These local celebs give us their road tripping stories
If you think of a holiday do you wish for something abroad? What so many South Africans don’t realise is that we live in a wonderful country with so much to offer! It’s not always necessary to go overseas when there is so much to do right on our doorstep. We chatted to some celebs and heard what they had to say about their road trip experiences in SA. It’s not always where you are, but it’s the company, the laughs and the road-trip fun that makes it so worth it!
Lorna Maseko-Lukhele, Top Billing presenter and So You Think You Can Dance judge:
‘My husband and I decided that, for our honeymoon, we would travel throughout South Africa for almost three weeks. We went inland to Cape Town, passing through a bunch of little towns on the way. It was great because it was spontaneous; we only booked about half the hotels we stayed at. We drove through the Golden Gate National Park and it was so phenomenal that I remember thinking, “Who needs to travel overseas when South Africa has so many beautiful treasures?” Out of all the places we stayed, my favourite was The Ambassador hotel in Cape Town. Its restaurant, Salt (now Koi), has the most outstanding service and great food. But the highlight of the trip was just being with my husband. They say the best way to get to know someone is to go on a road trip with them – and this journey proved it!’
DJ Fix, 5FM DJ
‘I fly to a lot of gigs during the year, so road trips have become something of a luxury. Recently, my fiancé and I visited Lesotho during December – it was a great choice because we wanted to go somewhere that felt a bit different to South Africa, but was still close enough to accommodate my hectic holiday schedule. We stayed near the Katse Dam, which was absolutely beautiful – my fiancé grew up on a farm, and I’m a village girl, so it means a lot to us to be in nature, and the mountain views definitely soothed our souls.’
Shajar Khan, Miss International SA 2013
‘My family and I had a chaotic, but exciting, road trip last year. It started with a flight to Durban for the South African Indian Film and Television Awards. After rubbing shoulders with Bollywood’s who’s who, we had dinner at Spiga D’oro in Florida Road. The next day, we drove back to Johannesburg for Sensation InnerSpace. We had to take a less scenic route as our ETA in Jo’burg was one hour before the event started. We had some amazing laughs and sing-alongs in the car, which proved to me that wherever you travel, it’s the company that makes it all the more fun and exciting.’
Roxy Burger, TV presenter and voice over artist
‘About two years ago, Mini Cooper hosted a Mini Festival in Clarens. A bunch of us drive Minis, so we loaded the cars with about eight girls and drove in convoy. It was proper girlie fun, driving along, listening to loud music and being stupid – I distinctly remember playing a Spice Girls CD! Clarens itself was great: we visited the Clarens Brewery for excellent craft beer, and there are a lot of cool pubs and quaint shops around the town square. The not so nice bit? Our accommodation – we ended up in an old farmhouse, filled with creepy pictures. It was like being on the set of a horror movie.’
If you are in the mood for a road trip, go check out these road trip ideas in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape!