my views

When my brother called and asked whether I would like to abseil down Table Mountain I thought, ‘You must be nuts!’. But I said I would think about it…  I few years ago I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes . The book is based on Shonda’s experience of opening herself up to new opportunities by saying ‘yes’ for one year. It is astounding that our inclination is to decline things immediately based on preconceived ideas, fears (of the unknown) or limiting beliefs. With this at the back of my mind, I usually challenge myself and I after chatting to Waleed we agreed to do it. I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous but also comforted that my brother and his wife were going to join us. We made sure we were on the first cable car to the top of Table Mountain at 9am on the Sunday morning. My brother chose to hike up Platteklip Gorge. You have to book in advance with Abseil Africa and they give you a time slot for your abseil.  There is a safety briefing beforehand and you can ask them as many questio

People often ask how I know about so many trails and the truth is some of them are discovered in a serendipitous manner. Klaasenbosch was one of those amazing ‘by chance’ discoveries and has quickly crept up our favourite list.  We were doing the Alphen Trail one day, and we usually start at the bottom of Alphen Drive and walk all the way to the top of the trail. As we came out on the other side at Hohenort Avenue, we saw another trail board across the road and decided to try it. The rest is history... Waleed and Kygo exploring in the early morning light Walking the Klaasenbosch Trail For the Google Maps directions to Klaasenbosch - click here As you start the trail, the verges are the backyards of properties that have stables and depending on the time of day that you walk, we often see people horse-riding. There are no cyclists allowed, which makes it a popular spot for dog walking and trail running. The view of Klaasenbosch A great place to take your dog for a walk It is a short 3km

On Saturday we took Kygo, our rottweiler, for a walk at Groot Constantia . The estate was established in 1685 and is Cape Town’s oldest wine producing farm. It offers the most picturesque views of the vineyards and the mountains. The great news is that the estate is dog friendly (provided your pooch is on a lead) and you can wander on the designated paths on the estate between 8am and 5pm, 7 days a week. Kygo and I at the Groot Constantia Estate Groot Constantia offers amazing views and a fun-filled adventure Elephant's Eye in the distance Waleed and Kygo enjoying the stroll through the vineyards The estate is extremely popular with many people enjoying a trail run or a walk with the family. It also attracts lots of tourists with the sightseeing red bus passing through.  When you’ve entered the estate and parked, you can follow the tree-lined path that leads to the Iziko Museum where you can learn about the estate’s fascinating history. Behind it, there are two shallow ponds where

It’s become something of a family tradition to venture to Klondyke Cherry Farm in Ceres towards the end of the year for a family day out. We’ve been doing the annual trip for the last five years, mostly because my mother is crazy about cherries. Usually there is a lot of moaning (from a certain brother) because it entails an early morning start, a two-hour plus drive and some prep needed beforehand. But it is an enjoyable outing with the drive down the N1, through the Huguenot Tunnel and then the most scenic views while you are dwarfed by the majestic mountain ranges.  The road meanders next to the Breede River, which was quite dry this time of year. Because I have a huge family, we met at the Engen One Stop on the N1 so we could drive in convoy to the farm. Am I in cherry heaven? The view from the orchard How much does it cost? Klondyke offers a R10 discount per person if you arrive before 10am. Thereafter, the entry fee is R30 per person, R15 per child under 10 and