Travel light, but with the best luggage, you can find.
I have learned to travel with a solid mix of basics and frivolous things. I wish that after 6 years of writing a travel blog I can write stories about how well I pack. How I have perfected the art of not packing things I don’t need and that I found a way for my clothes to reach the other end not creased.
I have often written about my dream of taking a flight in a hot air balloon. In fact, if you asked me a month ago what my biggest dream was for 2018 I would have said “for everyone to just be healthy” you would have said “no, something else” and I would reply “a flight in a balloon”
A few weekends ago, my dream came true.
I love following 52 week and 365-day challenges and I love cheering people on to stick to it. But more often than not those I follow start one on the 1st of Jan then drop out around the halfway mark. (Except Megan, who even posted in hospitals and planes, nothing stopped her from completing 365beauty tips it was bloody awesome) Others start drawing challenges and boy do they start strong. Then they get lazy and it all goes out the window.
The problem with walls, is I have none.
When you travel, especially from small town to small town you notice a difference in the way people live. Where I grew up, houses didn’t have high walls around them. we played on each other’s lawns and in the street. Where I live now, if you pass a house without 6-foot walls you worry about their safety.
Lately, I have learned that people are a lot like houses.
Anyone feel like you have been holding your breath this whole year? January kicked off with a customary underwear dip in the pool. A fresh start. So much promise. So many wonderful things were right in reach. February brought change. Change we were all ready for and change we have been learning to live with since. 2017 had the highest of highs (no really, loads of drugs were involved) and the lowest of lows. To mention but one it was having to be sedated in ICU after attempting to pull out all drips.
A couple of years ago a “G&T” was something people in old movies drank and most likely the only gin brand you could name was Gordons.
A gift guide for the traveller girl who doesn’t like receiving gifts.
It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Christmas. In fact the older I get the more I actively dislike it. I don’t put a tree, I don’t decorate anything. For one, I go home to Cape Town for Christmas. But I genuinely dislike the idea of decorating and then having to take everything down again. I am not particularly religious and do not feel connected to that aspect of the whole festive thing. I sound bitter, I know. But I promise I am quite happy. I think getting gifts makes me extremely uncomfortable.
I get immense joy from giving things and I don’t tend to wait for Christmas or Birthdays to give people little things or do or plan something really cool for them.
“if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life”
I agree, but I also don’t. I love what I do for a living (even though it is very hard to explain it to people) But I have also never worked harder in my entire life. I have never worked longer hours, learned more, managed more and I have never felt more accomplished.
I have touched on what I do but never really explained it. I am Lydia Afonso and I am the Ops Manager for Kap Vino Estate, Kunjani Wines. (And accommodation and restaurant). Oversee all operations of the estate, from the wine-admin to the running of the day to day all the way through to exports and the accommodation and venue hire. I do, well, a little of everything with the help of an amazing team.
Just over 2 years ago, a friend (who also works in the industry) sent me a tweet with a link to a new wine they found. The USP was “A wine made by men, for men” and I was too intrigued not to pick up the phone and hear if it was for real. Turns out it was and it was actually being run by an AMAZING woman. I asked her if she was crazy with a slogan like that. It was actually an export brand and she was dying to change it.
Fast forward 6 months and I found myself saying yes to opening up a “small, intimate wine tasting” that will never serve food.
GB GREEN LYDIA – WHAT TO PACK FOR THE MOTHER CITY
There are few places on the planet that combine progressive innovation and world-class entertainment with the backing track of an African rhythm; where culinary bliss is rivaled only by some of the most beautiful vistas imaginable. This is Cape Town, and it is one of the world’s most exciting destinations. To get the most out of it, pack well so that you are comfortable while you shop, taste wine, explore historical sites, and indulge in some of the prettiest beaches and finest restaurants in South Africa.
Here are some top packing tips for the Mother City:
Cape Town summers can get really hot and sunny. So, in addition to a range of cool clothes, always wear sunglasses, sunscreen and, preferably, a wide-brimmed hat. These are also fabulously glam, so you’ll fit right in. Remember, Cape Town is the trendy home of some of the top fashionistas in the country. It also has a number of beaches; including the spectacular Camps Bay and Clifton beaches, which have all of the white-sand-and-turquoise-water essentials for the perfect summer vacay. So, your luggage will need to include:
As hot as the summers are, winters can get chilly in Cape Town, especially at night. It’s best to layer your outfits so that, as the crisp morning air lifts and the day warms up, you can just remove a layer or two. Some winter essentials include:
Cape Town is well-equipped and most guesthouses and hotels have all of the essentials. Still, any traveller should have a few basic essentials to make their stay in South Africa even better. These include:
Of course, you can’t prepare for everything, but here are some helpful extras that will leave you feeling more prepared:
Packing well could be the difference between having the time of your life and being really uncomfortable. Cape Town is special; it’s a destination that will stay with you forever. Make sure that you’re comfortable and have everything you need so that you can sit back, relax and really savour its magic.
Blog post in association with SA Venue
I once saw a bunch of hot air balloons being inflated in a field in Bath, in the UK. It was the clearest day. Not a cloud in the sky right in the centre of Bath in Victoria Park a whole bunch of air balloons were slowly being inflated. Eager passengers waiting in anticipation for the basket to just-just lift off the ground for them to jump in.