KAREN WATKINS'S
TRAVEL BLOG
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Karen Watkins December 2007: I'm off to India to travel around for three weeks with my son Craig. I've set up a realtravel blog for him CraigWW, so keep an eye on that.
I've been with the community newspapers for about seven months now and am still loving it, although it's exhausting.
I went to the caprivi Strip in November, a sponsored trip for Namibia Tourism. I've been trying to put it together for the past year because I feel it's a more affordable option for South Africans than the Okavango. The last time I was near to the Caprivi area was about 25 years ago when I travelled overland through Africa. It was exciting to be back there again and to think of how my life has changed over these past years.
And as for dreams, they're still the same: the elusive Travel Writer Award must be out there somewhere, and it has my name on it. And the more elusive dream of interviewing Osama bin Laden is a little tiny piece closer. Don’t laugh. After all, what’s the point of being here if we don’t dream.
NB This pic by Sam Greyvenstein
| Karen Watkins's Travel Blogs and Reviews | ||
| Travel Blogs and Reviews | ||
| Title and Date | Location | |
 Elandspad is a toughy Mar 11 '07 | South Africa | |
 Hiking down the length of Elandspad Mar 11 '07 "Good for making fires but hopeless at boulder-hopping" | Paarl, South Africa | |
INCREDIBLE !INDIA Mar 08 '06 | India | |
Four hours to kill in Mumbai Mar 08 '06 "Culture shock at 3am" | Jaipur, India | |
 Princess Hotel "On the beach and very larney but they allow smoking in the restaurant" | Jaipur, India | |
Karni Mata Temple Mar 13 '06 "Kabas (rats) scampered and squeaked and feasted" | Bikaner, Rajasthan | |
Pink hair, pink fingernails, pink bra Mar 15 '06 "Even the cows had colour on them" | Jaipur, India | |
Delhi with a delhi belly Mar 17 '06 | New Delhi, India | |
Shopping for a shalwar kameez Mar 18 '06 "Waiting to sit on Diana's bench" | Agra, India | |
Taj Mahal - built for love Mar 23 '06 "Symbolising eternal love of a man for his wife" | Agra, India | |
The typical dress code for men in Gokarna is modern day hippie Jan 03 '07 "Gokarn is one of the most sacred sites in southern India – a place of quirky, spiritual idiosyncrasies." | Gokarn, Karnataka | |
Mobbed by Santa's in Mumbai Dec 23 '07 "A marathon of caves, temples, sore bums and spice" | Aurangabad, India | |
Ellora Caves Dec 24 '07 "Ellora Caves and Dautalabad Fort" | Aurangabad, India | |
Christmas Day in Bijapur Dec 25 '07 "India and any excuse to celebrate, even Christmas" | Bijapur, Karnataka | |
Badami where children play with tyres while cows eat cardboard Dec 27 '07 "Badami's caves, forts and ghats" | Badami, Karnataka | |
Hampi is an open-air museum Dec 30 '07 "Bum-sore from riding around Hampi and its open-air museum" | Hospet, Karnataka | |
Panaji or Panjim and Old Goa Jan '08 "We ended up in a fantastic hotel but it came with a price" | Panaji (Panjim), Goa | |
In Goa, the beaches really are very beautiful. Jan 05 '08 "Almost abducted into prostitution in Palolem, Goa." | Palolem, Goa | |
Our three-week itinerary revolved around the Anjuna market Jan 08 '08 "Anjuna is the place for mega shopping" | Anjuna, Goa | |
An important word in Matheran is "side" Jan 11 '08 "Venice and Matheran are probably the only places in the world where motor cars are banned." | Matheran, Maharashtra | |
TURKEY Jun 17 '05 | Turkey | |
Nemrut Heads Jun 17 '05 "Self-absorbed, egomaniacal King Antiochus built the site" | Kahta, Turkey | |
Hiking Under Mount Ararat Jun 25 '05 "The dogs are ferocious under Mount Ararat" | Dogubayazit, Agri | |
Ararat Pension "clean and basic" | Dogubayazit, Agri | |
Hiking The Great Wall of Turkey Jul 15 '05 "It's a long way down from the top of this wall" | Diyarbakir, Turkey | |
Turkey's Black Sea coast Jul 17 '05 "Sumela Monastery soaring above thick vegetation" | Trabzon, Trabzon | |
A castle dominates the town of Gazantiep Jul 23 '05 "Inns - where heirs of ancient merchants work" | Gaziantep, Turkey | |
