Road Trip's Podcast

Send us a textThe Kruger National Park is a wonderful and special destination. It is a "World Class" wildlife park - but there are a few basic rules and regulations that need to be followed in order to have a great visit. We give a few tips on how to enjoy the park without getting into trouble, some basic etiquette on the road, and a short rundown on some "Park Manners".Have great stay! The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textMost people go to the Kruger National Park for "Game Drives" - this is obviously the main aim of the visit - but there are variations available - and there a definitely different ways to do it!There are also a variety of "other activities" available in the park - so press the "reset" button, slow down, relax - and really get to experience the Kruger National Park - there is a lot more to it than just chasing around on the roads!The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textWe chat about what you need to make for an unforgettable visit to the Kruger National Park. Basic stuff to take with you: some essentials in the suitcase, some good tips for what to take in the car, how to have a comfortable stay. And most essentially - how to plan for and have good days driving in the park!The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textIn this podcast we answer some questions from a listener in Australia - how to arrive in SA, how to get to Kruger, car hire, some advice on camps and distances, where to spend the most time.......We help to plan a 10 to 14 day Kruger itinerary.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textSome tips for your visit to the Kruger National Park. How to get there, how to get into the park, where to stay, what type of accommodation is available, the different types of camps.Kruger is a huge park - 19,623 sq km. And another 1,800 sq km of private reserve.12 main camps, 5 bush veld camps, 2 bush lodges, 4 satellite camps. A plethora of luxury private lodges - it just depends on your budget - and what experience do you want?We give some insight to help you make a choice. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textEvery year in spring there is a cultural event that takes place in eSwatini (Swaziland) that is like no other. 40,000 young girls pay tribute to the Queen Mother - the Ndlovukazi. It is an 8-day event, and is open to the public for the last two. The event is an incredible spectacle - it is estimated that approximately 40,000 young maidens pay tribute to the Queen Mother, by bringing reeds to the palace - and the culmination is a dance exhibition in the National Stadium. Royalty from all over Southern Africa attend, the locals all dress in traditional attire, his Highness King Mswati attends with his full bodyguard - it truly is a spectacular event.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textKimberley - a dusty, grown-up mining town. A bit of a derelict veneer, once scratched open reveals a stunning, complex, historical, and fascinating city. The ghost of Cecil John Rhodes permeates the entire town - from the mines, to the relics of the Anglo-Boer War. Really interesting monuments, world-class museums, and the obligatory visit to The Big Hole - all make for a really worthwhile visit.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThis is truly an iconic visit - it rates along with Rorke's Drift, Blood River / Ncome, and Isandlwana. For any student of military history, it is a "must do". To walk the fields where the Highland Brigade advanced - it's goosebump territory.========================================================================The Anglo-Boer War battle took place during the Boer siege of Kimberley, a strategic diamond mining town. A British relief column advanced along the Cape railway line and in three earlier clashes, forced the Boer commandos to pull back.The Boers planned to make a stand at Magersfontein, an outcrop about 30 km south of Kimberley. But instead of defending from the heights of the koppie, as the British assumed they would, they dug camouflaged trenches around its base.For two days, the British poured artillery fire on the hill. At dawn on December 11, the Black Watch advanced in massed ranks. Unaware of the Boer trenchline, they were 400 meters from the hill when their foes opened up. They were cut down in scores while the bagpipers played on.The Highland Brigade commander, Major General A.G. Wauchope, was among the first to die.The Gordon Highlanders were sent in as a second wave only to suffer a similar fate. All day the wounded lay under the beating sun, crying for water while Boer snipers picked them off.After a Boer counter-attack, confused orders led to the troops retreating. Casualties lay on the battlefield all night although stretcher bearers ventured out with lanterns to rescue those they could. A truce was called the next day.The British withdrew to the Modder River and it was not until February that the siege of Kimberley was broken.The Highland Brigade suffered 202 dead at Magersfontein, and 37 soldiers from the Guards and other units who also fought in the action were killed. More than 660 British troops were wounded.The Boer forces lost 87 men, including 23 Scandinavian volunteers. All have their own memorials at different sites of the battlefield. It is believed that the battle never stopped. Bagpipes can be heard during some nights and soldiers seen marching on the battlefield.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textMokala National Park, proclaimed in June 2007, is South Africa's newest park, located 80km southwest of Kimberley. Named after the Setswana word for Camelthorn tree (Acacia erioloba), the park features striking, twisted specimens ranging from small shrubs to towering 16m trees.Red Kalahari sands, towering trees, beautiful sunsets, some tricky roads..... all make for a cool stay.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThe Karoo National Park lies a few short kilometres South of Beaufort West. Spectacular scenery, both easy and challenging 4x4 routes, really nice and well situated accommodation, and we got to see the Lions! A night or two here changes Beaufort West from a flying overnight stop on the N1, to a destination.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textBeaufort West lies astride the N1, the main highway that stretches from Cape Town to Beit Bridge. Travellers on the route often use it as a very convenient overnight stop, and there are many really good accommodation options in the area - Lodges on game farms, B&B's, guest houses etc. The Karoo National Park is right there as well - this park and quite a few interesting spots in the town make it a possible destination, rather than a convenient fly-through when on the highway.And a small hint - diesel prices vary greatly in this town - often well over R3.00 per litre difference - use PitStops to find the best prices. www.pitstops.co.za The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThe Camdeboo National Park surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinet. The iconic "sundowners" spot of The Valley of Desolation is a "must-do". Plan a late afternoon drive to the viewpoint, with an appropriately filled cooler box - and just enjoy the timeless beauty of the vast Karoo plains. Spend a day or two on some challenging roads, or just enjoy some easy game viewing in the park. Some time in this National Park is a perfect complement to a stay in Graaff-Reinet. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textWhen it comes to history, particularly Afrikaans history, not many towns in South Africa can rival Graaff-Reinet. Founded in 1786 by the Dutch East India Company, it is the fifth-oldest town in South Africa. Today, Graaff-Reinet is home to more national monuments than any other town or city in South Africa.It is also the gateway to the Camdeboo National Park - famous for "The Valley of Desolation".The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThe little village of Nieu-Bethesda - an absolute gem of a visit - Dinosaurs, fossils, San culture, and the famous "Owl House". This is at least a two-day stop.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThis episode is about the mountain Zebra National Park - created to preserve "Donkeys in Football Jerseys"! A real hidden gem of our National Parks system - and the accommodation is spectacular.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textZulus and Voortrekker survivors, influences of the Sikh War, concentration camps and memorials. Blockhouses, a "two-headed" Language Monument - the start of "Black Week", VC's and MC's, "The Story of an African Farm", and resistance to Apartheid - again, so much all in one area!The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textThis episode has so  much! Voortrekkers, Basotho and Zulu Wars, Rebellions and Nazi spies and paratroopers, war heroes and Spitfires, Anglo-Boer War and the concentration camps. Truly a mix of our history - and a fun episode tying it all together. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Send us a textWe did a 16-day round trip from Johannesburg - and covered some beautiful and amazing destinations:Clarens and the Golden Gate Highlands National ParkCradock and the Mountain Zebra National ParkNieu BethesdaGraaf Reinet and the Camdeboo National ParkBeaufort West and the Karoo National ParkMokala National ParkMagersfonteinKimberleyThese episodes will cover all the various routes, attractions, and super-cool things to see.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

