THE WELLNESS TRAIL : March 2015

Friday 27 March 2015

GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK & GOLDEN GATE HOTEL - SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS & ACCOMMODATION (Maluti Mountains, North Eastern Free State.)

This is the last of our features on our beautiful National Parks in South Africa, but there are way too many to mention, each of which we should at least see once in our lifetime, and hopefully pick a few to visit regularly, they are all incredible features of this majestic place we live in that we still take for granted.

Please meet the gracious...

This is seriously the perfect movie set for a film set for a gladiator war, you know that old untouched scenery that is majestic and speaks more than the story, and becomes the main actor in the movie because it takes over with its presence....that, that's what this is, pure perfection.

Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Maluti Mountains of the north eastern Free State, close to the Kwa-Zulu Natal side of Lesotho, lies the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

The park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the parks sandstone cliffs, an incredible feature, and especially the imposing Brandwag rock, which keeps vigil over the main rest camp.

This 11 600 hectares of unique environment is true highland habitat, providing home to a variety of mammals, including Black Wildebeest, Eland, Blesbok, Oribi, Springbok and Burchell's Zebra, as well as many birds, including the rare bearded vulture, and the equally rare bald Ibis.

Ribbokkop, the highest point in the park, reveals a breathtaking tapestry of red, yellow and purple hues as its warm shades with the cool mountain shadows towards the evenings....this is mesmerising natural beauty.

Special ares of interest are the Van Reenens Family Graveyard, the impressive Brandwag buttress rock formation, the Vulture Restaurant, Cathedral Grave, as well as ZuluHoek viewpoint, Generaalskop viewpoint, Oribi Basin and the Drakensberg view, all very beautiful and interesting.

And staying here is awesome, there are so many in-park options, and well priced too.

There is the Glen Reenen Rest Camp, with Rondavels, Longdavels and Guest Cottages, as well as camping.
Then there is the Basuto Cultural Villge Rest Camp, which closely resembles and 18th century Basuto Village.

There is also the Highlands Mountain Retreat, which is the luxury camp in Golden Gate, and we also have the Noord Braband Historic Guest House, but we choose to feature the GOLDEN GATE HOTEL. Its perfect for all needs, and its setting is simply stunning.

The hotel is formerly known as the Brandwag Hotel, and is a luxury accommodation that has always been synonymous with the Golden Gate with a wide spectrum of services and facilities, which is stretched out onto the 34 adjacent fully-equipped chalets.

Recently renovated, the hotel is nothing short of fabulous luxury.

To find out ore about the Park please visit them @ GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK, and to view their extensive accommodation options, go to GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK ACCOMMODATION...you wont be sorry.

The Golden Gate Hotel

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Thursday 26 March 2015

MANTALITY.CO.ZA - ONLINE SHOPPING & WELLNESS, HEALTH & FITNESS PROVISIONS

This is one for da BOIS!!!

So as we end our section in PRODUCTS & APPAREL, searching for ONLINE SHOPPING & WELLNESS, HEALTH & FITNESS PROVISIONS, we found something that is just for the boys, guys, men, manly men, not-so-manly men, but men just the same.

GUYS, this is it!!!!

Meet....

First of all...WELLDONE MANTALITY for giving this to us, the girls have way too much already, and secondly, thank you for making it idiot proof.

Its easy shopping here, and we found what we wanted quite quickly, we searched the following:

GADGETS / SPORTS & FITNESS (click here)

& under STUFF/ FITNESS & SPORTS (click here),

under HEALTH, well, just everything there, (click here)

& then we loved this, under EXPERIENCES, well, this is just all kinds of awesome, maybe start here, we believe this is the new healthy,(click here).

All of the above produced almost too many options for us, that we'd be broke in two seconds flat shopping here, so we had a bear and searched slowly and made a list of this we waned to buy.

(bearing in mind that there are many other options that suited our needs that didn't fall into these categories, there was literally too much to choose from)

Look how cool... (go straight to the experiences section...WOW...so flippen cool)

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Wednesday 25 March 2015

DineSouthAficaco.za & EATWISE HEALTH FOOD CAFE- HEALTH CONSCIOUS RESTAURANTS & ONLINE RESTAURANT GUIDES (Eastern Cape)

TOTALLY EXCITED ABOUT FOOD, an the opportunity to prove that HEALTHY, does not mean A TASTELESS EXPERIENCE LIKENED TO EATING CARDBOARD DRESSED WITH H2O.