Mardin blends into the hillside on the Mespotamia Plains Jul 26 '05 "Bearded vendors wearing salvar (baggy pants) selling carpets, clothing and food" | Mardin, Mardin | |
Sanliurfa is like stepping into the Bible Jul 28 '05 "A garden of pampered roses and carp" | Sanliurfa, Turkey | |
Join me in Syria in May May 01 '07 | Haleb, Halab | |
A YEAR IN ENGLAND Feb 17 '05 | Deeping Saint James, England | |
Cycling in the Fertile Fens Feb 17 '05 ""You could end up in a ditch"" | Deeping Saint James, England | |
Hiking with straw plaits, sheep dip and Domesday Mar 15 '05 "Magnificent parkland and woods and a canal-building Duke’s extravagant mansion" | Berkhampstead, England | |
London Eye, closed, thank goodness! Mar 17 '05 "But it's the Gerkin or St Mary's Axe that is my favourite" | London, England | |
Millenium Dome and Canary Wharf Mar 17 '05 "An embarassing flop" | London, England | |
Princess Diana's Memorial, London Mar 17 '05 "The disappointing oval shallow concrete ditch" | London, England | |
Canals of England Mar 22 '05 "What better way to live than barging to another destination for a change of scenery" | Braunston, England | |
Will they win the most beautiful village in Kent award Mar 22 '05 "The strange curiosity of the pond being a listed building" | Otford, England | |
Newgrange Apr 11 '05 "Newgrange, more ancient than the Pyramids of Giza" | Newg, Dublin | |
High Crosses of Clonmacnoise Apr 12 '05 "High Crosses surrounded by a carpet of gravestones" | Clonmacnoise, Offaly | |
More than Aran sweaters Apr 13 '05 "Cycling the largest of the Aran Islands" | Aran Islands, Ireland | |
Capestorm rain jacket attracts cows Apr 14 '05 "Waterville, the place where Charlie Chaplin lived" | Ballinskelligs, Kerry | |
Doolin, place of music, Guiness, hiking and song Apr 14 '05 "O’Brien’s Tower on the Cliffs of Moher was built by the eccentric Cornelius O’Brien" | Doolin, Clare | |
Aille River Hostel "Friendly, warm and welcming" | Doolin, Clare | |
Kissing the germs on the Blarney Stone Apr 15 '05 "Cobh, the Heathrow of yesteryear" | Blarney, Ireland | |
Cycling the Gap of Dunloe Apr 15 '05 "Just getting to the start of the route was an adventure." | Killarney National Park, Ireland | |
Rock of Cashel Apr 16 '05 "The rains of Tipperary Plains" | Cahir, Tipperary | |
All castled out in Kilkenny Apr 17 '05 "Climbing the 30-m tower at St Canice’s Cathedral" | Kilkenny, Ireland | |
Inter-hostel hiking in the lake District Aug 21 '05 "Climbing to the top of England" | Windermere, United Kingdom | |
Hiking with Craig in Hope Cove Oct 25 '05 "If you are in southern England, you must go to this piece of paradise" | Hope Cove, United Kingdom | |
Lantern Lodge "Fantastic" | Hope Cove, United Kingdom | |
Leicester, this is where I was born Sep 10 '06 "Horses riding in the streets" | Leicester, United Kingdom | |
Market Bosworth - site of a battle Sep 12 '06 "Horses hooves and cannon shots thunder across the fields" | Market Bosworth, England | |
Waiting for gunpowder plot Sep 16 '06 "Beautiful building" | Dunchurch, England | |
This is my family Sep 16 '06 "Are all families this whacky" | Leicester, United Kingdom | |
Cycling with jet lag and airport sleep Sep 17 '06 "(Wo)man cannot cycle on an empty tank" | Carlingford, Louth | |
Still living with the past in Belfast Sep 18 '06 "Life’s too short for this shit." | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
Giant's Causeway Sep 19 '06 "Shaped by nature or a giant?" | Ballycastle, Northern Ireland | |
Antrim Coast road A2 Sep 19 '06 "Londonderry Arms inherited by Winston Churchill" | Antrim, United Kingdom | |
Another Great Wall (London)Derry Sep 19 '06 "The cemetery where even the Protestants and Catholics are segregated." | Londonderry, Northern Ireland | |
Tower Hotel "Disappointing" | Londonderry, Northern Ireland | |
Hiking Glenveagh National Park Sep 20 '06 "Walking in bogs (Gaelic for soft)" | Letterkenny, Ireland | |
Harvey's Point Country Hotel "Management will have to evict us!" | Letterkenny, Ireland | |
After being thrown out of Harvey's Point hotel Sep 21 '06 "A 10m cairn for Queen Maeve of Connacht." | Sligo, Ireland | |
