blackgirls travel

Chasing Summer : Part 2

We only had a few days in Barcelona and no real plan. The only things on my Barcelona to-do list were Moco Museum and riding the cable cars to get a view of the city. The rest of the time could be spent at the beach and would have been if it wasn’t for the rain. Which got us exploring the city more. Yeah I’m one of those “go with flow, anywhere the wind blows” type of traveler.

DAY 2:

We took a walk around the port on a cloudy day and we saw some really cool boats and enjoyed the city views. The good news is the sun came out to play half way through our exploration walk.

DAY 3

We took the scenic route to the cable cars. Our search included an uphill walk, some stairs and we braved a little drizzle but it was worth it for the views, all this is before we actually got on the cable car. Quick sidenote when we reached our destination we figured out what the guy at our hotel reception was trying to tell us : there was literally a train from the metro station right outside our hotel directly to the cable cars *insert eyeroll here*. But if we had taken that option we would have missed a bunch of photo ops and what I’m counting as exercise.

That evening we went for supper at Cremat Lounge where the staff was super friendly and the gave a list of parties to check at the gothic quarter. We ended up at a place called Jamboree where they had a hip hop open mic session downstairs and a dj whose playlist was on shuffle upstairs. Yep we danced to Ace of base and Beyonce in one night. Fun was had.

In between suggesting clubs the staff took our pictures

DAY 4

We finally made it to the beach on our last full day in Barcelona and boy did I soak up the sun. A lot of interesting things to be seen at Barceloneta beach:

A lot of vendors: Mojito & beer salesmen, masseuses, ladies who braid hair and guys renting out umbrellas.
A lot of topless tanning
The beach blanket vendors bury the inventory in the sand *true story bro*

The day ended with another touristy activity, we went to go check out the Sagrada Familia. Because we got there so late (21h00), we didn’t get to go inside but the outside is so beautiful.

Also can we take a moment to appreciate the late European sunsets in the summer, love love love them.

Sharing more content

So I’m the type of person who takes a bunch of pictures and videos which I do nothing with, my friend has nagged me into sharing more of it so here we go. Lets call this a continuation my last post.

Chasing Summer: Part 1

After a three year hiatus my passport finally left its corner of the drawer to get some sun and fresh air and I tagged along. All roads lead my passport, my friend Nomsa and me to Barcelona and Paris. We luckily escaped the cold front that hit SA and enjoyed a European summer for a little bit.

Travel has gone back to normal covid regulations-wise, just as long as you have your vaccination certificate and in Spain’s case you have to fill in a DCC form if your vaccination was done outside of Europe.

Anyway, the first leg of our trip was Barcelona, I had no real expectations of the place I just selected it because it gave me a beach and city holiday in one. Turns out I really like the place. Day one we took a walk around the neighbourhood where we were staying to get the lay of the land, then we took the bus to Barceloneta beach.

We had tickets booked to an art exhibition at Moco Museum which featured a few of my favourite artists. After the exhibit we went to dinner at a restaurant called Morelia where we scored a free dessert thanks to the friendly owner 🙂

We had so much fun here, day one definitely set the tone for the stay in Barcelona, 10/10 I highly recommend.

Go West, for a quick shotleft

One thing that the lockdown travel restrictions brought about by Covid19 is we have been given the opportunity to explore our country and find some gems. We found one such gem in the Western Cape in the form of a fishing town called Paternoster 2 hours outside of Cape Town. A town made up of gorgeous beaches and white houses.

We stayed at Gonana Guest House in a sea facing room where we could walk from our bed right onto the beach. They serve breakfast and have the friendliest most helpful staff, big shoutout to Sis Thandi for taking such great care of us and all your recommendations.

Quick room tour

For 2 overworked girls from the city this beach holiday was just what the doctor order 🙂 . There are quite a few activities offered at Paternoster but to be honest with you the beach was the only thing on our itinerary. The water is cold but you can go in, here’s a quick tip if you prefer a private beach vibe visit Paternoster during the week because we had the beach to ourselves. When the weekend comes the whole town hits the beach, which makes sense because the weather called for it, it was nice and hot.

Our guesthouse house had the best view of the sunset and on a good day you can see dolphins in the water, I caught a sneak peek of the dolphins when we checked in and on our beach buggy tour, but nothing caught on camera.

View of the sunset

We took a beach buggy tour on Saturday morning with Deon a longtime resident of Paternoster who legit knows everyone in town.

POV from the beach buggy

Here is a shot of me staking out the dolphins after breakfast and a few balcony shots.

A Little R & R

We have finally made it to the end of 2020 and so I rewarded myself with a little getaway but not too far from home I’m still quite cautious about Covid 19 and all. So I checked in to the the Cradle Boutique hotel which is about 40 minutes from Sandton. I enjoyed the fresh air, the animals (excluding the monkeys and baboons that pop up anywhere) and feeling like I was far away from home.

