The Travel Info Blogger
Exotic, exuberant, incredible India! India is a huge and varied country, so difficult decisions need to be made about what to focus on. This itinerary includes the popular Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) and more. Day 1: Delhi to Chandigarh Morning: A pre-arranged driver picked us up from the airport and we set about sightseeing […]
When visiting exotic destinations, traveller’s diarrhoea, or worse, can be an unpleasant consequence.Some other euphemisms for the condition are Montezuma’s revenge, Bali belly and the Rangoon runs! Traveller’s diarrhoea is usually caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Tourists from developed countries are often not used to the micro-organisms prevalent in some developing […]
Travel can be expensive in terms of time and money. You can therefore avoid some nasty surprises and make the most of your trip by planning properly. Research the climate Understand the climate (long term weather patterns) of your destination: seasons, temperature ranges, rainfall patterns, etc.Spending time on a tropical island during monsoon season is […]
Pretoria, in the Gauteng province, is the administrative capital of South Africa. It was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius and named in honour of his father Andries Pretorius, the Voortrekker leader. It became the capital of the South African Republic (Transvaal) (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR)) in 1860 when the Volksraad held its first meeting […]
Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India.In 1864, Shimla (then spelt Simla) was declared the summer capital of British India. It is the cooler climate of the foothills of the Himalayas that attracted the British. Below is my selection of the top attractions in Shimla India. Kalka Shimla Railway One of […]
Lightning is an extremely complex phenomenon. This post will keep it simple, but for lightning safety guidance to make sense, it is necessary to understand the six lightning injury mechanisms. Lightning Injury Mechanisms Contrary to popular belief, it is not direct strikes that injure or kill most people. Direct strike (3-5%) A direct strike occurs […]
Where is Monks Cowl Reserve? Monks Cowl Reserve is in the central Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and forms part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site. It was previously known as Monk’s Cowl Forest Station. (The apostrophe seems to have been dropped in the official naming). In Google Maps, the location is indicated as Monks Cowl […]
Mapungubwe National Park is one of South Africa’s best kept secrets. It is located in the far north of South Africa bordering Botswana and Zimbabwe where the Shashe and Limpopo rivers meet. There are wonderful rocky landscapes with scattered baobab trees as well as sections of riverine forest. Not only is Mapungubwe a game reserve, […]
When away from the city for a break, I sometimes go for short walks on my own to exercise and enjoy nature. In recent times, I have often encountered baboons. A few months ago, on my outward-bound walk, I came across a troop of baboons. I called out my usual, “Hey baboons, I’m coming,” in […]
Jakhu Temple Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, is the capital of India’s Himachal Pradesh state. The Jakhu Temple, also spelled Jakhoo, is located on Shimla’s Jakhu Hill. The temple honours Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god. According to tradition, Hanuman rested here briefly while searching for a special plant required to revive Rama’s seriously […]