Travel

Bright Continent

Wednesday 22 May, 2013 / Photography / Comments { 9 }

when i think about how little i have travelled in Africa, a continent i’ve lived on for the better part of 30 years, i am actually pretty ashamed of myself. part of that can be to blame on the fact that i’m just a little bit of a lazy traveller. it’s easy to jump on a plane and book into hotels or backpackers in Europe. it’s just easy. (saving up for that flight to europe is not to easy, though). Africa is hard, in more ways than one. you need to have a pinch of the adventurer in you to deal with the interesting modes of transport and long drives, or dodgy bus trips, to get where you want to go. but once you’re there… man, is it worth it.

Anton Crone is a SA photographer & journalist who documents his African travels on his blog Bright Continent. on the surface it’s just amazing to see all the beautiful places that he has visited (Lake Malawi has long been one of my dream destinations) – but like the best travel blogs out there you gain a better understanding of life in Africa through the stories and anecdotes that he shares. i must admit i had something in my eye after reading this story of the Mfuwe school in Zambia.

you can follow him on twitter & read more of his travel articles at Getaway (want to know what it’s like to drive a Smart Car from Cape Town to the Ngorongoro Crater? he did that too). all photos by Anton Crone.














Comments { 9 }

Dama and Dig

Tuesday 7 May, 2013 / Photography / Comments { 8 }

i was catching up on emails this morning after our internet-less weekend away and a wonderful letter from Anna Fusco was just so awesomely serendipitous & co-incidental, as i had literally just read this book and listened to this podcast.

both are stories of people who one day decided to hit the road and leave their ordinary lives behind – whether it was to go on a quest, or for no particular reason at all but to experience the open road… Anna & Nate are on the same path, having bought a thirty year old camper van and setting off on April 1st “with nothing but our cameras, our dog, the books we couldn’t bear to leave behind, and a new sleeping bag courtesy of my mother.” 

Since then, we’ve been traveling the U.S. without a calendar or a particular destination, living off of canned beans and tortilla chips. I’ve been religiously documenting every step of my wanderlust, the beauty and the breakdowns. Trust me that the van isn’t the only thing having an occasional meltdown. But that’s life, that’s van life, and I like it.

Everywhere we stop, people tell us they wish they could do what we do. I want people, women especially, to know that they CAN live in their VW campers and eat their cake too. I say women in particular because for some time it appeared to me that this was a seemingly male dominated “lifestyle,” attainable only by ex-professionals turned religious surfers (i.e. Foster Huntington, another big inspiration) – not by shrimpy twenty-something city girls too attached to their Swedish Hasbeens to “rough it” and too afraid of big waves to surf.

be sure to follow their adventures at Anna’s blog Dama and Dig. all photos by Anna Fusco.

Comments { 8 }

River View

Monday 6 May, 2013 / Photography / Comments { 13 }

we’ve been wanting to visit River View for a long time, and so really had no better excuse to go than to celebrate our anniversary weekend. not being hotel types, we much prefer to find chilled out (and budget friendly) self-catering joints where you can just relax, read, cook, eat and sleep for a few days. luckily you can find so many places that tick those boxes within a few hours from Cape Town.

River View is just outside Calitzdorp, a town in the Klein Karoo that’s a leisurely 4 hour drive from Cape Town along Route 62 (depending on how many stops you make along the way). owners Colin & Bronwyn left the city to set up home in the Matjiesvlei valley, and as every day passed we became more & more envious of their slice of paradise.

if you manage to stay there (and I urge you do) then you’ll no doubt be paid a visit by Jock – the doe-eyed jack russell terrier who strangely always pitches up around eating time… as well as Jessie, the beautiful boer greyhound, who has a bit more style and finesse than old Jock – but i think that’s part of her clever ploy to get doggie treats. we were more than happy to oblige, in exchange for having temporary pets for 3 days.

and now we’re home again, missing it already.

ps: many of you asked in my Kruger Park post what camera and filters I use. those & these were shot with a Canon 5D mark III and edited in Lightroom, making use of VSCO filters when I’m feeling fancy.

Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View Miss Moss // River View

Comments { 13 }

12 hrs

Friday 26 April, 2013 / Photography / Comments { 14 }

i really love the idea behind 12 hrs, a new travel site launched by The Locals photographer Søren Jepsen and writer Anna Peuckert. much like my own city guide to Cape Town, they aim to give you tips “that aren’t about money, but about great discoveries from all around the world.” i wish i could have had their guide to Copenhagen handy when i visited there in 2007, now guess i can add another reason to go again.

We love to travel. We also love design, and music, and fashion. And we were missing a website full of travel tips for people like us. Somewhere between the backpackers and the luxury hotels. To keep it simple, we organized them in itineraries. 12 hours per trip. Sweet and short. With the best to see, do, eat, dance we could fit in one short stay.

all photos by 12 hrs

Comments { 14 }

Trevor Triano

Wednesday 20 March, 2013 / Photography / Comments { 12 }

every now and then you come across a photographer that has an unmistakable eye for detail, soft touches and perfect scenes. browsing through their portfolio is a dream, nothing seems out of place or forced. and above all you don’t walk away thinking, “i wonder what photoshop action they’re using?” no, just simple, beautiful photography. that’s what Trevor Triano is all about. also he took amazing pictures of Paris that i love.

find him at his website, flickr and tumblr.

Comments { 12 }