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Botswana Namibia

Northern Botswana and north-eastern Namibia self-drive itinerary 2 weeks

Botswana is known as a high-end safari destination and I had always assumed that the alternative to expensive luxury lodges, was to camp. Stories of hyenas and honey badgers raiding campsites, however made me wary.   A friend’s comment about their trip to Botswana, set me researching, and I realized that there are more reasonable […]

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Hike South Africa

Cederberg day hikes

The Cederberg lies in the Western Cape, a few hours’ drive north of Cape Town. The Cederberg Complex includes the Cederberg Wilderness Area, Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve and Hexberg Nature Reserve, and is managed by CapeNature. This CapeNature document provides a good overview addressing climate, fauna, flora, rock art, and more: https://www.capenature.co.za/uploads/files/CapeNature-Cederberg-2025.pdf My post only covers […]

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Trek Himalayas

Slow trek to Gokyo – Part 4 – Gokyo to Kathmandu

Day 13: Gokyo (4750m) Many trekkers ascend Gokyo Ri for sunrise or sunset views and therefore ascend or descend in the dark. We preferred hiking up in the daylight with the warmth of the sunshine, so this morning we set off up Gokyo Ri (5357 m). My husband was going to the top and I […]

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Trek Himalayas

Slow trek to Gokyo – Part 3 – Namche to Gokyo

Day 7: Namche Bazaar (3440 m) to Phortse Thanga (3660 m) We left this morning at 08:15. The first part of the path is also the standard route to Everest Base Camp, so there were quite a number of trekkers on the path. The young porters who had their music blaring detracted from the experience. […]

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Trek Himalayas

Slow trek to Gokyo – Part 2 – Namche Bazaar

Day 5: Namche Bazaar (3440 m) Most trekkers spend at least a day in Namche for altitude acclimatization. The standard day-hike is up to Everest View Hotel at 3880 m. Please see Day 15 for an alternative route via Khunde and Khumjung. It was a lovely sunny warm morning. After walking for 10 minutes, I […]

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Trek Himalayas

Slow trek to Gokyo – Part 1 – Kathmandu to Namche

My husband and I trekked from Lukla to Gokyo and back in the last days of October and into the first half of November, one of the peak times for trekking in the Everest / Khumbu region. We hired an English-speaking porter-guide through an agency and booked our Kathmandu – Lukla flights through the agency […]

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Hike South Africa

Leopard Trail – Baviaanskloof

The Leopard Trail has become one of South Africa’s most popular multiday hiking trails. The hike follows a circular route and takes place over four days and three nights. It is usually fully booked well in advance. Many hikers extend the Leopard Trail by adding on the Cedar Falls day hike. Where is the Leopard […]

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Hike South Africa

Otter Trail

The legendary Otter Trail is a multiday hike along the spectacular unspoiled coastline between Storms River Mouth and Nature’s Valley in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The trail is 45 km in distance over five days and four nights. Booking the Otter Trail The Otter Trail is so popular, that you need to book a […]

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Hike South Africa South Africa

Golden Gate Highlands National Park Hikes and Area Guide

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is in the north-eastern Free State Province of South Africa, just north of Lesotho. The main focus of Golden Gate is the sandstone formations, including outcrops, cliffs, and caves, with their varied hues of ochre. There is a public road, the R712, that runs through the park. You can see […]

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Hike South Africa South Africa

Northern Drakensberg Hikes and Area Guide

The iconic view of the northern Drakensberg mountains is the Amphitheatre – an impressive, curved wall of basalt cliffs.Tugela Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall, drops over the Amphitheatre escarpment into the gorge below in 5 tiers. Tugela Falls may be very high, but it is low volume as it has a small drainage area. There […]