Author: Desiree Haakonsen

Last weekend I visited The Red Table Restaurant, where I was treated to the most mouth-wateringly delicious meal of my entire year. (I know it’s only January, but it was that good that I’m predicting it to be uncontested for 2013.) So if there’s one recommendation I can make when you’re touring the Cape Winelands […]

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, iconic gifts like over-priced chocolate hearts, miniature teddy bears in mugs, and plastic roses have the potential to turn your V-Day into D-Day! Here are some far more smooch-scoring ideas for Valentine’s Day. I – Ice-skating Gliding on ice. Holding hands. Snuggling up for warmth. A post-skating foot massage. […]

The Elgin Valley lies approximately 70km east of Cape Town, in the exquisite fertile land beyond Sir Lowry’s pass. After crossing the intrepid Hottentots-Holland mountain range, a meander off the beaten track affords a tantalising range of cellar experiences where every bottle of wine captures the beauty of the valley. The Elegantly Elgin Wine Route […]

Gauteng may be a riot of night life, traffic congestion, and couture shopping, but it has its fair share of secluded spots where you can escape the honking horns and vogue appearances.  Irene (pronounced “I-reen-ee”) is one of my favourite havens. This quiet region of Centurion, situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria, is a family-friendly farm […]

There’s only one thing that wine fundis will find more exciting than the annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival, and that’s the fact that the 2013 Stellenbosch Wine Festival is happening 6 months earlier than usual.  The expanded 10-day programme will be taking place from 25 January to 3 February 2013, with over 150 farms and countless […]

In exactly one month, people around the world will be celebrating their love. That’s right – Valentine’s Day is around the corner. A romantic couple’s getaway is always a great way to reignite love’s spark…far better than chocolates and teddy bears. With the variety of incredible lodges, spas, guest houses, hotels, and such across our […]

I first came across “Geckoing” while on honeymoon in Hazyview, a little town in the heart of the Mpumalanga Lowveld, near the Kruger National Park. My hubby and I are both quite adventurous and had specifically tightened the wedding budget so that we could splurge on some extra honeymoon activities, so our first stop in […]

Are you back at work and already feeling like you need a holiday after the holiday? That’s often because we end up doing so much on our few days off that we don’t actually get a break from our busy day-to-day lives. If you’re in the camp that would dearly love a quiet weekend to […]