Seasons Greetings! Merry Christmas! Hanukkah Sameach! We are in Johannesburg and visited the famous Christmas lights at Melrose Arch to see what the fuss was about. After days of increasingly hot temperatures, the weather finally broke, and it began pouring with rain as we emerged from the underground parking.
My mum lives vicariously through me; she’s proudly told me so since I was a teen. When I told her that one of my biggest dreams was to go on a hot air balloon ride, she bought a Safari Flight for Two from Air Ventures Hot Air Ballooning for my 50th birthday. Spoiler: it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
We met at 5.15am on a chilly autumn morning at Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa, which just happens to be one of my favourite venues in Jo’burg. Two strong cups of coffee later and we were ready to drive to the launch site. We met the team and watched as the balloon was prepared for our flight. Once the balloon was vertical, we all climbed into the basket and held our breath.
We’d been warned that conditions were so still that morning that there was a small chance that we would not be able to ascend. Suddenly the most subtle gust of wind prevailed and the balloon began to slowly rise into the air.
It felt magical to rise above the morning mist and see the landscape open up before our eyes.
Looking out over the edge of the basket, we were able to see in every direction as the pilot slowly turned us around.
While I enjoyed our first glimpse of the shadow of our balloon in the distance, our pilot Marc searched for signs of animals on the ground.
First we began to descend as Marc had a special treat for us.
We were almost at ground level and we began to drift over the surface of the Crocodile river. It feels strange seeing that in English, I know it by the Afrikaans name, Krokodilrivier
The key was to get as close to the surface as possible without getting the bottom of the basket wet. Given how chilly it was on that morning, we were all very invested in not getting our feet wet!
I’m happy to say that Marc handled it with expert prowess and we soon began our triumphant ascent.
Once again, we were treated to breathtaking vistas.
We had seen giraffe, zebra and springboks on the road to the launch site but we finally spotted some wildlife from the air. Believe it or not, there are two black rhinos in that photo.
We flew past the rhino and the pilot began to slowly double back so that we could get a closer look.
This photo is on zoom but the rhino were no more than 50 metres away. I was amazed by how calm they were and how little we seemed to phase them.
Up in the air again…
It’s obvious that I will never tire of these views.
We began to descend again as we spotted some springboks in the distance. The springbok is the national animal of South Africa and they are named after their distinctive jumping style of running. There are 72 species of antelope in South Africa and we usually refer to them by name. The South Africans on the flight became quite bemused that certain tourists kept correcting the pilot each time he identified one (‘no, that’s an antelope’).
We spotted blue and black wildebeest grazing. The wildebeest were more wary of us than the rhino and treated us to a display of them chasing away over the plain.
We also saw ostrich, blesbok and water buffalo from the air but were not close enough to capture them.
By now the sun was high in the sky and our experience was coming to an end.
There were times when I regretted not taking a better camera with me on the flight but then I’d look down over the edge and realise I’d made the right decision. We were also warned that landings could sometimes be rough and I didn’t want to bash either myself or a chunky camera.
In the end, Marc executed the most gentle landing ever – directly onto the trailer.
We were treated to mimosas which went straight to our head and we were handed certificates of completion. Stephen thoroughly enjoyed himself and wasn’t bothered by the height at all. We both loved it enough to want to do it again one day.
All too soon, it was time to drive back to Kloofzicht Spa where we were treated to a buffet breakfast overlooking the beautiful grounds and lake.
The Safari Flight, including breakfast, is R3,270pp which is approximately £150.
@mandyist A sunrise safari flight with Air Ventures #CapCut #southafrica #hotairballoon #safari ♬ Return To Innocence - Enigma
It’s been years since I last went for an afternoon tea in Johannesburg. My lovely friend Sarah and I had High Tea at the Palazzo, Montecasino in 2015 and we decided that it was definitely time for another High Tea at the Just Teddy Fine Boulangerie & Patisserie in Hyde Park Corner.
From the first moment you step into Just Teddy, you’re surrounded by calm and tranquillity. I loved the comfortable sofas, flowery decorations and warm welcome that I received on arrival.
We’d opted for the Signature High Tea and were offered a complimentary Mimosa to stimulate our palates. I opted for the alcohol-free Mimosa and it was delicious and very pretty.
Gratuitous photo of the place setting. I don't think I've used gold-plated cutlery before!
Our three-tier high tea soon arrived in a gold-plated birdcage stand. It looked very fancy and we were keen to dig in. I’m sure that you’ve noticed the different order of the tiers and some items that are not traditionally on a high tea stand!
Our High Tea was served with a Middle Eastern-inspired Vegetarian Mezze. Can I just say how refreshing it is to have afternoon tea served with something other than sandwiches? My highlights included the beetroot hummus, the baba ghanoush, the buttermilk falafels and the heavenly Lebanese spinach pies.Practically all of it, right? The mezze was definitely my favourite course and I loved that they put on such an impressive spread for vegetarians.
The scone experience in South Africa is very different to that in Britain. Our buttermilk scones were served with Chantilly cream and butter, not clotted cream as you would expect, and they are also served with grated cheese. Our scones were freshly baked and delectable.
For me, this was a reminder of a scone experience that used to be the norm for me and I enjoy jam and Chantilly cream, or cheese, on buttermilk scones as much as jam and clotted cream on plain or raisin scones. I would say that jam goes first with Chantilly cream (given the lightness of the cream) whereas clotted cream always goes first for me when I’m in Britain.
