Travel Recommendations

Mark Bland, has a travel business, Satori Africa and overlanding company, Routes Rediscovered. Satori Africa caters for local and international travelers, where he has a great knowledge of bucket list destinations  in southern and east Africa. Routes Rediscovered, specializes in advising Overlanders on routes throughout Southern...

  [caption id="attachment_16539" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Boer War blockhouse on the Modder River[/caption] The Kimberly area has many monuments commemorating the relief of the siege of Kimberley and as a centre for flight training, thanks to its level terrain and clear weather.

Ones first sighting of the quiver tree, (Aloidendrum dichotomum) is always memorable but if you want to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them, a forest of them, head for Keetmanshoop and look for the signs to this great natural sight, about 14 kilometers north east of the town. Amongst the dolerite rocks are the distinctive Kokerbooms or Quiver Trees. The trees can grow up to eight metres high and a metre wide at the base. The starkness of the trees in this harsh climate is a special sight.

[caption id="attachment_16437" align="aligncenter" width="270"] Grave of Daniel Du Plessis[/caption] This album has images of some of the older graves in the Riversdal Cemetery in the Western Cape. Names such as Du Plessis, Smalberger, Siebert, Saayman amongst others may be found.

  Wakkerstroom lies in the border of KZN and Mpumalanga with the escarpment dropping down towards Newcastle. The elevation and topography results in a cool climate and acts as a wetland that is an ideal home for many bird species.

[caption id="attachment_16395" align="aligncenter" width="300"] All Saints United Church, Middleton, built 1903.[/caption] There is a considerable amount of history and heritage in the Eastern Cape. Part of this rich history lies between Cradock and Port Elizabeth along the N10 provincial road. Between Cookhouse and Paterson are a number of monuments and places of interest.

  Philippolis is the first town build in the Orange Free  and the town is the birthplace and hometown to many South African celebrities including, the writer  Sir Laurens Van Der Post. Today the heritage status of the town attracts visitors and holiday makers and the town has converted many of its heritage buildings into accommodation.

It is named after the Reverend Dr. John Daniel Kestell (1854 - 1941), Anglo-Afrikaner minister of the Dutch Reformed Church from 1894 to 1903, author and cultural leader, who played an important role in the Anglo-Boer War and later helped with the Bible translations into Afrikaans.[2] The Dutch Reformed Church building, designed by famed architect of dozens of churches and the Voortrekker Monument, Gerard Moerdijk, was inaugurated on 31 March 1928.