Pampering elephants at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Elephant Nature Park is a sanctuary for rescued elephants from the tourism and entertainment trades in Thailand. Every elephant has a heartbreaking story. To help, you can visit ENP as a day visitor or overnight guest or you can stay longer and volunteer.
Please don’t ride elephants in Thailand, South Africa or anywhere. They are wild animals even if born in captivity. In order to ride an elephant in the tourism industry they need to be ‘broken’ and there is a lot of evidence that states the process is very cruel.
If you love elephants that much and want to be close to them, please consider visiting them at Elephant Nature park instead. You can walk with them, bathe them and even have your photo taken with them.
One of my favourite things to do when I visit British Columbia is to go on a whale watching tour. I’ve been to BC several times and have been on many whale watching tours in Victoria, Tofino and Vancouver, British Columbia.
While on a sunset whale watching tour in the waters of the Salish Sea near Victoria, we were surrounded by a family of orca whales. Suddenly, an orca whale came out of the water to check us out.
A wild & free transient Orca whale (also known as Killer Whale) in the Salish Sea, the waters near Victoria, British Columbia.
Shortly after the above photo was taken, a mother and baby orca swam under our boat, twice. We also had a rare opportunity to watch Orca whales as they taught their young how to hunt for porpoises and saw a humpback whale and seals. It was my favourite whale watching tour to date.
Mother Orca teaching her young one how to hunt for porpoise.
Two orcas in the water near Victoria, British Columbia with Race Rock in the background.
A humpback whale tale against the sunset in the Salish Sea near Victoria, British Columbia
I highly recommend Eagle Wing Tours in Victoria, British Columbia for these reasons:
They are Canada’s first carbon-neutral, eco-adventure whale watching company
They partner with the Songhees First Nation, traditional territory of Victoria, to offer the Songhees Nation Cultural Tour
They contribute to conservation and education
They have several tour options and boats available. I enjoyed the tour on the Goldwing.
Have you been thinking of a family trip to South Africa? Is family travel in South Africa possible? Can you go on a safari with kids? Can a 4 year old go on safari? Can a 9-year old go on safari? YES. YES. YES. YES and YES.
South Africa is one of my favourite countries in the world, and Cape Town is my favourite city. It’s also one of our favourite places for a family trip. So much so that we’ve been to South Africa twice as a family of 4.
If you’ve been following me on social media or here on the blog, you would have heard of The Heart of a Woman Project, a women’s mobile photography initiative I started in 2013 at eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre in Khayelitsha.
I have visited South Africa ten times; twice with my husband and 2 sons who were 9 & 4 the first time they visited. My father also joined me on three of those trips.
Here are some family travel tips for Cape Town, ideas of things to do with kids and information about doing a safari in South Africa with children.
A view of Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill on approach to the Cape Town airport.
CAPE TOWN FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS
VISIT KHAYELITSHA
Go on a meaningful tour with Uthando SA to visit development projects in the townships. Uthando is an award-winning fair trade tourism organization doing fantastic work. Your tour directly helps the development projects you visit; you will leave inspired.
Note: You can visit eKhaya eKasi with Uthando. Be sure to request them for your tour with Uthando.
My youngest son was learning Xhosa games at eKhaya eKasi in Khayelitsha. We spent six days at the centre and in the community on our first visit.
SEE AFRICAN PENGUINS IN THE WILD
Go to the lesser-known Boulders Beach in Simonstown where you can get off the path and take the boardwalk down to the beach for the best view of the penguins. Swim or splash in the ocean and have a picnic. Look for Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant on Google maps and enter the parking lot on Bellevue Road near the Simonstown Golf Club.
My son taking photos of the penguins at Boulders Beach in Cape Town.
Beach views at Boulders Beach in Cape Town.
DRIVE CHAPMANS PEAK DRIVE & THE CAPE PENINSULA
You can add a drive on the beautiful and winding Chapmans Peak Drive to your Boulders Beach visit. If you have the time, make sure to stop at the lookout points. Make a day of it and visit Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope too, passing smaller coastal towns. You might see ostriches, baboons, and seals. You can take the funicular or hike up to the Cape Point Lighthouse.
