-
Martin Hatchuel — SA tourism’s muse has gone silent
Martin Hatchuel has been known by thousands of subscribers to his email newsletter, This Tourism Week. Its publication was sometimes erratic, but has now ceased completely. Martin often used This Tourism Week to stir controversy wherever he thought he saw injustice or just plain stupidity. And he didn’t pull his punches. But in real life, he […]
-
One Wilderness you won’t want to be delivered from
With a network of lakes, rivers and dramatic hills set between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains, Wilderness is a unique destination. Often overlooked in favour of the nearby and much larger George and Knysna/Plettenberg Bay on either side, it is a destination in its own right. So don’t just drive through… stop and…
-
Plett Rising…
Plettenberg Bay has been through challenging times. There’s been the population growth — its been the fastest growing town in the Western Cape (double Cape Town’s) because of migration from the Eastern Cape where even children are being sent across the provincial border because schooling is better in the Western Cape. And there were municipal…
-
Knysna is as special as always
Knysna isn’t the sleepy hollow I knew long, long ago, but it’s grown up and grown in the nicest possible way. In this respect, it’s a bit like Stellenbosch or Franschhoek, where environment and quality are key issues. But Knysna still has its cobwebs, in the figurative sense. This was just a fleeting visit. Apart…
-
George: why municipalities can’t run tourism
I drove into George — the supposed capital of the Garden Route — at lunchtime on a Sunday looking for the information office. I found the town as dead as a dodo after the irritation of unsynchronised traffic lights in the long main road, York Street. And the info office was closed. Unlike neighbouring Mossel…
-
A Gem outside George
Our next stop was George (a town I’d never spent any time in) and we stayed at ArendsRus Country Lodge, attracted by the photo of a fountain and scenic views on CapeInfo. It was an inspired choice taking us into the rural area close to the Outeniqua mountains. En route I saw a sign for…
-
Boggomsbaai and the quirky Fred Orban
The Buffalo Rally was on and Mossel Bay was full of bikers. And dog-friendly posed a challenge, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when Mossel Bay Tourism suggested that I stay in Boggomsbaai. Well, it has a stunning (officially dog-unfriendly) beach, Fred Orban lives here, and there are no shops or pubs or…
-
The most memorable & thought-provoking experience anywhere!
Much has been made of the fact that the earliest artifacts of modern man were discovered at Mossel Bay. So this is where modern man evolved, on the southern coast of the African continent. So what? Then do yourself a favour – a big favour – and go on Dr Peter Nilssen’s Point of Human…
-
Mossel Bay — a rising tourism star
Mossel Bay has been on the up-and-up for some time and tourism numbers to the area have grown steadily. The town includes more rural areas like Boggomsbaai (where Beezus and I stayed) on the Cape Town side to Herolds Bay on the George side, with Brak river in between. The tourism office is good and…
-
Redefining stupidity
One of my first stops in Mossel Bay was for provisions at Pick n Pay at the Langeberg Mall. After parking and going up to the retail level, I was struck by the ambiance of the centre and whipped out my camera. A woman standing with a group of men in front of me charged…