Arrival in the North Cape of Norway

When I arrived in the North Cape of Norway, the weather looked bleak. The forecast promised rough seas, gray skies, and rain. And indeed, that’s what I found at the harbor.

But then everything changed. As soon as I stepped into the rubber boat, the clouds parted. The waves calmed. The sea suddenly felt welcoming. It was as if the north had opened its arms to us.

The driver sped us away from the cruise ship. Spray hit my face, cold and sharp. Fjords loomed on the horizon, carved and endless. I asked him if he ever grew tired of the sea. He laughed. “The sea is our life,” he said. “Boats here are like cars. We use them for everything.”

I asked about crabs. He shook his head. “King Crab is for special occasions, not every day. We eat salmon, in all forms — grilled, smoked, in soup. And shrimps. Shrimps on buttered toast are my favorite.”

King Crab Safari on the Barents Sea

We reached the spot where the guides had dropped cages the day before. Heavy ropes disappeared into the dark Barents Sea. One by one, the cages rose from the deep.

Inside were giants — Norwegian King Crabs, clattering against the wood. Their legs glistened red-brown in the northern light. Some weighed close to ten kilos. Seeing them break the surface was thrilling, raw, unforgettable.

The guides hauled the catch aboard, steady and strong. The boat rocked gently, and everyone leaned forward, cameras ready. The sea smelled of salt and iron. The crabs looked like creatures pulled straight from myth.

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(Some places feel visited. This one feels lived-in.)

Fresh Norwegian King Crab on Magoroya Island for Lunch

We landed on a small island. A wooden log house stood by the shore, warm and inviting. Inside, the air was alive with the sound of pots boiling and people laughing.

The crabs were cooked simply — lightly boiled to keep the flesh sweet and tender. There were no sauces, only lemon wedges and slices of fresh bread. Finally, the servers carried in steaming bowls. Two bowls per table, plates of bread and lemon in the middle.

We cracked shells, squeezed lemon, and tasted the north. The crab was juicy, rich, and brimming with flavor. Each bite was pure Arctic.

What’s So Great About Norwegian King Crabs?

Norwegian King Crabs are among the largest crabs in the world. Some weigh up to ten kilos, with legs that stretch longer than a person’s arm. They live in the cold, clear waters of the Arctic, which makes the meat especially sweet and firm. The flavor is rich but delicate. The texture is tender, yet full of substance.

Unlike many crabs, King Crab is served in large pieces, so every bite feels generous. In Norway, people enjoy King Crab in simple, traditional ways. The most common is to boil the legs and serve them with lemon, bread, and butter.

Sometimes they grill the legs, adding only sea salt to highlight the natural flavor. In restaurants, King Crab also appears in soups, pastas, or even sushi, but Norwegians agree that the purest taste comes from eating it freshly boiled.

Because of its price, King Crab is considered a delicacy, reserved for special occasions. For visitors, tasting fresh King Crab in its natural home is an unforgettable experience.

Returning from the North Cape Safari

Full and happy, we boarded the rubber boat once again. The clouds returned, heavy and gray. As we sped toward the cruise ship, the driver turned and pointed. A waterfall spilled down the cliffs, framed by the sky.

“Wow, the weather is really cooperating with us,” I said. He smiled. “Not always. You’re lucky.”

“Really?” I laughed. “It’s all so beautiful I’m thinking of moving here.”

He chuckled. “Norway is a great place to live. Just don’t expect too much sun.”

READ ABOUT THE MOST EXCLUSIVE RESTAURANT IN JAPAN IN TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE

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Last March, we took the Blue Train of South Africa from Cape Town to Pretoria. It’s a relaxing two-night journey on beautiful train. If you have the time, this is the best way to get to Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, from the Western Cape. Moreover, you get to see Kimberely, the capital of the beautiful Northern Cape as well.

I’ve been on the Blue Train twice and every moment has been interesting and also relaxing. I love the long meals and the cozy cabins, and the endless amazing views.

EXPERIENCES ON THE BLUE TRAIN

The Blue Train is elegant and old-fashioned. The private suites are spacious and each suite has an ensuite bathroom. In the day, the suites function as comfortable living rooms where you can sit and read, or watch the passing scenery. I so enjoy doing this, and I never tire of the views of South Africa.

Meanwhile, while guests are enjoying a delicious three-course dinner, the train butlers are busy turning the suites into cozy bedrooms. It’s amazing how well planned the suites are because the bedrooms on the Blue Train are just like hotel rooms. In fact, I have had some of my best sleep on this train.

FOOD ON THE BLUE TRAIN

The food on the Blue Train deserves special mention, especially as I have taken this journey twice now. The quality on both trips has been the same.

Breakfast is a nice elaborate meal that invites you to relax and enjoy the morning. It starts with sparkling wine, if you wish, and fruits and cold dishes on a sideboard in the restaurant car. Then you can order your hot dishes from a menu. It’s a wonderful way to start the day on a train.

LUNCH ON A TRAIN

Lunch is also relaxing, and you can choose to sit with other passengers or to have a table to yourselves. Again, it’s a three-course meal accompanied by wines and digestifs at the end. The train is usually moving during lunch so it’s really a nice experience to view South Africa from an elegant restaurant car while having lunch and lots of good South African wines.

SIGHTSEEING IN KIMBERLEY

On this last trip, we arrived at Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape, just after lunch. So we had the afternoon to explore the town. The Blue Train organised an interesting excursion to The Big Hole, which is the famous diamond mine of South Africa. It is perhaps the top attraction in Kimberley, if not in the entire Northern Cape.

The Big Hole in the Northern Cape used to be owned by the De Beers diamond company and now it is a museum. You can also still buy diamonds from a shop on the premises in Kimberley.

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DINNER ON THE TRAIN

We returned to The Blue Train after sightseeing in the Northern Cape just in time for afternoon tea. The bar car is set up prettily for afternoon tea with cakes, fruits and scones. Then there’s just enough time after tea to relax a bit and then start dressing up for dinner.

Dinner on The Blue Train as it passes through the rest of the Northern Cape is formal so most of the guests come in elegant attire. The men are in suits while the ladies are in dresses or long gowns. The meal is formal as well, and everything is delicious.

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After dinner, you can retire to the lounge for drinks and music, or head on to the end of the train where there is a quiet sitting area and a casino that uses play money. Making bets at the casino was surprisingly enjoyable — after all, how many people can say they gambled on a train?

WHERE HAS ALL THE TIME GONE?

All too soon, the journey on The Blue Train comes to an end. At the start of the trip, some guests worry about making such a long trip on a train.

“What will we do with all this time?” They say to each other. But time really goes so quickly and soon the train is pulling up to its final stop and passengers are all bidding each other farewell and safe journeys.

Read more stories about traveling by train in South Africa in Travelife Magazine.

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The other day, I landed in the private airstrip of the Tsuwalu Game Reserve, which is the finest safari lodge in the Northern Cape.

It’s contemporary and minimalist, and very comfortable.


Service is sleek and friendly, and there is utter privacy.

Best of all, it’s got some great game viewing, although it’s not the place to go if it’s your first safari and you’re intent on seeing the Big Five.

This is more of a safari place for those who have already been on several safaris. And it’s perfect for relaxation.

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Tsuwalu Game Reserve is quite an exclusive place, as the barrier to entry is literally quite high — making it nice for those who want to get away from it all.

There are no commercial flights or chartered safari flights to the Tsuwalu Game Reserve, which is a Relais & Chateaux property by the way.

So you either must land on their private airstrip in your own plane (which is what I did, as I had use of a wonderful Pilatus C12 for a week), or you must get Tsuwalu to arrange a private flight for you.

In my case, I landed just after lunch and my pilot Francois parked the plane to one corner.

Then I jumped out and headed for the hangar while my bags were being unloaded.

Now I think the Pilatus C12 is the coolest small plane in the world. If someone wants to know what I really want for Christmas, this is it.

But while I was sitting in the hangar, getting a cold sparkling drink, another private plane landed and totally eclipsed my Pilatus.

It was colorful and fun, and it caught everyone’s attention.

Out of it popped out a very cool and casually dressed European couple, although I never saw them again, as I was billeted in the villa of the owners, and they were staying in the main lodge, and the two twains never meet.

Tsuwalu Game Reserve, by the way, is the private estate of the Oppenheimer family of De Beers Diamonds fame.

In fact, the Oppenheimers just left on the day I arrived.

And from the hangar, it was a one-hour drive through some of the most scenic desert possible, with the mountains on one side, and desert plains on the other.

We saw some lions along the way, along with a host of other beautiful wildlife.

I stayed in the private villa, which is where the Oppenheimers stay when they come over, and this villa has its own private chef and staff.

As soon as I got in, I ordered a massage and a facial in my room.

And then the private chef allowed me into the kitchen to get a refresher course on how to make a great malva pudding.

In the evening, the general manager came over and personally took me out on a night game drive, before we sat down to a feast — literally, a feast — under the stars on a beautiful but windy night.

Not a bad way to end another wonderful day in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife. 

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Last night, in South Africa living a Travelife, I saw the most beautiful sunset over Northern Cape at the Mattanu Private Game Reserve.

It rained temporarily, just after I finished my quad bike safari game drive, and the presence of clouds over the horizon resulted in a most beautiful visual sunset.

My friend, who had earlier taken me into Kimberley in his helicopter for some curio shopping, offered to take me up as well on a short hop to see the sunset from up high.

What a beauty this sunset was.

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And in between looking at the sunset, we flew low around the game reserve to spot all kinds of animals. So you might say we did a game drive — or rather, a game fly — by helicopter.

I spotted some big black bulls this way, as well as a host of other animals.

Then he set me down amidst the bushes in one corner of the game reserve.

Here, there was a lovely surprise dinner amongst the trees — a proper South African braai and a four-course dinner ever so elegantly set in the wilderness.

It was a most wonderful farewell dinner, on one of my last nights in South Africa, living a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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Yesterday, I went on one of the most amazing safari game drives I have ever done, at the Mattanu Private Game Reserve in Northern Cape, South Africa.

I’ve gone on quite a lot by now.

In the last 40 days alone, I’ve been on six safaris, and I have one more to go. It’s back to the Kalahari Desert for one night, before flying on to Cape Town.

So you might say I’ve experienced everything.

The other day I did a canoe safari  along the Orange River, as well.

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But yesterday’s game drive by quad bike was just wonderful.

I’ve never been on a quad bike before, by the way, as I’m ordinarily just not the type to do so.


But this is the new me talking, with a resolution to take on all kinds of personal challenges and push private boundaries.

See the giraffe in the background….

So when the safari lodge staff offered to give me a driver for my quad bike, I said, “No, thanks. I’ll do it myself.“

The safari staff looked worries. He then asked: “Have you ever ridden a motorbike before?“

Of course not, I almost said. But aloud I replied: “No, never. But I’ll figure it out.“

What a wonderful experience this was — and how liberating it is to dart in and out of the big, wide open wilderness looking for animals on your own, and then finding yourself alone with a group of giraffe or roan or oryx (which is what happened yesterday).

In fact, I almost bumped into a giraffe crossing the road because I was so busy looking at other giraffe on the opposite side.

And, of course, the giraffe could not care less about my quadbike.

How magical it was to have the entire game reserve to myself.

I actually went all the way to the borders of this vast 30,000 hectare game reserve, so I must have covered a lot of ground, on just another amazing afternoon in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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This morning, someone took me shopping into the city with his helicopter.

I have to admit that this was a pretty decadent way of going shopping. We just went to town, which is an hour away, and there I was going by helicopter, literally door to door.

We took off from just outside the safari lodge where I’m staying, and in 18 minutes we were landing in the center of the city of Kimberley, just outside The Big Hole.

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The Big Hole is the famous diamond mine of Kimberley, owned by De Beers.

And this guy has his own helipad right in the city center. I think he’s the only one in Kimberley with such a private helipad.

As we were landing, I asked him: “Why do you have your own helipad in town?“

He replied: “It’s convenient for shopping and errands, or for picking up people.”

And for taking me shopping for curios to bring back home.

The view over the desert

Meanwhile, the ride over was very scenic and nice.

We passed over desert and farms before reaching the city.

That’s Northern Cape’s second largest river over there

When we got to Kimberley, we flew over the Big Hole so we had a good view of it from right on top.

CHEAP SHOPPING AFTER A HELICOPTER RIDE

As for my shopping, I ended up skipping the taxidermist shop I’d intended to visit.

Instead I just went to a pretty touristy shop that sold nice things.

I came out with 2 sets of barbecue skewers — the kinds with animals at the end, to remind me of Africa — and shot glasses with pewter African animal figurines on them.

The city of Kimberley,  Northern Cape right ahead

Obviously, I’m planning to replicate the African experience when I entertain back home.

So, yes, it was a helicopter ride across the dessert to pick up some barbecue skewers for 200 rand (about 800 pesos) and shot glasses for 100 rand (400 pesos).

The Big Hole of Kimberley

Relatively cheap shopping.

But it was certainly a priceless experience for the books, in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

Notice the giraffe in the background. He almost ran into me, as I was so busy looking at all the other giraffe on the other side…

PS: Here’s a photo of me on a quad bike this afternoon. I actually went on a game drive by quad bike and this was absolutely amazing.

I saw so many beautiful wild animals, and it was such a wonderful and unique experience to see the animals up close and personal, by myself, on a quad bike.

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The other day, I visited the Kalahari Mall to buy some cooking things to bring back home.

I want to learn how to make a proper South African bobotie and a Malva pudding while I am here — and then to cook these for friends when they come over for dinner back home.

I also went around the shopping mall to see what kind of products I could buy that were special to either Northern Cape or to South Africa.

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Of course, at the top of my shopping list is organic loose leaf rooibos tea.

I’m a great fan of rooibos tea, having first discovered it at a trade fair in Colombo, Sri Lanka (of all places) many years ago.

An exhibitor gave me a cup and I really liked it.

Then, exactly one year ago, I went to South Africa and had tons of rooibos tea. It was our beverage of choice every day at breakfast.

So of course I tried to have rooibos tea at every opportunity.

It’s really hard to get good quality rooibos tea outside of South Africa, and especially the loose leaf kind, which has the most anti-oxidants.

Yes, rooibos tea is supposed to be great for anti-aging and helping to lower cholesterol.

I also got some skin care products made with rooibos tea. Rooibos is supposed to be very good for the skin, when applied topically.

I also stocked up on spices and condiments that are unusual and hard to get in our part of the world. South Africans are big on roasting and stews so they have great spices for these.

So I got enough to make the African peri-peri chicken, bobotie and Malva pudding.

Finally, I got products that are South African-made but not exported overseas.

I found a really good port wine here in Northern Cape today at a garage winery, for instance, so I bought a bottle of this even if I know I actually can’t spare the kilos.

I’m bringing so much stuff home, you see.

I also bought the ingredients for dukkah, which is an Egyptian mix that’s great to serve with good olive oil and freshly baked bread or sprinkled over salads.

I found some dukkah which is locally made, so I bought a bottle too.

Finally, I bought some unusual biltong.

Biltong is the favorite snack of South Africans, and it’s really meat jerky.

I found biltong made out of bacon, which was marinated in Malay spices.

So one of these days, I’m going to host a dinner at home, and my guests are going to feel like they’ve just been to South Africa for the evening, on a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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The other day, in South Africa living a Travelife, I had lunch at a beautiful little boutique hotel in Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Cape.

I spent the morning exploring the Big Hole, which is the old diamond mine of De Beers, just outside Kimberley.

This is one of the biggest attractions in the Northern Cape, as it’s the source of millions of diamonds, largely mined by the De Beers company.

It’s also reportedly the biggest manmade hole in the world.

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This was where I flirted with the idea of buying a diamond for a few very fleeting seconds. We were in the heart of diamond country after all.

But it was never a serious thing.

Instead I ended up buying a really beautiful artwork made by a local artist using brass wires to make a tree.

When I saw it, I instantly fell in love with it, imagining how nice it would look on my dining table as a centerpiece.

Last dinner in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Then we went to lunch at this boutique hotel called Oleander, which is located on one of the prettiest streets of Kimberley. It used to be a private house, but one day the owners decided to sell it and move to Cape Town.

My meal here reminded me of another lovely boutique hotel created out of an old house, which I stayed in just a few weeks ago in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I have very nice memories of this stay.

That’s the manager of the Oleander in Kimberley

Unfortunately, the price they wanted for this lovely house was way above market value for similar houses in the area.

They reportedly wanted five million South African rand. This isn’t that unreasonable for lovely homes in many other cities, but it’s pricey for Kimberley.

My guide told me: “It’s not just the purchase of the house either. It costs a lot of money to maintain an old house, so prospective buyers needed to take this into consideration as well.”

In the end, there were no takers for the house, so the owners decided to make it into a very upmarket boutique hotel instead.

I reckon it’s the best place to stay in Kimberley, aside from the very historical Kimberley Club.

It was love at first sight.

The Oleander has the loveliest rooms.

In fact, the next time I visit Northern Cape and drop by Kimberley, I’ve made up my mind to stay in Room #1.

Kimberley is the gateway to anywhere in Northern Cape by plane. So you must either land here or at Uppington unless you drive in.

The next time I visit South Africa, I’d like to do Northern Cape again, and also the Cederberg Mountains. I also want to ride the Blue Train and Rovos Rail.

As for lunch at the Oleander, it was a simple affair.

