours.
August 2021
One GOOD thing at present is that the Western Cape seems to have an ‘old fashioned type’ winter with our rains in plentiful supply.
GUESS WHAT THIS MEANS? YES, the Spring Flowers will be plentiful.
Meaning: it’s not too late for you to join us on our many Spring Flower Tours
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Scroll to pages 5 to 10 for Traveltime tours.
July 2021
The latest Covid restrictions have stopped restaurants from offering meals in house. Take-away meals are permissible but this won’t work for us!
SALT and the Planetarium have suspended guided tours until 11th July. This date may well be extended!
We are discussing all these hurdles with service providers and will keep everyone updated as soon as we have clarity on the best way forward for everyone.
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Scroll to page 5 regarding our Sutherland tour.
June 2021
Our Shayamanzi Houseboat tour was finally on the go! Sunday 16th May and 8 of us boarded flight BA 6303 from Cape Town bound for King Shaka International airport– where we arrived about 11h30. Distance from King Shaka airport is 3 hours 33 minutes on the N2. This road has many coal trucks on it and they seem to travel without any thought of motorists on the road. However, despite this, it is a lovely scenic road, and there is plenty to watch along the way from Nguni Cattle to interesting houses; and the time soon passes by. We took regular comfort breaks.
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Scroll to page 11
April 2021
Thursday 25th March and the coach rolled out of the city bound to Gordon’s Bay. With a tad of negativity on the coach, in that there were protests but thankfully Hylton Ross have their fingers on the pulse (social platforms do indeed help!) and we took the Baden Powell road as the N2 was closed at the R300 interchange! We spent 3/4 of an hour in Beach Road, Gordons Bay, browsing the Bikini Beach book shop (wow, what a collection of wonderful books); enjoying coffee and catching up. Heather the avid reader managed to buy a carrier bag of books and even found some jewellery ‘she-had-to-have’ in Alladins Cove! The photo Brian took with the Hylton Ross coach in the back ground is soon to be featured in their monthly newsletter (so we-are-in-the-news!) Lunch at the Grille Shack was great – they were SO organized and it is a restaurant worthy of going back to, for sure!
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March 2021
News is that ‘at long last’ there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon! South Africa is now on LEVEL ONE which has given many restaurants just what they need –
increased curfew hours means that those who work long hours have until 11:00 pm to enjoy a meal out, and our liquor outlets and wine farms are, no doubt, smiling again!
We all must still be very aware of Covid – yes, our vaccines have arrived but we’re still ‘behind’ other countries who have progressed so well with getting everyone vaccinated!
This good news has enabled us to, once again, get moving and grooving with tours and outings.
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February 2021
February is the so-called ‘Month of Love’ and boy do we all need this right now! After nearly a year of ‘lockdown’ you all HAVE TO be READY to get out-and-about?
Yes, Covid is still with us and, unfortunately, we can all choose to ‘totally isolate’ ourselves and be sad about this or “Take Precautions and Get-Out-And-About.
Both Brian and I are ready to travel—will you trust us again and come on some of our tours?
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January 2021
Covid-19 Alert level 3 is still in play and we need to plan ahead.
On the 6th December 2020 we ventured out of the city headed for Stellenbosch. First stop was the newly opened Dorp Street Market! Some enjoyed company over a cup of coffee and others looked at the various stall holders. This is a lovely small market in shade and compliant with Covid restrictions.
After this it was time to head to our Mystery Venue. We had chosen Knorhoek along the R44 route. Knorhoek means literally “The Place where Lions growl” – having a history that dates back to 1793 one can only imagine the sound of the lions growling in the valley.
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November / December 2020
The year of 2020 has been fraught with the ‘unknown’ – lockdown has dominated our lives ; Covid has become the new buzz-word and forever our lives are taking on a new ‘dimension’! Thankfully being on Level 1 we were able to ‘resume some sort of normality’ and what a happy day it was! For a start there was such enthusiasm with 5 new ladies on board – and happiness was in evidence, along with masks and temperature taking! Oh well – if we’re not used to temperature taking we’ll never get used to it!
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October 2020
Where has 2020 gone ? We started off the New Year never
guessing what lay ahead for us and then all of a sudden COVID-19 was in the air —and boy has it altered our lives. It has turned the World, as we know it, UPSIDE DOWN! The New Normal is frightening for many as we anticipate “Where” “What” and “How”.
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July 2020
Today, as I sit at my desk on DAY 102 (7/7/20) of COVID-19, I feel sure that you probably all have the same feelings as I have. At times I have felt anger how COVID has changed our lives, yet at the same time it seems to have given me an ‘inner peace’ that is difficult to
describe. Pre-COVID we all found there were never enough hours in a day—now my goodness the days seem there w are many hours to fill! What I believe that makes me the happiest is that our immediate
family and friends are all well & this is indeed something to be ever grateful for!
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March 2020
In view of the family trauma experienced over November through January we decided to provide an abridged, single Newsletter which combines upcoming information for both Time Out & Traveltime, into a single publication. This will revert to “normal” from April.
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November 2019
Some months back we introduced our first tour of 2020, this being the Namibia Highlights tour in June. The ink had hardly dried and we had a flood of bookings, 5 to be exact. From this deluge we have had another 2 bookings to date and now need to extend this to 12, which is a comfortable number to manage in a purpose made heavy duty “truck” to navigate the rough Namibian roads.
Read more on page 7 of the November newsletter.
We have now published an additional 4 tours for 2020 as well as the first clue in our December 2019 Mystery Venue tour competition.