For a tour that covers the Chapman’s Peak, the penguins and the Cape Peninsula, check these tours out:
Our family at a lookout point on Chapmans Peak Drive
VISIT MUIZENBERG, KALK BAY & ST. JAMES BEACH
Visit beautiful coastal towns in the False Bay area of Cape Town. Plan a beach day or two or three in Muizenberg. Watch the surfers or go to the nearby waterslides or mini golf (seasonal). There is a playground at the main beach at Surfer’s Corner and plenty of restaurants. Have a falafel at Yoffi’s, go to the Friday Night Market at Blue Bird Garage, have brunch and fresh pastries at Knead Bakery.
Be sure to visit the smaller and less busy St. James Beach, they have the infamous colourful beach huts (change rooms) too and a great tidal pool for swimming. Take a walk around Kalk Bay, visit the independent shops and galleries, have fish ‘n chips at Kalky’s, grab brunch with a view at Bootlegger’s and dinner at Satori’s.
Note: If you prefer to self-drive, you can easily add a visit to Kalk Bay, St. James and Muizenberg with your penguins/Chapmans Peak/Cape Peninsula trip depending on how much time you want to spend at each place. It will take a full day if you do it all. I highly recommend spending a few nights in Muizenberg if you have 4-5 days in Cape Town. It’s a world away yet close enough to the CBD and great fun for the whole family.
The view from our Airbnb in Muizenberg
Father and son at the tidal pool at St. James Beach in Cape Town.
WATCH A DUCK PARADE AT VERGENOEGD WINE ESTATE
Because ducks, over 1000 ducks! I was surprised to find out how family-friendly a winery could be. I had no idea. Adults can enjoy a great meal and wine tasting while children play on the grounds and have a picnic. Vergenoegd offers child minding. You can come back together for the duck parade. Read Visiting Family Friendly Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa
My boys enjoying a picnic at Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Sunset Views
Catch the sunset from Signal Hill and a view of Robben Island, it’s free and it’s my favourite spot to see the sun dip into the ocean. Bring a picnic. At certain times of the year, the City Sightseeing bus can take you there, otherwise order an Uber or drive yourself.
Visit Table Mountain for a sunset and city view. Be sure to check the current conditions as it may be too windy at the top and it will close early.
Sunset from Signal Hill in Cape Town
Tip: Drive past the entrance of Table Mountain to as far as the road goes for this daytime view.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY SAFARI IN THE GREATER KRUGER NATIONAL PARK IN SOUTH AFRICA
There is an overwhelming number of places to choose from for a safari in South Africa. Not all are created equal and are family-friendly. Some lodges welcome children 6 years of age and older while other lodges require children to be 12 years of age and older. I chose Naledi Game Lodges for our family safari as I had been there a few times and enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and South African family-owned safari lodge. My sons were 4 and 9 years old at the time and were welcome on all the game drives.
Naledi is an award-winning luxury lodge, but you may be surprised at how reasonably priced it is. We stayed at the Naledi Enkoveni lodge which is no longer a part of Naledi Lodges. At the time of our family visits, I hadn’t stayed at Bush Camp. I have since stayed at both lodges and they have a 2-bedroom suite which is perfect for families.
What I love about a safari in a private reserve:
You get the knowledge and keen eyes of the guides and trackers
Someone else does the driving so you can enjoy the scenery and take photos
You often get a closer look at the wildlife as you can go off-road to follow the sound of the cracking branches by the elephants or follow the lion pride as they look for their next meal.
The drives are 3 hours each but you stop for drinks, snacks and a bathroom break, bush style. My boys fell asleep for a short nap on every game drive (early mornings) but didn’t miss any of the action.
Cons:
Have to share the vehicle with others which may mean that you have to go where everyone wants to go. Though we lucked out and had it to ourselves).
Tip: If you visit Naledi Game Lodges, make sure to visit Rosie’s hide while there, it overlooks a waterhole. Enjoy the sounds of the bush and see what comes by for a drink. Check out the 24-hour webcams streaming from Naledi at Rosie’s or from Naledi Enkoveni.
