This post has become an annual tradition for me and I love doing it as a personal record of my travels for the year.
2014 was a wonderful year for me in terms of travel. I got to tick off some major items on my bucket list for the first time.
January
My first weekend away for 2014 was to Askari Game Lodge and Spa in Magaliesberg where we had some delightful elephant interactions.
March
We had a family weekend away at Sparkling Waters Hotel and Spa in the North-West province and went ziplining with Magaliesberg Canopy Tours. It was our first time doing it and it was adrenalin-pumping fun.
Canopy Tour in Magaliesberg
April
My husband got to tick Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George off his bucket list where he played golf at The Links, one of the top golf courses in the country and the world.
We also had a touch of Eastern magic at The Orient Hotel in Pretoria where we ate at the renowned Restaurant Mosaic, one of the top restaurants in South Africa.
Both of these were truly beautiful hotels.
May
I got to tick off a bucket list item by going on my first luxury rail travel journey – on Rovos Rail , one of the most luxurious trains in the world. We visited The Big Hole of Kimberley and Matjiesfontein.
June
I spent a night at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways and got to tick off another bucket list item this month – a hot air balloon safari. It was magical.
We also stayed in a national monument, the Sunnyside Park Hotel in Parktown and experienced luxury country hotel hospitality at Kievits Kroon in Pretoria.
Then the dinosaurs came to town so I took the kids to visit them.
August
We spent a family weekend at Emerald Resort in the Vaal.
September/October
In September, I got to fulfil a lifelong dream of a Mediterranean cruise . We flew to Rome, then took a train to Venice, where we hopped on to Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas. We sailed to Dubrovnik (Croatia) , Kusadasi (Turkey), Katakolon (Greece) and Santorini (Greece). It was one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. After the cruise, we explored Florence, Pisa and Rome before returning home.
December
In December, ‘Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures’, came to South Africa and we got to see a fascinating exhibition.
Our last local getaway for the year was to Zebula Golf Estate and Spa in Limpopo where we had the amazing African Dream House all to ourselves.
We flew to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2014 …
Click here to read about my 2013 year in blogging.
Wishing you a wonderful year ahead, filled with many happy moments and lots of travel.
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Disclosure: Most of my local trips were sponsored media trips while my international trips were partly sponsored. However, opinions are my own.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 49 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