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October 2019
Our first stop on leaving Cape Town was the West Coast National Park and what beauty awaited us. The Postberg Flower Reserve never fails to show its beauty at this time of the year. Within Postberg there was much to see and many photographs to take! The flowers are at their best after recent good rains in the Western Cape. We drove up to the look out point looking over Langebaan and Saldanha and then eventually made our way down to Plankiesbaai where our picnic baskets were unloaded, and everyone found a place on a rock to enjoy the enormous picnic supplied by the Blaauwberg Beach Hotel! (Report continues on page 2 of this newsletter).
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September 2019
The Flower season is almost over, with the daisies in West Coast Park starting to wither. This heralds the opening of bulbs in the Northern Cape.
We visited Postberg in August and Carol hosted an American group in the last week of August with another 5 day tour following in the first week of September. The abridged report of the American tour is in this newsletter and a full report and photos is on our website. The 2nd tour report (September) will be published in the October newsletter
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August 2019
The Ceres Rail, Red Devil 3 day Robertson trip (9th -11th August) is almost fully booked. Still space available if you want to experience a great trip.
Another 3 day trip is the “West Coast Trip” from 6th to 8th September, to Klawer in the “flower” areas of the West Coast. Accommodation is available on the train as well as in Clanwilliam Hotel.
There is also the weekly steam train to the Elgin Railway Market.
Then, let’s not forget the re-introduction of the Namibian Desert Express train – should have re-started in July, but nobody can confirm this.
Our September 5 day Flower tour is now fully booked! You can however still experience natures wonders on our day trip into the West Coast Park (Postberg Flower Reserve) as well as a 4 day flower tour, “Wild Flower Adventure” in August. Full details in the newsletter and on our web page.
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July 2019
We offer tours by road, rail and sea!
The Ceres Rail, Red Devil trip to Robertson in August coincides with the Elgin Winter Festival. The train is limited to 40 passengers and yes, we do have passengers booked on this trip.
There is also the weekly steam train to the Elgin Railway Market as well as a 3 day West Coast trip.
Then, let’s not forget the re-introduction of the Namibian Desert Express train in July this year.
Our September 5 day Flower tour is now fully booked! You can however still experience natures wonders on our day trip into the West Coast Park (Postberg Flower Reserve), in August.
The Old Year trip to Houw Hoek Hotel in Grabouw is gaining in popularity with 50% of our rooms already sold.
Then, into 2020, our flagship tour sees us flying to Namibia in June. We plan to travel with 12 passengers and already have 6 confirmed.
Please read full details in our newsletter.
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June 2019
Some more updates in this issue! A new 3 day steam train trip up the West Coast (in early September flower season!), MSC Orchestra cruises our shores for 6 months, between November 2019 and April 2020 and our 11 day tour to Namibia in June 2020 is now accepting bookings.
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May 2019
Exciting new additions and some tour changes are presented in the May issue of our newsletter. There are two new steam train trips on the Red Devil (Pages 3 & 4); planning for the December “Mystery venue” tour has started (Page 6); the venue for our “Old Year” tour has changed (Page 7) and there are new comments about the “Namibia” tour in 2020 (Page 7)
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April 2019
Go back over the years in your mind to when you were a teenager and stayed at hotels which were totally comfortable and where you enjoyed ALL your meals without having to leave the comfort of the hotel, searching for restaurants and pouring over menus on a daily basis!
Well, such hotels do still exist – THE NEST HOTEL near Winterton in the Drakensberg is such an old world hotel!
The Nest Hotel is a delightful family run country hotel situated in the Champagne Valley in the Central Drakensberg area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Since opening their doors in 1933, they have built up a loyal following of guests who return year after year to this special place, steeped in history and adventure.
“Come and stay with us and experience our delicious country style food, spectacular gardens, wonderful facilities, relaxing accommodation, friendly staff and exquisite views over the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Site”.
Drakensberg Boys Choir Concert included!
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March 2019
Sunday 3rd March and we all met at the Cape Town International airport bound for Port Elizabeth. Our coach driver met us all on arrival, with a huge smile on his face, and in no time, we were headed along the N2 with our first stop being Nanaga farm stall! It is, indeed, a fabulous place worthy of a stop whenever on the N2 – Port Elizabeth to Grahamstown! We then drove the road to Paterson from where we headed on the Addo route with a turnoff near the Addo National Park onto the Zuurberg pass. This 18km is very ‘rough’ for the first 2 – 3 kms, thereafter you seem to leave the bad corrugations and it’s a good gravel road! We arrived at Zuurberg Mountain Village by just after 15h00 to a hot cup of coffee / tea, scones and banana bread!
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February 2019
Firstly I must point out that the Old Year 2018 tour report was not inserted in the January Newsletter due to space constraints. (The Mystery Venue Tour took precedent).
The Old Year Tour report is of course available on our website, with a full compliment of photos.
See: https://www.traveltime.co.za/portfolio/old-year-2018
Other than the continuing Elgin Railway Market steam trains in January and February, our first overland trip is on 3rd March when we head to Zuurberg Mountain Village in Addo. Full details in our Newsletter and on the web!
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January 2019
When news was released of our annual Mystery Trip, bookings were brisk! We ended up with 30 people booked on the coach for Sunday 9th December. The idea behind the tour is that no-one knows where we are heading until we get there. Everyone is given the chance to guess where the lunch venue is, with several clues being given in the weeks leading up to the final day of the trip.
Ingrid Fearns won our annual competition, working out that we were going to Dutchies in Hermanus. For this she received a ‘complimentary’ trip and lunch on the day!
The coach headed out of Tableview by 08h45 across town to Constantia by 09h15. What a joy to do a coach trip on a Sunday, as you don’t have the usual heavy traffic!
We had a short stop at Peregrines in Elgin (always a favourite with the gatherers amongst us) – their store is filled with many delectable items and many ladies were seen to come out with large brown paper bags filled with treats for Christmas. Leaving Elgin we took the road into Hermanus and after about 30 minutes, turned left on to a road sign posted “Rotary Way”.
