Burgers at The Dogs Bollocks

The Dogs Bollocks

I have been hearing about The Dogs Bollocks for ages and have just not managed to get there, the other day this all changed. A little bit of background, if you haven’t yet heard of The Dogs Bollocks then listen up. This is a little burger joint that is found down a road and in a sort of lane. You’ll sit on garden furniture and get to eat a scrumptious burger. This burger joint was started in 2011 and has been growing from strength to strength.

It is all about the burger, there is nothing fancy about this place and you will love every minute of it. It started for the love of the burger and there are only 60 burgers made in the night so you need to get there early in order to reserve yours, because they sell like hot cakes. With a few house rules to familiarise yourself with, such as cash only, putting your name on the board with the number of burgers you are ordering and rules about beverages, you can soon sit back and enjoy the vibe. Continued

Wine Tasting in Breedekloof

View from Jason’s Hill

An old school friend is a doctor and her and her hubby live and work in Worcester. My school friends and I have been threatening to visit for ages and eventually we got all our schedules to coincide for a weekend away. Debs had arranged a full day for the Saturday and organised her hubby to be the designated driver (brave man) while we all went wine tasting at various Breedekloof Estates.

The Breedekloof area extends from Bainskloof to the surrounds of Worcester and Rawsonville with many of the estates being relatively unknown to many of us on the trip. We left it to Debs expertise and after all 7 of us had piled into the car we were ready to go. The weather was rather dismal and we arrived at our first estate Merwida somewhat resembling drowned rats. Continued

I ♥ Somerset West Because …

I ♥ Somerset West

Hi, I’m Joerg Streibing from Somerset Villa Guesthouse in Somerset West.

Somerset West IS BEST KNOWN FOR for the fantastic accommodation places, value for money and diversity.

GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT Vergelegen Estate,The gardens are one of the most beautiful in the Western Cape, the Estate had a lot of Head of States and member of the Royal families visiting. Walk along where Nelson Mandela walked. Get a picture taken under one of the unique trees.

THE BEST penguin PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN AT Bettys Bay (on the scenic R44 ocean drive between Pringle Bay and Kleinmond), renowned for its Jackass penguin colony.

OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT at Lourensford, Vergelegen, Gordons Bay, the beach and many many more! Continued

Getting my Mexican on in Mowbray at Fat Cactus – a review

On the busy Durban Road of Mowbray, somewhat secluded behind trellis work and bright lights, is the Mexican Mecca of the Fat Cactus. We arranged a dinner there, all at the last moment. Fortunately, Bon Jovi was playing live in Cape Town, so the restaurants were fairly empty throughout the city, so we secured a table. Still, there was a very distinct vibe, and only a few tables to spare.

The waitresses are relaxed in their approach and attire, so we waited a while for service, but it was sort of in keeping with the ambience. Continued

Schoone Oordt Country House – Doesn’t This Look Inviting?

With winter just around the corner it is time to make use of the fantastic spots around the country, one such place is the town of Swellendam. Doesn’t the swimming pool at Schoone Oordt Country House look completely inviting? The gracious dame who has been lovingly restored over time by Richard and Alison Walker welcomes you with open arms. The area itself offers a wide variety of activities from wine tasting to fantastic hiking trails and nature walks and plenty of wonderful places to eat. This luxury 5-star graded accommodation will be a wonderful break and perhaps you can even spoil that special someone in your life with a little break away … Continued

A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Cape Town

Cappuccino anyone?

An ardent lover of coffee, I will always seek out the side-walk cafes, the little nooks with real espresso machines and run in the opposite direction of burnt filter coffee. As a traveller, I fully understand your pain if you land up at a hotel with only lukewarm filter coffee on offer, so when coming to Cape Town, know that you are in good hands and this is where you should go…

Origin

In Cape Town’s foreshore up the sloping roads of trendy De Waterkant is where you’ll find Origin Coffee. Just a walk past the door and a whiff of the heavenly aromas and you will be sold. Pick the beans you most desire and have them whip up an espresso dream. Enjoy it with fresh daily savoury and sweet snacks. It also houses a superb tea room behind glass doors where you can get a demonstration on how to make the perfect tea from many varieties. Continued

4 Inspiring Road Trip Routes From Cape Town

There is something addictive about road trips. Someone I know once said “There’s nothing like a hundred kilometres between me and the constant chatter in my head” and I think that just about sums it up: road trips put space between you and the mundanity of life; they add perspective, and take you out of yourself.

There are two kinds of road trips. The first is the Thelma-and-Louise style that entails throwing your suitcase into the boot and letting the road decide where to take you.

The other is a more systematic, planned approach that involves maps, an internet trawl for accommodation and a very good idea of what you want to do when – allowing, of course, for the incidentals that a good road trip always promises. Continued

Meandering from Muizenberg to Simons Town (Southern Cape)

Muizenberg Beachfront

The strip of land hugging the coastline between the shores of Muizenberg and Simons Town is some of the most visually beautiful land in Cape Town. There are a few ways to explore this: rent a car, a scooter, and bicycle or use the Metrorail train which runs along the coast.