We talk with Dr. Dean Allen - renowned Author, Historian, Lecturer, and Media Presenter. Dean has authored several books, two of which are are titled "Frontier Land - Exploring the Eastern Cape."So much of our history played out in this area - and it really is a fascinating part of South Africa. We have digitised these two books and all the spots Dean discusses and describes are on the Road Trip RSA app.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

We have a chat with Simon Green - "The Blockhouse Guy". Simon has authored two books on the blockhouses of the Anglo-Boer War - a very handy field guide, as well as a more in-depth analysis of the engineering behind these 9000+ structures the British Military left behind in South Africa.We have digitised the field guide - so if you are looking to visit a Blockhouse - the Road Trip app will get you there.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Middelburg, Cradock, Cookhouse and through Slagtersnek - some really evocative and emotional spots on this route. The story of the "Chair Monument", and the site of what is considered to be the first resistance to British rule that ended rather badly at Slagtersnek.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

This highway traverses the Kalahari through to Upington - where you have to visit Scotty Smith, the Donkey Memorial, and the Camel Statue - follow the Gariep river through Prieska, Britstown, and De Aar, to eventually intersect the N1 at Hanover. Beautiful changing landscapes from red Kalahari dunes, flat salt-pans - where Sir Malcolm Campbell's "Blue Bird" challenged the land-speed record in 1929 - to the flat-topped koppies of the Karoo. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Some reflections on our visits to the Kruger Park this year. We have visited a wide variety of the camps in the Central / Northern section and give some feedback on our experiences there.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

There have been some criminal incidents perpetrated against tourists visiting South Africa. An awful lot of risk can be mitigated by following some common sense rules. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Ladysmith is right at the centre of what we call "The Battlefields" region. So much of our history played out here - the Voortrekkers and their conflicts with the Zulu, the British and their battles with the Zulu, and then this area was pivotal in both conflicts between the British Empire and the Boer Republics. The N11 branches off the N3 (Johannesburg to Durban) at Ladysmith and then traverses the Drakensberg escarpment through Newcastle, Ermelo, Middelburg and then takes you right up to Groblersbrug on the border with Botswana.

The N9 branches off the N1 in Colesburg and takes you south. It takes you over beautiful Karoo landscapes through Noupoort, Middelburg, and with a short detour you can visit Nieu-Bethesda - one of the quintessential "Karoo-dorpies". The VOC influence is still to be seen in Graaff-Reinet - and this is an obligatory overnight stop.The highway then takes you just to the East of the Swartberg Mountain range, and you enter the Little Karoo. Slightly greener, slightly more fertile, and home to thousands of Ostriches!The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

No. 72 (Basutoland) Squadron is commemorated in Maseru and remembered forever in the design one the most popular blankets sold in Lesotho. The N8 then actually starts at the border with South Africa - it skirts Ladybrand where Robey Leibbrandt is buried, then heads to Bloemfontein. We explore a bit of that city, chat about a few spots in Kimberley, and eventually end in Groblershoop.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Winelands transform to fruit and wheatfields - the West Coast is booming. A beautiful drive through undulating hills and passing towns like Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Citrusdal, and Clanwilliam. Each and every one is worth a short detour and you get to see the citrus industry in full swing and if you really look - you can trace the tracks of missionaries and pioneers as well. Once north of Vanrhynsdorp and over the Knersvlakte you are in Namaqualand - and little towns like Springbok evoke memories of early explorers and copper mining.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

The N6 heads straight South from Bloemfontein and skirts the Southern border of Lesotho. Little towns like Reddersburg, Smithfield, Aliwal North and Jamestown all have some history of the conflicts with the Basotho, as well as many stories of Voortrekkers and Anglo Boer War characters. A little further south and once through Queenstown you are in "Settler Country" - but these were German settlers - not British. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

This highway traverses the Eastern Free State just to the north of Lesotho. The history of the Voortrekkers and the Basotho runs deep in this land. Lots of history to explore, and some surprising statues and memorials - and lots of fossils as well!The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Episode 8 of a series on the Kruger National Park.We cover the area north of The Voortrekker Road, explore a bit of Pretoriuskop, take a look at Skukuza, and chat about the memorials to the Game Rangers and conservation staff.Want to travel to the Kruger National Park? Touch Africa SafarisThe Road Trip SA app is available for download

Episode 7 of a series on the Kruger National ParkThe story of Harry Wolhuter and how he survived a lion attack, the old "Voortrekker Road", remnants of the Voortrekkers, early traders, and gold prospectors. Many dramas played out in this area before the park was established - there are some great stories here.Want to travel to the Kruger National Park? Touch Africa SafarisThe Road Trip SA app is available for download