Just Teddy also serves cheese & chive scones for those who prefer savoury to sweet.
Just Teddy is known for their incredible selection of French patisserie and, to coin a popular Johannesburg phrase, the sweets were ‘to die for’! I liked the gluten-free carrot cake the most but mainly left the sweets to Sarah (with a take home box for Stephen).
Gratutous photo of the teapot. I loved the flowery crockery and the abundance of floral decor at Just Teddy. It was very pretty and relaxing.
We loved our High Tea at Just Teddy and I'm already planning to return with my nieces next time I'm in Jo'burg. They also have a branch in Sandton City.
Just Teddy Hyde Park
Shop LM4 - Hyde Park Corner Shopping Centre
Corner William Nicole Drive &, Jan Smuts Ave
Hyde Park
2196
+27 10 203 9038
events@justteddy.co.za
Cost at December 2024: R450 (about £20) per person, booking and 50% prepayment essential
This is one of my favourite photos of Bo-Kaap – the light reflecting on the pieces of cloth, the clouds falling over Table Mountain and the Bo-Kaap Museum in the middle ground.
Bo-Kaap was the place I most wanted to visit during our whistle-stop visit to Cape Town and we walked over on our first afternoon. I was intrigued by this beautiful place, the most colourful neighbourhood this side of Burano.
Of course, like everywhere in South Africa, there is a story behind the colourful houses of Bo-Kaap. During Apartheid South Africa, Bo-Kaap was known as the Malay Quarter, a primarily Muslim area.
Homeownership by non-whites was prohibited under Apartheid and thus houses were leased to families and painted white.
People were finally able to own their homes when Apartheid fell and they painted them in bright colours to exert their individuality and to celebrate their freedom.
With doorways like this, it’s little surprise that the neighbourhood is so Instagrammable but Bo-Kaap is an area of significant cultural importance.
For years, Bo-Kaap was at risk of gentrification with trendy businesses and developers moving in to push up the price of properties and force locals out.
In March 2019, residents of Bo-Kaap won heritage status after a four-year fight. The aim is to protect the neighbourhood and make it easier for local resident to retain their homes.
It was a quiet Friday afternoon in December when we visited but I would love to return one day and sample local food and drink.
I think it is safe to say that I am a very bad blogger indeed. Emm in London turned seven this month and never before in all those years have I fallen off the radar in such a dramatic fashion. I mentioned in June that I’d been burning the candle at both ends and that something had to give and I’m pleased to announce that we are almost there. I begin a new job in August and will no longer be commuting into London or working quite as much overtime as I worked this year. I am definitely looking forward to reclaiming my life and returning to being a decent blogger and blogging friend.
One of the casualties of my Great Blogging Break was posting about our trip to South Africa in December. We had such an incredible time and I definitely want to tell you about Lionsrock Sanctuary which was a highlight not only of our trip but possibly of my entire life to date.
Lionsrock Sanctuary is a Big Cat sanctuary run by the charity Four Paws International. They exist to provide a sanctuary for big cats from around the world and have conducted several high profile rescues of lions, tigers and other big cats from zoos, circuses and private collections around the world. To fund their work at the sanctuary in Bethlehem in the Free State in South Africa, Lionsrock provide a family friendly lodge featuring self-catering chalets and double rooms.
We discovered Lionsrock quite by accident – I had searched to find accommodation for 11 people in December, South Africa’s peak tourist season and went ahead and booked at Lionsrock based on the excellent reviews alone. I had no idea what an important, incredible place this really is.
Lionsrock is located on acres of beautiful savannah near the Golden Gate National Park and aside from swimming and interacting with the animals, one of the best aspects of the park is their hiking trails. And so it was that we grabbed two grandparents, four parents, an aunt, an uncle and four kids and we took a hike right around the lion enclosures and nearby koppie (small mountain in Afrikaans).
We were guided by Jazz, the very energetic dog that lives at Lionsrock.
You could see forever from the top of the hills.
We found the remains of the old farmhouse from when Lionsrock was an old farm.
I can never resist a set of stairs and went bounding up these stairs, followed by all four of the kids.
The main section of the farmhouse had obviously been in a fire and their were charred remains to be seen.
I think this is when I’m at my happiest, outside in nature with the sun shining.
These are some of the people that I love the most. Right i front of me is Sara – we met when we were fifteen and I met Stephen the night of her wedding.
More gratuitous scenery and a peak at the watering hole.
I first fell in love with the rocks and scenery in this area when I was eleven years old and have been coming to this area frequently in the years since. I can clearly remember standing at Golden Gate National Park on a school trip, gazing down onto a scene not unlike this one. Of course, we were in the midst of a great drought in the 1980s and I recall it being much drier and more yellow.
Thankfully drought is not a problem in South Africa at the moment and we were treated to a couple of thunderstorms during our stay at Lionsrock. I love thunderstorms.
As you round the last section of the hike, you look down onto the lion and big cat enclosures. I’d like to think that the cats are happier here after their lives in cages and concrete enclosures but the painful truth is that cats in zoos and circuses are not fed the right foods and are deliberately underfed to stop them growing to their full potential so they often have health problems for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, Lionsrock Sanctuary and Four Paws are doing fantastic work and recently rescued two lion cubs from a refugee camp in Gaza.
Have you ever been to an animal sanctuary or rescue centre? Tell me all about it!