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November 2018
Zuurberg Mountain Village is a 150 year old haven of historical delight situated high up on the Zuurberg Pass in malaria-free Addo. It is an exclusive mountain top Hotel, set in 160 hectares of indigenous vegetation with breath-taking views of the famous Addo Elephant National Park. A mere one hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth they offer guests nature, wildlife and tranquillity in the most majestic African setting.
Guests can treat themselves to one of the Edwardian Village Cottages. The cottages are arranged so that guests can enjoy both the spectacular mountain and valley views. Each cottage boasts 2 private patios on the east and west side, ideal for magical sunrises and sunsets. Other features include, black-wood floors, climate control, under-floor heating in the bathroom, a freestanding bath and an indoor and outdoor hot and cold shower. -Page 4 of Newsletter
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October 2018
Departing at 08h00 from the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town, you will enjoy a 3 hour train journey to Elgin where you will leisurely spend 3.5 hours at the now fully established, Art Deco & Art Nouveau inspired, Elgin Railway Market. While enjoying live music, you can pander through the selection of tantalising food and beverage stalls as well as a wide selection of home grown wines for your enjoyment. Departing from Elgin at 14:30 you will embark on your relaxing train journey back to Cape Town with your estimated arrival time being 17h30. (Page 2 of Newsletter).
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September 2018
What do you do if you’re a tour operator and every weather report read a few days before your tour, say’s “100% rain” for the day you have arranged to go into the West Coast National Park to view Spring Flowers?
Well, best to do is to send out an early email suggesting a change-of-day! Thankfully we only ‘lost’ 4 bookings and everyone else were able to swap the day – and thank-goodness! My goodness, we could not have chosen a better day. NO waiting in line to get into the Park & a totally clear day. The outlook was excellent for a wonderful day of flower viewing.
We started off at Tsaarbank where we enjoyed coffee/tea and biscuits at what must be the best place in the Park. With the waves crashing over the large rocks, it was interesting to hear comments like “Wow paradise on earth” / “Look at the size of the waves!” – a wonderful prelude of what was to come.
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August 2018
Christmas in July: We left the city on Friday 20th July and headed through the Du Toitskloof tunnel to Worcester and onto the Nuy Valley. Our first stop was Nuy on the Hill. Of course, we were offered tasting of 5 of their wines, and who could resist – a lovely way to start our weekend away! After this a lovely lunch getting to know the new ladies on tour. Great excitement in the air – next stop is a ‘compulsory’ stop whenever in Robertson is a stop at the ON Route 62 wine deli, owned by Tommy Foulkes. Tommy always offers free wine tasting but believe it or not, this time it was turned down by the group (after Nuy tasting).! We chatted a while and left the shop with a bag of oranges – always something Tommy does – you never leave his shop empty-handed. Next stop was Springfield where Linda left with two cases of her favourite wine and we headed onto Ashton and to Zandvliet. Carol had recently visited this estate and considered it worthy of a second visit!
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July 2018
The weather in Montagu is impeccable, far enough south to escape the heat of the Klein Karoo and far enough north to get away from the long wet winters of the Cape. In winter the days are warm and sunny with the occasional hint of rainfall. Autumn brings on a display of colours. In October, Montagu becomes a picture perfect haven with the abundance of roses for which it is famous.
On Friday 20th we will enjoy a superb buffet, or set dinner (Dependent on numbers in the hotel).
Christmas in July will be spent on Saturday 21st July, complete with gift swapping (bring along a gift and swap under the mistletoe) / Christmas Tree decorated with pizzazz /Special Acapella choir to sing Christmas Carols. In addition, you’ll get to enjoy a superb 5 course Dinner at the hotel and coupled with this, a local DJ will play divine music between courses to get-you-moving!
Read more on page 3 of the newsletter
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June 2018
We all headed out of the city on Saturday 5th May – it’s always good to leave for tour on a Saturday – less traffic is one of the major considerations! Nine ladies and our coach driver all chatting and full of expectation at what was laying ahead for us all.
We travelled along the N2 with the first stop being Peregrines where most bought a coffee – next stop Tredici in Swellendam – also, always an excellent stop. Their lunch was superb and served so very efficiently!
We took the route to Barrydale via the Tradouw Pass a beautiful scenic trip. The yellow proteas are just starting to bloom which are so very beautiful. Our next stop was Ronnie’s Sex Shop just outside Barrydale – for some this was a second and even third visit – but for some their very first stop and didn’t like it much!!
By just near 17h00 we had seen the road sign indicating the way to La Plume on Volmoed Road just 7km outside of Oudtshoorn. Such a warm welcome we all received – with their staff on hand to make sure the group arrival went smoothly. Very soon after we were all settled in exquisite accommodation. An absolute delight!
Continue reading about the Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve visit:
https://www.traveltime.co.za/portfolio/mount-camdeboo-2018
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May 2018
Ceres Rail had their inaugural trip into Elgin to the brand-new Elgin Railway market on Saturday 28th April, with a second trip on Sunday 29th. Traveltime chose to visit on Sunday. It meant a very early start for everyone who was booked on the train – scheduled time to get down to the Unity Station near the Royal Cape Yacht club was 07:30. Taxis rolled in and the train manager eventually took his place at the wooden steps to start checking everyone in! Such huge anticipation when at a few minutes past 08:00 the train whistle sounded and you could feel the train starting to move – and hear the steam; see the black smoke billowing out of the funnel; OH, the JOYS OF TRAVEL of DAYS GONE BY!!
Read more on page 2 of the newsletter or read the report with photos: https://www.traveltime.co.za/portfolio/elgin-railway-market
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April 2018
During the annual Elgin Cool Wine & Country Food Festival, Ceres Rail Company will be offering a day trip to the Elgin Railway Market on both the 28th & 29th of April 2018, with a double header of steam.