Episode 5 of a series on he Kruger National ParkThe far north of the park has some really interesting history to explore. Archaeological sites such as Thulamela, fun history like Crooks corner - the haunt of "Bvekenya", as well as the remnants of the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association sites, are all to be found in this area. Want to travel to the Kruger National Park? Touch Africa SafarisThe Road Trip SA app is available for download

Episode 6 of a series on the Kruger National ParkGold prospectors, illegal immigrants, and we leave Tropical Africa as we cross the Tropic of Capricorn. We explore Masorini, the Letaba area, we meet Piet Grobler, and say thank you to Eileen Orpen who to this day is still the largest donor of land to the Kruger Park.Want to travel to the Kruger National Park? Touch Africa SafarisThe Road Trip SA app is available for download

The founders of the South African Air Force, traitors and rebels, battlefields and graves, heroes and villains, churches and statues - this road encompasses them all. There's even a memorial to the animals of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

This is a unique route to travel. It is special because so many elements of our history can be explored while driving this highway. It stretches from Maputo - actually Komatipoort which is the South African border - right through to the border with Botswana.You can visit San rock art, there is is an interesting link with Jan van Riebeeck, there are Voortrekker sites, you can visit sites relating to both the 1st and 2nd Anglo-Boer Wars, there's WW1 and WW2, there's then 1914 Rebellion, there's Struggle sites - they variety is amazing. And there is fascinating piece of history as well - most people know of the Voortrekker Covenant before the Battle of Blood River in 1838 - but did you know there were two more Covenants made?The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris

Our first big-group coach-tour and safari post-covid. Clients from a USA-based tour operator eventually made it to South Africa - many of them originally booked for 2020!Part 1 we covered the journey and impressions from Cape Town to St. Lucia - this episode we go through eSwatini, Kruger and get to the Victoria Falls.Some of the stories and challenges we faced being the first big group - 80 pax / 2 coaches - in the post-Covid South African tourist landscape.All the spots mentioned in this podcast are listed on the Road Trip SA app.Do you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris is an inbound tour operator, and we designed, booked, executed,  as well as guided this holiday.This is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth

Our first big-group coach-tour and safari post-covid. Clients from a USA-based tour operator eventually made it to South Africa - many of them originally booked for 2020!Some of the stories and challenges we faced being the first big group - 80 pax / 2 coaches - in the post-Covid South African tourist landscape.All the spots mentioned in this podcast are listed on the Road Trip SA app.Do you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris is an inbound tour operator, and we designed, booked, executed,  as well as guided this holiday.This is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth

Our first tour and safari post-covid. Clients from the USA wanted to see Cape Town, go shark-cage-diving in Gansbaai, and see wildlife. We put together a 9-day itinerary for them.All the spots mentioned in this podcast are listed on the Road Trip SA app.Do you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris is an inbound tour operator, and we designed as well as guided this holiday.This is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth

The last piece of the N3 highway into Durban. Howick - the capture site of Nelson Mandela and home of Inkamyamba, the legendary snake of the Howick waterfall. Pietermaritzburg is steeped in Voortrekker history, and has quite a few other surprises waiting for the traveller who is prepared to spend some time exploring.All the spots mentioned in this podcast are listed on the Road Trip SA app.Do you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth

The N3 of 589km connects Johannesburg and Durban - respectively South Africa's largest and third largest cities, and probably our busiest highway. Leaving the busy Witwatersrand behind you, the first town is Heidelberg - once proudly a capital city, then miles of flat maize-covered farmland. Some fascinating Anglo-Boer War history reveals itself around Balfour - "Hendsoppers & Joiners" - still a legacy of the war that rankles today. The town of Cassel that never was, petrified trees in Harrismith and then we enter the area called "The Natal Battlefields".We have a brief look at "The Midlands Meander" - the ideal getaway for a weekend, and we almost get to Howick.All the spots mentioned in this podcast are listed on the Road Trip SA app.Do you want to explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth

"The Battle of Ellis Park' and "The Battle of Fordsburg" - long forgotten incidents in Johannesburg - but who knows about them? Some stories of what we do to build the Road Trip SA app - and some of the fun we have doing it!Some fun stories of building the app - and just some memories of touring with groups around this great country!This is a recording of a radio show - Radio EcoHealth

Driving in South Africa is getting to be expensive - but you can save on diesel because garages charge different prices. The PitStops app shows you the local prices - so you save every time you fill up.Partnered with PitStops is Road Trip SA - a fun app with thousands of monuments, memorials, statues, museums and general POI's listed - to make your travelling more fun.This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

Pietersburg / Polokwane is the largest city north of the Witwatersrand complex, and with a bit of effort you can discover some little hidden gems. A detour to the East is worthwhile - the mountains around Tzaneen, the realm of Modjadji - the "Rain Queen" - Duiwelskloof, Magoebaskloof - all names steeped in mystery - as befits the mist covered mountain peaks and their secrets. Getting back to the N1 we explore Louis Trichardt, Soutpansbergdorp, Buysdorp - all tracing their origins to the Voortrekkers - and eventually we get to Cecil John Rhodes' gateway to the then Rhodesia - Beit Bridge.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

The largest meteorite impact crater in the world lies just South of Johannesburg, the Vredefort Dome. In this episode we explore Parys on the edge of the dome, go through the surprising towns of Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, and skirt around Johannesburg and Pretoria.  Once we cross the line of the Magaliesberg, we are on the "Springbok Flats" - a magnificently fertile farming area, entwined with the history of the Voortrekkers and the early days of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

"Die ver verlate vlaktes" - the beautiful and evocative line from the National Anthem of South Africa describes "The far and desolate plains" stretching from the Karoo to the areas around Bloemfontein. This area abounds with the history of the Voortrekkers, broken British promises, and the ghosts of the many Anglo-Boer War concentration camps dotted throughout the towns. Beautiful statues, creative monuments and quite a few hidden gems await the person who is prepared to explore this area.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

The N1 is the second longest National Road in South Africa - stretching 1940km from Cape Town to the border with Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge. The importance of this highway as a main arterial route is highlighted by the fact that more than half the podcasts somehow intersect with the N1 somewhere.We have referenced and spoken about spots on this highway on several other podcasts - but now we travel determinedly from Cape Town to Beit Bridge exploring the history, culture and fun spots en-route. We leave Cape Town and head North - and we stop just short of Bloemfontein in Edenburg.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

With Durban in the rear-view mirror we head North into Zululand. Crossing the Tugela river which was the border between the colony of Natal and the Zulu Kingdom, you drive through rolling hills covered with sugarcane, and steeped in history. Zulu vs Zulu / Zulu vs Voortrekker, / Zulu vs British / British vs Boer - lots of spots, lots of history and lots of cool stories.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

Heading out of East London on the N2 takes you towards the old homeland territory of The Transkei. The bridge over the Kei river was once a border post, and is now a small rest stop and fuel station. Years ago you would have had to show your passport - but the Transkei was reincorporated into South Africa post the 1994 elections.This is rural Africa - rolling grassy hills, dotted everywhere with colourful homesteads. This is also the country of Nelson Mandela. He went to school in Qunu, and the old parliament building in Mthatha is now a museum dedicated to Mandela. Crossing the old border again there is Kokstad - we covered that in episode 10 - the history and story of Adam Kok III. The N2 then heads to the coast again and our story in this episode ends in Isipingo - just south of Durban - and the burial place of Dick King - whose story dots this entire region.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

You leave the deeply forested and mountainous areas, and head into "Frontier" or "Settler" country. Port Elizabeth saw the arrival of the 1820 settlers, and the area between there and East London has a rich history of settlers - 5000 British immigrants arrived to settle and stabilise the area - torn by 100 years of unrest and warfare.The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth

The struggle against Apartheid lasted many years - and there are many sites around South Africa that commemorate this part of our history. There are however a few that stand out as really worthwhile places to visit in order to understand this period of our history.In this episode we chat about those - and then we move on to some just plain interesting, different, or plain fun sites. The Road Trip SA app is available for downloadDo you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa SafarisThis is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth