Travel & Things, in conjunction with Naledi Game Lodge, is offering viewers Valentine specials for the month of February! I chatted with Kjell Bismeyer about the offer and what guests can expect. Having stayed there in the latter part of 2020, I can personally attest to the superb quality of accommodation, food, and game drive experiences. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SPECIAL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
I chatted with Schalk about the new online course that Ulovane is currently offering. You can do the theory from the comfort of your own home, and then join them in the Eastern Cape for the practical part and the assessment. Sounds like a great idea? Check with them for the course dates for the rest of 2021
The Kickstarter Campaign ends on March 4th. Jonathan originally wanted to raise $30000, with any excess being put to good use for conservation projects. To find out more about this initiative, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonathanangelascott/sacred-nature-volume-2-reconnecting-people-to-our-planet-0. THE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN HAS ENDED.
I chat to Doug about his new edition of Southern African LBJs made simple, published by Struik Nature. This is a follow-up to the first edition that was published in 2011. The book is a must-have for those who go to the bush regularly and are often flummoxed by species that live in the same area and look the same. No one is exempt from a misidentified LBJ, but this book and its well-laid-out contents go a long way to keep the issues around LBJs to a minimum. A must for every backpack.
Most of us can barely do 1 Burpee and that is only if we are forced. But to get up for 10 consecutive days and complete 3000 daily takes superhuman strength and mental endurance. But that is what Bruce Lawson did! He completed 30027( he told me during our chat that the final 27 were done to say thanks to all his supporters) on the 24/3/2021, on schedule, and (almost) in one piece. I chatted to Bruce about the challenge, what the money raised will be used for, and more importantly how he was able to complete this task…and still hold a cohesive chat with me less than 24 hours later. Well done to Bruce and his backup team for making this happen. The challenge continues until the 11th of April, and it seems that Bruce is going to be doing 1000 a day until the completion of the event. But he will be allowing himself one day off…to recover!
Hayley and I chat about vegan cooking and how it is becoming more acceptable at many of the more upmarket game lodges. From what was a fringe food, it is becoming more mainstream, with interesting, tasty, and exciting food offerings for vegan guests and even to tempt the guests that are predominantly meat-eaters. Vegan cooking is so much more than overboiled vegetables and bland food, as I discovered while chatting with Hayley.
I chat with Richard about his newest book, Pangolins. Scales of Injustice. Pangolin is the most trafficked animal on the planet and for all the wrong reasons. The high price that is paid for both the animal and its scales are putting it on the highway to extinction. Yet there are caring individuals, groups, and organizations that are working tirelessly to protect this dwindling species. Their work is to be commended and in this book, Richard highlights both the good and the bad that can be found in and around the illicit trade.
When lockdown started it did not stop legendary South African trails guide, Bruce Lawson, from setting himself a challenge, which was to walk 150km in 3 days. That then became 1000km in 20 days ( which raised R890000.00) and now, he is on the brink of yet another iconic physical fitness challenge. 30000 burpees in 10 days to raise R1m. Bruce and I spoke about this challenge and the physical as well as mental challenges that lie ahead. Unlike his walk, where he was surrounded by supporters and a support team, this time he tackles this #burpees4conservation alone from a quarantine hotel room in Adelaide, Australia! Travel&Things wishes Bruce all the very best with this challenge and the hope is that people will get involve and more importantly raise the R1m that is the monetary target.
It is always a pleasure to chat with Sophia! Her passion for food is contagious and it is difficult not to ‘taste’ the dishes as she describes them. This is a new direction for Sophia and it is only the beginning of titles that we can expect from her in 2021.
If you, like me, have wanted to find out what it is that a life coach can offer, then listen to what Louise Diesel shared with me during our chat.
This is a follow-up to the hauntingly beautiful Sacred Nature which should be required reading for every nature lover. Jonathan and his wife Angela are passionate about African wildlife, especially the cats and this shines through in their work in both words and images.
As I am currently completing this course, Tatum has been my ‘go-to’ contact for the past 10 weeks. I wanted to put a face and a voice to the messages and emails we have been exchanging. Also, I wanted to find out more about how the online has improved over the last few months (I am on the 4th course they have run, and the 5th one is already planned for June 2021)
Chatting to transplant recipient Meena Singh, stressed the need for people to become organ and tissue donors. Having received a liver 15 years ago has changed her life and in her volunteer work for the Organ Donor Foundation, she feels that more people need to be educated as to how necessary organ donation actually is. As a card-carrying organ donor myself, I felt that her message was an important one. If you are an organ donor, and transplant recipient, or just someone who is interested in the ODF, I hope that this “In conversation with” will resonate with you.
BUT THAT IS NOT ALL…
As of the end of May, ‘IN CONVERSATION WITH’ will be sponsored by Ruggedwear! Real People, Real Clothing, Real Solutions. The association between Travel & Things and this iconic bush wear brand spans several years and having them involved as an ‘In conversation with’ sponsor is a natural extension of their involvement with my brand.
