my views

One of our absolute favourite hiking spots is Cecilia Forest. It has an array of different trails you can do, depending on your mood and what you’d like to see. One that is a short (5km), steep staircase climb to a beautiful oasis is the Cecilia Waterfall trail. This hidden gem, which takes about two hours to complete, is worth exploring with your pawsome pet and easy to find if you follow the landmarks below as a guide.  From Cecilia Forest parking area (opposite Hohenort Avenue, just off Rhodes Drive), follow the Jeep Track towards the pine forest. At the fork in the road, turn right and continue on this path until you reach a water feature.  It is a small catchment area, caused by a flowing stream that runs down the mountain, where your furry friend can take a dip. This is a welcome reprieve on a hot summer’s day and one of the highlights of the trail is that there’s quite a few spots where your dog can wet his undercarriage and cool down his paws.  When they’ve had enough of a swi

In February last year, Kygo injured his leg and was limping quite badly. We took him to the Vet and they advised that we have him X-rayed, as Rottweilers are prone to hip dysplasia.  We were relieved that it wasn’t hip dysplasia, but the X-ray revealed that Kygo had some thickening of the bone on his right elbow. We suspect it was due to a previous injury where Kygo was bitten by another dog on that spot. The recommended treatment for his limp was anti-inflammatories and rest. But we could see Kygo was walking uncomfortably. We were at our local park when I chatted to a neighbour whose car is branded with Southern Edge Veterinary Physiotherapy’s details. She told me her daughter, Gill, is an animal physiotherapist. I made an appointment and Gill came to our house for a consultation. Gill giving Kygo laser therapy I was amazed at her patience as she meticulously examined Kygo’s entire body, including his toes and legs. She picked up that his back was tight because he was overcompensatin

Arniston is a magical place. For me, it’s synonymous with relaxation and that ‘holiday feeling’. For Kygo, our rottweiler, it means freedom and magnificent adventures every day.  Waleed, my husband, has been going to Arniston since he was 6 years old. So when I went there for the first time over 10 years ago, I also fell in love with the place. It’s hard not to. It is a small fishing village, about 190km outside of Cape Town, famous for its lime-washed houses with thatched roofs. It remains unspoiled and has been declared a national monument.  Arniston Harbour with the Hotel and the fishing village in the distance The town is named after a ship, The Arniston , an East Indiaman that made eight voyages for the British East India Company. She was wrecked on 30 May 1815 during a storm at Waenhuiskrans (later renamed Arniston), near Cape Agulhas (the southernmost tip of Africa). Only six people on board The Arniston survived and 372 lives were lost.  The shipwreck museum in Bredasdorp is a

What started out as a crazy idea in preparation for trail running, has become the cure for Monday morning blues. What is it, you ask? A hike to start the week off right, first thing on a Monday. 10 weeks in, I’m more energised and my body clock has reset. I'm now a member of the 5am club, waking up without an alarm, even on weekends, and absolutely love it! The best part is that we do a different trail every week and get to witness the most beautiful sunrises. We usually start around 6:30 am and aim to do about a two-hour hike. When we’ve completed our hike, there’s enough time for a shower and breakfast before we start our workday. The sense of accomplishment also adds to a more productive day. Week 1 (4 Jan) We (my friend Shaheema and I) did the Pipe Track (10kms). It is a relatively flat trail along the lower part of Table Mountain in the direction of the 12 Apostles.  Pipe Track has the most stunning views of Lions Head and Camps Bay. Week 2 (12 Jan) we did Kloof Corner (6.3k