Why Do We Travel?

A few of us at RoomsForAfrica recently made a video on why we love travel. Give it a watch, we hope you like it.

We thought we'd also introduce some of our staff that were featured in the video, and find out what they enjoy about travel.

Paula - Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Cat Lover

What do you love about travel?

I like the novelty of new experiences and I also enjoy recording my adventures with my camera and a notebook. The feeling of freedom that comes with being on the move and the anticipation of not quite knowing what's going to happen next is also quite fun.

What is your favourite place to visit in South Africa?

When I travel around South Africa, I'm usually traveling to see natural beauty, so I'd probably pick Knysna. I love the vegetation, the cliffs and contrasting beaches. It's also pretty cool to be able to spot wild creatures without too much effort (oyster catchers, whales, monkeys, dolphins etc.).

What was your favourite holiday in South Africa?

As a kid, many years back, my parents and I went camping at St. Lucia. I must have been very young, or maybe we went there a few times, I can't remember time details. What I remember is that I really enjoyed fishing with my dad and I loved being in such beautiful nature. Unfortunately monkeys arrived at the campsite when I was left on my own for a short time and they got into the coffee (just imagine) and egged the tent. Being older and braver, I think I'd do a better job at standing my ground and would love to go back to St. Lucia.

Kate - Sales, Marketing, and Schmodel

What do you love about travel?

I love that travel is all about making memories. My husband has great childhood memories of being carried to the car at 4am for cross-country trips. I love that because of that, when we do a driving holiday he still wants to leave as early as possible even if it's only a 3 hour drive. I, on the other hand, love to travel because it also means waking up late and taking it slow.

What are your favourite places in South Africa to visit?

South Africa has so many different amazing and unique places it's hard to only have a few favourites. Some of my favourites would include: Salt Rock, KZN for its warm water and houses on the beach, Mpumalanga/Kruger for its wildlife and the Blyde River Canyon, Umngazi, Eastern Cape for its wild beach and amazing walks and the Garden Route for its abundance of lovely seaside towns.

Do you have any funny travel stories?

My husband and I were once travelling by plane. We had just landed, fetched our bags and were now on our way to the car. With our bags on a trolley, we decided to use the escalator rather than the lift. I'm not sure if it wasn't a trolley friendly escalator or if we had got the technique horribly wrong but we headed down the escalator, trolley first only to find that gravity was going to get the better of us. I ended up hanging over the trolley to stop the bags from falling off and my husband was pulling up the trolley so that we didn't all end up tumbling down. Needless to say it was a very painful and embarrassing trip down to the car!

What was your favourite holiday in South Africa?

The trip that we have done most frequently which probably indicates that it is a favourite is the Garden Route trip from Cape Town to Nature's Valley. There are loads of places to stay along the way and it's perfect for a relaxing getaway by the sea.

Mark - Photographer, Editor, and Surfer

What do you love about travel?

I love immersing myself in the new sounds and tastes of different destinations. I also like finding good waves in all the different corners of our country and the world.

What are your favourite places in South Africa to visit?

West Coast for the ultimate calm. Overberg for the beautiful drives and my favourite beaches and the Karoo for a weekend break-away under the stars.

Do you have any funny travel stories?

I once booked myself into a retirement hotel by accident.

What was your favourite holiday in South Africa?

In winter 2013 I went to the South Coast of Natal. I had a great holiday with good waves every morning for a week, followed by curries and night life in Durban for the weekend.

Russel - Developer and Not Actually a Liverpool Fan

What do you love about travel?

My favourite part of going on holiday is the chance to get some time relaxing. As long as there's space to unwind and take in the sights, I'm happy.

What are your favourite places in South Africa to visit?

I really love Durban for its warm weather and the great beaches, but my favourite is probably the Lowveld. I grew up in Zim and I've never shaken my love for the quiet and stillness of the African bush.

What was your favourite holiday in South Africa?

I once went to Kruger and we managed to spot all of the big 5 in one day. No easy feat. That was one of my favourite holiday memories.

MJ - Marketing, Writing, and Beard

What do you love about travel?

I pretty much love everything about travelling. I love getting up before dark and putting the final bags in the car before hitting the road, grabbing a Wimpy coffee and watching the sun peak up over the horizon as you pass farmland and small dorpies.

What are your favourite places in South Africa to visit?

I really love the Cederberg. There's something wonderful about the dry, rugged mountains that makes me feel as though I am being transported into another world. When I visit the Cederberg I often imagine being in a Western, on the run from the law with only my wits to protect me... but that's me.

My other favourites include Kruger, Greyton, McGregor, and the Drakensberg.

What was your favourite holiday in South Africa?

I once took a slow roadtrip, following the coast as much as possible, from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and then up to a small Karoo farm to celebrate New Years. That was lots of fun and very spontaneous. We arrived to Still Bay on 27 December with no accommodation reservation and so, of course, there was nothing available. We ended up asking a farmer if we could pitch a tent on his land, and he was nice enough to let us stay. That night we stopped at a local nightclub and the sign was in a bit of disrepair and it simply read 'DICO'.

On the way back to Cape Town we decided to hitchhike through the Karoo in 40C+ heat. Luckily we met a bunch of friendly strangers and they were kind enough to give us a lift. One of my favourite memories was sitting in the back of a car with Phil Collins on full blast while the driver heartily sang along.

That's the type of holidays I love. Unplanned, unorganised, but fun.

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