velvet | Africa RSS feed for this section
san-rock-art-photo

Cederberg: mountain passes, safaris and San rock art

Bordering the expansive plains of the Great Karoo, the Cederberg and Swartruggen mountains are one of the Western Cape’s wildest and most desolate regions. Located just a few short hours north/northeast of Cape Town, this region boasts some truly spectacular mountain passes, rock formations, unique safaris and fascinating San rock art. San or Bushman rock paintings [...]

7 Comments Continue Reading →

Ten things to do in Cape Town

Cape Town ranks (on my list) as one of the world’s most spectacularly situated cities, alongside Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, San Francisco and Sydney. Its location, fronting an impressive bay and backed by the magnificent Table Mountain, is simply stunning. I’ve listed below ten things you shouldn’t miss if it’s your first visit to this [...]

31 Comments Continue Reading →

The splendid Tarangire

This is the last of a four-part series on national parks in Kenya and Tanzania. Tarangire National Park, about 90 kilometers southwest of Arusha in Tanzania is home to the impressive baobab tree as well as an amazing variety of wildlife. The flora in this region is dominated by the baobab trees, with their characteristically [...]

3 Comments Continue Reading →
lions-masaai-mara-photo

The majestic Masaai Mara

This is the third of a four-part series on national parks in Kenya and Tanzania. The Masaai Mara is a national reserve in Kenya, about a 4-5 hour drive southwest of Nairobi, and encompasses a hilly region (that continues into the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania) that is home to probably the greatest population of [...]

10 Comments Continue Reading →
pelican-lake-nakuru-photo

The splendor of Lake Nakuru

This is the second of a four-part series on national parks in Kenya and Tanzania. The Splendor of Lake Nakuru A few hours drive northwest of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the Lake Nakuru national reserve is a gem. The lake is home to a huge population of pink flamingos, pelicans and marabous. The population of flamingos [...]

12 Comments Continue Reading →
impalas-serengeti-tanzania-photo

Serengeti magic

This is the first of a four-part series on safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. I’ve picked four of the most breathtaking national parks in these two countries to highlight, and included a photo essay of some of my favourite photos taken of these parks. Serengeti Magic The expansive plains of the Serengeti, dotted with herds [...]

22 Comments Continue Reading →

A Kaleidoscope of Colour

Imagine thick blankets made of billions of flowers laid over the mountain slopes and valleys that stretch till the horizon, with an astounding spectrum of colours. Experience this magnificent natural phenomenon in South Africa during the explosion of spring blooms in the region that encompasses the Western and Northern Cape provinces. If you’re in Cape [...]

16 Comments Continue Reading →

The marine life of the Western Cape

The Western Cape of South Africa is a popular region in the spring/summer seasons to watch whales and other marine life in their natural environs. Hermanus, about a two-hour drive east of Cape Town and close to the southernmost tip of the African continent, is a great place to start for whale-watching activities but there [...]

12 Comments Continue Reading →

A world of inspiration: An Inspiring Safari Field Guide

This week’s edition of ‘world of inspiration‘ is brought to you by Michael Theys who lives in Belgium. Michael has spent much time living and travelling across Africa and shares his passion for Africa via his blog Africa Freak. Michael’s story is a wonderful portrait of Rob Francis, a safari field guide he had the [...]

8 Comments Continue Reading →
zanzibar-beach-photo

The exotic isle of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is a jewel in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of the Tanzanian mainland. This archipelago boasts dreamy white sandy beaches, a green tropical interior and spice plantations that centuries ago made these islands a magnet for traders from both East and West. Zanzibar is an archipelago, of which the largest island, Unguja, [...]

16 Comments Continue Reading →