If you are coming from the CBD then head towards Cape Town Central and book a ticket along the Simons Town line. They are cheap and have stations at the heart of every suburb you wish to explore.

In the summer months a steam train runs on Sundays which is loads of fun for the family and train enthusiasts – prices can be a little steep in comparison at R220 for adults and R150 for kids aged (3-12) But this may prove a once in a lifetime experience as the coaches date from 1922 -1938 and even has a lounge car with a cash bar. Continued

A Taste of Mexico from El Burro in Green Point

A Mexican Feast

It was a friends birthday and the plan was to meet up at the mexican place, El Burro on Somerset Road in Green Point. I’d heard many good things about this place and so was excited to try it out. Walking in there was an instant buzz of activity and happy hum of voices in the already packed restaurant – note to self booking is probably always a good idea with this one as this was a week night.

We were a big table, many of whom were strangers to one another (except for the birthday girl – obviously) so the first little while was spent getting introduced to one another and completely forgetting to look at the menu. I had a brief perusal through the drinks section and decided that since I was in a mexican restaurant I should try at least one tequila based cocktail! Continued

Dinner at the V&A Waterfront Harbour House

Harbour House ♥

It was my birthday and I wanted to go out for a special meal with my family after plenty of debate we had a restaurant decided only to discover that so many restaurants in Cape Town are closed on Monday. I almost threw in the towel and was going to opt for a take away pizza instead when my boyfriend (who happens to live and work in Botswana) told me he’d arrange everything and I just needed to tell him what time and how many people.

A little while later, I got a message to tell me that a reservation had been made in my name at Harbour House at the V&A Waterfront for 19h00. I have never been to Harbour House, they now have two Cape Town branches the first of which is in Kalk Bay and their newly opened V&A one, however I had heard rave reviews so was rather excited. Continued

A Trip to the Department of Coffee Open Day

Coffee from the DoC

When was the last time you went on a train to Khayelitsha? Let me rephrase that, when was the last time you even thought of taking a train to Khayelitsha? This wasn’t on my radar at all until a few days ago when a friend suggested we head out to the Department of Coffee (DoC) open day.

You might still be confused, so let me give you a little bit of background, because this was something completely new to me as well. The Department of Coffee was started by Wongama, Vusumzi and Vuyile and officially started serving cups of java in July 2012. Wongama and Vusimzi had a dream of opening a coffee shop in a shack and with Vuyile’s skills as a barista this dream became a reality. You’ll find their shop outside the bustling, vibey hub of the Khayelitsha train station. Continued

Things you simply must do in Franschhoek

Magnificent Franschhoek

Franschhoek means ‘French Corner’ and got it’s from the French Huguenot Settlers who first called it home in 1688. This little town with its winelands, mountain ranges, farmlands and rivers is perfectly positioned not far from Cape Town and falls within the Stellenbosch municipality. There are a couple of things no one can visit Franschhoek without experiencing:

The Food

There is a darn good reason why Franschhoek has been named the gourmet capital of South Africa. Award-winning restaurants and star chefs can be found in this little town and this is where magic happens. Prepare to dig deep into you pockets and be amazed with culinary delights from restaurants such as Le Quartier Francais’ 5 or 8 course wonders or Rueben’s Restaurant owned by SA’s premier Chef. Countless number of wine estates has world-class restaurants which deserve as much attention as their wine. Continued

A seaside getaway in Simons Town

“Just Nuisance”

Past the road construction along the Main Road of Kalk Bay, windy Glencairn beach and alongside the railway line is where you’ll find Simons Town. Old shops and buildings marked with the dates from the 1800’s, a navy museum and train station will dot the road. There’s Long Beach with its view of the grey, menacing Army vessels waiting to be called to service. The azure waters always look inviting provided there’s no wind.

If you’re not staying for the weekend, park your car beneath the trees of Jubilee Square, make your way over the cobble stones, past the market vendors selling African art and down towards the harbour. You cannot miss the statue of Just Nuisance, the town’s heroic dog who was a member of the Navy. The delicious scent of salty sea dog’s fish and chips offerings will have your mouth-watering before you’ve made it to the end of the jetty. Continued

Camissa – Cape Town’s return to a place of sweet water

Use our natural resources

‘Camissa’ is the ancient Khoi word meaning place of sweet waters, and their word for Cape Town.

It’s been adopted by a project called Reclaim Camissa that aims to reconnect Cape Town and its people to the water that we have available to us, right beneath our feet.

According to Caron von Zeil, the woman behind Reclaim Camissa, Cape Town once had four rivers and 36 artesian springs. All of these were channelled and diverted underground, via a storm water system, and out into the ocean. Continued