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I’ve been wanting to write about the Azores for ages only because it’s so beautiful and untouched… and I’m smug and I used to live there !

As a fresh, young tour leader for Explore! it was the first place I was sent to work. For my sins I spent six months leading volcano treks around a few of these teeny islands waaaay out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There are worse ways to spend your time.

So if I were to tell you about my top 5 favourite things to do, these would be up there:

1) Hike the Pico Alto volcano (2,351m) on Pico island – you need to be relatively fit for this one and it’s around four hours to the top if you’re going at quite a pace. Camping overnight in the crater is amazing for sunset and sunrise viewing as well as for watching shooting stars. Being on top of the highest mountain in all of the Atlantic Ocean is also pretty romantic in itself. There’s also something of an adventure in dossing down on a volcano that is also only sleeping…

2) São Jorge is a special island – long and thin with some of the most beautiful walks in the whole of the Azores, especially during June and July when the hydrangeas are at their bluest and most breathtaking. Take a walk down from the spine of the island to the coast at Santo Cristo. This famous fajã (small, flat piece of land that sticks out into the sea, formed by lava and rock falls from volcanoes and earthquakes) is only accessible by foot or quadbikes… and only about 12 people live there at any given time.

3) Experience a bull run. They happen on all of the islands in some village or other from May to September and there are often a few happening at the same time so you shouldn’t miss out. Make sure you’re viewing the action from a HIGH wall as it can get quite rowdy. Watch the bravest villagers ‘dancing’ with the bulls using umbrellas and coats. NB note: the animals aren’t hurt in any way… but sometimes a villager does get tossed onto his backside !

4) No matter how spoiled you are by where you live in the world (Cape Coast – South Africa or Newfoundland – Canada), whale watching in the Azores is special because of how many different species can be viewed in one go. Being in the middle of the Gulf Stream, whales and dolphins migrate through the islands at certain times of year. I remember seeing a Fin whale (second largest whale in the world after the Blue whale), Sei whale, Minke whale and Sperm whale in one afternoon. And that’s not to mention the Pilot, Risso, Common and Bottlenose dolphins we spotted on the same trip too.

5) The town of Horta on the island of Faial is the centre of fun, with plenty of yuppie yachtie action at Peter’s Cafe Sport. Make sure you don’t miss this establishment as it’s always packed with people from all over the world telling tall Atlantic tales ! Also take a trip down to Capelinhos and see the moonscape of the most recent significant volcanic erruption (between September 16 and 27, 1957 and ending October 25, 1958) which ruined buildings and extended the land by 1km. It’s like a film set.

Hydrangeas on high - the volcanic walks of Sao Miguel (photo: Karolina Klara)

… in Portugal it seems. Even in October. And while the sun is shining over a view of the sparkling Mediterranean, a handsome young waiter is topping up your glass of Quinta da Lixa Espumante (at 11am, tell no one). The day stretches ahead with thoughts of a meander through the Old Town markets or a walk along the beach. Alternatively, eating and then lying down always sounds like a good option to me.

About the eating: choose a restaurant with locals in it (or one recommended by a local) and eat a fish that’s just sprung out of the net and onto your plate. You cannot go wrong with fresh Portugese tuna, seabass or golden bream (dorada in Spain). At the same time add a little side salad… tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes in Portugal. *Sigh*

I was completely beside myself flying back into London on Monday. The temperature plummeted to 1 degree as soon as the Monarch flight-of-horror landed on the tarmac (more about THEM later when Customer Services deigns to write back) ! Today, it is at least sunny but I can’t help but dream about Albufeira and the gorgeous villa with the huge pool. I won’t lie to you… I think there are some idyllic parts of the Algarve that go undiscovered by most tourists because it requires effort to find them (this is a very good thing)… but a lot of it is hideously reminiscent of the Costa Del Sol in Spain. Why oh WHY do they make hotels look like that ? How is “Paddy’s Irish Pub” allowed that signage ? Who signs off on that leaping dolphin traffic-island fiasco ?

And thus, my tip of brilliance for today is to visit off-season. Extremely off-season.

I’d also give us a shout if you want to find the right villa. We’ll know how to get you the best one for a family break, second honeymoon or party pad. I’d show you photos but I was in this part of Portugal for a hen party – an extremely glamorous and sophisticated affair mind… but I’m still not allowed to show them.

