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The Bays of the
FrenchMadagascar. At the extreme north of the Great Island, Diégo Suarez is situated in an exceptional site, at the bottom of a real internal sea formed by the Bays of the French, of Thunder, of White stones and by the Gallois cul de sac. At either side of this "sea" and its Sugar loaf, the two other seas, that is the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Channel meet. A cosmopolitan town, Diego Suarez lives with the rythm of its shipyards, and along its straight streets lined with buildings sometimes with colonnades reigns a particular atmosphere which is not felt in any other town of Madagascar. To the east, the Coast of the Bays, a succession of coves and lagoons protected by coral reefs. The Emerald Sea , a wide lagoon where one can dive in a natural aquarium. The Bay of the Pigeons and that of the Dunes, white sand beaches often empty, offering a beautiful view of the pass. The Bay of the Sakalava, recognized as one of the most beautiful windsurf spots in the world. For …simple leisure activities, Ramena, 18 km from the town, the favourite beach of the inhabitants of Antsiranana at week-ends. Along this road to the East, the Mountain of the French with its Way of the Cross that leads to caves and vestiges of fortifications... To the west, the rock of the Windsor Castle and its 360° panoramic view on the Cape of Amber to the north, the Coast of the Bays to the east, the foothills of the Mountain of Amber to the south, the Coast of the Virgin Islands and its Bay of Courrier opening up to the Mozambique Channel in the west. Very much appreciated by the passionate of diving and game fishing, starting point for yatch people navigating along the north- west coast |
Holiday like a KiwiShort for ‘bachelor pad’, the word bach is deeply embedded in the Kiwi psyche - unless you’re from the south of the South Island, where they use the word ‘crib’ when referring to a holiday house. After World War II, as better roads made remote places more accessible, New Zealanders began building haphazard holiday houses in gorgeous places up and down the country. In those days, a bach was "something you built yourself, on land you don't own, out of materials you borrowed or stole." You’ll still see some of these original baches, steadfastly refusing to fall down, in New Zealand beach towns. Made of corrugated iron, fibrolite and used timber, they’re often painted crazy colours. The most authentic will still have a ‘long drop’ toilet out the back. Over the years, the majority of New Zealand’s baches have evolved into comfortable holiday houses on legitimately-acquired land. Some have even gone on to become mansions with four-car garages, a private beach and a mooring for the superyacht. At the basic end of the scale, baches are furnished with hand-me-downs from the ‘real house’. They’re like family museums - full of odd furniture, kitsch art works and hilarious knick-knacks from previous decades |
South Africa Day HikesIf you instantly form a picture of backpacks and tents the moment someone mentions hiking, then you are in for a pleasant surprise! Day hikes are a big feature of the South African outdoor landscape with many venues and destinations catering to walkers who want to get out of the city for a few hours and breathe the soot out of their lungs. Day hikes are generally within the city limits themselves, or just a short drive away so that urban residents can still get home before dark. The Magaliesberg, just outside of Johannesburg is a perfect example of a day hiking destination. A mere 45-minute drive from Johannesburg, this mountain range has a number of day hikes and caters specifically for the day visitor. In Cape Town, Table Mountain is another excellent example. Overnight camping is prohibited within the reserve, which means that all of the 500 odd trails on the mountain are in fact day hikes that you can try out. While day hikes are ideal for those pressed for time, they do of course fulfil other purposes. If you have new equipment that you need to test, or are still getting fit enough to embark on a longer trail, day hikes are a great way to try out equipment and acclimatise yourself to walking out in nature while building your fitness levels. They are also great for activities such as bird spotting and meditation. And, if this is not enough, let's play soccer!  |
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