#COUNTDOWN TO OUR 100th POST - TRAVEL THROWBACK

"TO TRAVEL IS TO LIVE... NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST"

Taking you down memory lane.... When our travel section first started!!! These were the posts you enjoyed the most, you can now read them over again easily :)!!!
ENJOY!!

- CALABAR CARNIVAL -
 !!!!THE BIGGEST STREET PARTY IN AFRICA!!!!

CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR!!! 

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This annual festival is held in Calabar Nigeria. It is a festival which celebrates African heritage and blends culture with fun. The festival showcases African heritage through its use of music, beautiful costumes, vibrant make up and floats. The festival takes place towards the end of December going into the new year. It is a fantastic place to go to have fun as it provides a good atmosphere filled with energy and joy. 

This festival is highly anticipated in Africa and tends to have people from different countries in attendance. We recommend from previous experience booking well well in advance as hotels,tickets and things of that nature can become very expensive closer to the date due to the high demand.

Such a festival allows for adults and children alike to enjoy and participate; since we were young we loved attending as we were fascinated with the colours and outfits that we saw. Now as adults we appreciate the festival much more and also take interest in the other amazing attractions in CALABAR such as OBUDU CATTLE RANCH (WHICH WE THINK SHOULD BE ONE OF THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD). 

The splendour of colour that is displayed during the festival can leave you in awe of the richness of African culture. The uniqueness of each outfit highlights the great work that goes into this festival.  The festival shows how the men and women who participate in making this magic toil very hard through the year; it is truly worth attending. 

PREP FOR DECEMBER --- YOU MIGHT SEE US THERE ;) 

CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR CALABAR!!!

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Insider's City Guide - Cape Town - Dates, Dinner, Drinks and Dancing 

Cape Town is renowned for being artsy and 'chilled'. It has a wealth of bars, restaurants, and cultural activities available for every budget. Each suburb has its loyal followers. There's Claremont for students who wants to get drunk and raucous, Observatory for the more bohemian crowd, Greenpoint for gay bars and elaborate cocktails, and Camps Bay for big spenders and a 'beachy' vibe. This city guide's focus is on what I think is the best part of Cape Town, the CBD.

The CBD's main selling point is that there are more things to do in a smaller space with a place for everyone. Everything is a fifteen minute walk or a five minute drive away, so you can afford to be spontaneous when it comes to planning a day or night out.

DATES

There are plenty of romantic (and cheap) things for a couple to do in Cape Town's CBD.

The classic 'dinner and a movie' is made all the better at [the Labia Theatre] {the labia.co.za}. It's an independent cinema housed in a historical building, that screens art, foreign and historical films, as well as a few blockbusters. The tickets are cheap and the confectionary stand is fantastic (baked goods and alcoholic slush puppies!). 

To top it all off, they offer meal specials so that you can eat at one of the nearby restauants and then watch a film, all for R90. Make sure to take advantage of the meal special on a Monday or Tuesday, when the participating restaurant is [Societi Bistro] {societi.co.za}. It's the perfect place to take a date.

For a day-time date, try the [Iziko National Gallery] {iziko.org/static/page/south-african-national-gallery}, followed by a stroll around the Gardens and a stop at a nearby coffee shop. My favourites are [Yours Truly] {yourstrulycafe.co.za}, Power and the Glory, and [Truth Coffee] {truthcoffee.com}.

DINNER

There are plenty of restaurants for various tastes all over the CBD. [The Fat Cactus] {fatcactus.co.za}  off Kloof Street is a good bet for Tex-Mex and margheritas to be shared with friends. 

In fact, all of Kloof Street has a myriad of food options, from Asian fusion to NYC-style pizza. Take a walk or drive down the road from top to bottom and any place you choose is bound to be good. 

[Royale Eatery] {royaleeatery.com}on Long Street makes a mean gourmet burger, to be paired with craft beers and wines. Royale is another culinary experience made sweeter by a group of friends during a night on the town. 

[Lefty's] {facebook.com/pages/Leftys/190484801141942} on Harrington street has more of a dive bar feel, but the food is excellent and out-of-the-box. I recommend the beetroot falafel but I've heard rave reviwes about the chicken and waffles. There's an odd but great crowd to go with the odd but great food, so stick around for drinks at the bar afterwards.