Instead… here is one from the tiny island of Sao Miguel in the Azores (way out in the mid-Atlantic but part of Portugal none-the-less)… a little tantalising tit-bit for my next post. And if you have time click on the photo for a silly story on leading volcano tours in the Azores:

Wow, summer has been madness ! Europe has so much of the fun and the frolicks, I can’t believe how lucky I have been. Hmmmm… looking outside at grey London and how cold it’s suddenly become I guess I’m going to be paying for it for the next few months. Yeah, yeah…. so you in the Southern Hemisphere apparently get the last laugh.

HOWEVER…

I leave for Portugal tomorrow morning… I am flinging myself all too briefly around the Algarve off-season and promise to have some photos and one or two good stories when I get back. I also need to write about my amazing trip to Ibiza – it’s not THAAAAT place you’re thinking it is. Promise.

Then, when I have a moment I’ll also need to tell you about Poland, driving through the Krakow Old Town by mistake and my near incarceration (police have no sense of humour there, seriously)… and about the beautiful part I visited on the border of Slovakia.

That’s enough for now. Speak to you next week.

Toodlepip !

The weather is cold and gloomy in Cape Town today, so I thought it was the perfect time to initiate a little something I like to call Fantasy Friday – armchair travelling to somewhere far more beautiful and exotic than a desk and a computer!

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we’re off to a little place called Solar Da Ponte Verde, in a small town called Petropolis a few hours outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil…

The views are breathtaking, the rooms are comfortable and cozy, and the food will leave you feeling energized and delighted. Really – you might think that’s a lot of adjectives, but wait until you’ve stepped into this place. Pure heaven!

Read the full account of a magical experience here.

And for more Fantasy Friday wanderings, read up on some of the Just the Planet Hidden Gems. *sigh!*

There’s something so deeply relaxing about spending a few days in a holiday town. Oh, I know some people live in Knysna, but as opposed to the fast pace of Cape Town (and the simply frenetic pace of Joburg), Knysna is deliciously laidback.

We’ve spent our first few days here wandering around the various entertainment on offer for the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival (many of them, no surprise, involving oysters!) Highlights for me include:

* The Wade Bales Wine Tasting on Monday night – over 40 of South Africa’s top wine makers offering unlimited tastings to go with the cheese and biscuits or fresh oysters on offer.

* Taking a ride on the Carnival ferris wheel with stunning views of Knysna laid out on all sides.

* Checking out all the incredibly well-organised kids events (Cooking classes! Colouring in competitions! Pavement art contests! Sport!)

* Watching the Oystercatcher Oyster Shucking Contest (presented and surrounded by Tabasco to spice up the fresh oysters), while listening to a live band in a tent on the waterfront.

* Going on an oyster bed / Knysna Heads / mampoer tasting boat ride around the lagoon (fun except for the somewhat-terrifying ‘oyster shot’ – a raw oyster, a dash of lemon and some strawberry chilli mampoer. Yikes!)

* Indulging in an absolutely heavenly massage at Pezula… Absolutely heavenly. Followed by some down-time in the post-treatment room on a (wait for it) heated water bed that massages different sections of the body one at a time. And a deliciously fresh berry smoothie to bring me back to life. I’m still floating in a happy haze from that one.

Still to come is the PnP Knysna Oyster Festival Mardi Gras (apparently a highlight!)

I’ll let you know what it’s like… For now, though, what’s keeping you? Head to Knysna for a festival that manages to be both entertaining and relaxing. A rare and lovely combination!

For those who need a bit of a break from all the soccer-soccer-soccer of the World Cup (and let’s be honest, even the most diehard fans have to eat, and if you have to eat, why not eat oysters?) the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is happening this week.

In fact, they’re claiming it’s the best 10 days of your 2010 (quite a claim!)

We’ve been here all of four hours, and so far it is simply delightful. A Whisky and Jazz Cruise started the evening off in a beautiful way (throw in the Lindt chocolate that was served with almost every whisky and you have a perfect combination)… Lindt, sunset, the beauty of the Knysna Lagoon – simply lovely.

I’ll post updates during the week, but to find out allll about the festival, visit http://www.oysterfestival.co.za

Photo: Allerina & Glen MacLarty

If you haven’t read this letter yet, you’re in for a treat.

Peter Davies, one of the Supersport World Cup presenters, wrote an ‘Open Letter to our Foreign Media Friends’ that really just says it all… What do you think?

