Floreat is situated in the Highlands, right up in the Sabie mountains and as we approach it gives me the distinct feel of a foreign place. As we climb up the R536 heading up the escarpment into the small pioneering town of Sabie, the vegetation, sights and sounds change most notably form thick indigenous bush to pine forests and gum tree plantations, rich red soil mud and rolling valleys below. There is no other way to describe this then to say its is truly quite a picturesque location.

Finally we have arrived at Floreat Riverside Lodge situated just out side of the Sabie Township. At a quick glance once through the reception area and into the grounds, wide-open spaces unfold around this beautiful property into grass lawns alongside the Sabie River, forestry, mountains, and green pastures!

Now this is where you’d want to base yourself if you wish to explore the unspoilt beauty of Mpumalanga Panorama with its many breathtaking views, sights and history, as that is certainly very prominent here. Just a short drive away is the quaint Pilgrims Rest a town seemingly forgotten in time rich with a history of pioneers and gold fortune hunters. The infamous and breath taking Blyde River Canyon and its stunning views is also not a long drive from here. There is certainly no shortage of things to do in and around this area.

Floreat Riverside Lodge is a three star privately owned hotel establishment just out side of the town of Sabie on a large property bordered by the Sabie River within a beautiful setting. On arrival we meet with Owner and manager Constantine and his staff who are all very polite and neat and greet us kindly with a cheerful “Good Morning”.

Constantine is a very professional man with a stern handshake but warm and welcoming in his sentiment. He has been running this lodge for 10 years.

On arrival to Floreat Riverside Lodge, you get the feel that you have walked into a commercial establishment and it is very neatly set up and presented. After experiencing it I would say it is a great and accommodating venue for both family getaways and cooperates on business who need a comfortable and well situated base. Floreate clearly caters for a broad range of clientele from families to couples on a romantic escape or honeymoon, to backpackers, bikers and businessmen.

The property and establishment is large and spacious as are all the rooms and accommodation. There are two bar areas, one a more relaxed pub style sports bar where guests are welcome to eat from a pub styled menu, the other a more up class bar where one can enjoy a quiet whiskey after a long day to the sound of jazz tunes filtered through the background and a choice of fine cuisine of an a la cart menu.

Floreat also has its own charming chapel on sight, a health Spa where guests can treat themselves to a variety of spa treatments and pampering moments, a quite and private swimming pool area, an amphitheater and a number of various conference rooms, they are also are fully equipped and staffed to host events and ceremonies such as weddings and or corporate functions.

In total they have 53 delightfully furnished en-suite rooms. Of these 2 are exclusive honeymoon suites, four are self-catering units situated on the other side of the Floreat property literally on the Sabie River bend. These self-catering units are unique in that they allow for privacy and are fully equipped with all the amenities one would require of self-catering accommodation. At Floreat there is definitely an emphasis of friendly hospitality and on comfort in a luxurious yet affordable environment, Floreat serves as a perfect base for exploring the Panorama surrounds as it is very close to all the major Panorama Sights and is within short driving distance of some of this areas most spectacular hiking trails, trout angling and waterfalls. It would also serve suitably as over night accommodation on route to the Lowveld and Kruger National Park.

NUMBELA – A WELL KEPT LITTLE SECRET

Situated on the R40 to Hazyview from White River just before the magnificent De Gama Dam, Numbela is an exceptional self-catering accommodation establishment with scenes, sounds and views to still your very soul.

Numbela offers a unique, private getaway, as each of the three cottages is individually located a good distance apart and are distinctively different from each other. Numbela offers 2 self-contained, separate cottages each comfortably sleeping between 4 and 5 people and 1 bigger cottage to sleep up to 8 people and are all fully equipped with everything one would require as well as books for good reading, board games, and a fire place (there is no television here) so this gives guests the time and opportunity to soak in the surroundings and unwind.  Here you will naturally experience an appreciation of nature, peace and an invigoration of your soul. Using words to explain the calm and serenity of this place is difficult, as it seems they just cannot do it justice. It is definitely high on my list of ‘I will be back here one day’!