DRINKS

Long Street is the place that comes to everyone's mind when they think of a night of drinking in central Cape Town. It is for bars what Kloof street is for restaurants. Walk down the street and you're sure to find a place that suits your taste. I recommend [The Waiting Room] {facebook.com/WaitingRoomCT} for sundowners and pre-drinks, as well as [Neighbourhood] {goodinthehood.co.za}. However, Long Street can be quite the tourist trap. If you can, bring along a local friend to be your guide, and don't get distracted by the sights or someone is likely to swipe your bag.

If the bustle of Long Street isn't for you, go a few streets away and there are more options. [Clarke's Bar] {clarkesdining.co.za}, [&Union] {andunion.com} and [Orphanage] {theorphanage.co.za}, all on Bree Street, are all fun. These bars can get packed, and some dislike their 'hipster' vibe but they'll never be as hectic as Long Street on a Saturday night.

While Lefty's feels like a dive bar, The Kimberly on Roeland Street actually is one. It is (according to its own claims) the third oldest pub in the country. The crowd is diverse ranging from students and hipster-types, to drunk old men and, to be frank, crazy people. If you're an artist, a writer, or just an open-thinker, here is the place to study all kinds of characters. Make sure to bring along a group of unpretentious friends willing to take advantage of the gin specials and monopolise the juke box, and the night will take a turn for the best. It's full almost every night of the week, even Mondays. Although no one talks too proudly about spending a night drinking there, most everyone who lives in town has done it.

DANCING

Back to Long Street. If you care more about the music than you do about ambiance hit up [Fiction] {fictionbar.com} and [the Purple Turtle] {facebook.com/pages/the-purple-turtle/361956140482485}, two bastions of the underground music scene. If you're a little tamer, try [Zula] {zulabar.co.za} or the [Manila Bar] {facebook.com/pages/TheManilaBar}. The Waiting Room is also a good place to dance on a Friday. Come early for 'Early Fridays' and dance with the art school crowd, and then stay for 'Uppercut Fridays' which kicks off later in the evening and is all hip hop.

Further afield is [the Assembly] {theassembly.co.za} on Harrington street, which prides itself on giving the best local acts in rock, hip hop and electronic music a stage. Sometimes they really exceed themselves and get a hold of top notch international acts (Foals' DJ set earlier this year, for example) although I'm particularly partial to our local indie scene. 'See You Next Wednesdays' and 'YOH! Saturdays' are always fun.

Once again, no matter where you decide to go, make sure to do your research first. Every night at every club is different. A quick look at a venue's Facebook page will stop a hip hop lover from finding themselves in the middle of a thrash metal gig. It also means you'll know if a club is going to be 'dead' before you get there. Another tip, make friends with the locals. Even when it doesn't seem like it, Capetonians are a welcoming bunch, especially when they detect a foreign accent. They'll be sure to direct you to any of the many hotspots around town.

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT READ!

Khanya Mashabela

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L.O.N.D.O.N  C.I.T.Y

'When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford ' 

Samuel Johnson

London is just one of those places that you love to hate as it's very expensive.  We always complain about the finances involved in having a good time in London  but it's still not enough to deter us from going every other month.

It's just beautiful, the weather seems to be better than up North (Manchester) and it's just one 

of those metropolitan cities with a lot of opportunities. Travelling for us is just as important as 

getting a good degree. In the world today, global skills and cultural experiences outside your comfort zone are a good selling point. At the moment, we are touring England and we are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you.

'London is a roost for every bird'  

We will be in London next week and we can't wait to share photos of the fun stuff we will be up to as well as SHOPPING. Can't wait *eeeek*. By the way it's always lovely discovering new 

places and meeting new people. If you have any suggestions of amazing restaurants we should eat at, night clubs, cocktail bars and any other interesting stuff you can think of, leave a 

comment below and we can tell you how it went and what our favourite places are.

'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show'

London for us is our one stop destination for pretty much everything. From networking - 

shopping - hair styling - nights out. It's just where we have a good time and unwind after a busy month.

You'll be hearing from us soon as we will be sharing with you our experiences *whoop whoop*. Buzzing for Easter already!!

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BLESS YOU ALL

OLIANDLOLA

XO