Pictures of South Africa

Dear all,

I planned for a trip to South Africa in June, and went with 10 other ladies on this trip and this is indeed an experience of a lifetime. Finally, my dream came true, as I had wanted to visit South Africa for a very long time.

Our highlights: -
Cape Town,
Kruger National Park (4 game safari)
Pakamisa Private Game Reserve (horse riding, 1 game safari)
Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park (oldest national Park in South Africa)
St Lucia Estuary (UNESCO, sunset boat cruise)
Shakaland

We stayed at the following lodges -
Hout Bay - Villa Afrique
Kruger - Imbali Lodge
Pakamisa - Pakamisa Paradise Game Lodge
Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park - Falaza Tented Camps
Shakaland - Traditional hand-woven Beehive Hut.

There are alternative or cheaper package if you avoid Kruger National Park. There is a daily conservation fees of about SGD50 per person a day, excluding your hotel / lodge accommodation. Most of the established lodges are mainly 5 star, and you will be charged perhaps for SGD2,000 a night.

To me, there is no compromise, as Kruger is the largest national park in South Africa, and to really enjoy a great safari experience in the bush, there is no alternative to Kruger. There are some cheaper accommodations or even guests houses, which are located outside of the National Park. But being so much further away, I think time will be lost for driving when you go for your safari. As we travel in the period of June, it is the winter season in South Africa, and this is considered the best time for game viewing. Animals are more likely to go to the water holes for drinking, and it is so much easier to spot them.

We had sunrise and sunset safari in a day. In the morning, we woke up as early as 5 30 am, and then have a light breakfast. Then, we have to put on our full gear, wearing the appropriate jackets, gloves, and pants to keep ourselves warm, as we drove out of the lodge in total darkness. When the winds blew past our face, it was really chilly. We were there to see the sky and the horizon changing colours from pitch black, and then slowly the orange tinge spreading along the horizon. And then finally, the sun rose up to the sky. It was not easy to take the pictures as there were many trees all around.

The ranger guide would point to us, the direction to spot the animals. He is well-trained, and he knew what to look out for. As he drove, his head was sweeping from left to right, and his pair of eyes was constantly, trying to pick up the sights of any animals, if they were chewing the leaves somewhere, with the bodeis partially hidden by the trees.

We were lucky that for the 3 days and 2 nights stay at Imbali, we spotted a lot of animals, and out of the BIG FIVE, we managed to see the four of them. The leopard is a very elusive animal, and it is a nocturnal animal, and thus we missed seeing them in Kruger.

I like to share some of the pictures that I took for my trip in South Africa.

                              Captured this at the right moment, with another baby elephant behind.

Reminds me of the animated movie - The Lion King.

                                                  We were so close to the pride of lions.
                                   

                                                                            A zebra

                                                     Giraffe - is such an elegant animal.

                                                    Impala. Only male impalas have horns.

A group of baboons was crossing the road in front of our vehicle.

                                                                       Baboon & its baby.

More pictures to come. Do come back for more.

If you are looking for the best airfare to South Africa, you normally fly to Johannesburg for a trip to Kruger National Park. For some others, they will fly into Cape Town, and then connect to Johannesburg.
It is a 7 -hour drive to Kruger Park, otherwise, you can also fly from Johannesburg to Kruger, but I understand the airfare is not cheap.

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More pictures to come.

Olevia Cheong

My Next Dream Destination - South America in 2015!

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN PRAGUE

Dear all,






I was away in Europe leading two tours, first to Western Europe, and then to the Central Europe (Munich, Austria & Czech Republic).


It was more than 3 weeks away, but there were so much more new experiences for everyone on the trip.


I will upload some pictures here for everyone.




And I like to recommend these activities for everyone who is going to Prague.


TOP 10 Attractions in Prague
1. Visit the Castle District / St Vitus Cathedral
2. Take a walk in the Old Town of Prague & a stroll along Charles Bridge
3. Horse Carriage Ride around the Old Town (20min, EURO32, max 4 persons)
4. Go up to the Clock Tower for views of Old Town
5. Vlatava River Cruise
6. Black Light Theatre Show
7. Enjoy a Classical Concert at one of the many churches
8. Enjoy a meal with music at U Zlate Konvice Restaurant
9. Shopping for Bohemia Crystals 
10. Enjoy drinking beer at Roof Terrace Bar, Hotel U Prince




Well, these are the Top 10 attractions in Prague, in my opinion. And you will definitely have a great time in Prague. For beer lovers, there are pub crawling to the various pubs to enjoy the famous Czech beers. If you like history, there are many kinds of walking tours which you can sign up for when you are in Prague.










1. Visit Castle District / St Vitus Cathedral.


You would need at least two hours to cover the Castle District, as well as the beautiful St Vitus Cathedral, which was built by the order of King Charles IV.
The Prague Castle is now the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. This is the largest ancient castle in the world - 570m long, 128m wide (on average), and area of 7.28 hectares .
It was constructed by Prince Borivoj, the castle transformed itself from a wooden fortress surrounded by earthn bulwarks to the imposing structure that you see today.




St Vitus Cathedral
The cathedral's foundation was laid in 1344 by Emperor Charles IV. The very first architect was Mattias of Arras, and then Petr Parler took over after Mattias' death. Much of the architectural style is completed in late - Gothic. However, over the centuries, renaissance and baroque elements were added and finally the Cathedral was completed in 1929. The most beautiful of the numerous side chapels, Parler's Chapel of St Wenceslas, houses the crown jewels and the tomb of the "Good King" Wenceslas. There are many beautiful stained glass and excellent art works.
The Royal Crypt contains the remains of Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, George of Podebrady and Rudolf II. You will enjoy an excellent view from the Great Tower provided the day is clear.