Departing at 08h00 from the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town, you will enjoy a 3 hour train journey to Elgin where you will leisurely spend 3.5 hours at the newly established, Art Deco & Art Nouveau inspired, Elgin Railway Market.
While enjoying live music, you can pander through the selection of tantalising food and beverage stalls as well as a wide selection of home grown wines for your enjoyment.
Departing from Elgin at 14:30 you will embark on your relaxing train journey back to Cape Town with your estimated arrival time being 17h30.
Read more on page 2 of the newsletter
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March 2018
The harvest has come to an end, the vineyards are decked in their autumn finery and just as the first vestiges of winter can be felt in the crisp air, the Elgin Wine valley opens its doors to visitors from far and wide for the annual Elgin Cool Wine and Country Food Festival which is to be held over the weekend of 28-29 April 2018 from 10h00 until 17h00 daily.
Each of the participating wineries will offer a unique programme, allowing patrons to tailor-make their experience according to their own personal preferences, whilst enjoying a welcome alternative to the hustle and bustle of city life.
Award winning wines, a delectable culinary experience, a plethora of outdoor activities, live entertainment and natural scenic wonders will ensure that visitors, young and old, enjoy a memorable time in this hospitable valley.
Read more on page 3 of the newsletter
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February 2018
We have visited Sutherland 7 times over the past 9 years and have spent various periods from 1 to 3 nights in the coldest town in South Africa. Our planned tour this year will see us staying two nights, with the tour duration being 3 days. The main purpose of our visit is of course to see Matjiesfontein, the SALT telescope and to experience star gazing in the Karoo with Jurg Wagener and his computerized telescopes.
Read our previous tour report with photos: https://www.traveltime.co.za/portfolio/sutherland-2017
The period chosen to do this tour falls into the NEW MOON period and is an excellent time to view the stars. Winter is also the very best time to be in Sutherland as the winter skies are at their clearest and offer the best time for viewing! You will certainly enjoy your evening with Jurg, the local Astronomy expert. A number of computerized telescopes allow you to get first hand information (and viewings) of some stars and planets!
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January 2018
Join us on a road trip through Prince Albert and Graaff Reinet to this spectacular 5 star
private game reserve in the mountains. Enjoy an early morning game drive followed by brunch, high tea, afternoon game drive and dinner in the comfortable Camdeboo Manor or in the boma. Experience sunsets & sun-downers in the bush under the guidance of professional guides. Get to see what our 2015 group are talking about!
Guests are accommodated in Cape Dutch houses that lie cupped in the palm of the Sneeuberg Mountain range. Once homes to generations of settlers, these magnificent homesteads have been sensitively converted into havens of five star luxury. (Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve, see page 4).
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November / December 2017
Why travel 666 km to a well appointed hotel in the middle of nowhere?
Because it is an oasis of style and authentic karoo cuisine, renowned for it’s friendly hosts and homely atmosphere. Welcome to the home of Jacques and Mark where glitz and burlesque meet over a grand piano. Situated on a farm outside of town – you have escaped to calm and privacy. An unpretentious welcome by our entourage of furry four legged friends assures that you are made to feel completely at home.
Read more on page 4 of the newsletter
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October 2017
Arniston is a leisurely two-hour drive from Cape Town, on a road that meanders through the beautiful rolling hills of the Overberg region. Arniston Spa Hotel, which is our home for 4 nights, is set in one of the Cape`s most exquisite locations, next to an old fishing village, surrounded by pristine beaches and nature reserves offering the best in Arniston accommodation. The luxurious 4-star Arniston Spa Hotel is internationally known as one of the world`s great getaways. Touched by the spray from the Indian Ocean, with panoramic views of the unspoiled ocean and endless beaches.
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September 2017
Arniston is a leisurely two-hour drive from Cape Town, on a road that meanders through the beautiful rolling hills of the Overberg region. Arniston Spa Hotel, which is our home for 4 nights, is set in one of the Cape`s most exquisite locations, next to an old fishing village, surrounded by pristine beaches and nature reserves offering the best in Arniston accommodation. The luxurious 4-star Arniston Spa Hotel is internationally known as one of the world`s great getaways. Touched by the spray from the Indian Ocean, with panoramic views of the unspoiled ocean and endless beaches.
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August 2017
August heralds the start of the Flower Season in the Cape
Drive along the R27 in the Western Cape and you will already see the spring flowers rearing their colourful heads. We have had heavy rainfalls recently and this augers well for a good flower season in the West Coast National Park, where we will be headed on 26th August for our annual pilgrimage into Postberg Flower Reserve.
We will also be heading for Springbok again from 17th-22nd August.
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July 2017
“Every year nature plays a magic part in transforming the normally arid dry area in the Northern Cape into a glorious tapestry of colour and beauty.”
Each turn you take in the road will yield a different picture which you will treasure for days and months to come. These tours are very popular and it is most important that you secure you place on this tour ASAP. We have to book accommodation 12 months in advance!
We travel up the west coast through Clanwilliam and Vanrhynsdorp into Springbok, where we spend 3 nights. Visits are planned into Hester Malan Garden in the Goegap Nature Reserve,
Namaqua National Park, Skilpad Wildflower Reserve near Kamieskroon.
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June 2017
Sunday 7th saw 12 passengers eagerly gathering at CTIA for their 11:15 flight to King Shaka International in Durban. On arrival at 13:10, we were joined by Derick and Jackie (Durban residents) who were keen to explore the area with us. The drive to Nottingham Road is about 160km through lovely countryside; arriving at Fordoun Hotel & Spa, just before 16:00. Breakfast on Monday was at 07:00 for Alan and Lyn who had booked a battlefields tour. The rest of the group visited Ardmore Ceramics in Lidgetton, Culamoya Chimes and Piggly Wiggly for lunch, and some gathering.