Numbela is located on a working farm and its accommodation has been built up around the White River that flows through the property and into De Gama Dam. The bird life here is incredible.

A keen outdoor enthusiast, owner and host Tracy also runs a mountain bike trail from this property and guest are welcome to bring their mountain bikes should they wish to explore this spectacular route!

Tracy is a warm and friendly person with a welcoming nature and every cottage has been decorated with her own unique personal touch. Numbela’s location serves as a suitable base while exploring the Mpumalanga Panorama and is also only a 40 – 45 min drive from the Kruger National Park. This is the sort of place one would come to getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life and spend time reading, soaking up the warm Lowevld sun, and taking time out on the sand beach down by the river that flows and meanders through the property. Numbela offers a most tranquil and unique experience.

Numbela is the ultimate place for couples in search of a romantic getaway or families wanting to re group and spend some quality time together. Numbela is only a 40 min drive form the famous Kruger National Park and is also on the Mpumalanga Panorama Route so there is no shortage of sights and activities if this is what one is after.

We hired a car and set off to explore the island, in search of great ideas to inspire your next adventure. However as with so many trips it became the journey that we found inspiration in. Driving in Mallorca really is like a Top Gear challenge. The Western coast of Mallorca has some of the most awesome roads. For hours it twists and turns through the Tramuntana mountains and around the cliffs above hidden coves and secluded beaches, only inches from the edge. There were a few scary moments when we did get rather close to the edge. Maybe it was the inner child trying to escape but you actually feel like the Stig as you race along the coast line. It isn’t all about an exhilarating race however as the whole time you have a wonderful backdrop of the Mediterranean ocean and hidden beaches. Traditional Spanish villages pop up in the landscape as you round each cove. Acting as check points to enjoy the some tapas whilst taking in the views from roof top terraces perched on the cliff edge.

Some of the nicest villages are situated along the Tramuntana mountain range, home to the rich and famous like Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas and also Claudia Schiffer. Here are a few of our favourites.

Located in the south-east of the Tramuntana mountain range is the scenic village of Banyalbufar. This beautiful village clinging to the top of a sea cliff is a popular, yet unspoilt, stop for many visitors to Mallorca. The ancient village has a 17th century Baronial Palace with impressive coastal views from the ancient defence tower.

Continue reading this article on Travel Titbits.

Situated on the R40 from Hazyview to White River, Tranquil Nest is every bit as appealing as it sounds! Situated less than a kilometre outside of Hazyview and a short drive to the nearest Kruger Park Entrance gate, Tranquil Nest is a convenient and comfortable location for guests who want to visit the Kruger but do not wish to stay in the Park over night and also serves perfectly as over night accommodation on route to the Kruger National Park or Mozambique.

Despite the fact that this Tranquil Nest is located just off the R40 to Hazeyview, it is surprisingly quiet and relaxing!

Owners Chris and Ellen are two very warm and hospitable hosts. Although they are not based on the property, they are a phone call away and check in on their guest’s daily. Happy to advise guests on routes through the Kruger, activities, good restaurants in the area and to book tours on request – guests will find their hospitality appealing.

Although this is primarily self catering accommodation Tranquil Nest shares its location with  Umbhaba Lodge, and they have a restaurant facility where guests are welcome to dine.

Tranquil Nest is unique in that it offers private self-catering accommodation and caravanning sites at the highest levels of comfort. Each and every self-catering unit has undercover parking its very own, a splash pool or Jacuzzi and its own braai (barbecue facility) area, air conditioning, Television, and full kitchen facilities. Built up on a private game farm, each unit is also located very close to the game fence where it is not rare to encounter passing blue wildebeest in the late afternoons.

Tranquil Nests Honeymoon suite is appealing with its situation almost separate from the other units and its romantically decorated king sized bed and double headed shower!

Each Caravan sight has its own private ablution facility and kitchen area fitted with a washing machine and a fridge and microwave! That’s a first!!

It is clear on arrival just how dedicated the hosts are to clean facilities, good quality service and hospitality. Every unit has an information pack with a list of things to do, places to visit a weekly weather report and contact numbers for relevant services in the area.

Shaded by large overhanging indigenous trees, the likes of the False Thorn and silver leaf, Tranquil Nest offers a good quality and affordable getaway with the luxuries of everything you would expect from a self-catering establishment and some.

Clivia Streams. Quiet, hidden, bliss!

Clivia Streams Lodge is a tranquil escape, private and serene in every way. Tucked away beyond a litchi orchard off the R536, the main self-catering unit is a beautiful log cabin on stilts set up amongst tall indigenous shaded trees with the most luscious green forest for views. The sound of running water from the Sabie River Canal below each unit is a sign that you have arrived and time with your stresses of daily life will disappear like a floating leaf on its way down stream.

As its name suggests Clivia Streams Lodge is aptly named by the colourful appearance of pretty orange Clivia flowers that grow indigenous here in summer around the months of late October early November when the wild forest and all its plants are in full bloom!

A recognised birder friendly paradise, this establishment is the ultimate accommodation for birders, nature lovers, quiet family getaways or a private and romantic rendezvous. With Two units, separate from each other, the guest has the choice of booking the 4bedroom self catering log cabin on stilts with deck, lounge area, kitchen, en-suite bathrooms and even an outdoor forest shower or the one bedroom self catering en-suite cottage situated at the bottom of a large garden, located on the edge of the Sabie River Canal that runs through the property.

Fully self-catering with laundry services on request, Clivia Streams has all the comforts of home away from home with tranquil bliss!  The Host Cindy is a warm and friendly person who is not bothering or intrusive in anyway. Here the guests are expected to relax, and get lost in Lowveld time and help themselves – if they need anything, she is a call away.

Only a short 10km Drive form Hazyview and an additional 4km to the nearest entrance gate to the Kruger national Park, it is a central location with easy access to all that Hazyview, The Kruger Park and its surrounds have to offer.

Most appealing apart from its still and quiet tranquil appeal on the other hand is its convenient location within less then a km from the adventure hub of the Lowveld, Nduna Adventures. Nuduna offers mountain biking, hiking trails, horse riding, quad biking, river rafting, canopy tours and almost any other outdoor adventure you could possibly imagine!

I awoke this morning to a humid morning, the air thick with the promise of rain.

As I made my way down a steep winding strip road that leads into the valley, I notice the sign: “30km – Caution Wild Animals”.

Hamilton Parks Country Lodge is situated on the R40 out of Hazyview.  After turning off into the main gate it’s a fairly long but enjoyable slow drive down into the valley through some incredible indigenous forest and breathtaking valley views as the road winds down toward the homestead.

Rumor has it that this property originally belonged to James Stevenson-Hamilton, Kruger National Parks’s first Game Warden in 1902. Hence how the property got its name. It was once a dairy farm and as it changed hands over the years it was extended and built onto until it became the Colonial themed African country lodge it is today.

Thatched and dressed with the authentic smell of an African safari lodge and furnished with dark wood antiques and colonial African décor, there is undoubtedly a romantic air of elegance and regal class here. Hamilton Parks Country Lodge prides itself on a 250 hector property of which an additional 200 to 250 hectors is wild bushveld stocked with an extensive list of game form the big cats, leopard, caracal, civet and genets to bushbuck, nyala, kudu, bush pig, mongoose, mearcats and warthog to name a few.

With a strong interest in the history of the area, the wildlife, and a love for animals, current owner Kurt Mulder offers guided bush walks and horse trails though the property. They also offer paraplegic therapy horse riding as well. If one chooses not to take up the trail walk and ride and would rather spend the day soaking up the sun by the pool, one can do so at the pool located near the main lodge and situated in the surrounds of a vast and stunning indigenous garden over populated with magnificent bird life and a resident peacock. You are guaranteed a day of absolute calm and quiet indulgence.

Hamilton Parks Country Lodge has 14 rooms all of which are situated away from the reception offering a quiet location and privacy. Four of the 14 rooms are en-suite with bath and shower with twin or double beds. Two of these rooms can be set up on request to accommodate a family of up to four. The rest of the rooms are twin rooms with en-suite shower and toilet. All rooms have ceiling fans, tea and coffee facilities, a mini-bar, a mini-safe for valuables and a snack basket. Each room also has an outside veranda looking out into the spectacular surrounds of the valley below.

This South African lodge has an a la carte exquisite menu offering the opportunity the to eat African game and traditional African delicacies if you are up to it. With a professional chef in-house guests iare guaranteed a superb meal.

Hamilton Parks Country Lodge is the type of establishment you go to, to experience the charm of African country living. It’s a quiet and comfortable lodge set up in true luxurious Southern African country lodge style. Here one has connected access to all the tours available in the area, bush walks on the property, a large swimming pool, and some fantastic game and bird viewing. It is expected that guests relax here. It is only a pleasure for the staff here to run around you and make you feel comfortable.

Murray, a primary author of the Tourism 2023 report, described how “there were a lot of environmental campaigns that were going on, but not enough work being done in the solutions space.” The Forum for the Future works with industries to develop scenarios to help understand the kind of futures they want, and how to get there. She faced initial resistance. “The tourism industry is short term focussed, they couldn’t see that it [tourism futures planning] was all about protecting their product.” That resistance eventually wore down, and mainstream tourism industry partners started coming on board to participate in the industry-wide futures planning process.

Constructing scenarios

Why think about tourism in 2023? “In 2008, 2023 was 15 years into the future, just far enough to not feel like science fiction and be ignored but further than the 3-5 year time span that people are generally able to think about.” The report took 18 months to develop and was put together by a diverse group of futurists and sustainability experts including historians, transportation planners, sustainable accounting professionals, and environmental consultants working with industry partners. “The four scenarios have been constructed to be plausible. They are not meant to predict the most likely outcomes for 2023 nor represent favourable or unfavourable futures. Instead, they offer a set of possible futures and provide a challenge to the industry, each with their own risks and opportunities. They are tools that industry bodies can use to assess current strategies and come up with new ones that will be fit for a range of futures. ” The two axes of scenario construction were the two major uncertainties of the future–will the economy, politics, technology and energy costs enable or inhibit travel and whether the sensitivity of consumers to the environmental impacts of their travel make it more attractive or less attractive.

Scenario 1: Boom and Burst

We really enjoyed the use of fictional “postcards sent back home” to give a flavor of life for British tourists under each scenario. For example:

“Dear Mum, Sorry to send you another postcard this year, but this trip really has been eye-opening. You were right, the supermarket did pick a great itinerary for me, but Manila is not how it looked in the video brochure–it’s a lot more crowded. Still, I got my teeth done more cheaply than I could have in the UK and now I have tried remote working I see why you think a second home abroad might be fun! See you next week in Brazil! – Love, David”

• All is well in the world but it’s not clear for how long. Technological fixes like the use of algae-based fuels for planes and carbon scrubbers that clean the air as we fly have allowed travel to continue and grow.
• The spread of broadband has allowed UK citizens to work from anywhere so binge flying is common and many have second homes.
• The high prices of oil have made low carbon travel alternatives an economic necessity, so all modes of travel are seeing growth. Kazakhstan transit railway opened to link China to Iran and the Caspian sea. Russia has begun work on the world’s longest tunnel that will connect to Alaska and accommodate a high speed train line, gas pipelines and fiber optic cables.
• This travel boom has led to overcrowded destinations and upped the demand for more land to be opened up to the industry. There is now a paved road to Mt. Everest’s base camp complete with vending machines.

Continue reading this article and scenarios 2-4 on the Year of No Flying.

Well hang on just a darn cotton pickin’ minute there because the almighty locomotive of rail news of  interest to myself and seven other people is about to bullet into town.

This week’s Rail Good Find!

InterRail Alternatives

My pick of the week this time goes to promising new travel blogger and photographer Jonny Whitlam for his myth busting post on alternatives to the time-honoured gap year tradition of Inter Railing.  Jonny argues quite sensibly that depending on where you plan to travel in Europe it can often be cheaper to buy individual tickets or combine it with buses.

This is especially true in parts of Eastern and Central Europe as he points out and in parts of the Balkans where, for example, you can cut your journey in half by getting a bus form Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast to Istanbul. Then again, who wants to sit in a smelly coach for 8 hours?  It does beg the question as to whether InterRail is gradually falling out of favour with the travelling yoot of today.

This great find came via the lovely Cathy Sweeney of the fine Travelling with Sweeney blog.

Flickr Photo by Michael Ruiz

Back to Back with Amtrak

Now here’s a dream gig for you.  Observer journalist Anna Pickard snubbed the warnings of her American friends and spent 15 days travelling some 6,500 miles across America on woebegone national operator Amtrak, taking in Seattle, Chicago, LA, New Orleans and San Fransisco along the way, the lucky little chipolata.  She found it a ‘soul calming’ experience gliding through such vast expanses of landscape, watching the grain silos slide by her window.  I’m with her all the way: I can feel my own soul unfurling with a purr of contentment just reading her account.  It’s a journey we have pencilled in for our Honeymoon in the next year or two.

Get Motorinoing

Here’s quite a handy 10 point guide to getting around Italy by rail with Tenitalia, courtesy of the Italy Inside blog.  Regular readers may remember my own slightly frustrating experience with the vagaries of the Italian transport network in rural Tuscany a few posts back, so it’s worth getting a bit of inside track from the man who amusingly refers to himself in the third person as Motorino Man.

Sounds like a motivational speaker doesn’t he? Hopefully his tips will motivate you enough to give the Italian train network a try and explore such bella cittas as Rome, Florence and Venice. Rather charmingly he advises you to ‘bring some bread and proscuitto with you’ for the journey, possibly in a little red spotted hanky tied to a broom handle. Boun Viaggio!

Flickr Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

Who would swindle the Swiss?

Well apparently Joanna of the Kaleidoscopc Wandering blog would.  But seeing as she loves train travel so much we might let her off . In this post she explains how to take full advantage of the super clean, hyper efficient Swiss rail network, including the pros and cons of buying the various Swiss Rail passes and taking a dip in the Swiss Chocolate Train which slides with velvety smoothness from Montreaux all the way deep into Gruyere country.

Eurostar and Duetsche Bahn  seal the deal

In my last round up I looked at the competition between the two European rail powers. A pleasing development since then has been an agreement between DB and Eurostar to work together in High Speed rail projects throughout Europe from 2013 onwards.

Continue reading this article on Jools’ blog, Trains on the Brain.

When a vacation rental option in Tuscany revealed itself before our visit, we seized the opportunity. Not only would this provide us an unusually comfy place to lay our heads (keep in mind that we often sleep in scrappy places), but it would allow us to be active participants in Tuscany’s fresh markets.

We could throw our arms around it fully, every day could feature a picnic. We could buy and eat whatever we liked because we had a full kitchen to store and prepare it all, a place where it wouldn’t go bad, a place called home. And the whole experience was tucked into Tuscany’s vineyard lands.

View from our bedroom window overlooking the vineyards

Partaking in market products allowed us to fully engage and satisfy our food curiosity. Fresh vs. aged pecorino? Tuscan vs. Parma prosciutto? Plum vs. cuore di bue tomatoes? What’s the difference? And would the baby zucchini taste as sweet as it did all those years ago on our trip to Liguria?

