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Craig Hughes
South Africa
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 19 ต.ค. 2023
I enjoy things such as the African bush and wildlife. I also enjoy off-roading as a means of getting to a remote place, rather than getting my thrills from conquering a technical obstacle. I also very much enjoy visiting historical places and learning about what happened there and why. Camping is also awesome. Now when I get the above all combined into one adventure, oh boy! So, for now I will be experimenting with my presentation of some of the adventures which I will be going on anyway. In other words, I am going to go about my normal gallivanting and look at things and I might record it and I might publish it here. I am only now learning videography and editing and it is going to show. It will, of course, be awesome to interact with other people that have similar interests, so you are very welcome.
Botswana by Road: Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls via the new Kazungula Bridge into Zambia.
Join us as we explore the northern parts of Chobe National Park, where the abundance of animals cross the river and thus the border, freely. It is also not a huge surprise for someone in the nearby village to open their door and find an elephant helping itself to one of the backyard trees.
We went on a late afternoon cruise on the Chobe River and watched the different animals go about their business, while boat captains jockeyed their craft into sometimes tight spots to get prime viewing opportunities for their passengers. The sighting of elephants crossing the Chobe River to the Namibian side drew the boats from all over. Our bloke raced to the scene with the taps wide open!
It’s the third time that we have done the river cruise and we saw the elephants crossing on all of those visits. It is a matter of keeping an eye out for when it looks like they are going to cross, because try as they might, the park rangers have not yet been able to get the elephants to comply with a tighter schedule. In the meantime, there are other smaller animals also well deserving of some quality viewing time.
The next day, we enjoyed ourselves driving the sandy tracks of the park in search of all sorts of birds and animals. When we first started game driving in around 2002/2003, birds did not feature very highly on our “must see” list. Now, however, we are liable to put the car into a handstand to stop for a tiny feathered friend perched on a little twig at the bottom of a shrub. We did not capture any good shots this time though.
The day after that was a day of exploration a bit further afield. We crossed the new Kazungula Bridge that joins Botswana and Zambia at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers. The bridge is built on a curve, to avoid encroaching on the territories of Namibia and Zimbabwe. The bridge passes between two international tripoints that are 150 metres apart. This beautiful bridge accommodates road vehicles and pedestrians at the moment, but it can also accommodate a future rail network between the two countries, as it has rails down the middle.
This took us to the absolutely stunning Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders). When I was a kid, we learnt that David Livingstone “discovered” the falls. The term has since fallen into disfavour, as people contend that the falls were always there and well-known to all the inhabitants of the area. As it was, him “stumbling” over the falls was a major coup and he named it after Queen Victoria, cementing his own legacy in area and beyond.
Thank you for spending a few minutes of your time with us on this one.
#kazungulabridge
#victoriafalls
#chobenationalpark
Music and sound effects: artlist.io
We went on a late afternoon cruise on the Chobe River and watched the different animals go about their business, while boat captains jockeyed their craft into sometimes tight spots to get prime viewing opportunities for their passengers. The sighting of elephants crossing the Chobe River to the Namibian side drew the boats from all over. Our bloke raced to the scene with the taps wide open!
It’s the third time that we have done the river cruise and we saw the elephants crossing on all of those visits. It is a matter of keeping an eye out for when it looks like they are going to cross, because try as they might, the park rangers have not yet been able to get the elephants to comply with a tighter schedule. In the meantime, there are other smaller animals also well deserving of some quality viewing time.
The next day, we enjoyed ourselves driving the sandy tracks of the park in search of all sorts of birds and animals. When we first started game driving in around 2002/2003, birds did not feature very highly on our “must see” list. Now, however, we are liable to put the car into a handstand to stop for a tiny feathered friend perched on a little twig at the bottom of a shrub. We did not capture any good shots this time though.
The day after that was a day of exploration a bit further afield. We crossed the new Kazungula Bridge that joins Botswana and Zambia at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers. The bridge is built on a curve, to avoid encroaching on the territories of Namibia and Zimbabwe. The bridge passes between two international tripoints that are 150 metres apart. This beautiful bridge accommodates road vehicles and pedestrians at the moment, but it can also accommodate a future rail network between the two countries, as it has rails down the middle.
This took us to the absolutely stunning Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders). When I was a kid, we learnt that David Livingstone “discovered” the falls. The term has since fallen into disfavour, as people contend that the falls were always there and well-known to all the inhabitants of the area. As it was, him “stumbling” over the falls was a major coup and he named it after Queen Victoria, cementing his own legacy in area and beyond.
Thank you for spending a few minutes of your time with us on this one.