All too often we assume that healthy food isn't exciting, BUT IT IS, it really is a total experience, and we will help you find those foodie-people-chef types and restaurants who will show you how incredible healthy can really be. The benefits will follow....promise!

Now you'd surprised at how NOT-USER-FRIENDLY some these Restaurant Guide Websites are, and you'd think that it would be easy to just go online, type in HEALTHY CUISINE and PROVINCE, CITY & TOWN, and voila, you have a selection of places to go to. For some reason, this feature evades some sites, don't get it...?! (You just get a search bar as an option and you have guess how it all works.)

But non-the-less, a site we didn't know about, and wished we'd found on day 1, was exactly what we were looking for....so organised. And then still has MANY other features. We found an awesome restaurant too.

Meet...

Firstly, Eat Wise Health Food Cafe & Smoothie Bar is also is recognised is a Cyber-Cafe, as you can order healthy meals online and get them delivered to your door, bearing in mind they are Durban based. We like this, because you can go to them and enjoy your food in their easy casual environment, or you can plan your weeks meals and get them delivered. They also do catering for functions.

Their menus extensive, and includes REALLY AWESOME smoothies, our go to happy place, as well as Asian, Caribbean, Chinese, Continental, Fusion, Greek, Indian, Italian....blah, blah, blah, JUST EVERYTHING FABULOUS......BUT ALL HEALTHY!!!

That has been their passion, to start a gourmet health food company. The EATWISE menu has been designed very health conscious individuals who have always lived energetic and healthy lifestyles. EATWISE offers delicious and convenient meals for people on the go. It is an deal choice which will enable you to establish and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

The menu seriously mouthwatering, we liked these...
- MANGO, BANANA & COCONUT SMOOTHIE
- BREE & SWEET POTATO SALAD,
- SUNDRIED TOMATO CHICKEN,
- CHILLI-MINT-BEEF FILLET,
- GREEN MAMBA PASTA, wow, and so much more, we were thinking camping out in the cafe for three days to get through it all.

Find there menu @ Eat Wise @ dinesouthafrica.com & menu or download it on their site @ www.eatwise.co.za

For interest sake, they also have STRICTLY HALAAL options, and if you are a count-watching-health-nut, each meal you order online will show you the calorie count, carb count, fat count as well as protein count, AND it will total each in your overall order....now that's service, and its quite clever.

For other healthy dining experiences go straight to the main site @ www.dinesouthafrica.com, you get to click on the province, city and suburb, and then cuisine, its such an awesome direct search engine. We need not say more because its seriously easy to use and they are clued and up-to-date, try them.

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Monday 23 March 2015

PRIMAL GYM - SOMETHING DIFFERENT & TOTALLY COOL (Rosebank, Gauteng)

So our aim was not to blog twice on Gauteng this month, but we couldn't let this one go because its actually the one we've been saving for last.

We have'y tried it, yet, but we really want to, as it really is an awesome combination of training ideas and principles, which is what we are all about, mixing it up to make more sense of how your body can, and will, function optimally if trained in various formats, or at least giving the opportunity to.

Meet...

That says it all, but lets get a little deeper here, PRIMAL GYM, may not be for the feint hearted, but then life isn't, but these guys are going to get you there.

Born in 2009, PRIMAL GYM is the brain child of the power team Ryan & Zanelee Davies, and is a one of a kind professional and uniquely South African Martial Arts and Cross-Fit lifestyle brand that offers one complete wellness coaching product and service.

They teach and preach what they believe to be essential life skills....something we all need!

They have 4 core principles, STRENGTH, MOBILITY, SELF-PRESERVATION & LONGEVITY, which they breakdown like this:

Strength, is first above everything else, and they believe that anyone can be strong, and they will help you get there. They think that Strength is something beautiful and should be wanted, desired and worked hard for. Now lets remember that strength does not mean huge bulky bodies, it means so much more, and includes a mind-set, and at the very least being able to move your body anyway you want to, or need to, without strain....that's strength. Big Bulky strength does not mean able...#justsaying.

Mobility, is where they want to make you and keep you at a mobile and able level. They will get you doing things that keep your body and mind guessing and evolving to a level that you may have previously thought not probable, you like when you watch someone else and think, if only...THAT'S what they can give you, provided you help them help you.