Flying business class has spoilt me forever Sep 22 '06 "Bedouin-style relaxation" | Bahrain | |
HIKING ON TABLE MOUNTAIN - Orange Kloof Mar 24 '04 | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Amazing sight while hiking on Towerkop Mar 24 '04 "Tyrrolean Traverse thanks to a witch" | Ladismith, Western Cape | |
Worker's Day hiking in Breekkrantz Apr 27 '06 "Lightning and arches in the land of the Mountain Club" | Citrusdal, Western Cape | |
Hiking around Cape Town May 13 '06 "Capetonians are the friendliest people" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking for the faint hearted on Spring Buttress May 14 '06 "Squeezing through the Fat Lady’s Crack" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking with chocolate cake and cairns in Dark Gorge May 21 '06 "Dancing, wine, good food, company and views" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
 Maestro's on the Beach "Great, will go back" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking with children, adults and rain May 27 '06 "A wonderful bonding experience in nature for the kids" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
People's Hut "Position, position, position" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Corridor Ravine and Grootkop Jun 04 '06 "Too many cairns on Grootkop" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Fibre Art Exhibition - Innovative Threads Jun 10 '06 "A fish of bottle caps, a dress of paper doyleys and fibreglass" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking epic and with so many dogs Jun 11 '06 "Glorious sunny winter day" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking on Youth Day Jun 16 '06 "Table Mountain frontal traverse – with dog and after fire" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking in Bot River Jun 24 '06 "Mystropetanon thomii standing like a forest of red penis’" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Cups & Saucers and Wynberg Ridge Jun 25 '06 "Daredevil Tammy goes the 'hard' way" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Blind Gully Jul 02 '06 "It's a good job we can't see the drop" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Food is a good excuse to go hiking Jul 08 '06 "To-die-for-chocolate-cake Yummy!" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Caturra Coffee Bar "Cosy ambience and good food and coffee" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking adventure on Lion's Head Jul 08 '06 "Food is always a good excuse for hiking" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Cape Town - Township Tour Jul 09 '06 "Smarties and smilies" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking with water everywhere on the TM sleepover Jul 15 '06 "Cloud and showers - It is winter after all" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
MCSA hut "Fantastic place in winter when it rocks and creaks" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Outreach with MC Jul 29 '06 ""Why are there no birds or animals under the pine trees?"" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking in Bokaap Aug 05 '06 "Black pigs and museum on the slopes of Signal Hill" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking at Kleinfontein, Tulbagh Aug 19 '06 "Sound-surround symphony of snores" | Tulbagh, Western Cape | |
Kleinfontein Guest Farm "Tranquil setting surrounded by mountains" | Tulbagh, Western Cape | |
Hiking adventures on Table Mountain Aug 25 '06 "One of the most breathtaking mountain ascents in the world - India Venster." | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hike to Bos 400 wreck Aug 27 '06 "Helicopter pad still used for landings" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking to the MCSA hut Oct 01 '06 "Forecast of rain but not a drop" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Cycling to Olympia Cafe Oct 13 '06 | Kalk Bay, Western Cape | |
Olympia Cafe "It's worth drving/cyling to Olympia Cafe" | Kalk Bay, Western Cape | |
Hiking on Stellenboschberg Oct 22 '06 "You deserve to feel like you've been run over" | Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