#kazungulabridge
#victoriafalls
#chobenationalpark
Music and sound effects: artlist.io
มุมมอง: 84
วีดีโอ
Travelling Botswana Days 7 to 9: Elephant Sands - Where the Giants of the African Bush Drink.
มุมมอง 2482 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we continue our travels and explore Sua Pan a bit more. We were booked to camp at Elephant Sands, but then decided to see if we could indulge in the glamping option instead. We were given one night, as the place was fully booked, but on the second night we received confirmation that we could keep it for a further two nights because of a no show. Elephants Sands offers good facilities...
Kubu Island: Day 6 of an EPIC Botswana trip.
มุมมอง 1992 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we leave the village of Letlhakane on our sixth day in Botswana, to drive on the first off-road section on our exploration of the country. While Letlhakane itself, still has the title of village, it is much closer to qualifying as a town, with all its amenities and services. After breakfast we drove to the booking office in the village of Mmatshumo to confirm our booking and then off...
Days 3 to 5 of an EPIC adventure in Botswana: Easy Camping in Letlhakane.
มุมมอง 1503 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we drive off to Letlhakane to continue the biggest overland exploration we have embarked on. We are driving to Letlhakane and camping there for three nights at Tuuthebe Lodge and Camping. It is right alongside the main road, so you hear the traffic all the time, but it is also close to town, so it is easy nip in quickly for something we might need. This was our first bit of camping f...
Day 2 of an EPIC adventure into Botswana: Driving to Palapye
มุมมอง 1393 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we venture further into Botswana on a trip to Palapye for one night. We first went to Gaborone central business district to try and sort out a permit for our drone. Then we tried to sort out our online banking which is connected to our mobile phone roaming. The temperature rose so high as the hours went by that there was exactly zero filming in the morning. We got to filming when we ...
Botswana! Here we come! The start of our adventure!
มุมมอง 2534 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we embark on an African adventure of a few weeks through large parts of Botswana. This video is a bit of a drive video, but we are both excited and also filled with some trepidation. We have never before planned to go on a journey all alone, that would take us so far off the beaten track. We plan to start off in Gaborone for a night in a chalet and then go up to Palapye for another n...
Lesotho: Day 3 of 3 Maletsunyane Falls
มุมมอง 1804 หลายเดือนก่อน
Yes! Read this! It will help you figure out what's going on under my hair :-). Join us as we go on a third day of enjoying the Lesotho landscape in the Semonkong area, which is home to the Maletsunyane Falls and the bearded vulture (which we saw at pixel size). The Basotho use horses and donkeys quite extensively and they are as often seen as certain minibus taxis in our cities. The animals are...
Lesotho Day Two: Katse to Semonkong
มุมมอง 3024 หลายเดือนก่อน
We pulled up at Motebong Lodge at 21:30, which was not what we were expecting. The image we had in mind included relaxing at the edge of the Katse Reservoir watching the sunset. Anyway, the chef was waiting for us in the restaurant and we ended up with a lovely meal that he started preparing when we arrived. There wasn’t a choice though. It was lamb shank, mash and gravy and roasted veggies or ...
Lesotho Day One: Sani Pass
มุมมอง 2694 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we take a trip down to Himeville in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) to cross Sani Pass into Lesotho during the July full moon. Lesotho is known as the Kingdom in the Sky, given that all of it is at a height of at least 1400 metres. This makes it the country with the highest lowest point in the world. In fact, its lowest point is higher than the highest point of some entire countries. We slept in...
Hartbeespoort Hiking: Phaladingwe Trail and Preller House
มุมมอง 2225 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join me as we go on a tour of a place rich in South African heritage. Today we explore part of the farm that gave Pelindaba its name and find out just how the name came to be what it is. Now this video is a bit like picking low hanging fruit, given that the place is right there next to the main road and also that some of the history has been recorded already and available all over the Internet....
The Big Hole: A Quick Tour Down Memory Lane
มุมมอง 1835 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we go for a quick tour of the Big Hole Diamond Mine Museum in Kimberley. We have a look at some of the old buildings of the town, that have been re-erected on the premises, as well as an old tram and railway car. We explore some of the easter eggs that have been so thoughtfully incorporated into the design of the museum when it underwent an extensive revamp in 2002. Starting right at...
The Blue Train: A birthday surprise
มุมมอง 4216 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we take a train trip on The Blue Train, that turned out to be a surprise for me. My wife told me that she had arranged for us to go to Cape Town for a few days for my birthday. She told me that we were going to stay in one hotel for the first night, before transferring to an upmarket hotel for two nights. Apparently it was too expensive to spend all three nights in the upper crust ho...