We went on safari in the morning, we didn’t see any predators but we saw a bunch of other animals and birds, sidenote I didn’t photograph the monkeys and baboons because those things freak me out so I just sat still and waited for the vehicle to keep moving.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet I would highly recommend the Cradle Boutique for a quick weekend away. A quick tip though the deck/balcony is the best place to chill the pool area is legit directly under the sun your feet will burn taking a few steps to get into the pool. Our balcony was my favourite place to just chill, if for nothing else but the view (we saw Zebras from our deck when we arrived). Bring a book and plenty of snacks and take it all all in.

Travel Spotlight: Nyaki Tshabangu

I love social media because you come across really cool people, case in point the person featured in this edition of Travel spotlight Nyaki Tshabangu who appeared on my instagram explore page. I’m a natural hair enthusiast and she’s in the natural hair business. I’ll let her speak for herself .

Tell us who you are and what you do?

I am a founder at Natural Hair Co. A business in the business of making Natural hair Normal by creating spaces for entrepreneurs in the hair space the opportunity to market and retail their brands.

We love your travel content, tell us the places you’ve been around the world

I’ve been all over, I recently completed a trip that meant I’d been to all the continents (except Antarctica) .

What was your favourite destination?

I don’t really have a favorite destination, each destination holds a really special place in my heart because of who I went with, or the occasion of my travel.

Do you use travel agents or are you a DIY traveller using apps?

I’m a diY through and through. I use momondo to book flights, and depending on what apps they use in the country for commuting. I use Pinterest to find as much information as a i can before booking.

When did the travel bug bite?

When I spent 3 weeks in Brazil over Christmas and nye with friends.

Do you have any hints and tips for solo travellers or first time travellers?

Do as much research as you can, and that safety is only a concern in South Africa. If you can survive being alone here, the rest of the world is easy to navigate.

What do you never travel without?

I want to say my husband, but it’s my phone.

Money is no object, where in the world would you go?

Oh wow. I’d go to Ethiopia 🇪🇹

Where can people find you on social media?

Nyakinaturally on Instagram

Guluvaz Travel

Welcome to another edition of black girls’ travel brought to you by the lockdown. Meet Thenjiwe Mabope another insta find.

Introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?

Hi! I’m Thenji. I have a travel insta page turned YouTube called Guluvaz Travel and I’m a 30 year old marketing exec from Johannesburg

Is your blog name inspired by Gulliver’s travels with a kasi twist?

The name as you can tell is a play on Gulliver’s Travels which I was enthralled with as a child. Anything that had the promise of adventure and new and faraway lands was always my jam.

Tell us where you’ve been around the world?

I have been fortunate enough to have gone to 24 countries so far.

What was your favourite destination?

So far with my favourites being probably Italy, Ghana, Mozambique and Holland. It’s always difficult to choose just one destination as a favourite because every place is so different and has a context on how I was feeling or what I connected to at the time. I love Mozambique because of the food and peacefulness, I love Italy because I’m an epicurean and loved the cheese and wine in Tuscany; I love Ghana because the men there are so fine and ambitious; I love Holland because it’s vibrant cool kid epicentre. Every new place I go to has the potential to be the new favourite!

When did the travel bug bite?

I fell in love with travel before I ever saw the inside of the airport or even knew how it would be possible to get to faraway places. I used to watch Top Billing as a little girl and imagined myself as Ursula walking the streets of Paris. I used to jump over tables and pretend I was Sydney Fox on adventures in Relic Hunter. Relic Hunter was a show about an explorer who solved mysteries around the world. Or imagine myself as Lemuel Gulliver himself. I travelled through these characters using it to escape deep into my imagination where I’d create weird and wonderful worlds where anything was possible. Then that manifested into becoming this woman who is curious about the world around her and spends all her money travel. It’s become my passion, some women like bags and clothes or painting or beauty, mine is getting on a plane to find new and interesting experiences.

Which do you prefer travel agents or to do it yourself?

Booking your own travel can be daunting especially if you have never done it before so I always suggest first timers lean on travel agencies. I always suggest using travel agencies that allow you to pay through lay-bys and give discounts for people under 30 like STATravel, Flight Centre etc. to get value for money deals then once you feel comfortable with travelling you can start looking into booking your own travel. The trick also when making your own bookings is to ask tons questions, ask people how have gone to the destination before you, cross reference on travel sites and compare prices and read reviews. It’s lots of effort but it’s worth it because you get to know exactly what you’re paying for and what to expect when you get there.

What are your favourite travel apps?

My go-to travel apps are Skyscanner so I can find the cheapest flights. Google Maps because it gives you local mode of transport and walking directions whichever country I’m in. Agoda so I can compare accommodation types and prices on one platform. And also good old Excel because this is what I use to plan my trips so I know what I can afford and what I can’t before hand.

We love your travel on a budget tips, what inspired this?

I have a few of tips on how to travel on a budget decided to share on YouTube. Go to my page to get tips for either first time travel or hacks and you might learn something new that will get you a step closer to that trip you’ve always wanted to take. Often because of a lack of exposure people believe travel is unattainable because we’re constantly bombarded by the nouveau riche social media glitzy influencers who only seem to show business class boarding passes and champagne glasses, that’s not all that travel is about. I have travelled more than most with the means that I have because I go out of my way to find the most affordable way of getting to where I want to be and I want others to know that they can too. Travel is for everyone and if I can share tips on how to do it within your budget then I’ve done a something good for the day.

