Thirsty for thrills, Alison Westwood threw caution to the cowboys and joined an impromptu horse trail through the wilds of Patagonia.
The Great Mall of China
What happens when you come across a travel offer that seems too good to be true? Alison Westwood bought a Groupon tour of China for herself and her mom and discovered how some discounted deals go down.
Day tripping: Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant National Park is the only park in the world where you can see the Big Seven: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, plus the great white shark and southern right whale. A day trip to the park and surrounding Greater Addo tourism route provides a huge variety of activities.
South Africa’s Top 10 Coastal Hiking Trails
If lounging around on a crowded beach isn’t your scene, perhaps you need something more active – and exclusive. Here’s how: pack a backpack (or a daypack if you’re not feeling all that energetic), get your boots on and take a hike on one of these incredible coastal trails.
No roads required: Mountain biking on the Wild Coast
On a two-day mountain-bike trail through Pondoland on the northern Wild Coast, you can pedal through a paradise of rolling grasslands, coastal cliff tops and beaches speckled with sunbathing cattle. Bring your bicycle, GPS and sense of adventure.
A bitter-sweet symphony: Backroading the West Coast
The stretch of coast between Cape Town and Lambert’s Bay is heart-breakingly beautiful, but it’s also suffering from a severe case of progress. Alison Westwood went to see if there’s still any soul left.
Switzerland: Postcards from the Alps
Every picture postcard you’ve seen of Switzerland is true. Those snowy mountains, icicle-fringed chalets and gooey fondues are real. What’s more, a skiing holiday in Switzerland is now more affordable than you think. Wish you were here? Come along then!
Spioenkop: A tragedy of errors
At Spioenkop, in the bloodiest battle of the Anglo-Boer war, the British generals snatched a humiliating defeat from the jaws of victory.
Dust in the wind: Namibia’s Sperrgebiet
A 4x4 journey into the trackless wilderness of the Namib-Naukluft Park can be arduous and uncompromising...
Secret Durban
Sunny skies, warm waves and bunny chow – what more could you ask from Durbs? Alison Westwood missioned beyond the usual beach scene and scored all kinds of kiff places to park off.
Living on the edge: Exploring the Greater Richtersveld
“We'll take you nowhere and show you nothing,” said a tour operator's brochure at the entrance to the Richtersveld National Park...
Deeply Dippy: Learning to Scuba Dive in Cape Town
Divers love to point out that we know more about space than what's under the sea – and that learning to dive is much easier than becoming an astronaut. Alison Westwood went scuba diving for the first time and discovered she was in her element.