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May 2017
Hogsback is a magical world of mountains and forests. It is situated high up on the Amathole mountains of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and is surrounded by centuries-old
indigenous Afro-montane forests.
Spring, of course, is ‘the’ time when Hogsback puts on its prettiest clothes and it will astound you with flowers and beauty. Lilies grow everywhere and all their
gardens are a paradise of colours. The annual Spring Festival runs from 23rd
September to 14th October so our timing is perfect!
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April 2017
We have visited Sutherland 6 times over the past 8 years and have spent various periods from 1 to 3 nights in the coldest town in South Africa. Our planned tour this year will see us staying two nights, with the tour duration being 3 days. The main purpose of our visit is of course to see Matjiesfontein, the SALT telescope and to experience star gazing in the Karoo with Jurg Wagener and his computerized telescopes.
The period chosen to do this tour falls into the NEW MOON period and is an excellent time to view the stars. Winter is also the very best time to be in Sutherland as the winter skies are at their clearest and offer the best time for viewing! You will certainly enjoy your evening with Jurg, the local Astronomy
expert. A number of computerized telescopes allow you to get first hand information (and viewings) of some stars and planets!
Be pre-warned that the temperatures can plummet in Sutherland at night, so make sure you bring along warm jackets, beanies, scarves and gloves.
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March 2017
Each Our Natal Midlands tour in May has only one room available, so if this is something you would like to do, please contact us as soon as possible.
Other items which may be on your bucket list are: Sutherland / Hogsback and the West Coast /Northerm Cape annual flower spectacle. All of these are detailed in this newsletter.
Upcoming Tours
| · 2-4 April: Aquila Private Game Reserve (3 Days) –Short Break |
| · 7-12 May: Natal Midlands (6 Days) (Including Optional Battlefields) |
| · 27-29 May: Sutherland-Short Break |
| · 6-9 June: Nuy Valley / Leipzig (4 Days) – (was 7-10 February) |
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January 2017
What happens when you put 45 people on a coach and head into the blue yonder on a Mystery Tour? First off, you have that wonderful expectation from those who didn’t enter our annual
competition – “Hey, where are we going” “I hear it’s Langebaan” “Is it close to the beach?” “Hope it’s not too HOT” With a predicted temperature of 31+ degrees, many were worried about where the lunch would be. We headed out of Tableview (on schedule) at 10h00 and had a 20-minute stop at Vygevallei Farm Stall. On leaving the stop we phoned the venue and gave our expected time of arrival as “within an hour”!
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December 2016
Join us and enjoy three nights in this wonderful valley. Make lasting memories with good people, good food in a GREAT setting at Leipzig Country House in the Nuy Valley.– visiting Willowcreek Olives (they have won countless awards for their olives and olive oil) ; come and meet Dihanna Kloppers who makes wonderful preserves from her farm within walking distance of Leipzig – she will serve us morning tea ; and enjoy lunch at a stunning new restaurant called Nuy on the Hill with great views of the surrounding area. We also have to explore the area around the Nuy Valley – close to the Nuy Valley are several wine estates and wonderful pad-stalletjies; Dinner at Leipzig is always an ‘affaire of note’!
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November 2016
Spend 3 days / 2 nights with friends on this short break tour and enjoy a great dinner (and dance if you wish) on the last night of 2016; explore the surrounding areas and reminisce on years gone bye. We have secured accommodation in the Montagu Country Hotel where rooms and décor are a tribute to the Art Deco period. The available restaurants have been “inspected” and we have made our selection for the first nights dinner.
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October 2016
Aquila Safari Lodge is a 4 star establishment in the Southern Karoo near Touwsrivier. The reserve is a 10,000 hectare conservancy and home to the big 5 legends of the wilderness – elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino. A leisurely 2 hour scenic drive from Cape Town through Worcester, De Doorns and Touws Rivier brings you to the entrance of Aquila Private Game Reserve.
We had arranged a 2 night stay in the new (October 2015) Aquila Lodge, boasting Standard,
Mountain View and Luxury Family Suites. Separate cottages are also available on site. Prices, as with many game lodges, are structured to attract overseas visitors, which there were many on the 3 days we spent at Aquila. Having said that we were able to take advantage of the reserve’s decision not to charge a single supplement for visitors over 60 years of age.
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September 2016
Every year nature plays a magic part in transforming the normally arid dry area in the Northern Cape into a glorious tapestry of colour and beauty
The first tour to Springbok was from the 10th to 15th August when we had 13 people on tour. Sadly two people had to return to Cape Town due to ill health after the first day! On our Springbok tour we used Letsatsi Lodge on the N7 outside Vanrhynsdorp for our first and last night on tour.
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August 2016
Each turn you take in the road will yield a different picture which you will treasure for days and months to come. These tours are very popular and it is most important that you secure your place on this tour ASAP.
We travel up the west coast through Clanwilliam and Vanrhynsdorp into Springbok, where we spend 3 nights. Visits are planned into Hester Malan Garden in the Goegap Nature Reserve, Namaqua National Park, Skilpad Wildflower Reserve near Kamieskroon.
We will also visit the Kokerboom Nursery in Vanrhynsdorp and the Ramskop Wildflower Reserve in Clanwilliam on our return to Cape Town.
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July 2016
Winter is upon us – a good time to go to Sutherland. When you star gaze you need the clear skies of winter for the best viewing. Also it is best to go star gazing in the period of the “New Moon” – not wise, obviously, to go in “Full Moon”
Twelve ladies excitedly left the Airport holding bay at 09:30 on Thursday headed to Sutherland. It was a clear day – the day before had been unbelievable weather in Cape Town – lunch time temperature of mid 20’s with a ‘Berg Wind’- this always signifies the coming of cooler weather and predictions were for severe storms for the weekend.