Self-Preservation...now we like this addition, its the one people never really speak of, but always should....this is when you being kept happy and healthy...that's what really important to them. And at the core of what they do at PRIMAL is the teaching of preservation skills, you know this is the part when all fall apart, this is what will keep you there. They teach you how to fight smart, not hard, and give you awareness and confidence that allows you to "Walk in peace" (Imi Lightenfeild)

Lastly, Longevity...they know full well that life is often hard and confusing, but they hope to provide a light of joy to your life. they believe that True Longevity is not how long you live, but rather how much you felt in your life. They just want you to be happy. (We like this, so our thing)

When martial arts & fitness enthusiasts Ryan & Zanalee Davies created PRIMAL KRAV MAGA, its other name, they knew they were creating something SOUTH AFRICA had not yet seen or experienced, it was to be a concept that would bring together the best in Martial Arts, Military Style Combatatives,as well as Strength and Conditioning programs, and the point was to provide a safe and accessible gym for us all to access all these methodologies.

We are super keen to be a part of this, join us, find them @ www.primalgym.co.za.

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Friday 20 March 2015

CAMDEBOO NATIONAL PARK & CLIFTON MANOR HOUSE - SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS & ACCOMMODATION (Graaff-Reniet, Eastern Cape.)

Again we were faced with too many options, all of which were what we were looking for, all of which were phenomenal and exciting in their own way and all of which have the ability to touch your soul and senses in ways you never contemplated....but for this week, we could only choose one.

We hope you like, we did.

Please meet....

There comes a time when you look at everything differently, you see beauty in things you'd never even acknowledged before, you see a grace in the great beyond you'd never thought to venture, and you see a purpose behind all of it, every place and every space.

Camdeboo is one of those places that is great even if all you do is sit still and look, its like a private holistic retreat, if you let it be, its one of our many heavenly spaces we have here in Africa, and its home, where many hearts are.

The National Park is located in the Karoo and almost completely surrounds the Eastern Cape town of Graaff-Reniet, which is the 4th oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam.

The Karoo was formed hundreds of Millions of years ago and is one of the great natural wonders of the world. And Camdeboo National Park, which is which is over 19 400 hectares in size, provides a visitor with great insights into the unique landscape and ecosystem of this majestic place, but you'd be more impressed with the scenic beauty....its all just so vast and so beautiful.

The greater portion of the park is situated between 740 & 1480 meters above sea level on the foothills of the Sneeuberg Mountain Range. The Nqweba Dam lies within the park and covers about 1000 hectares when full. And at some places, doerites form jointed pillars, the best example of these being in the Valley of Desolation, one of the key features of this park and area. The pillars can rise up to 120 meters high. There is also excellent Game Viewing opportunities too, featuring the great bird life, the Cape Buffalo, Antelope and the Bat-Eared Fox.

Other than Trails, Walks, Game Viewing and Birding, there are also 4x4 Trails and may Watersport activities at the dam....but again, we just love the view, its a total breathing space.

Accommodation wise in the park, we again have a Tented Camp, and a Camp-Site. The Tented Camp, called, Lakeview, is actually stunning, where each tent sleeps two people and is fully equipped with necessary amenities.

For more go to CAMDEBOO ACCOMODATION .

But if thats not your thing you are of course in Graaff-Reniet, which has some seriously awesome places to stay, like VERY, MANY & LOTS more places to visit while you are there....you have to dive in and experience the now of history.

The choices were mostly quaint, original, and historic but with more character than you could muster in a single setting. We liked found this place...meet...

The 6 luxury rooms all offer garden or mountain facing views, so you cannot forget the beauty of were you are even if you tried.

The Manor house offers accommodation, meals and combines traditional South African dining with impeccable service amid an old style but very elegant interior. The menu features contemporary South African cuisine, while the wine list is a fine South African selection of all the most famous Cape wines.

Boasting a Fairytale setting with beautiful views and a relaxing location along the banks of the Sundays River, the Clifton Country Manor, is sure to win a place in your heart. The farm is 238 years old and nestles in the foothills of the Sneeuberg Mountains, and visitors to this enchanting destination can experience fascinating wildlife and bird life.

Its an overall stunning experience, staying here, close to everything Graaff-Reniet and Camdeboo, to find out more, go to www.clifton-estates.com.

We found them @ www.graaffreinet.co.za/listings/accommodation, but check out the whole site, there is SO much going on you may stay alot longer than planned. www.graaffreinet.co.za.

How Stunning???!!!