Tinga Lodge - Lion Sands Game Reserve, Kruger National Park

After River Lodge, we headed off to Tinga Lodge for our last night of magic in the bush. I honestly have nothing bad to say about any of the MORE properties. Each one of them are unique and special and every single time we go your experiences are different.

Tinga Lodge was great, with only 9 (Massive) rooms it feels more intimate and private.

The rooms are amazing and the view of the Sabie River from your terrace which has a plunge pool by the way is breathtaking. We even had some Ellies come visit us in front of the room, crossing the river, playing in the water! What a welcome committee!

What better way to take in the new scenery while sipping on a nice cold beverage, as the temperatures were boiling.

We spent our days taking in the beauty, eating (you test your body limits with eating when visiting MORE properties) some of the best tasting food and going on game drives. We had some rain on our last morning game drive, but spotted a mother leopard with 2 grown cubs. Very shy and you really had to concentrate not to miss them. But to spot that many different leopards in one trip is rare!

The evening after dinner we went back to our rooms, with a sad good bye on our bed we realised that this was the end of our trip. They even ran a nice warm bath for me with candles and rose petals. Heaven!!! I am a sucker for a good bath!

So with heavy hearts we were off, but we cannot wait for our next trip back! We are already planning a nice Kruger trip for August! 

Thank you to the Tinga team for making our stay extra special and for letting us leave with tears in our eyes. Happy tears of course! :)

Mel's Corner - Disneyland

Hello Journeyers!

Welcome back to me! We are back from a wonderful holiday and today my new ventures begin. I am extremely excited! But before I start boring you with all my stories I want to introduce you to Melanie, she blogs over at Mel's Corner and covers everything from her fun daily activities to yummy scrumptious recipes and not to mention her Friday Funnies! I met her at the Blogger Meet Up last year and wish I could talk to her a bit more, but we will still do a sushi night or a braai. Here's her travel story...

 

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The Magic of Disney

 

When I look back at my childhood I have such fond memories of watching various Disney movies, pretending to be characters from some of the movies, dreaming I was a Disney princess (this happened on more than one occasion) and then there was the time we actually went to Disney World in Orlando Florida.

 

So when we were on holiday in Hong Kong and the opportunity came to visit Disneyland we didn't even have to think about it, because of course we were going! 

 

 

 

From the friendly staff, beautiful colours, the happy sing-a-long music playing everywhere you go, the amazing decor, all the detail that has gone into the theme park (no matter how small, every bit of attention as been paid to it) and then there is of course the Disney characters themselves walking around. Oh and don't forget the parades which take place twice a day. Each night there is also a fireworks show choreographed to a collection of Disney songs. Disneyland really is one of the most magical and happiest places you'll ever visit. 

 

 

You can find her HERE:

Website

Facebook

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I have always been a big fan of anything Disney. I've been told a few times that I must maybe start growing up a bit because I can easily sit and watch anything from Finding Nemo to The Little Mermaid for hours on end. I really hope to one day make it to Disneyland! Thank you so much to Melanie for just making me jealous now! :)

 

Have you ever been to Disneyland?

 

Spice Goddess - MSC Opera Cruise

Hello Journeyers,
Today the beautiful Verushka from Spice Goddess is taking my over my blog a bit and sharing her fun cruise ship holiday with us! I met social media'd Verushka last year and loved her open and warm personality. I immediately knew that her and I will get along very well. When Irina told me that she will be in Joburg AND that her visit falls over our little blogger get together lunch I had to have her there! And that's when we officially met! I was right. She's as beautiful and warm in person as on social media....

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I think I was born with the blood of a gypsy traveler. As a young child my parents traveled with us through South Africa. My brother and I were given interesting experiences of culture, history and food. Since returning to South Africa in 2010, I have been exploring my country as a tourist.

Having never been on a boat cruise, my cousin and I decided to tick this of our Travel List. We decided on going to the Portuguese Islands on the MSC Opera Cruise Ship. What I loved was that we could pay a deposit and the balance before we traveled thus making it rather affordable. Being the social media addict I am I found a Mystery Cabin deal which meant a great price but we didn't know our cabin. But the God's of Cruise's was kind and we ended up with a Cabin with a window above sea level.

The Cruise cost us each R3500 which included all our meals. It was a 4 day cruise to the Portuguese Islands. We had to pay for our drinks, ice creams and trips off the ship. Entertainment on board was great and each night there was a Theatre Productio, a nightclub, a pool party and activities all day. Every night we got a "menu" of activities for the next day including the Cocktail of the day which included non alcoholic versions as well. 

The staff were from around the world and on their name badges they had a flag from their country on there. The first few hours on board I felt like I was drunk and what made it worse was I was walking around armed with a map so I would not get lost on the ship. But after having a bite to eat in the 24 hour eatery on the Top Deck and a cocktail I felt much better. The food was yummy and such a variety of cuisines. Friendly staff were always on hand to help and sometimes guide us back to our rooms. The ship is a no cash zone as you have to convert your Randelas into dollars and then put that onto a swipecard to pay.

We did keep some cash dollars for when we went to the island. We put 300 Dollars onto our cards for both which was enough for our time at sea. After my first cruise experience I knew i wanted to go cruising again and on longer trips. Cruises with MSC are during the summer months only with destination to Madagascar, Mauritius, Portuguese Islands and Cape Town. On my Travel To Do List I have added Madagascar....

Happy Sailing!

You can find her HERE:

Blog

Twitter

Bloglovin

I have been telling Cedric I want to go on a Cruise and I think she just convinced me with this Guest Post! Thank you so much Verushka and I cannot wait to see you again! Hopefully sooner than later! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The Marion on Nicol Boutique Hotel

Hello Journeyers,
Hidden just off of the busy William Nicol and in the up there Sandton suburb lies the beautiful 5* Boutique Hotel called The Marion on Nicol, Boutique Hotel of Distinction. It is hidden behind white walls with the gorgeous M's marking it which makes it nice and discreet. Our bags were packed for a very relaxing spoiled evening on Thursday evening and after work we were in the traffic ready for our night away.

About
"The Marion on Nicol is a Boutique Hotel of Distinction that offers a tranquil and lavish retreat from the bustle of nearby Sandton and Johannesburg. The hotel prides itself in offering a unique brand of South African hospitality. Our discreet attention to detail will ensure that your experience is one of memorable elegance and comfort. "

We drove through the big glass gate that separates you from the busy buzzing life on the outside and welcomes you to a world of luxury. As we walked in we were welcomed by the very friendly faced receptionist. I was mesmerized by the beautiful decor, the reception flowed into the lounge area and they had mirrors everywhere giving you the illusion of space. "A blend of classic colonial architecture and decor with modern and enduring amenities offering service without compromise."

After checking in (which was surprisingly very easy and effortless) we were taken to our room and shown around the hotel. We settled into our big comfortable room, that had a beautiful glass bathroom and a rather big terrace (especially for a hotel room) and a mini fridge that was filled with bubbly and Voss water.

I was very tempted to book myself a nice pamper session at the spa but time was limited. After going to look at the spa I was very disappointed that I didn't book that pamper sesh! There's something about a spa, I don't know if it's just the smell of all those lovely oils or the calming tranquil environment they create. But I struggled to get myself out of the spa. And for those fitness fanatics out there, they even have a nice well equipped gym! I love myself some treadmill running! But conveniently unfortunately "forgot" to pack my training clothes.

We then went for a drink on the terrace before we headed to dinner in the restaurant. The decor blew my mind. The hotel was covered in all my favourite colours - purple and green. Not to mention all the beautiful orchards that was on full display literally everywhere! I am very impressed, my orchards don't even last a month and they have a hotel full of them!

Things to do / Hotel Facilities

Fine Dining in their beautiful restaurant

Cocktail Bar

Pampering sessions at Spa de la Veille

Cardio Fitness Centre

Heated Outdoor Pool

Gorgeous gardens 

Free shuttle service to and from Sandton City

At night the place lights up giving it a beautiful Tuscan feel. With 24 en suite rooms you are sure to be treated like royalty. They are currently doing some construction, BUT when it's all over they will have a beautiful are where you can make your dreams a reality and have your perfect fairy tale wedding. 

Our dinner at the restaurant was impeccable. And we don't really compliment food like this very often. Yes you can come across restaurants that make good food, but this was GOOD food. For starters Cedric had the Lobster Bisque (With a mushroom Ravioli and Roast Pepper Cream) and I had the Thai Beef Salad (With Glass Noodles). My Salad was superb, better than Simply Asia (yes I said it) and Cedric loved his Bisque. For Mains he had the Grilled Duck (With sautee cabbage with cumin and duck spring roll) and I had the Feta and Peppadew Agnolotti (Served with a light mushroom and tomato sauce) OH MY WORD this was amazing! Mine and Cedric's. Yes I tasted his and my mouth almost started watering, and then I tasted mine and it did start! hehe. By then we were extremely full but we just had to try dessert, so we decided to share one. We took the Chocolate Plate @ The Marion (Chocolate Creme brulee with Mixed Berries and chocolate Terrine) and once again I was floating.

The restaurant seats 50 people and the terrace seats 20 people.

Thai Beef Salad

Lobster Bisque

Feta and Peppadew Agnolotti

Grilled Duck

Chocolate Plate @ The Marion

Things that made us happy

The service was very good

The menu had enough choices not to overwhelm a person (like me who can never decide what to choose)

The way our room was set up after dinner.

The decor

The friendly and efficient staff

Things that made us sad

I wish we could afford to live here, I can get used to getting treated like this.

That's about it!

After dinner we went back to our room as 1 - we were very full and I felt like I was ready to roll and 2 - I love hotel rooms. When I saw our bed made up and the robes laid out I was in the shower and in the robe faster than you can say The Marion on Nicol! Oooh and then it was time to snuggle up and watch some TV. If you are on a Business trip or travelling through Johannesburg then please do yourself a favour and stop here for a night or 2 or 5. You won't be disappointed. 

Prices you are looking at more or less R2400 (225 USD) single room incl breakfast and 2900 (270 USD) double room incl breakfast. But please visit their website regularly as they do run some great specials! 

You can find them here

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WEBSITE

Please share with me what you think of the place if you decide to go visit.

My OJTE Star Rating is.....drum roll please!!!

We would like to say thank you very much to all the staff and management of The Marion on Nicol for their wonderful service and hospitality. We hope to see you soon.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary stay at The Marion on Nicol Boutique Hotel, the expenses for all food, drinks and tips were paid for by us in full. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post. We did not receive any compensation for the writing of this post, do not work for The Marion on Nicol, and receive no commission for clicks on any links in this post.