I had a smoked salmon appetizer, and then a chicken pot pie with a salad, and ice cream to end — all washed down with a nice pot of rooibos tea, of course.

This was all well and good, too.

Because from lunch, off I went to the private hangar of Kimberley Airport to board my Pilatus charter plane to the very end of the Northern Cape — that point where it’s just three minutes across the river by canoe to Namibia.

That’s me, on my way to Namibia…

And, yes, I did paddle my way across the Yellow River to Namibia.

And one of these days, I’m really going to land in Namibia (vis-a-vis this illegal alien way of touching Namibian soil for a few minutes, in my bathing suit) and explore this beautiful country.

Namibia is at the top of my bucket list.

This wasn’t just any small plane ride either, as the plane was all mine.

It was a relatively new state-of-the-art Pilatus with four very comfy seats in the middle, and then two jump seats at the back.

As I had it all to myself, I sat next to the pilot in the cockpit for half of the ride. He taught me a thing or two about piloting the plane, as well, since I was technically supposed to land the plane in case something happened to him.

All I can say is that it was simple but complicated at the same time.

Then, I went to the back and stretched out, enjoying the luxury of privacy and my own jet, on just another afternoon in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

This is a photo from this morning’s ride from Green Kalahari to Uppington. The pilot flew right inside a long ravine as a surprise for me.

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Yesterday, I flew on a private plane from the very edge of the Green Kalahari of Northern Cape, South Africa, to Uppington, a large town of the province.

We stopped for the night here in a beautiful boutique hotel created from a lovely home with a garden.

The owners decorated the hotel themselves and the room I got is really pretty.

It’s the kind of bedroom I want to have at home — an original style with a touch of Cape Dutch influence.

Meanwhile, the flight was about 50 minutes, but it was terribly eventful as my pilot, Francois, was intent on giving me a nice surprise with his Pilatus plane, which is taking me around and all over the Northern Cape for a week.

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I love having a private plane trailing me around, from safari to safari, by the way.

It parks on the landing strip of every safari place I go to, and the pilot gets a holiday as well.

With a private plane, I can leave when I want, and pass where I want. It’s great, and I don’t know how I’ll be able to travel to safari places the “regular way” again, after this trip.

Oh no.

At Uppington airport the other day, for instance, I had a glass of Lyra wine (which is a Northern cape wine from the Orange River Winery) while the pilot loaded the baggage. When he was done, I simply walked out into the tarmac and boarded the plane.

We were also supposed to take off at 11 AM, but I wanted to pass by the local shopping mall. So just like that, I changed the departure to noon. How convenient is that?

Just before the flight today

Almost as soon as we took off from the airstrip of Tulta Safari Lodge, Francois veered left and right just like the planes you see in an air show.

Then we circled around the province looking for nice things to see from the air.

We followed the Orange River, where I could see Namibia on the other side, looking so close, so golden and so beautiful.

That’s Namibia over there. I really want to go there next year.

Then, we entered a ravine and raced through it just like the way one would do in a video game in one of those entertainment arcades.

We actually flew into this ravine…

Just before the famous Augrabies Falls, we flew up and then did a few more turns before landing in Uppington International Airport.

From there, we bypassed the luggage carousel and all those niceties at the airport and headed straight to the Kalahari Mall to visit a kitchen store.

I wanted to stock up on some cooking equipment to make the South African bobotie and malva pudding when I get back home.

Now that flight definitely made yesterday a pretty exciting day in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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Good afternoon from the most middle of nowhere possible in the Kalahari Desert of Northern Cape. This is the most remote place I have ever been to in my life, and it’s a truly beautiful and special place.

There’s no mobile phone signal here at all.

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And until about half an hour ago, I was even told there was no Internet access, as my guide thought I should take a real break from working — so he purposely told me there was no Internet at all.

Finally, he could not keep it to himself any longer, and that’s why I’m online again, even just for a few minutes.

The highlight of the last 24 hours disconnected from the outside world, however, was the sighting of a cheetah crossing the road right in front of us.

This was just 15 minutes into our safari expedition into the Kalahari, and the cheetah was gorgeous. I’ve been on six safaris in Africa in the last 12 months now, and five of the safaris have been in the last 40 days alone.

I’ve been lucky to see almost every “major” wild animal in this short period of time, except for the cheetah. And so yesterday, my wild animal bucket list was complete (and I’m hooked on safaris so I’m planning to go on a few more next year).

That certainly made my day, on just another amazing safari in my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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