What do you never travel without?

I never travel without my earphones and face masks. I am a solo traveller meaning there can be a lot of time to kill on the plane or waiting on layovers so my earphones ensure I always have music to keep my company. The face masks a life line because flying is brutally dehydrating for my skin so I make sure that I put on hydrating masks to replenish the hours of air-con so I at least still look cute when I land.

Money is no object, where in the world would you go?

Money is no object you would find me in the Caribbean Island hopping making my way from Trinidad through Dominica all the way to Jamaica through all the islands in that channel by boat.

Where can people find you on social media?

You can find me on Instagram: @Guluvaz_travels, Youtube: Guluvaz Travels. Email: Guluvaztravels@gmail.com

Travel Spotlight: Rethabile Ramaphakela

Since COVID19 has put a halt on my travel plans for a bit I thought I should put a spotlight on some of my favourite travel content creators, starting with Rethabile Ramaphakela.

Tell us who you are and what you do?

I’m Rethabile Ramaphakela. Best known as @Retini on the social medias. I’m a producer, writer and director who was a former kids presenter and one of the Ventertainment voice artists

We love your travel content, tell us the places you’ve been around the world

Travelling is like my side hustle. I try to do at least two trips a year with the major trip being in April – my birthday month. I also have started visiting places that are a bit ‘off the traveling grid’. I tend to hate doing first world countries because they seem to lack something when it comes to interacting with locals, for me, travelling is also about the locals. I’m interested in how other people live so meeting people plays a huge role in making a place memorable. I have been to the “usual” places like France, USA (New York, Miami and LA), UK, Hungary (not so usual), Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.

But I have absolutely loved being in Tanzania, Mauritius, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, Maldives, Indonesia, Iceland, Morocco, Namibia, Croatia and Sri Lanka

What was your favourite destination?

This is so hard to answer, because every place holds a very special place in my heart but if I absolutely had to choose, I would say Bali. I have been there twice. Once in a big group and then on my own and even after these travels, I would still go there again. There is still so much I haven’t seen. It has a bit of everything and is really the epitome of holiday destination. (I know everyone goes there now but it’s really that good.

Do you use travel agents or are you a DIY traveller using apps?

I love putting an itinerary together, it’s literally one of my absolute favourite things to do.

What are your go-to travel apps?

Mostly Skyscanner (for flights) and Airbnb and Booking.com. I don’t like to stay in hotels when traveling. I like the idea of coming back to your own home where you can cook and drink.

When did the travel bug bite?

The first time I went overseas was in 2007 and it was for work. The producer on the trip actually said, “after this, all you will want to do was travel.” During that trip I went to New York City and I absolutely fell in love. The bug got me so bad, I went to live in New York for about 3 months in 2010.

Do you have any hints and tips for solo travellers or first time travellers?

Solo travelling can seem daunting but you just have to do it. I did my first solo travel because a lot of my friends couldn’t make the trip for various reasons. I had two options, either wait or go anyway. I decided to go because ultimately you can’t wait for people when you want to do what you want.

But obviously make sure you make sure you have things planned that force you to interact with people. So when solo travelling I always book a hotel instead of an Airbnb, because the hotel staff became your allies and are very helpful (and they are great for taking pictures). The best is that Airbnb now has experiences that you can do, this is a great way to interact with people whilst experiencing the new place. I highly recommend Airbnb Experiences.

Trust yourself. The world is not as scary as we think it is. I had many preconceived ideas about Morocco before I went and my solo trip there is probably one of my most memorable trips.

What do you never travel without?

I’m not precious about anything but one thing I always ask myself is, “do I have my wallet and do I have my passport?” The rest will sort itself out.

Money is no object, where in the world would you go?

Bora Bora. I love me a good ol’ island destination. I want to visit all of the beaches

To see more of Rethabile’s travel follow her on all her social media as @Retini and her hashtag #RetiniTravels

Recap of this past decade

As we approach a new decade I felt I should do a bit of a recap of my past 10years. So much growth happened and I also got bit by the travel bug. I started this decade as an agency producer then became an animation producer and I’m ending it as an artist manager and founder of Ofentse Management (shameless plug) but yes I have grown in leaps and bounds. I did a bit of self-searching (not sure if that’s a real phrase) over the years and I have to say travel was actually a huge part of me finding myself. I’m happiest traveling to be honest and I hope the next decade is filled with even more travel (preferably in business class universe *nudge, nudge , wink ,wink).

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you my travels through the years:

2010 London- UK

2011 New York – USA

2012: Dubai- Dubai

2013 New York, Miami, LA- USA

2014- 2015 Were clearly a dark time in my life as there was no travel during those two years LOL. Seriously though those were my transition years when I left the 9to5 grind and that’s when the soul searching began. These proved to be very crucial years for me and I’m grateful for the experience and I haven’t looked back since.

2016: Vienna, Graz- Austria