I created the “Travellers’ Tales” section to give other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels. Today I would like to introduce you to Alma, a travel blogger from South Africa. She blogs at Roaming Fox .
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales” , fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Roaming Fox was initiated when I wrote about my own travel tales on a communal blog. I had to find a pseudonym and was often called Silver Fox, because of the colour of my hair. It seemed a natural progression from silver to roaming. When I developed my own website, it appealed to me to continue with that name and create a travel den. I’m a not so young traveller and tourist that has travelled to numerous destinations in Africa, including islands like Madagascar and Comoros. Other destinations I have been to are the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and the UAE.
Two memories spring to mind and it’s so long ago, that I couldn’t tell you which one happened first: One is travelling by rail to Durban from Cape Town: green leather seats in our compartment on the train, with a springbok etched on the glass window and pictures of wild animals and places in South Africa.
I still remember the gong sounding for dinner to be served. Tables were laid with starched linen, the SAR emblem on the crockery and solid polished silver cutlery. Then upon returning to our compartment, our beds were made, and a corner of the sheets and blankets turned back on the narrow bunks. I remember being enthralled by the entire experience, from the quaint metal fold down basin to the actual scenery whizzing by. The other is flying by plane from Cape Town to Durban, unaccompanied by an adult when I was about 7 or 8. That was back in the mid 1960’s.
Our last trip was to the UK where we spent two weeks on a canal boat. We embarked on Bradford-on-Avon and motored up and down the canal to stop at various places including Bath, Bristol and Devizes, where there are 29 locks in quick succession. Thankfully we chose not to do those locks, as it is tiring, and we would not have had enough time or energy.
The entire experience, from winding the locks to let the water in or out so that our boat could travel further, to being able to stop off at villages and towns along the way, to explore.
Very difficult to answer, but my first Madagascar trip is right up at the top, or close to. We chartered a yacht for 10 days to sail around a few islands on the north-west coast of Madagascar, from Nosy Be. It was a trip of a lifetime, that we undertook as a family and the greatest bonding time for all of us, as well as the wonderful opportunity to learn to dive. We could snorkel, catch fish and swim to our hearts content, after we were hot and tired from exploring the areas where we’d moored. The culture, people and places are truly exotic and diverse.
Madagascar
I’m open to travelling to most destinations and it’s extremely difficult to choose a favourite. It depends on my mood and reason for travelling. One moment I love roaming around wild animals in Africa and another trotting on a beach on a tropical island or loping through a foreign international city observing the street life.
No matter where you go, take in the culture, talk to the people and sample at least some of their traditional food.
It has to be my husband, with whom I’ve travelled so many times to wonderful destinations.
Your passport.
Embrace the opportunity to travel, even if it’s not the best experience, because it is short lived, and it opens your eyes and mind to a whole new world.
Impossible to answer. I don’t have a specific place in mind. I’m ready to explore wherever I can. A long, slow trip around the world, but if I can’t have that, Japan sounds like a good start.
The Cape, with its mountains, winelands and sea, but then again, there’s nothing like spending some time in the Kruger National Park or the Kgalagadi.
When I had to greet our skipper for the first time on our Madagascar trip and I only had my undies and a t-shirt on, because my only pair of long jeans would have been soaked when we hopped onto the yacht.
I can’t recall any. We’ve had some hairy moments though, like the time when our trailer’s axle broke in the middle of nowhere and we wandered into the bushes to find some rocks to keep the trailer in place. We discovered a few days later when we returned on the same road, that we had broken down in an area where they were clearing landmines in Mozambique.
Blog: Roaming Fox
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Thank you, Alma , for sharing your fascinating travels with us!
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales”, fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Who will I feature next? I’ve got an exciting line-up ahead. Make sure you subscribe to the free newsletter so you don’t miss out on some exciting travel tales.
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 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
