" Travel is food for the soul, restores our balance, links us to our global community and allows us to be witness to various cultures,climates,languages and foods. We come to realise our small part in the global nature of our earth,which is part of the greater Universe" Judelle Drake
BetaBeach–Bakoven
This beach might not be considered “secret” to everyone, but it’s not nearly as popular as the Cliftons. The tiny beach nestled in the quaint streets of Bakoven, Beta beach has a spectacular view of Lion’s Head and is generally pretty empty, especially on weekdays.
Smithswinkel Bay – False Bay
You might have driven past this beach several times, without ever venturing down to explore it. That’s exactly why we still classify it as a “secret” beach. The steep 20-minute walk down prohibits most people from reaping the benefits of its secluded beauty.
Another "Not so secret" - Kommetjie
Platboom Beach - Cape Point Nature Reserve
Wild and unspoilt, Platboom Beach is a magical place. It’s easy to spend the entire day picnicking, walking and exploring the coastline. Pretty dunes separate the parking area from the long sandy beach. Birdlife is prolific and terns, gulls, kiewiete and sandpipers are often seen. A peaty stream flows down to the beach. Swimming here is at your own risk – it's not dangerous but there are no lifeguards.
Sunset Beach – Blouberg
Everyone knows and flocks to Blouberg beach – the iconic white strip overlooking the perfect Table Mountain picture. But a few hundred metres away lies another picture perfect beach relatively few people populate – even in high season.
Another "Not so secret" Blouberg beach
Water’s Edge – Simons Town
This off-the-beaten track beach is one of the local secrets. It involves entering via what looks like a garden gate, which makes it appear to be a private beach, but it isn't! The beach may be regarded as part and parcel of Boulders beach but actually it lies between Seaforth Beach and Boulders, and most people know nothing about it.
Diaz Beach - Cape Point Nature Reserve
Within the Cape Point Nature Reserve, which forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, and only accessible by foot off a pathway that leads from the main parking area, you will find Diaz Beach. This unbelievably beautiful beach, dramatically surrounded by cliffs, is a favourite more with surfers, as swimming can be quite dangerous.
And the famous Camps Bay - definitely, not a secret beach!
Buffels Beach - Cape Point Nature Reserve
Buffels Beach is a small little gem of a strip of sand complete with braai facilities. After paying at the gates to enter Cape Point, head to the Visitor’s Information center and ask for directions to the beach. The beach also has an awesome tidal pool, perfect for small families.
The famous Boulders Beach - not to be missed
Written Content Shared Courtesy of Travel 24/News 24
The very best treks aren’t just about putting one foot in front of
another—they’re about stepping into a destination’s culture and history.
Still, each of the seven treks included here are no walks in the park.
They’ll challenge you physically and engage you mentally, leaving you
with an indelible impression of the richness of our planet.
1. Peru’s Inca Trail | ~43km | 4 days
Explore ruins in the Sacred Valley and learn about traditional ways of life.Follow
the footpaths of the Inca to the roof of the Andes, passing ancient
Tambo ruins, and breathing in Peru’s pure mountain air by the lungful.
