Travel Ideas and Advice for the Novice Traveller

I recently had the privilege to visit the town of Stellenbosch , in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This town is in, what is called the Cape Winelands and is surrounded by beautiful wine estates and many mountains, reminding one of the Alps, in Switzerland. Stellenbosch, was founded by the Dutch in 1679 (just a couple of years after the Dutch founded New York!). I will report at a later stage about the things to do in the town, but today I am going to show you some of the beautiful scenery found in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. I had the opportunity to go and walk in the reserve and I am not exaggerating when I say that the scenery was breathtaking and the plant life resembling a garden of Eden. Mountains around Stellenbosch If you are interested in visiting the town and you are in need of accommodation, then you can either look for hotels in Stellenbosch , or stay in Cape Town which is only about 35 kilometers from Stellenbosch .

If you are going to backpack in Europe, then there is a good chance that you will have to travel through Switzerland. One of the best cities to stay in Switzerland is Geneva. I visited this city a couple of years ago, just as the city was in the full throws of the Festival for the Animals("Fete des Animaux"), to collect money for the local SPCA. We had an an absolute surreal experience in this very influential European city. The weather was beautiful and we were treated to the most fantastic animal displays on the lake. It really made us miss our pets at home. There were a lot of life saving demonstrations with huge black dogs, bringing guys "drowning" to safety on the shore. We were also treated to parades around the lake by various groups, which looked to be representing the various Cantons of Switzerland. Every year there are various festivals in Geneva, with the most famous one, the  Fêtes de Genève  . So you might say, OK, all good and well to

Introduction Many parents delay their overseas holiday plans, until their children are older, to ensure their young children does not impact expensive holiday arrangements. I’ve decided to explore the merits of this decision further, as I have travelled with small kids to exciting destinations myself. Travelling with kids - Is it a joy or a disaster? Holiday travel is big business these days, with lots of tour operators offering varied travel packages for all kinds of holiday makers, age groups as well as the independent traveller. Family travel has also entered this spectrum, with tour operators starting to offer family orientated travel opportunities. Taking the above into account I've decided to put some focus on some of the things to keep in mind when travelling with young kids. If your planning is in place prior to your trip you are guaranteed to have a most fantastic experience with your children. Some

On a recent visit to Cape Town, booked through statravel.com , I had the privilege of taking a cruise in the famous Table Bay. This is the bay where Dutch commander, Jan van Riebeeck arrived on the 6th of April 1652, founding the nation that is South Africa today. Since 1488 when Bartholomew Diaz set eyes upon Table Mountain for the first time, sailors have been captivated by the natural beauty and splendour of this magnificent mountain. I was also captivated by this beautiful natural wonder and went up the cable way that gives one the opportunity to travel to the top of the mountain.