OPEN LETTER TO OUR FOREIGN MEDIA FRIENDS

by Peter Davies 09/06/2010 09:09

Dear World Cup visitors,

Now that you are safely in our country you are no doubt happily realising you are not in a war zone. This may be in stark contrast to what you have been bracing yourself for should you have listened to Uli Hoeness or are an avid reader of English tabloids, which as we all know are only good for wrapping fish ‘n chips and advancing the careers of large-chested teens on page three.

As you emerge blinking from your luxury hotel room into our big blue winter skies, you will surely realise you are far more likely to be killed by kindness than by a stray bullet. Remember that most of the media reports you have read, which have informed your views on South Africa, will have been penned by your colleagues. And you know what journos are like, what with their earnest two thousand word opuses on the op-ed pages designed to fix this country’s ills in a heartbeat. Based on exhaustive research over a three-day visit.

Funnily enough, we are well aware of the challenges we face as a nation and you will find that 95% of the population is singing from the same song-sheet in order to ensure we can live up to our own exacting expectations.

We are also here to look after you and show you a good time. Prepare to have your preconceived notions well and truly shattered.

For instance, you will find precious few rhinos loitering on street corners, we don’t know a guy in Cairo named Dave just because we live in Johannesburg, and our stadiums are magnificent, world-class works of art.

Which is obviously news to the Sky TV sports anchor who this week remarked that Soccer City looked ‘ a bit of a mess’. She didn’t realize the gaps in the calabash exterior are to allow in natural light and for illumination at night, and not the result of vandalism or negligence.

The fact that England, the nation which safely delivered Wembley Stadium two years past its due date, is prepared to offer us South Africans advice on stadium-readiness should not be surprising. The steadiest stream of World Cup misinformation has emanated from our mates the Brits over the past couple of years.

If it’s not man-eating snakes lurking in Rooney’s closet at the team’s (allegedly half-built) Royal Bafokeng training base, then it’s machete-wielding gangs roaming the suburbs in search of tattooed, overweight Dagenham dole-queuers to ransack and leave gurgling on the pavement.

In fact what you are entering is the world’s most fascinating country, in my opinion. I’m pretty sure you will find that it functions far more smoothly, is heaps more friendly and offers plenty more diversions than you could possibly have imagined.

In addition to which, the population actually acts like human beings, and not like they are being controlled by sinister forces from above which turns them into bureaucratically-manipulated robots.

Plus we have world’s most beautiful women. The best weather. Eight channels of SuperSport. Food and wine from the gods themselves. Wildlife galore. (Love the Dutch team’s bus slogan: “Don’t fear the Big 5; fear the Orange 11”).

Having said all that, Jo’burg is undoubtedly one of the world’s most dangerous cities. Just ask those Taiwanese tourists who got out of their hire car to take close-up snaps of tawny beasts at the Lion Park a few years back. Actually, ask what’s left of them. And did you know the chances of being felled by cardiac arrest from devouring a mountain of meat at one of our world class restaurants has been statistically proven to be 33.3% higher in Jozi than in any other major urban centre not built upon a significant waterway? It’s true. I swear. I read it in a British tabloid.

Having recently spent two years comfortably cocooned in small town America, I’m only too aware of how little much of the outside world knows about this country. The American channel I used to work for has a massive battalion of employees descending on World Cup country. It has also apparently issued a recommendation to its staff to stay in their hotels when not working.

Given that said corporation is headquartered in a small town which many say is “best viewed through the rear-view mirror”, I find the recommendation, if it’s true, to be utterly astounding. In fact I don’t believe it is true. Contrary to the global stereotype, the best Americans are some of the sharpest people in the world. The fact they have bought most tickets in this World Cup proves the point.

Of course I have only lived in Johannesburg, city of terror and dread, virtually all my life, so don’t have the in-depth knowledge of say, an English broadsheet journalist who has been in the country for the weekend, but nevertheless I will share some of my observations gleaned over the years.

Any foreign tourist or media representative who is worried about his safety in South Africa should have a word with the Lions rugby fans from last year, or the Barmy Army cricket supporters (lilywhite hecklers by day, slurring, lager-fuelled lobsters by night). They managed just fine, just like the hundreds of thousands of fans who have streamed into the country over the past fifteen years for various World Cups, Super 14 matches, TriNations tests and other international events. Negligible crime incidents involving said fans over said period of time.

Trivia question: which country has hosted the most global sporting events over the past decade and a half? You don’t need me to answer that, do you?