2. Take a walk in the Old Town, and enjoy a stroll across Charles Bridge in the evening
Prague is called the 'City of 1000 spires' and it is now considered to be the most beautiful city in Eastern Europe. There are so many beautiful buildings which were built in the different eras. And the fact that the city escaped the destruction of the second World War, helped to preserve the original buildings and thus the whole Old Town is like an open museum with all the wonderful architecture, which many people have come by to admire. You could walk for a few days to cover the different areas of the Old Town. Avoid going to Charles Bridge in the morning, but wait till it is in the evening, before you cross the bridge which was built in stone by the order of Emperor Charles IV. Enjoy the sunset, across the Prague Castle, or just watch the cruise ships sail pass below... It will be a memorable time spent on the bridge.


3.  Horse Carriage ride around the Old Town
Too tired to walk on a hot day? How about taking a horse carriage ride around the Old Town instead. Each carriage can take one to maximum of four people for half an hour through the cobble-stoned streets of the capital of Czech Republic, and also once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.


4.  Go up to the Clock Tower for views of the Old Town.
I had been to Prague a number of times, and I had always encouraged my tour group members to pay a little for the lift ride up to the top of the Clock Tower, which was built in the 14th century. From up there, you could marvel at the views of the Tyn Church, and many of the other famous buildings in the Old Town. If you happen to reach the top, just before the hour, you would see many people waiting right in front of the Clock to see the magic of this ancient clock still in operation.




5.  Vlatava River Cruise
Vlatava River is the longest river in the country of Czech Republic, and it is 433 km long. It is flowing from the North to the South passing by Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and a few other cities, and towns. This is a wonderful way to spend time in Prague by taking a one hour cruise in the afternoon, or a 3 hour dinner cruise on the river from 7 to 10 pm. Enjoy a buffet dinner, while you sail on the Vlatava River, and you can take in the sights of Prague at night, with the majestic Prague Castle illuminated. You can just head down to the Pier No 3, just opposite the Intercontinental Hotel, below the Chuchuv Bridge to buy your tickets.








6. Black Light Theatre (in Czech - cerne divadlo)









This is a theatrical performance style characterised by the use of black box theatre augmented by black light illusion. This actually originates from Asia, and it can be found in many places around the world. Now, it has become a specialty and you can find a number of such theatres in Prague. In the theatre, the use of the black curtains, together with a darkened stage, as well as fluorescent costumes create the optical illusion. Using dance, mime and acrobatics, the performers are able to create an entertaining show for the evening. I had watched the Black Light Theatre a few times, and had brought my tour group members to this particular show by the WOW Theatre.
Check out the website -
www.wow-show.com
Address - Theatre Broadway, Na Prikope 31, Prague 1.
Reservation - (420) 224 032 172
The reservation office is open Monday to Friday.


7. Enjoy a classical concert at one of the Churches
When you are in Prague, there are so many activities for you to choose from. And I must say I have yet to find a chance to attend the classical concert being held inside one of the Churches. Everytime, I walk along the streets in the Old Town, I often pick up some brochures given by the locals regarding this wonderful experiences. And the last time I was in Prague, I was particularly attracted by the brochure based on the information given on it. There is a church by the name of St Salvador, which is a beautifully restored church in the 17th century, and it is located close to the Old Town Square. In fact, it is the largest evangelical church in Prague. It is considered to be one of the most valuable examples of early - Baroque architecture in Prague. Famous architects Lurago, Caratti and Kanka were all involved with its construction. This beautiful church, has a beautiful Baroque façade, with porticos decorated with sand-stone sculptures of saints by Jan Jiri Bendi. a niche in the wall houses a sculpture of the Virgin Mary. When you walk from the Old Town towards Charles Bridge, and just before you head on to the bridge, you find this church located on the right hand side, behind the statue of Emperor Charles IV. In this church, you will find two magnificent organs, and they have both been recently restored and both are played at Mass and during classical music concerts, which run throughout the year. You can buy the tickets just outside the door of the church. The concert usually starts at about 6 pm.




8. Enjoy a meal with music at U Zlate Konvice Restaurant
When you are feeling hungry, it is time to head to the restaurant for a hearty Czech meal. You can enjoy tasty barbecued meats, grilled knee and Old-style Czech food, with the Moravian wine or the Pilsner beer here at U Zlate Konvice Restaurant. It is located directly opposite the Clock Tower, down the cellar under the Grand Hotel Praha. I love the ambience, and the live music here.




9. Shopping for Bohemia Crystals 
If you are looking for some souvenirs to bring home, consider the Bohemia Crystals or garnet stones for your loved ones. There is a big store - Erpet Crystals , located opposite the Clock Tower, next to the Grand Hotel Praha. Though the prices are a bit high, you are guaranteed of buying high quality crystals from the store, which is open everyday until 10 pm.






10. Enjoy drinking beer at Roof Terrace Bar, Hotel U Prince
After your dinner, if you have not have enough of the beer, then you might want to proceed to Roof Terrace Bar, located at Hotel U Prince. This 5 star luxury property has the perfect location in the Old Town of Prague, and from the terrace on top, it commands great views of the Clock Tower, and the exquisite panoramic view of Old Prague. Enjoy the breeze, as you drink and chat with your friends. This is your last night in Prague, and you want to make the most out of it. It will have a lasting memory for you as you will yearn to come back to Prague again to have a magical time here.




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Thanks for reading my blog.


Olevia Cheong
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