I don’t know how I have managed to live in Joburg for over 2 years now and only got around to visiting the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden a couple of Sundays ago. I have known about this park for a long time now and it is located only about 40 minutes from our home, but somehow we never managed to stop in. This is a stunning garden, a perfect place to spend a day out relaxing on the well-kept lawns and/or hiking around the reserve.
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
A couple of weeks ago we took a drive out to Hartbeespoort Dam for lunch at the Silver Orange Bistro. I had seen a lot of good reviews of this restaurant and I have been wanting to try it out for some time now.
Silver Orange Bistro
During the past 2-3 months the subject of finding some authentic Chinese food has come up in conversations between the Frenchie and me several times as the strip mall/take out places you find all over Joburg just don’t cut it. I knew we needed to get over to explore Cyrildene, the neighborhood which is now considered to be the new Chinatown in Jozi (with the orignal one in Newtown though it is mostly abandoned these days). We have driven past many times and just never got around to actually stopping to check things out. Earlier this week, I read the new Johannesburg Travel Guide on Trip Advisor and the feature Best Food in Johannesburg from blogger 2summers. In the article she recommends Shun De Chinese Restaurant in Cyrildene (23 Derrick Street) and I immediately knew where I wanted to have lunch on Saturday.
Shun De Chinese Restaurant
Over the first weekend of October, the Heritage Portal of Johannesburg along with participating residents of Upper Houghton organized an event to showcase 9 heritage gardens in both private homes as well as St John’s College and the King Edward VII School. With spring well underway, this was a great chance to see some amazing places normally inaccessible by the general public.
Villa at 36 St Patrick Road
As I am sitting here freezing in Jozi, I thought this might be a good time to write a bit about some warmer days or rather, my trip to Cape Town last month. I was fortunate to get sent down for work to attend WTM Africa, so I decided to go a day early and stay a day after to get a in little play-time as well.
This was not my first time to Cape Town but my first visit since moving to South Africa and because I had already done many of the touristy things, I didn’t plan a single thing. I was just looking forward to being in and around Cape Town, wherever my days would take me.
I had flown in late the night before and woke up to some gorgeous views from our 6th floor balcony in the heart of Sea Point. I really enjoy this neighborhood and have stayed here on each of 4 visits to Cape Town. I probably should branch out one of these times but then why mess with such a good thing ?
Lion’s Head, view from our apartment
Under an African Sun 