Bainskloof: A Quick Tour to the Neck (First Toll)
มุมมอง 5726 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join me on a quick trip as I revisit the church where I got married, celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. From there, I take you up the iconic Bainskloof Pass, the same route we traveled to our wedding reception, touching on memories of time spent there. This video goes briefly into the history of Bainskloof Pass, constructed by the Andrew Geddes Bain using convict labor in the mid-19th ce...
Harties! The IRON Bridges
มุมมอง 5347 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join us as we explore three old iron bridges here in the Hartbeespoort/Broederstroom areas in North-West, South Africa. The area is rich in history, having been settled by various African peoples and later Voortrekker families. After the Hartbeespoort dam was completed in 1924, new roads needed to be built around the dam, outside of the reservoir. There had been a bridge built across the Crocod...
Youth Day: Commemorating the 1976 Soweto Uprising
มุมมอง 1387 หลายเดือนก่อน
Join me on a quick tour through a small, but significant, part of Soweto, as we commemorate the historic events of 16 June 1976. This was a terrible and tragic day that changed South Africa in ways that many of us have not explored or fully understood. Our first stop takes us to the intersection of Moema and Vilakazi Streets in Orlando West, the site of the initial shooting that sparked the Sow...
Very interesting seeing our beautiful continent through your lens
@@VictorBlackSA Thank you!
Awesome. 😮
A video full of awesomeness 🎉
The gift that keeps on giving. What a place?!
Great!
Thank you for sharing sights on Kubu island.
Our pleasure!
😂You cracked me up with Dani's birthday boots. I'd never heard that expression before. Loved this part of the journey. 👌👌
@@ronwynhughes6032 😁Danie is a really lekke oke. I’m glad you enjoyed that part of the trip.
Yay, a new vid! We enjoy living vicariously through your eyes, Mr and Mrs Hughes
I'm glad that you are enjoying them.
Top adventure!👍if the backseat wasn’t so full with luggage and essentials, I would have tagged along😅
Yep! We packed everything for a month in the bush.
Great content subscriber number 122
@@TiendoYT Thank you for the sub 😊. Much appreciated.
Sounds like a Western Cape summer camp where it can be nice and pleasant in the day and really cold at night. I only had to make that mistake once. I do find it hard trying to sleep over the chatter of my teeth in my freezing jaws. 🥶
@@ronwynhughes6032 😅 Unfortunately I’m slow learner 😂. I have not yet learnt how to wake up enough to get out of bed to put back the blanket that I had kicked off earlier in the night.
Would love 🎉go there again.
Graves in cages is to prevent grave robbery 😅 what a time to be alive 😂
I have seen a whole lot more cemeteries like that, but I keep on forgetting to ask.
Awesome adventures you are having, Craig. Treasure each moment.
It's magic!
Should be great to visit.
Eventful day in another Country. ❤
Yoh!! That looked like a miserable day. And your accommodations after a day like that? As they say, Afrika isn't for sissies! Here's hoping the next day is waay better! 💪
That sunset was magic. 30 degrees in winter is definitely my vibe. Imagine the summer temps though? 😅 How was the border crossing?
Border crossing was like going to the supermarket to buy milk.
Beautiful waterfall! Wow! Must say, I was quite surprised by that modern visitor centre in such rural surroundings. It looks nice though. Thanks for taking us along on the trip.
Yeah! I cannot imagine how it will be fully used though. It's nice having passengers, even when they are not in the car.
@@CraigHughes1965 That's exactly what it's going to take in order to use it fully. Imagination. 😉
Ha!
Interesting times we live in! Thoroughly enjoying your travels 🎉
Very informative 🙃
Glad you think so!
I absolutely love the 5pm golden light against the mountain and the pretty landscapes. The full moon is a spectacular sight too😍 Wonder why that road sign is so full of holes…suspect. Don’t forget to wash that windscreen🤭
Yep! Nature is lovely. It was just the wind that damaged the sign. It comes around that corner like lead.
As always, your description to the video was fun to read!
Thank you. Very few people read the description anyway, so I think that I need to go and practice my writing elsewhere.
I love how you had to give way for the dog…it’s quite happy to lay there looking at you pass it by. The cows were more respectful on the sides on the road. It’s super dark out there…were there pretty stars in the sky?
That dog simply couldn't be bothered. The moon was almost full that night, so the whole area was bathed in light and thus the stars did not look all that spectacular.
Hey I know this guy's name my family 😊
Thanks uncle
We passed pass. 😆😆 Yes you did! Our frozen folks was also a funny moment. Nice to get to know about the history of Lesotho, the dams project and the fact that taxis all drive fast, regardless of whether you at sea level here in Cape Town or high up in the mountains.
