paternoster kayak adventure

The West Coast

The West Coast, as the name suggests is the stretch of coastline on the western side of South Africa and north of the city of Cape Town. It is characterised by small coastal towns, bustling fishing industries and miles and miles of empty beaches. The West Coast Peninsula is a prominent feature along this stretch…

kosi bay lake in the evening

Kosi Bay Slackpacking Trail

Kosi Bay and the Elephant Coast are among the most unique and beautiful jewels in KwaZulu-Natal’s illustrious quiver of natural attractions. One of the best ways to experience this area (as with so many areas in KwaZulu-Natal) is on foot, which is why we’re about to recommend that you do everything you can to get…

Snorkeling the Kosi Mouth Aquarium

Snorkel Aquarium Reef at Kosi Bay

Aquarium Reef at Kosi Bay is one of the most unique and exhilarating places to explore KwaZulu-Natal’s underwater world. A wide variety of marine life, tucked into a small corner of the beautiful Kosi Lakes system, is an obvious attraction. We’ve spent many hours drifting up and down this aquatic centerpiece during our Ultimate South African…

Tsitsikamma National Park: A destination apart

Tsitsikamma National Park: A destination apart

If there’s one place that combines incredible coastal scenery and unparalleled hiking in an unspoiled setting, it’s the Tsitsikamma National Park on South Africa’s south-eastern coastline. This unique park boasts the oldest and largest marine protected area in Africa, the iconic suspension bridge across the Storms River mouth, a plethora of coastal day-hikes and of course, the…

Exploring Monkeys: Telo Islands, Indonesia

Exploring Monkeys: Telo Islands, Indonesia

Every surfer has heard about the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. How could you not? Iconic waves like Macaronis and Telescopes have featured in any number of surf videos and magazine articles ever since they were first discovered. But visiting the Mentawai Islands doesn’t exactly look like the photos anymore. Empty lineups are fast becoming a…

Jill looking over the incredible iMfolozi Wilderness area.

South Africa’s wilderness areas

South Africa is a country famed for its endless horizons and spectacular natural beauty. The country’s charismatic Big Five animals and breathtaking landscapes are huge draw cards for international tourists, not to mention a source of pride for locals too. Most of these landscapes and animals reside within areas known as game reserves or national…

elephant road crossing kruger national park

South African national parks: How to choose

If there’s one thing that attracts visitors to South Africa it’s our national parks. And it’s not very hard to see why. The phenomenal network of protected areas is a fantastic way for visitors to get up close to the country’s rich natural heritage. But one thing most people don’t realise is just how many parks we’ve…

Cape Point Nature Reserve

Cape Point Nature Reserve

Cape Point Nature Reserve on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa’s most south-western tip, is a region famed for its rugged beauty. It is also romantically, although mistakenly, thought of as the meeting point between the cold Atlantic and warm Indian Oceans that wash South Africa’s coastlines. Regardless, it has plenty in the way of scenic…

El Nido island tour kayaking
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10 Do’s and don’ts to make the most of El Nido

El Nido is a popular destination for visitors to Palawan in the Philippines. Clear blue waters, white sand beaches and El Nido’s towering limestone formations makes for some envy-inducing holiday photographs. With publications like Condé Nast Traveler naming Palawan the most beautiful island in the world in 2016, and El Nido the 4th most beautiful beach in…

Bevan swimming with manta rays at Nusa Penida
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Swimming with manta rays: The best thing we did in Indonesia!

It is hard to adequately describe the incredible experience of swimming with manta rays. The few moments of chaos as you get into the water, waiting for the bubbles to clear and to orientate yourself, and then, the magical, silent and graceful approach of a manta ray from the blue. Simply unforgettable! Manta Point on…

Cathedral rock wild coast hike

The Pondo Hopper Wild Coast Hike

Try to picture a Wild Coast hike and you’ll inevitably conjure up images of half-trodden cattle trails that meander through rural landscapes, precipitous coastlines and undulating hills. These are the scenes that have become synonymous with this incredible region, and they are what hundreds of adventures-seekers from around the world come to find year in…

wild coast surfers

10 breathtaking photos of the Wild Coast like you’ve never seen it before!

South Africa’s Wild Coast truly is a place to visit if you want to escape it all. In this coastal paradise, golden sunlight kisses grassy green hills, a rough and rugged coastline meets sheltered lagoons and between craggy cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and patches of indigenous forest offer cool and verdant shelter. On the Wild Coast,…

Morgan Bay evening on the beach
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Clifftop sunsets and sunken treasure in Morgan Bay

The Eastern Cape coastline is well-known for its Wild Coast; a wild, undeveloped and rugged stretch from just north of East London right up to Port Edward and the border with KwaZulu-Natal. The Wild Coast includes such popular holiday destinations as Coffee Bay and Hole in the Wall, and is the ideal destination if you…

Evening surfing seal point cape st francis
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Surf’s up in Jeffreys Bay and Cape St Francis

The Eastern Cape’s Sunshine Coast was anything but that when Bevan and I arrived a few days before Easter – just in time for the arrival of a nationwide cold front that left snow on the Drakensberg, and gale force winds and huge swell pounding the coastline. Luckily, this wasn’t our first visit to the…

Tsitsikamma fynbos
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Exploring Tsitsikamma in the Garden Route National Park

The Garden Route National Park encompasses an almost continuous stretch of coastal land from Wilderness in the Garden Route’s west to well past Storms River in the east. Bevan and I have previously visited the Knysna Lakes and Diepwalle Forest sections of the park and this time we were in for a treat – exploring Storms River…