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June 2016
We left the city on Sunday morning 8th May (Mother’s Day) which is always such an easier option – no traffic of any sort. We were able to leave the Airport holding bay at 09h30, with our first stop being Peregrine Farm stall and not too much later we were in in Swellendam (Tredici Restaurant) for lunch. Next stop was the Aloe shop in
Albertinia – and the final stop was Knysna where we checked in at the Knysna Log Inn. Dinner was at the Sirocco Restaurant – a real treat! The service was excellent and by 10:30pm everyone was ready to ‘hit-the-sack’. Comfortable beds ensured a peaceful night’s rest and we all enjoyed an early breakfast on Monday 9th May – full of anticipation of the day ahead.
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May 2016
24 April at 09:31 Facebook message
MSC Cancels cruise for Monday 25th April to Walvis Bay
Due to heavy storms on her journey from Durban to Cape Town, the MSC Sinfonia re- routed to Port
Elizabeth to avoid the rough weather This has resulted in her delayed arrival in Cape Town as she waits out the heavy seas. All passengers who were scheduled to depart on this cruise are being advised not to proceed to Cape Town as this cruise will have to be cancelled. All passengers will receive a full refund for this cruise , and MSC sincerely regrets that the high storms prevented the safe passage of the Sinfonia continued journey to Cape Town. MSC will be contacting all passengers affected directly,
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April 2016
Very excitedly 11 of us set out “on-the-road-again” – this time to Prince Albert in the Karoo. Our route followed the N1 through the Du Toits Kloof Tunnel through Worcester, De Doorns, Touws River and then by lunchtime we arrived at the Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein. The hotel was buzzing with people, many of whom were on their way to do the Cape Argus cycle race on Sunday .
Pity that despite the interest in Matjiesfontein, one comes away disillusioned with the food!
After lunch and a short re-fuel stop in Laingsburg we were, once again on the N1 headed to Prince Albert Road where we turned off to Prince Albert! On arrival we into their accommodation, Two establishments Saxe Coburg Guest House in town and Karoo View Cottages up on the hill overlooking Prince Albert. Both 4* and very comfortable!
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March 2016
March to December 2016 will see us “on the road again” to some new destinations as well as some old favourites—come along and join us on these excursions with current friends, or make some new ones!
In May 2016 we will explore the game parks of the Eastern Cape. Cape Town to the Addo Elephant Park is 907km. This necessitates us having stop-overs on our first & fifth day of traveling in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
There will be 2 nights in the Addo area at a 4* graded guest house with open vehicle game drives
included, into the Addo Elephant Park. Learn a bit more about the Addo area by exploring the area on one day. The Addo Elephant Park is now the third largest National Park in South Africa and also now boasts having the Big 5. The very beautiful game park surrounded by the Zuurberg Mountains will immediately make you relax.
February 2016
The Best things in Life are the PEOPLE we LOVE, the PLACES we’ve been and the MEMORIES we’ve made ALONG THE WAY
Prince Albert Short Break
- Your days will be filled, exploring attractions such as the Weltevrede Farm which is a short distance outside of town and the good news is that it is fresh fig time! The Farm supplies
Woolworths and a visit here is a must. - There is also the Saturday market where locals meet and spend a few hours offering their produce and nik naks. / or, take a trip up Swartberg Pass.
- We will try to add an early evening Ghost Walk with Alisa Tudhope. She guides groups through the streets providing stories about the various old houses and residents
- A very new attraction to the town is the addition of The Showroom Theatre.
We will reserve tickets for a live show (or old fashioned movie) on the Saturday night!
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January 2016
Mystery Venue Tour – 6th December 2015
Sunday 6th December dawned with a cloudy but clear sky! Our coach started in Tableview with mist rolling in over the sea …..”Wow it’s going to be a cool day” was heard on the coach! After our second pick up in Constantia everyone was in a festive mood. Our coach traveled along the ‘beach road’ and the sea was a fantastic color – “What a treat to live in Cape Town”!!
A short stop at Peregrine Farm Stall – and we then headed to our final destination – South Hill Wine Estate in the Elgin Valley where owner Kevin King was on hand to direct the coach into the most accessible place for everyone to disembark.
December 2015
Each year seems to pass faster than the previous year. 2015 is no exception; it seems impossible to think Christmas is just 25 days away. Where did the year go? The saying “Time flies when you are having fun” is very apt to our situation. Carol & I enjoy our travels with everyone who participates in our tours. Without the fun, laughter and companionship we would be at a loss. Thank you one & all for travelling with us. We look forward to many more “ Happy Days” in 2016
November 2015
Exploring the Overberg
Within driving distance of one of South Africa’s busiest cities, lies a region of contrasts and wonder. The Overberg has rugged mountain ranges, fynbos, rolling wheat and canola fields, and splendid coastal vistas. It is for you to reflect, discover and maybe even have the adventure of a lifetime.
The Overberg has always fascinated me…..as the years have gone by, more and more establishments are springing up and I feel it’s time to ‘get-going’ again into this delightful area!
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October 2015
2015/16 Planning?
We have two tours remaining for 2015 and 9 tours scheduled for 2016. Yes, some are in the planning stages, but full details will be available shortly.
Our year end Mystery Venue tour competition kicks off with the first clue. See page 3 of the Newsletter.
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September 2015
What’s on your bucket list?
We will shortly begin our 2016 planning in earnest and would like to consider some of your bucket list items for inclusion as future Traveltime tours.
Yes seriously, send us some of your list items and we will categorize them and select the most original (and practical) for inclusion in our 2016 offering.
There may even be some form of “reward” on offer. Watch this space
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August 2015
Travel roads Least Travelled.