Thomas Hut 75 years Nov 05 '06 "People talked and drank by firelight as 60s music played" | Worcester, Western Cape | |
Hiking Cairn-Grotto-Fountain traverse Nov 19 '06 "Too bloomin hot for hiking" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking to the Valley of the Flying Ants Nov 25 '06 "The best way to write off your backpack and your pants" | Franschhoek, South Africa | |
Hiking Hiddingh Ascension on TM Dec 24 '06 "The highest climb on Table Mountain" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Barrydale - forthcoming attraction Dec 30 '06 "New Year in Barrydale" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
 drink, eat, hike, swim, drink, talk & drink "easy to tough" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Barrydale Farmhouse "Great comfy place and good position" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Do-it-yourself "Excellent" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
| Cape Town, South Africa | |
Friends of Silvermine Jan 20 '07 "Serenaded by birds and quiet babble" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Myburgh's Waterfall Ravine Feb 10 '07 "Myburgh's Waterfall Ravine, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ravines on the Peninsula" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Hole-in-the-Wall & Caveman's Overhang Feb 28 '07 "Lots of cracks" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking on Left Face B Mar 03 '07 "The scrambles are more than I remembered" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Hole-in-the-Wall & Caveman's Overhang Mar 08 '07 "Nooks, crannies and fun" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Hoerikwaggo Mar 15 '07 "Falling asleep under a canopy of stars, listening to the Disa River and an owl hooting, waking to bird chorus, it doesn’t get better than this." | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking the new Silvermine Classic Tented Trail Mar 16 '07 "Well worth it - good value" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hoerikwaggo Table Mountain Classic Trail Mar 28 '07 "The Table Mountain Trail will delight both culture vultures and nature lovers." | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Hole-in-the-Wall & Caveman's Overhang Mar 29 '07 "A lot of squeezing" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking with children - Dassieskasteel Traverse Apr 15 '07 "New friendships formed" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Backpacker & Adventure Conference & Expo Jun 15 '07 "BSA at Monkey Valley in Noordhoek" | Noordhoek, Western Cape | |
Hiking on Lion's Head Jun 16 '07 "Youth Day and hiking with kids" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Room-with-a-View Jul 07 '07 "A short, easy route with spectacular views" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Left Face B Jul 16 '07 "The pitches gets more tricky higher up" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Steenberg Buttress Aug 06 '07 "Steenberg Buttress and an appointment with the chiropractor" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
HIKING IN SOUTH AFRICA Jul 28 '01 | Barrydale, Western Cape | |
Richtersveld National Park Jul 28 '01 "Situated in a bend of the Orange River" | Steinkopf, Northern Cape | |
Adventure Walks & Scrambles in the Cape Peninsula Sep 26 '03 "Hiking for the adventurous" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking In Blinkwater Ravine May 07 '06 "Water everywhere but not overhead" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking in Swellendam with Meridian Hiking Club. Oct 06 '06 "Barging, cake, fairies and even some hiking" | Swellendam, Western Cape | |
Woodpecker "Great pizzas" | Swellendam, Western Cape | |
Sulina Faerie Sanctuary "A little weird but lots of fun" | Swellendam, Western Cape | |
Adventure Backpackers "Great amenities" | Swellendam, Western Cape | |
Barging on Buffeljachts dam "Relaxing and tranquil" | Swellendam, Western Cape | |
Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park Dec 29 '06 "35 000 copies of the old version have been sold" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking the Tradouw Traverse Dec 29 '06 "A New Year of carousing and debauchery" | Barrydale, Western Cape | |
New hiking trail in Barrydale Jan 01 '07 "If it’s the simplicity of nature that you crave, hike this brand new two-day wilderness trail from Barrydale across the mountains to Grootvadersbos. Accommodation is in basic shelters at Helderfontein, on top of the Langeberg Mountains." | Barrydale, Western Cape | |
Barrydale has much to explore - a python, a chair for women, wine, hikes & much more Jan 01 '07 "Barrydale is situated in the fertile Tradouw Valley" | Barrydale, Western Cape | |
Hiking the Puddings route Feb 17 '07 "The uppermost pudding and a rock scramble" | Paarl, South Africa | |
Hiking the Waterval trail near Porterville Mar 18 '07 "An obstacle course" | Porterville, Western Cape | |
Wacky Wine Weekend (WWW) Jun 01 '07 "Wine for breakfast, lunch and supper" | Robertson, Western Cape | |
McGregor, on a road going nowhere Jun 26 '07 "Ley lines run through the area" | McGregor, Western Cape | |
Leeuwenboschfontein Jul 15 '07 "4X4, hiking, mountains and views" | De Doorns, Western Cape | |
Hiking Swartboskam in Jonkershoek Sep 06 '07 "Follow the ridge to vlaktes and then a kloof" | Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
Hiking Olifanstriverdome – Koue Bokkeveldiking Sep 22 '07 "One of the Big Five Peaks of the Western Cape" | Ceres, Western Cape | |
Cracks on Krakadouw, Cedarberg Nov 16 '07 "Krakadouw in the northern Cedarberg" | Clanwilliam, Western Cape | |
MID LIFE CRISIS IN THE AMERICAS May 21 '99 | South America | |
Foz d'Iguazu May 21 '99 "One of the world’s great natural phenomena" | Foz de Iguassu, Parana | |
Altitude Sickness for the first time - and not on a mountain Jun 23 '99 "The highest train ride in the world" | Salta, Argentina | |
Leaping waterfalls and ice-sculpted canyons Aug 24 '99 "“Delicate bracing air - the same that the angels breathe” – Mark Twain" | Yosemite National Park, California | |
AFRICA - Malawi Feb 28 '81 | Malawi | |
A long time ago in Tangier Feb 28 '81 "Mōre is nog ‘n dag of Africa" | Tangier, Morocco | |
Africa's toughest hiking trail May 18 '01 "Eight days of changing scenery" | Namib-Naukluft, Erongo | |
Sapitwa means Don’t Go There - and we didn’t Mar 16 '04 "The huge freestanding massif of Mount Mulanji thrusts through the surrounding flatness" | Mulanje, Malawi | |
Malawi - you must go there Sep 15 '04 "Lake Malawi - a good place to watch an extraordinary mating ritual." | Nkhata Bay, Malawi | |
Magical Malawi Sep 28 '04 "In the warm heart of deepest Africa" | Blantyre, Malawi | |
Cairo - Mother of the Earth Oct 18 '04 "Cairo is an all-out assault on the senses" | Cairo, Egypt | |
Diving in the Red Sea Oct 23 '04 "It's like swimming in an aquarium or the Discovery Channel" | Dahab, Egypt | |
Cape Town is home Nov 28 '05 "There's nowhere I'd rather be" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Hiking Hoerikwaggo Aug 06 '06 "The Orange Kloof camp is very impressive" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Angola will become a SA tourist destination one day Jun 15 '07 "Angola has mountains" | Angola | |
Windhoek - the entrance to Namibia Nov 21 '07 "Market, township tour and cemetery" | Windhoek, Namibia | |
At last - the Caprivi Strip Nov 21 '07 "Caprivi Strip – Namibia’s best kept secret, until now." | Caprivi, Namibia | |
to follow Apr 27 '08 | Accra, Ghana | |
to follow Apr 28 '08 | Kumasi, Ghana | |
| Standalone Reviews | ||
| Title and Date | Location | |
Common Wild Flowers of Table Mountain Oct 25 '07 "Common Wild Flowers of Table Mountain By: Hugh Clarke & Bruce Mackenzie Struik ..." | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Operation Zero Tolerance Jul 15 '07 "A night out with SAPS" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Cocoa Wah Wah and Cocoa Expresso Mar 27 '07 "Homemade, super-size cookies, coffee with créma and fast and free wi-fi" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Caturra Coffee Bar Jul 08 '06 "Cosy ambience and good food and coffee" | Cape Town, South Africa | |
Climb Kasteelberg in Riebeek West Apr 16 '06 "Climb this mountain" | Riebeek West, Western Cape | |