In addition. Don’t fret when you see a gaggle of freelance salesmen converge on your car at the traffic lights (or robots as we like to call them) festooned with products. You are not about to be hijacked. Here in Mzansi (nickname for SA) we do a lot of our purchasing at robots. Here you can stock up on flags, coat hangers, batteries, roses for the wife you forgot to kiss goodbye this morning and a whole host of useful merchandise.

Similarly, that guy who runs up as you park the rental car outside the pub intends no malice. He’s your car guard. Give him a buck or two and your vehicle will be safe while you refuel for hours on our cheap, splendid beer. Unless someone breaks into it, of course.

We drive on the left in this country. Exercise caution when crossing the road at a jog-trot with 15 kilograms of camera gear on your back. Exercise common sense full stop. Nothing more. Nothing less. If you want to leave wads of cash in your hotel room like our Colombian friends, don’t be surprised if it grows wings.

Bottomline. Get out there and breathe in great lusty lungfuls of this amazing nation. Tuck into our world-class food and wines. Disprove the adage that white men can’t dance at our throbbing, vibrant night-clubs. Learn to say hello in all eleven official languages. Watch at least one game in a township. You will not be robbed and shot. You will be welcomed like a lost family member and looked after as if you are royalty. Ask those Bulls rugby fans who journeyed to Soweto recently.

With a dollop of the right attitude, this country will change your life.

It’s Africa’s time. Vacate your hotel room. Join the party.

Waka waka eh eh.

Photo: Shine 2010

I saw a headline in a community newspaper the other day that read ‘Soccer Eclipse!’ and I didn’t even need to read the rest of the article, because I understood exactly what they meant.

If you’re a South African (I would guess even if you’re a South African living overseas), the last 2 weeks have been about nothing but soccer-soccer-soccer. Food? Only if it’s boerewors rolls or available in front of a large screen TV. Sleep? Only if it doesn’t interfere with any of the matches being played that day. Work? Only juuuust enough to keep employed, while 90% of brain power is on that day’s games.

I kid you not – soccer fever has taken over the whole country. It’s as if a giant soccer ball eclipsed the sun, and everything is being seen through a black and white hexagonal haze.

Not that I’m complaining! Not at all, not in the slightest. The last two weeks – since the World Cup began on the 11th of June 2010 – have been undeniably, non-stop exciting. The goals! The losses! The refs! The players! The fans from all over the world who have descended on our lovely country and found it – surprisingly for some – to be hospitable and friendly.

I think that’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most of all about the last two weeks… The sense of South African pride that has crept into every part of the country. I lived overseas for four years, and came back infected with this pride (sometimes you have to leave to realise just how extraordinary home really is). In general, though, there are an alarming number of naysayers in South Africa, so many who would rather point out our long list of problems than our even longer list of opportunities and quirky eccentricities that make this country one of the most vital and exciting places to live.

So this month – this month of South Africans flying flags from their cars and homes and bodies, has been simply thrilling. South Africans and foreigners alike have joined together for the love of a game – the beautiful game. And we’re only halfway through!

All this soccer madness has most definitely taken its toll on my To Do list, though, which is why I’m quickly typing up this blog before the USA vs Ghana match in an hour and a half (I do love the USA, but I’m rooting for Ghana as the only African country to have made it this far). I’ll be blogging regularly from here on in, about travel and home, beautiful places to stay and beautiful things about staying right here, and all manner of other lovely international snippets. We’ll also be having lots of giveaways, so keep your eyes peeled on this page!

And now? Time to gobble down some food before the soccer begins once again…

Photo: babasteve

I’m thinking about the film ‘Sliding Doors’ and how one’s life can be lived in duality. The ‘what if I chose that path instead of this one’… if I’d just married the footballer when the opportunity arose (it didn’t but this is my story)… I too could’ve lived a life of  handbags, shoes and spa holidays. Instead, I am very much living the life of a normal person who doesn’t get to step from a private jet into a waiting Hummer only to be whisked off to the latest spa-du-jour. So when the opportunity arises, instead of being smugly in-the-know, I’m like a small child at Christmas: too excited to be cool… and hell bent on making the most out of it.

So herewith Part Deux of the Karkloof Spa story.

