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...

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...

"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...

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....

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 download Do you want to visit and explore South Africa? Touch Africa Safaris This is...

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...

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. This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

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.  This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

Frequently asked questions: what are the top spots to see, or visit? Difficult to answer, so we have broken it down into several categories. In this episode we cover: The Top 5 Natural Wonders South Africa's Top 10 Museums The Top 5 Monuments South Africa is an incredible destination, and in these episodes we will cover the "Top Spots" according to Road Trip, and according to Diederik who has owned and operated Touch Africa Safaris for over 30 years.  The list is by no means exhaustive, and...

The "Garden Route" encompasses the area between George and Port Elizabeth. It is a natural wonderland of high mountain peaks, deep forested ravines, and incredible coastal scenery. The area has a rich history of gold miners, woodcutters, British adventurers, and colourful characters. It is worth getting off the N2 and taking some time to really explore this area. The person who takes some time to really meander through this area will be very richly rewarded.  

This episode covers the first part of the N2, which is South Africa's longest numbered road. The N2 is 2255km long, and stretches from Cape Town to Ermelo. It starts in Mowbray near the historic Mostert's Mill, skirts the southern end of Cape Town International and then heads over Sir Lowry's Pass into the Overberg Region.  The Overberg - wheat fields, bright yellow canola flowers and hectares of fruit - apples, pears, and peaches. Small towns en-route include the historical Swellendam...

The "Panorama Route" of Mpumalanga is an essential part of any road trip to the Eastern region of South Africa. There is magnificent scenery, some fascinating history, and fantastic geology to explore.  The worlds' oldest rocks, the very earliest life-forms, gold rush towns, a multitude of waterfalls, as well as breathtaking mountain roads await you hare - if you are prepared to explore. This is a recording of a weekly radio show - Radio EcoHealth 

The Southern section of the park is the busiest and most developed part of the park. It hosts the headquarters of the park - Skukuza - and a wide variety of picnic sites and smaller camps. It has a huge network of roads, and offers a multitude of options for a world-class wildlife experience. This is a recording of a radio show hosted by Radio Ecohealth. the quality of this podcast varies as it is a recording of an online meeting.

Episode 3 of a series on the Kruger National Park. The Central Region of the Kruger National Park is a wildlife paradise. Big camps, small camps, bush camps, and private camps - still quiet because it is away from the main tourist areas - but still developed enough to have what you need. This region has some of the most wildlife-rich areas of Kruger. All the information in this episode is available on the Kruger Park listings found on the Road Trip SA app - look for the black-and-white...

Part 2 of a series on the Kruger National Park. The area between Mopani Camp and the Olifants River has its' own charm. The Mopani gradually changes to mixed Mopani / Bush Willow vegetation. We chat about the camps, some of the best drives, a few of the historical spots ...... and a few of the adventures and unique sightings we have had. All the information in this episode is available on the Kruger Park listings found on the Road Trip SA app - look for the black-and-white logo! This is a...

Part 1 of a series on the Kruger National Park.  We discuss some the early history of the park, the development of tourism, as well as the biodiversity and scale of the park.  This episode concentrates on the far northern section of the park - where you find the rarities - the unique birds, and the scarce antelope like Roan, Sable and Suni. We discuss the camps, the picnic sites, the history and some of the best roads to drive in the area. And the cool story of "Crooks Corner"........ All...

The central areas of Zululand stretching from Ulundi to the Drakensberg Mountains really is the crucible and the "Battle Field" of South Africa. Conflicts between Zulu and Voortrekker, Voortrekker and British, the British and the Zulus, the Boers and the British - all came into conflict for various reasons in this area. In this episode we explore the formation of the Zulu nation, as well as the culmination of the conflict between the Zulus and the Voortrekkers resulting in the pivotal &...

Departing Cape Town on the N7 heading North is a very rewarding drive. You leave the busy city of Cape Town and within a few kilometres you are travelling through beautiful wheat fields and rolling hills. Slowly the scenery changes to citrus fruit plantations, and later into a much drier landscape. Not much further we cut across and head East - headed for Loeriesfontein. Through Vanrhynsdorp, headed for Nieuwoudville you drive over the spectacular Vanryhnspass - a truly memorable...

The area stretching from Trompsburg to Griekwastad to Kimberley and beyond encompasses the South African diamond fields - the Gariep (Orange) River is joined by the Vaal River, and is an area incredibly rich in history. Diamonds are discovered in Hopetown, Adam Kok treks away, major battles are fought between Brit and Boer, and Kimberley is developed. And of course there is Orania.......... This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

Cape Town to Johannesburg is a 1600km drive. The N1 is the highway that can take you all the way to the border with Zimbabwe - but you stick to the tar. There are alternatives. A little bit of effort, a journey of almost the same distance, and you can discover a multitude of hidden gems along the road. Leeuw Gamka, to Fraserburg,  Carnarvon to Prieska and Kimberley - lots of dirt road? Leeuw Gamka to Beaufort West, Three Sisters, Britstown, Hopetown and Kimberley - our heritage of...

Matjiesfontein - a real "Hidden Gem". A bit about the N1 from Cape Town to get there - and then we concentrate on the town of Matjiesfontein. The history, some of the characters, the buildings and the attractions. 100 reasons to spend a night or two at The Lord Milner Hotel. Episode in English. This is a recording of a radio show - Radio EcoHealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

The Voortrekkers and the Great Trek form an iconic and monumental part of South Africa's history.  And we explore two "bucket list" monuments and museums - The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, and the Boer War Museum / Vrouemonument in Bloemfontein. Episode in English. This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

The drive from Cape Town to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope along the Atlantic seaboard, and then the return via Simon's Town has to be one of the most scenic drives in the world. Episode in English. This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za

An introduction to Cape Town - the early days of the VOC and the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck. A short exploration of the history in Cape Town from the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652,  and the subsequent expansion of the settlement until bankruptcy in 1795. Episode in English. This is a recording of a radio show - Radio Ecohealth - www.ecohealthradio.co.za