Memorable moments are plentiful on the Inca Trail, but none can compare
to the moment you walk through the Sun Gate and catch your first glimpse
of the forgotten city of Machu Picchu. It’s not just an accomplishment;
it’s a transformative moment. Did you know? When on the trail, some porters sleep with a mirror beneath them in hopes it will deflect spirits coming up through the earth. Best time to go. May to September Get inspired. Explore ruins in the Sacred Valley and learn about traditional ways of life as you take on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Ready to go? More about the Inca Trail
Take on the final 1,200 steps to reach the Lost City of Teyuna.Everyone wants to “get there first”. By trekking Colombia’s Ciudad Perdida
at Teyuna, that honour can finally be yours! Along the way, you’ll
sleep in hammocks strung up in local villages, all the while absorbing
the region’s unique culture. Trek through lush jungles and across
streams before arriving at the ruins of Teyuna. Here you’ll have a have
the rare chance to explore the uncrowded ruins at your leisure and
marvel at what once was. Get here first and you’ll have the Lost City
all to yourself. Did you know? Built by the Tairona civilization ~650 years before Machu Picchu, Ciudad Perdida was home to an estimated 10,000 people during its peak. Best time to go. December to March Get inspired. Enjoy spectacular jungle scenery, swim
in the cool Buritaca River, and take on the final 1,200 steps to reach
the Lost City of Teyuna. Get ‘Lost’ here. More about Colombia
Visit Sherpa villages and meet locals during teahouse stays before arriving at Base Camp.Everest
is more than a mountain and the journey to its base camp is more than
just a trek. Along a route dubbed by some as "the steps to heaven,"
every bend in the trail provides another photo opportunity—beautiful
forests, Sherpa villages, glacial moraines and foothills. This trek will
bring you closer to the people of the Himalayas before opening a window
to the top of the world. After setting eyes on Everest, you won't look
at our planet the same way again. Did you know? Most yaks on the trail are not true yaks, they’re dzo—a
yak-cattle hybrid. Moreover, ‘yak-burgers’ served in guesthouses along
the way are most likely water buffalo. Yaks are just too valuable to the
locals to slaughter for meat. Best time to go. August to November Get inspired. Conquer high passes and glaciers,
visit Sherpa villages and meet locals during teahouse stays before
arriving at Everest Base Camp. Throw open the window to the top of the world. More about Everest Base Camp
Trek through verdant forests and silent glaciers.Ever
stood on the top floor of skyscraper and thought, “Bah, this ain’t so
tall”? Then you might just be Kili material. At 5,895m (19,340 ft), Mt
Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak. Follow in the bootprints of some
of the world’s most famed explorers and mountaineers, hiking through
lush rainforests and alpine deserts, across glaciers by day and sleeping
closer to the stars than you ever dreamed possible by night.
Kilimanjaro is no picnic, but unlike other massive peaks, it gives those
daring enough to climb it multiple routes to the top. Choose
wisely—your chances of making your summit a success depend on it! Did you know? Kilimanjaro contains an example of
virtually every ecosystem on earth—glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine
moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle, all of which found on the
mountain. Best time to go. September to March Get inspired. Trek through verdant forests and silent glaciers before experiencing the curvature of the horizon from Africa's highest peak. Choose your route to the top. More about Mt Kilimanjaro
6. Patagonia’s Torres del Paine Circuit | 133km | 10 days
Trek through incredibly diverse scenery.You’d
be hard-pressed to identify a part of the world that can top Patagonia
for natural splendour. And once you’ve seen it for yourself, you won’t
even bother to try. The scenery down here at the southern tip of South
America is a photographer’s dream come true: stunning volcanic
landscapes, massive glaciers, sprawling steppe-like plains stretching to
the horizon. Here, your shutter-finger is due for an intensive workout.
Patagonia’s Torres del Paine Circuit brings you to remote,
lesser-visited sections of the National Park and the truly unimaginable
scenery to be found there. Did you know? Before its creation in 1959, the park
was part of a large sheep estancia, and it's still recovering from
nearly a century of overexploitation of its pastures, forests and
wildlife.. Best time to go. December to March Get inspired. Watch the ice floes of the Grey Glacier and trek through incredibly diverse scenery. Ready for the full circuit? More about the Torres del Paine circuit
7. Trekking Venezuela's Mt Roirama | ~34km | 6 days
Conquer the summit of Roraima.Journey
into a land that time forgot and conquer the pre-Cambrian tabletop
summit of Roraima. The stunning mountain is sacred to the region's
indigenous people and is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The
Lost World." Take time to explore the unique flora and fauna—some of
which is completely unique to the mountain. The trek itself takes six
days start to finish but this two-week adventure also includes canoe
trips in Canaima National Park and a thrilling trek to Angel Falls. If
you're fit and want to get off the beaten track, this adventure will
take you to new heights. Did you know? Despite the sheer cliffs that frame
the plateau, it was the first major tabletop mountain to be climbed.
Author, explorer and botanist Sir Everard im Thurn walked up a forested
ramp in December 1884 to the top of the plateau. This is the same route
hikers take today...
Best time to go. Roraima can be hiked year round;
however, some argue that the best time to go is from November to April
when it’s drier and warmer. Get inspired. Conquer the summit of Roraima, explore
Canaima National Park, witness the power of Angel Falls, discover a
'lost world' amid tabletop mountains.