Tuesday 7th July: Our flight, destination Windhoek, left timeously at 5.00 pm – there was much anticipation and excitement as we sat waiting in the departures lounge at Cape Town International. This capital city is said to be pulsing with life, and adds a sparkle of adventure to your ‘base’ before we head on our travels. On our arrival at Windhoek Country Club we met with Meghan and Eva of Sense of Africa. Meghan has been such a part of our planning over the past 9 months. The Windhoek Country Club notorious buffet dinner followed by comfortable accommodation really made our first night very memorable.
Wednesday 8th July: Early this morning we met Carlos Mauers, our coach driver / guide for our tour. Carol was particularly pleased with the vehicle to be used for the tour – “Another tick off my bucket list” she said……
”I have always wanted to go on one on these ‘overland vehicles’.
Leaving the Windhoek Country Club at 08h00 we headed into Rehoboth along the C24 eventually passing
Rietoog and arriving at our lodge – The Hammerstein Lodge – delicious toasted sandwiches under the trees and everyone was starting to really relax and enjoy Namibia. Dinner tonight was particularly good – served in their dining room and a highlight was the Ohimba dancers dancers – ‘Amarula’ being a favorite song!!
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July 2015
“WHAT GOOD IS THE WARMTH OF SUMMER, WITHOUT THE COLD OF WINTER TO GIVE IT SWEETNESS”
A few days before we left Cape Town, several cold fronts hit The Western Cape. This brought anxiety & joy at the same time. Anxety that enough warm clothing had been packed and Joy that ‘just perhaps’ the cold front would bring snow to Sutherland.
We had marvelous sightings of snow in the Hex River Valley and our first stop at the Veldskoen Padstal for lunch had the mountain tips covered in glistening snow. Glistening because now the sun was out! A joyful lunch with a table of farmers alongside us had the ladies jokingly trying to pair a few of the farmers off with our ‘single ladies’!!
Very soon we were back in our vehicle heading to Matjiesfontein. We stopped there for ¾ of an hour – a few ladies went into their bar and enjoyed a sherry (wards off the cold for sure!) whilst a few discovered the chapel on site and also enjoyed looking at the hotel and gardens.
By 16h30 we had arrived in Sutherland – just over 100kms from Matjiesfontein. Everyone checked into the two guest houses booked for them. KambroKind where 8 ladies stayed and Skitterland where 2 of our ladies stayed!
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June 2015
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity – Khalil Gibran
Some tours start with some passengers unknown to you ; the sweet responsibility ; but at the end of sharing 6 days in the bush one realizes what an opportunity you’ve had to meet them and to share time with them – differing personalities, but each with unique qualities!
We left Cape Town on Sunday 10th May (Mother’s Day) with a surprise gift hidden in each passengers tour presentation package—a slab of Lindt Chocolate to celebrate the day. First stop was the Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein where we settled in for lunch in the pub, with the pianist playing his honky-tonk tones in the background. We arrived in the small town of Prince Albert just after 16h00 and settled into two pre-booked guest houses– Saxe Coburg and the Karoo View Cottages.
Dinner was at a new restaurant, Simply Saffron.
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May 2015
We have visited Sutherland 4 times over the past 8 years and have spent various periods from 1 to 3 nights in the coldest town in South Africa. Our planned tour this year will see us staying two nights, with the tour duration being 3 days. The main purpose of our visit is of course to see Matjiesfontein, the SALT telescope and to experience star gazing in the Karoo with Jurg Wagener and his computerized telescopes. Read previous tour reports on our old website: (1) http://traveltime.co.za/old_site/traveltime/previous/sutherland_09.htm and (2) http://traveltime.co.za/old_site/traveltime/previous/Sutherland131.htm.
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April 2015
“Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if it doesn’t work out, just take another shot!”
The following schedule is an updated version of this and we will continue to provide additional information in future newsletters, as planning progresses: (Tour dates in blue are confirmed).
- 12th April (Sunday): Aphrodisiac Shack—Villiersdorp (Request a brochure).
- 2nd May (Saturday): Riebeek Valley Olive Festival.
- 10th—15th May: Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve (Request a brochure),
- 14th June: Sunday Outing (Planning stage).
- 18th-20th June: Sutherland in Winter (Request a brochure).
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March 2015
Time & Tide waits for no man!
Here we are again preparing the next Newsletter. There are a few changes and one
cancellation (28th February day tour to the Muratie Harvest festival was cancelled due to low numbers). Please continue reading and contact us for additional information you may want or if anything is unclear.
In our February newsletter we released some fixed and provisional tour dates.
The following schedule is an updated version of this and we will continue to provide additional information in future newsletters, as planning progresses: (Tour dates in blue are confirmed).
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February 2015
Time marches on; I can’t believe January is already behind us. Perhaps the old adage “the older you get the faster time passes you by” has some truth in it?
As birthdays come and go, they seem to get closer and closer together. It’s a common feeling across all cultures. As you get older, time feels as though it’s going faster.
But why? Well, the only correct answer to this question is: nobody knows. The brain is a complex instrument and time perception is the result of many areas of the brain working together. We just don’t know how it works. However, here is one hypotheses:
Proportional time: A proposed explanation is that when you’re 5 years old, an extra year of you life is a massive 20% of your memories. When you’re 50, another year is only 2%. Therefore that extra year feels less significant as it accounts for a much smaller proportion of your memories.
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January 2015
Sunday 7th December dawned with the promise of a hot day, temperatures peaking in the early 30’s. As our coach left Tableview we noticed the mist gathering over the sea, a sure sign of a hot day ahead.
On the collection of the Constantia passengers it was very evident that everyone was in the mood for a good party to celebrate the coming of the Christmas holidays.
Our destination was “ELL at Spookfontein Restaurant” in the Hemel en Aarde valley.