After being so graciously received by the staff at the lodge, I was pointed in the direction of the spa and handed my keys to the kingdom of leisure. In reality it was only a locker key and, for one that isn’t prone to exaggeration (ha!), in it was a robe I can swear was hand-woven by Aphrodite. The staff at the spa are hand-picked from all over the world for their talents and I noticed a fair number of Thai therapists – globally renowned for their magical sensory powers.

As a first-timer at Karkloof, I was taken on a walk around the spa and shown the spacious treatment rooms (17 in total – two of which are for couples). The rooms, like the villas, have extensive views over the gardens and sweeping vistas of the bush. I particularly loved that the design of the place is so in touch with the surrounding landscape and that because it has been built with natural materials (thatch and living grass roofs), animals graze in blissful ignorance overhead whilst you sip on organic green tea.

Spa views (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

I had a look into the luxurious Manicure/Pedicure and Rassoul rooms… gasped at the sheer size of the Flotation Pool (guaranteed to send any stressed recipient into orbits of relaxation) and then tried for myself the Kneip Pools (those hot and cold ones), Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam rooms. At this point, I believe I felt my first twang of smugness.

Floatation Room (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

Spa pools (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

Kneip pools (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

At my allotted time I was fetched to the treatment room by my therapist and given a ceremonial foot cleanse with salt scrub. I had to look incredibly serious even though having my feet kneaded with salt made me want to burst out laughing and run around in circles. So not how a footballer’s wife would behave.

I was then shown to the massage table. I don’t know about you but I mostly approach these beds with caution… knowing that lying face down on some of them there’ll be a bit of tissue sticking into my eyeball or suffocating towelling covering a necessary airway… or worse, a bit of metal digging into my temple. And I dare not move lest I disturb the mood of my spa journey. But I am pleased to say that this one was wonderfully comfortable – and I arose after my hour-long massage feeling delightfully sleepy, relaxed and at peace with the universe.

Massage heaven (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

These therapists really do know what they are doing. At no point did mine make a sound (in fact I remember filling in a form at reception asking me whether I wanted a chat to which I firmly ticked the ‘no’ option) – and it was as if a lone pair of hands was in the room with me softly but firmly soothing away my every stress and strain. It was so good that I almost burst in to tears when she had finished. To me that’s always the mark of a successful massage.

I was interested to see that the spa uses Pevonia, an internationally acclaimed member of the American Organic association – and wondered why they didn’t go for a more local African product… but they must have their reasons.

I was horrified to have to give back my robe… and changing back into my clothes did bring me back down to earth a little (they should possibly think about transporting you back to your room in a wheelchair). The entire experience was perfect. From reception to the point I was delivered into the darkness for the walk back to my villa where, I believe, I ‘floated lonely as a cloud’ – albeit a happy, pampered one.

Tatler has just awarded Karkloof Spa ‘Most Exciting Discovery 2009’ and it’s one of Condé Nast Traveller’s ‘Hot List Spas’ of the year. International applause for this fabulous South African destination spa… and definitely a reason to visit and see for myself.

I went in autumn when the late afternoon light lay golden over the winding rivers, pale orange over the lush landscapes and warm yellow on the road that wound up to the lodge. A white rhino gazed at us lazily over his grassy munchings and a few warthogs, tails on high alert, sprinted into the bushes.

Autumn light and warthogs (image: Robyn Hodson)

Lunching white rhino (image: Robyn Hodson)

The best part of the drive up to the lodge is that the whole place is barely visible… and the spa is set into the hillside with thatched and flat grass rooftops camouflaging any human activity from the wild animals that wander around the property (all vegetarians you’ll be pleased to know).

Hidden spa (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

The main lodge is huge, stylish and comfortable – cozy with generous fireplaces and heated floors for winter and then bright and cool in hot weather with large doors flung wide open to let in light summery breezes. The spacious outside balcony and comfortable setting is brilliant for sunset watching, champagne or G’nT drinking and romantic comfy couch snuggling!

Main lodge deck (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

Pool at main lodge (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

I loved my private villa – the best of the sixteen I thought! A lot of planning, intuition and skillful designing went into it. Perched on a hillside looking out at the best of the views it also had wrap around doors that could be fully retracted to make the most of the stunning scenery. I slept with the doors open all night and watched the sun rise from my bed, camera in hand.

Villa - lounge and view (image: Courtesy of Karkloof Spa)

I’l get back to you on the animals, walks, spa and food but suffice to say… I can’t think of anything negative. Start saving! And if you’re considering a private, relaxed, gourmet honeymoon… look no further!