And when we visited wineries, we chose a favorite bottle knowing that we could enjoy some of it that evening in situ on our back patio rather than having to figure out how to jam it into our checked luggage, airline security restrictions on liquids be damned.

Continue reading this article on the Uncornered Market.

The fall in Tuscany is generally quite different from the Northern European and North American fall. The colours of the countryside are not as bold or dramatic: the local woods cover in shades of dark green, yellow and brown but no reds, with very minor exceptions.

If you plan an early fall visit to Tuscany, you should keep in mind that at the end of September and in early October the temperatures during the daytime are still quite high and they drop in the evening, so you will need summer clothing and a light jacket for the mornings and evenings. Then, from mid October on, the weather becomes a bit more unstable and it get cooler and cooler, but generally never cold, until mid November and early December.

Here are some ideas of things to do if you plan on visiting our part of Tuscany in the autumn.

1. Visit a winery and its vineyards when they are in full swing

September is the month of the grape harvest in Tuscany, the vendemmia. Both small and large producers will be working full time to produce their wine, so this is the perfect time to go on a wine tour in Tuscany if you want to know everything about how wine is made in the area… well, not everything… as they won’t give away all their secrets! We went on a wine tour in the Maremma last month and loved it, and I guess now it would be even more interesting!

2. Visit an olive grove and an olive press when they are in full swing

If you are going to be in Tuscany in November, this is something you should definitely do. My family traditionally starts the olive harvest on November 1st or 2nd, after the celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. First at the mass or at the cemetery for the memorial service and then everybody in the fields! The olive harvest takes some time, so you will have a chance to see people picking olives all through the month of November and the beginning of December. Most olive presses in our area are happy to open their doors to visitors with a bit of advance notice. If you would like to join in an olive oil tasting tour, we can help you plan one. We know plenty of olive oil producers in the Maremma area, and we produce our own olive oil too. Of course the best way to enjoy the new olive oil is on a traditional bruschetta, also known as fettunta in some parts of Tuscany. Traditional bruschetta is made with toasted bread (better if done in the fireplace), garlic, salt and olive oil. Tomatoes and other toppings are a new thing around here.

Come stay at Casina di Rosa in November, and we will be very happy to provide you with a large basket of firewood and our freshly pressed olive oil for a full and authentic Tuscan olive oil experience!

3. Mushroom and truffle hunting

Depending on the weather, the mushroom season can be richer or poorer, but porcini mushrooms are still the king of the autumn table. To go mushroom hunting you need special permits and it is quite important to be experienced and to know your mushrooms well, as it can be tricky. Some wild mushrooms are extremely poisonous.

Continue reading Gloria’s tips on 5 things to do in Tuscany in fall on her blog, At Home in Tuscany.

Here are some tips for getting over the fear and making it work for you:

Taking the leap / photo by Stephen Chapman

• Worried about awkward silences? Pick an outgoing, experienced host. You’ll find they’ll end up doing the hard work for you, but without them even knowing it. How do you know which hosts are outgoing? Most hospitality sites contain detailed profiles full of clues. Look for people with lots of references.
• Be yourself. Make an effort, but don’t feel you have to be the life and soul. It takes all sorts. Find someone that shares your interests and an activity that is right for you. Remember: there’s no point going to a communal dinner on holiday if you hate dinner parties at the best of times.
• Go with a friend or a partner. There are no rules saying you have to go solo.
• Ease yourself in gently. Instead of launching straight into a RTW couchsurfing trip, try a one-off meet with some members in your hometown first.
• Arrange a short meeting, such as a quick coffee. That way it’s no massive commitment and you have nothing to lose.
• Worried about stranger danger? It’s good to be cautious. Here are some safety tips.

Source: Going Local Travel – a blog for travellers looking to break off track