Continuing the tour of South Africa (after having started south in Cape Town and Durban and then heading through the majestic nature reserve of Kruger National Park), head north to the more urban financial and gubernatorial areas of Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Hopefully love is in the air (or the sea or the train) or wherever you may be this St. Valentine’s. And if not, well then you can always continue your wanderlust for travel and adventure, the best kind of lust in my opinion.
V-Day is right smack dab in the middle of the week this year, but it’s never too early to start planning a long, romantic weekend getaway for next year…maybe choose one of these sweet spots:
New Orleans. This magical city is teeming with dark mystery and romance. How better to cuddle up on a winter’s night than to snuggle arm in arm along the gas lantern-lit cobblestone alleys whilst boozing it up and eating the most decadent food? And extra points for it being Mardi Gras this time of year, so there’s a ton of stuff for singletons, too.
Bali. This is a top honeymoon destination for a reason. Secluded and sexy, there’s lush landscapes and privacy abound. Everyone loves an island rendezvous.
New York. If only to meet your love at the top of the Empire State Building. Watch for traffic before you cross the street though. (Please tell me at least someone understands this reference, the original movie, not Sleepless in Seattle–also a classic rom com).
Tokyo/Kyoto. Lovers in Japan, indeed. The best way to get to really know someone is to explore a foreign country with them, specifically a place where you can’t read or speak the language. If you can get through it unscathed, then you should probably hold on to this person forever.
Cape Town. Overwhelming views from the top of Table Mountain and V&A Waterfront will fill your heart. The city offers couples everything they could want, luxurious digs, celebrated wineries, horseback riding/outdoor activities, and popular open air cinemas (especially crowded on Valentine’s).
Paris. The City of Love may be cliche, but it is that way for a reason. It’s a city of creatives and dreamers and there’s inspiration on every block. Everything from the food and wine, the music, the scenery and the history is seductive. If you’re not in love, you’ll definitely feel it here.
And of course, probably the most romantic city, or rather, country is Italy. Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscany? There could be nothing more charming, nothing that sets ones heart afire like an Italian escape.
And you may ask, why no pictures? Well that’s because I’m headed back to Italy in about a week so there will be pictures to come. Ciao bellas, that’s amore!
South Africa is an incredible destination. Sitting at the tip of the African continent, this country has it all in terms of terrain and landscapes. Miles and miles of beautiful coast rivaled by the mountains and rock formations of its hinterlands. There’s the savanna to the serengeti, plans to grassy lowlands. There’s also, of course, a very complicated, but rich history.
From the coastal beauty of Cape Town to the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg, there is so much to see in this gorgeous country. I’d be remiss not to mention the shanty towns that provides a stark reminder of the impoverished conditions for many people there.
Having hosted the World Cup several years ago, South Africa has been on the world stage before and hopefully will thrive from the attention, in the form of economic and touristic opportunity. In my opinion. South Africa should be visited via tour, as there is so much to see in a finite amount of time, that you’ll want to be organized and have people who know where they’re going, as it is still a developing nation.
Out of Africa…
Going on safari in South Africa was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Seeing these magnificent animals up close was thrilling and surreal and I still can’t believe I’ve had this opportunity. It’s fun to look at pictures, but the reason I work hard is to get out and see this beautiful world we inhabit amongst so many other beautiful creatures. It’s easy to get caught up in ourselves and in our everyday routines, but traveling opens your mind and reminds you that there’s a bigger picture out there.
South Africa is an incredibly beautiful country, with distinct terrains and landscapes, and to best experience it, make sure you see everything from Cape Town to Johannesburg (you’ve come this far). And you certainly can’t miss Kruger National Park, home of the Big 5 animals: lion, water buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros and elephant. Formerly used as a term to denote the most dangerous animals to hunt, it is now thankfully used to delineate the most exciting animals to shoot with cameras only.
I bless the rains down in Africa…
Traveling docs 