@@ronwynhughes6032 Haha! I was in a Moscow taxi once. He blasted up a one way street so fast that the oncoming traffic were intimidated into quickly looking for parking on the side of the road! 🤦♂️
@@CraigHughes1965 Hahaha! Same same!
That pass is not for sissies!! You always hear about Sani Pass but no one tells you what it actually is like. Good grief. It was stressful to watch...😮
@@june-chrystaljohnson2565 Yeah! Some people find it quite intimidating, while others are not serious enough.
Looking forward to the next day...fascinating landscapes!
"The best 4 x 4s are rented 2 x2s". lol! Classic! The impending darkness had my palms sweating. 😅
Right?! Haha
Informative 😅 thanks, Craig. I'm looking forward to a hike there soon 🎉
Me too! Unfortunately I could not film the video and do the hike on the day.
Only 3 years of formal schooling but Mr Preller became a writer - woweeee! He educated himself and now you educating me. Didn’t know anything about these 2 men but your video description gives an awesome and detailed information piece. I wonder if the hospital in Pretoria was named after Eugene Marais? I was at the hospital recently but was too sick to see if the reception area had any information piece or a sculpted bust… I want to tell the people at my company about this place…we have a few guys who love hiking and some people who should take a hike🙄 🫢another great video Craig!
Between them, these gentlemen have hospitals, streets, shopping centres and schools named after them.
Enjoyed getting to know about Gustav Preller and Eugene Marais. Hadn't heard of either man. Knew about Pierneef though. Phew! Loving it, keep it coming. 💪💪
@@ronwynhughes6032 Thank you 😊.
Hhhmmmm….I would like to try that hiking trail on our next visit. Interesting history of that area.
Yes, come to Harties and do that hike. As for the history, it would be so nice to uncover the history of those that never wrote it down.
Great video, Craig. Very informative.
Lovely episode man, this was enjoyable 👌👌
Thank you 😅.
another great video!
Thank you 😊
Great video! looking forward to more
Yep! More coming 😀.
never would expect the big hole to be this interesting...very informative love it.
Thank you, Shorty 😉.
As always, the description to this video is super informative! Thank you for being so detailed Craig. It’s that Tiffany diamond, my namesake that brings a silly big smile to my face😁 I wonder why the water in the hole is that colour? It’s actually a pretty colour😍 I need to lay eyes on that Eureka Diamond, because of it’s history #bucketlist
Thank you. The water might be blue for a few reasons. Mineral content, including the presence of iron and copper could colour the water. Also the refraction of light could make the water appear blue.
Went there as a child...would love to go again as an adult. That and the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn. Great video!
Always heard about The Big Hole, but have never been to Kimberley. Enjoyed taking the trip back in time. They need to sort out that elevator though!
Indeed! The elevator is a critical part of the illusion of a mine experience.
Wow Craig! Thank you so much for sharing this special trip with us! ❤
@@liz-anneswanepoel2328 You’re welcome, Liz-Anne.
Loved the video Craigy 😊❤!!! This is definitely a trip to do!
@@june-chrystaljohnson2565 Definitely!
Does the train provide halaal meals
Hi Abdulrahman. They ask for all dietary requirements during the booking process, which might infer that they would provide for what you ask for. I will give them a call on Monday and find out exactly how they provide for such requirements and let you know.
Hi Abdulrahman I have spoken to reservations at The Blue Train. Halaal and all other special meals are sourced from external service providers. These are prepared by the appropriate people prior to departure. Meals can then be had either in your suite, or in the dining car. So while the food may have been sourced from and cooked by a Muslim supplier, it would be heated and presented by the catering staff on the traint. I hope that this answers the question. You can contact The Blue Train at +27123348459 and +27214492672, or via email: info@bluetrain.co.za. Regards, Craig.
Such an awesome video. Lovely features on the train as well as great history learnt. Cannot wait for the next video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome video, Craig. I have been inspired to take a trip 😊
Thank you, 351073. You will certainly enjoy luxuriating in a bit of South African history.
Thank you for sharing uncle Craig. Was so fun to watch and i did read the description that you wrote all the way to the end😂 Enjoy the trip
Aaaah! Thank you, Marieke! Thank you too for reading the description. More coming.
What an awesome experience! I’m jelly for sure! One day when I’m big I would love to go on the blue train. The story in the description of this video is also very cute! Your wife knows you well! She planned this surprise birthday celebration to the T. Best birthday gift ever right? Happy birthday Craig - this is one for the books
Yup! She knows! You are probably the first person in my few videos who has mentioned the description. Maybe I should just cut those out.
Enjoyed taking the trip on the blue train with you. Great attention to detail. One day I hope to do so with Yvette.
It is really nice.
This is going on my bucket list! LOVELY indeed!
You should!