In search of wild animals with Naledi Game Lodges. Happy to have shared this special place and these moments with those dearest to me.
Rest stop in the bush on safari with Naledi
Two yellow-billed hornbills in silhouette against the Drakensberg Mountains
Father and son in the infinity pool at Naledi Enkoveni in South Africa
SELF-DRIVE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK WITH THE FAMILY
What I love about self-driving Kruger National Park:
You can drive as little or as long as you like and take breaks (in designated areas) or return to your rest camp if you’re staying in the park.
You can be on the search for wildlife from gate open to gate close (10-12 hour days).
An incredible diversity of landscapes and wildlife
An air-conditioned car on hot summer days if you need it
Snacks and drinks in the car
You can stay at different rest camps in Kruger Park
You can stay at a sighting as long as you want
Can be more affordable
Cons:
Not as relaxing as being driven, guided and pampered
Don’t get as close to the animals unless they come to the road (I’ve had some incredible sightings including lion and elephant road blocks, the best kind).
Rest camps and rest stops may be further apart
Youngest son spotting wildlife on a self-drive through Kruger National park
Wild Dog on the hunt in Kruger Park shot on iPod by my oldest son
Long days on self-drives in Kruger Park
South Africa Travel Tips:
Spend 1-2 nights on the Panorama route to enjoy God’s Window and Blyde River Canyon on the way to Limpopo.
Stay at Tsanana Log Cabins at the Africa Silks Farm near Graskop in Mpumalanga. It’s a great place for families on the Panorama route and you can take a tour.
Have pannekoek (pancakes) at Harrie’s Pancakes in Graskop
Visit the Giant Baobab tree also known as the Glencoe Baobab near Hoedspruit. It is said that the tree is over 2000 years old. There is a small restaurant on the property, they also serve wonderful pannekoek.
There are many ways to experience a safari in South Africa with your family if you prefer not to drive yourself.
Fly to the Nelspruit area (airport code MQP, saves a 4-5 hour drive each way) and arrange a multi-day private safari to Kruger National Park with my friend, South African tour guide, Mornay of Tours-de-Mornay. or for a private safari experience with Tours-de-Mornay. Stay at Berg en Dal, Pretorioskop, Lower Sabie, or Skukuza. If your time is limited, you could make a 1-night and 2-day trip to Kruger work.
Book a safari in a private game reserve. Fly to the Hoedspruit/Eastgate airport (airport code HDS) in the Greater Kruger National Park area, for the Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Kapama, Klasserie, Manyeleti, and Balule Nature Reserve safari lodges. Have the lodge arrange a transfer service for you. I recommend Toro Yaka in Balule, Elephant Plains or Nkorho in Sabi Sands, Shindzela in Timbavati or Buffelshoek in Manyeleti.
Arrange a transfer service (Ashton tours or Tours-de-Mornay) from Johannesburg or Nelspruit ]to Kruger National Park. Book your game drives, and walking safaris with Kruger National Park.
5 Tips to Take Your Travel Photography to the Next Level
“You don’t just take a photograph, you make it.”
I believe that it doesn’t matter what the tool is or how expensive your gear is. Yes a dSLR (& mirrorless/micro 4/3) coupled with some good lenses has advantages, but I believe that no matter the tool the key to good photography is knowing the basics of photography such as light and composition and knowing how to ‘see’. I have taken many fantastic images with my iPhone and have had them printed and published both online and in print.
This image below was chosen to be a part of a nature and landscape mobile photography exhibit in September 2014 that included photographers from around the world. The curator printed this image to about 20″ wide and it looked amazing on the wall.
St. James Beach – Cape Town, South Africa.
There is truth to the old saying “practice makes perfect”, but to take your photography to the next level, ask yourself these 5 key questions before you take that photo.
1. What is the main focal point of this shot? Keep it simple and focus on one main subject.
2. What light is available? Learn to see the light and use the available light – from natural light such as ‘open shade’ and window light to candles, street lamps or the glow from an electronic device. Move your subject or yourself and see how the light falls differently. Often times if the light isn’t right, I don’t take the shot.
