The Sharonicles

The De Hoop Nature Reserve is home to an incredible combination of wildlife, birdlife and marine life. The approximately 340 square kilometre reserve extends into a protected marine area that stretches three nautical miles off its shores. This becomes the breeding ground for the Southern Right Whales between June and December each year.

This is also the location of The De Hoop Collection, a selection of impressive accommodation options that forms part of the Cape Country Routes. Here one can have an enjoyable stay in the midst of incredible natural surroundings. Not only is this beautiful place a World Heritage site but it is also just a three-hour drive from Cape Town.

If I haven’t already convinced you to go there, here are 20 reasons to visit the De Hoop Nature Reserve:

De Hoop: The ultimate Western Cape weekend getaway

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St. Petersburg is a city of opulent palaces, depressing communist buildings and everything in between. It's the place of the longest escalator rides I've ever experienced, which took me to the world's deepest subway system, which took me to visit the most elaborately ornate churches that have been converted into museums of atheism and then sometimes converted back. It is a fascinating city, rich in history and filled with extremes.

In 2015, I was fortunate enough to work on a cruise ship that docked in St. Petersburg for two out of every nine days and I explored as much of this strange city as I could every opportunity I got.

Throwbacks to past travel experiences are part of what has kept those of us with itchy feet hanging on through almost 18 months of not really being able to travel. The time has also allowed me to go through some of the much footage I collected throughout the years and finally start a YouTube channel.

My first YouTube video on what to do in St. Petersburg can be found here:

If you would prefer not to watch the video or you'd like additional information on the attractions included in it, below follows a more detailed guide to 20 of St. Petersburg's best attractions, starting with the palaces:

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Title: 10 things to consider to choose the perfect cruise

If you’ve been thinking about taking a cruise but are you're not sure where to begin planning, what to expect or what you're even getting yourself into, this is for you!

With the acceleration of the vaccine rollout, I think we can start dreaming about journeying beyond our borders. And with the cruise line industry currently in the process of relaunching and heading back to sea with guests for the first time since March last year, this may be the perfect time to think about cruising. There are currently still some great cruise deals available, so if you’ve been thinking about testing the waters, this is the perfect time to do it!

If you’ve never taken a cruise before, here are 10 factors to consider to help you

find the right cruise for you:

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Here in South Africa, now that we're coming out of Lockdown level 4 and the vaccine rollout seems to be picking up, I think we can start thinking about getting out there and exploring more of our local destinations. (International ones still seem to remain off-limits.)

Before we were hit by the third wave, I was fortunate enough to visit the areas of Woodstock and Salt River in Cape Town. Below I list five reasons why you should too:

Title picture: 5 things to do in Woodstock and Salt River

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Title: A Teetotalers Review of Cape Town’s Art of Duplicity Speakeasy

What is a speakeasy?

That's the first question I am asked whenever I tell people about my visit to the Art of Duplicity. A speakeasy is a secret bar. They were originally created during the American prohibition of the 1920s when drinking was illegal so you had to do it in secret.

In the last two decades, people (mostly overseas) have been opening bars behind laundromats, photo booths, vending machines, or even just behind an unsuspecting door somewhere down a dark alleyway with no signage, not because consuming alcohol is illegal, but because selling it this way makes for a cool gimmick that lures customers to you. It also creates a great word-of-mouth marketing strategy that requires very little effort on your part. Win-win!

Wow, I sound so critical! The truth is speakeasies are great, and the challenge of finding one and making it inside makes for a fun experience. If you’re too old for a nightclub but too young for a mid-life crisis, a visit to a speakeasy is the best way to convince yourself that you’re still hip!

Exhibit A:

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I have the worst case of FOMO ever! In my travels, I have taken many a hop-on hop-off bus tour and every time I overthink where I should be hopping off. It’s hard to know looking at the brochure or listening to that somewhat awkward audio guide, which stops or attractions are really all that attractive, especially if you have limited time.

When it comes to the City Sightseeing Red Bus Tour in Cape Town, even the official website is a little vague about the specifics of what you can expect to see so, as a local who has done the tour, I thought I would help you to prioritise attractions and plan your day or days. Gosh, I'm nice!

A Guide to the Stops on Cape Town’s Hop-on Hop-off Bus

Here is a brief overview of each of the stops on Cape Town’s CitySightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Red Bus Tours:

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Title page: A review of the Simon's Town Scratch Patch

I don’t know why I am writing this post. I am quite embarrassed. But it’s true, despite taking a knock financially and despite my efforts to declutter, I recently ended up at a scratch patch and spent money on actual rocks.

What is a scratch patch, you may ask?

It is a place where they cover the ground in polished gemstones and you can literally go scratching through them and buy your favourites. What could you possibly use these stones for? I do not know. And yet, somehow this is a business model that works! Humans are interesting.

I had been snorkelling that morning with friends. One of them had studied geology and is now a jewellery designer. She wanted to go shopping for some precious stones for some jewellery pieces that she was working on and asked if we could swing past the Scratch Patch on the way home. That made sense to me.

Some of her friends joined us for snorkelling that morning. They have occupations that in no way relate to rocks but they are, for some reason, super passionate about gemstones and crystals. They jumped at the chance to tag along. That made less sense to me and I secretly judged them in my mind for being so excited to spend money on something so pointless.

Now, I’m not saying you should go to the scratch patch. If you are a childless adult who doesn’t have a jewellery design business there really is no good reason to go there, but if you were to go to a scratch patch, here are some things that you might like about it:

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What is a speakeasy?

Here is a brief overview of each of the stops on Cape Town’s CitySightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Red Bus Tours:

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