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November / December 2014
The West Coast always conjures up images of people living the laid-back life of this area. I have always wanted to do a tour of this area, in depth. November is a great time in the Western Cape in that the winter storms are a thing of the past, and the day temperatures are starting to warm with the promise of summer coming. We will base ourselves in Paternoster at good 4* self catering accommodation.
!Khwa Ttu We have often driven right past this new area on the R27. Today you will learn more about the San during the tour of a replica cultural village. You will see the intricacies of making beads from
ostrich egg shells, witness San pipe smoking and the art of making a fire using a rotating stick. Lunch will be enjoyed in their restaurant.
Muisbosskerm – Voted one of the “Top Ten Sea Views to Dine For” by National Geographic. Also “Getaway’s Top Ten” by Readers Digest. What started off as a hobby to entertain family and friends in Lamberts Bay soon turned into a business. I strongly believe this to still be the ‘best’ outdoor seafood lunch along the West Coast.
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October 2014
Ten of us headed out of the city of Cape Town at 10 am heading up the N2 to Hermanus / De Kelders.
A quick stop at Peregrine Farm Stall for their famous coffee / sweet snack / sausage roll before we made our way to Stanford arriving at about 11h45. We had made a booking at Brunia Wines 20km outside of Stanford to do some wine tasting and enjoy a light lunch. We were all blown away – yes, it was 20km, but after about 25 minutes on a gravel road with scenery to-die-for, we reached the Brunia property.
September 2014
We left the City on Wednesday in inclement weather with a few drops of rain en route to the West Coast National Park. Arriving by about 10h30 we still had overcast cloudy weather!
However, this did not deter the enthusiasm of the people in the coach. We spent a good hour and a half ambling through the flowers; enjoying the healthy animals in the background of the park as well!! Of course, the vantage point where one can overlook Langebaan is always good and this was enjoyed by us all. (The sun shone through here for a brief moment).
Lunch was enjoyed at Geelbek Restaurant and the meals were delicious! Mid afternoon saw us all heading to Paternoster and we settled into aH Guesthouse where we were warmly welcomed by Arnold and Annelise. A short rest and then a short drive around Paternoster before sundowners in the famous Panty Bar at the Paternoster Hotel, and everyone was in excellent ‘spirits’ when we went back to aH Guesthouse for dinner.
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August 2014
Where do we begin?
The day before we left for the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, we had warnings of freak weather. This left us in a quandary with our passenger pick ups – however it rained early morning and we managed to get everyone on board our 44-seater coach at the Holding Bay at Cape Town International Airport, without a problem.
Driving out of Cape Town we saw snow capped mountains in the distance, but at Riviersonderend and
Swellendam the local mountains were covered in snow. This added to the atmosphere and whilst we had lunch at Tredici, many photographs were taken.
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July 2014
Bon Voyage
On Saturday 5th July the Coach rolls out of Cape Town bound for Grahamstown and the 40th anniversary of the National Arts Festival! If you missed the ‘coach’ this year – PLEASE do an early booking for 2015 as we intend to book the same accommodation and make this an annual pilgrimage to the Festival.
To those of you who are lucky enough to be going—BON VOYAGE—SAFE TRAVELS and come back with wonderful memories of a fabulous trip!
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June 2014
Tour Report – Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve
Sunday 11th May dawned with the promise of a break-away from the city to the Karoo. The 15 excited passengers on this tour were collected at their homes and transported to our meeting place at the Cape Town International Airport from where we left in our coach, direction Matjiesfontein.
It was an easy drive to Matjiesfontein where we had pre-arranged a pub lunch at the Lord Milner Hotel. Johnny who is their resident piano player of note was already entertaining a group of people; the fire was crackling and very soon we all tucked into warm food. A short tour of the rooms of the Hotel with Johnny’s usual ‘ghost’ stories and we headed back into the bar for a bit of a sing along and ‘dance’. Then it was time to continue our journey to Prince Albert, where we would spend the night. We had traveled 408 km and everyone was in high spirits. Accommodation was arranged at Karroo View Cottages, Saxe Coburg Lodge and Bougainvilla B&B.
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May 2014
Our Bright New Website. In keeping with new technology, the Traveltime & Time Out website has been upgraded.
Work started in March and the site went live in early April. For those of you who have not visited the site, please do so and experience the bright new appearance and ease of navigation.
The Home page provides easy access to the main parts of the website, ie Upcoming and Past tours and Newsletters for both Time Out & Traveltime.
For the un-initiated, further information is available by clicking on the photos and even more detail is available by clicking on the links at the bottom (in blue) of each opened report / outing information. Please note that all photos taken on each tour / outing are available by clicking on the link at the bottom of each report. (View All Photos).
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April 2014
Meerkat Magic was a DSTV program which sparked our interest in visiting Oudtshoorn. Our pre-tour research revealed that there were two persons involved in Meerkat conservation. Further study showed that only one of the two was reliable.……
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March 2014
We headed off from the city to the Durbanville Wine Estates and a very pleasant wine tasting @ Klein Roosboom was enjoyed (in fact, more of a ‘catch up’). We had not seen each other since the first week of December and there was much to say……
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February 2014
There are 17 participants; we have secured tickets and we are seated at two tables near the front of the theatre. (One table is shared with others not from our tour). By general consensus we will be ordering two platters……
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January 2014
Our last extended tour for 2013 saw us flying with Kulula to Lanseria airport where we met Hylton Ross transport for our onward 340km journey to Clarens. Accommodation had been arranged for our 5 night stay at the Clarens Golf and Trout Estate, situated within 3km of the town centre……
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November 2013
This being the last Newsletter of the year, we will be looking at what we still need to do and also offer a glimpse into 2014 tours; yes planning has already started……
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October 2013
Visitors buy a ticket for a route ; 7 routes in total. You travel to 3 different homes in Darling & experience a truly South African experience……
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