3. What angle is best? Try a different perspective than you’re used to. Get low, look up, tilt the camera, experiment and have fun.
4. Am I close enough? Fill the frame, but leave some space for cropping. Consider how people might view your photo. Images appear smaller on smartphones and Instagram uses a square format.
Don’t use the zoom on the smartphone camera to get closer, use your feet. The quality of the image is reduced when using the zoom feature on a smartphone.
5. Is there anything distracting in the background? Take a quick look around. Avoid cluttered backgrounds. A small change in movement or positioning your subject in a portrait can get rid of that tree or pole that is coming out of someone’s head or a busy background.
These tips can make a difference. To learn more about mobile photography including key elements such as composition, I highly recommend iPhone photography school and this article about a 365 photo project. I have no affiliation with them whatsoever, I just enjoy their easy to read and understand articles.
If you know me, you know I often talk about keeping your devices powered on the go so you can continue taking photos or using your smart phone however you need to without interruption. Whether you’re a digital nomad or just someone constantly on the go, it’s important part of using technology.
A few months ago, Nomad sent me their ChargeKey & ChargeCard products. I’ve waited to write a review so I could have some real-life experience with it first. The ChargeKey is a small lightning charge cable that fits on your key ring. The ChargeCard is thin and fits in your wallet.
Nomad ChargeKey & ChargeCard
If you’ve been in hotels or airports lately, you may have noticed that USB ports have been easier to find, charging stations are a common sight these days. Some airlines even off them. The ChargeKey has a permanent home on my key ring now and has come in quite handy a number of times already. It’s been especially useful when I’ve been working on my laptop and needed to charge my iPhone 5s or have been at a friend’s house and they have an USB charger, but not the correct cable. It was also useful when a cable I had been using stopped working.
What I Like:
I like that both of these products are compact and lightweight which makes it very portable and quite easy to travel with, whether locally or abroad. I also like the material used for the ‘cable’ part of it. It seems
flexible and feels durable. The ChargeKey is the length of a key and the ChargeCard is just like a credit card.
Concerns:
My only real concern is the usb part of the ChargeKey. I’ll be curious to see how it holds up over the next year. If you’re like me, you toss your keys into your purse or bag and they often find their way to the bottom. I wonder if dirt/debris could get into it and affect it.
Overall, I think these products are great for the power users on the go. I carry them with me wherever I go. They’ve already been useful and though there is the potential for some damage, I think they could do a better job than some of my 3-6ft cables that get tangled in my purse.
I recently found out that Nomad is launching a new product, the NomadClip. It’s shaped like a carabiner. I use a carabiner for my keys, so I am looking forward to getting one and replacing the old one I have.
NomadClip
The NomadClip will be launched in the Fall, but is available for pre-order now. Nomad has been gracious to offer my readers a 25% discount for any orders this week.
You’re travelling and enjoying the views, clicking away and suddenly you get the dreaded “low memory” message on your iPhone. You look at your photos on your iPhone to try to decide which ones to delete so you have space to take more, BUT you don’t want to delete any of them. So what do you do?
A. you scream “whyyyyyyy”
B. you delete as many photos as you can anyway
C. you quickly start transferring images to your Dropbox account, but wait, you don’t have internet service and then you refer back to A & B
For a while, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get my photos off my iPhone and on to another device such as my iPad/iPad mini while on the go.
Update:
I use a 16gb iFlashDrive from PhotoFast to transfer my favourite images until I can get a reliable
internet connection to upload my iPhone photos to Flickr. The iFlashDrives work well. I often then transfer them to my iPad mini to edit the images, it also acts as a secondary backup as you could lose the drive or it could become corrupt.
You do need to download the accompanying app and if you have a lot of photos to transfer it could take a while to do so. Overall it is a great solution for when you’re running out of space and a good backup. Another thing I like about the iFlash drive is that ability to transfer images back to the iPhone. It comes in handy when you want to share them on social media after you’ve edited them on the iPad.
