| November 29, 2012
No comments

2012 Handme downs with SA Adventure in review

As 2012 comes to an end, we would like to say a huge thank you for all the support we have had throughout the year! Hand me Down, along with Maliba Mountain Lodge have managed to redistribute Hand me Downs to over 1200 people this year, which is a huge achievement!

Although Hand me Down is a fairly new initiative, SA Adventure has always been involved in community and sustainable development projects around Southern Africa. What we have found truly amazing working with the Maliba Community this year, is the shear respect amongst the community. The Community workers are brilliant; they are always there to help our volunteers and the community, they serve selflessly!  They are fully aware of those who are most in need and create an environment of working together for the betterment of others. The recipients of Hand me Downs are called up one by one, from a line of probably 400 people at a time.  They are listed according to level of need, not age or gender!  How phenomenal!  I have to say that it is not only a humbling experience to witness, but we could learn a few things from these communities! Read more

Category: Lesotho Stories | Tags: , ,
| November 29, 2012
No comments

The Honey Moon Shack – Lesotho style!

Christel van Heerden on snapped this quirky photo while on one their road trips around Lesotho while on honeymoon at the end of September. It was quite appropriate for the occasion it would seem.

We’re happy to be able to report that Christel and her new husband had a “magical time in the Mountain Kingdom…a very special Honeymoon indeed!” Needless to say they stayed in far more “comfortable” lodgings than below.

Lesotho honeymoon shack Photo by Christel van Heerden

Lesotho honeymoon shack – Photo by Christel van Heerden

And we look forward to seeing them again (hopefully in a years time :) ).

Maliba Lodge peak capA big thank you to Christel for sending us this image. Christel has won herself a Maliba Mountain Lodge peak cap which we will be sending to her shortly and entry into the grand prize (a weekend for 2 compliments of Maliba Mountain Lodge).

Starting in December, all our monthly photo contest winners will be put forward for the grand prize of a “weekend for 2 at Maliba Mountain Lodge”.
Please visit our facebook page and vote for your favourite. Only your votes count, so get voting! Winner will be announced just in time for Christmas.

Category: Photo of the month | Tags:
| October 31, 2012
No comments

Trout & Feta Papillote Starter

  • Serves 4 guests.Dewald & Tshepo Trout & Feta Papillote Starter
  • Two Trout Fillets
  • Four Spinach Leaves
  • 80g Feta Cheese
  • Four Filo Pastry sheets
  • 50 g Melted Butter
  • Pinch of Nutmeg
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Read more

Category: Recipe of the month | Tags: ,
| October 30, 2012
No comments

The Lesotho Sky 2012 – All the bells and whistles by Tim Brinks

”One-crocoBANG”. Counting the seconds between the flash of lightning, and the clap of thunder, on an exposed ridge between Malealea and Roma, had suddenly become less than fun. In fact, perched on an aluminium mountain bike, or conductor, call it what you will, a more accurate description would be life-threatening.

Our adventure had started six days earlier, when my partner for the Lesotho Sky, Jakes Jakobsen, and I crossed through the Van Rooyens border post onto the billiard-table-smooth tar that would take us to Maseru, and eventually Roma. The trip up from Cape Town is a long one, so as soon as we found the Roma Trading Post, we dropped our bags, unpacked the bikes and set of on a pre-race exploration ride. On the other side of Roma we encountered our first taste of what was to come over the next week, an unnamed pass (to us it was of Alpine proportions, as our legs and lungs screamed for more oxygen at 1800m) that took us up to an area with some spectacular slick rock riding.

Lesotho Sky Night lights

Read more

Pages: 1 2

Category: Festivals and Events | Tags: , ,
| October 30, 2012
No comments

Down to the wire – Springtime in Lesotho

Maggie Day - Lesotho VolunteerSpring is here.  We are no longer just off freezing, in the house and out, from sunset to sunrise.  Without electricity the sounds and activities of quotidian village life move with natural light and shortly after sunset peace reigns.   Aggressive dogs excluded, of course, darkness is their time.   Eventually even the dogs settled down and those winter nights were long, cold and quiet.

After a candle-lit dinner I too would settle, into multi-layers of blankets, wearing multi-layers of clothing plus wool cap, thick socks and even gloves on especially cold nights.  After an hour or so of reading by head-lamp I’d enjoy 10 hours of sleep or more each night.   Just one more treat of my experience here for someone who was lucky to get 6 hours sleep per night in my “traditional” life. Read more

Category: Lesotho Stories | Tags: ,
| October 30, 2012
No comments

Hand Me Down with SA Adventure – October 2012

After the Hand Me Down distribution in August, it was back to business as usual, with a purpose though!  Our next Hand Me Down was to be 12th October, and the donations were rolling in.  Much time has been spent behind the scenes, sorting and packing the donated clothes.  Last minute donations had come in and the dedicated volunteers work late into the night to sort and pack the clothes.  It is a labour of love, done with a good heart and great excitement.

Friday dawns with pouring rain, which does not dampen our spirits, we know we are on a mission and will not be swayed.  Together with our core team we have three new guest volunteers.    This distribution is very special as it is Matilda’s inaugural trip!  Matilda is Hand Me Down’s latest team member, a beautifully resorted Landy 110!  We arrive at Maliba Mountain Lodge just before 8.00 pm with the last hour or so driving in the dark.  Our new volunteers have no idea of the scenery around us.  Tomorrow will reveal the beauty of Lesotho.  Besides the natural beauty there are the wonderful people of Lesotho who have won our hearts. Read more

Category: Lesotho Stories | Tags: , ,
| October 30, 2012
One comment

October Photo of the Month – Tim Skelton

Black Rock Pool - Tshlanyane National Park

Maliba Pool – Photo by Tim Skelton

Maliba Lodge peak cap

A big thank you to Tim for sending us this image. Tim has won himself a Maliba Mountain Lodge peak cap which we will be sending to him shortly.

Category: Photo of the month |
| October 29, 2012
No comments

Bonitas Radox Golden Gate Challenge 2012

Bonitas Radox golden gate challenge 2012The 26th to 28th October 2012 saw only the second hosting of the Bonitas Radox Golden Gate Challenge by the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Wild Series team. This trail run event is run in partnership with South African National Parks at the Golden Gate Highland National Park in the Free State, in an area known as South Africa’s “best kept secret” in terms of our national parks. This event was again a huge success, with 187 runners participating in the event and experiencing 3 days of challenging and well-designed trail running. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park offers an incredible network of trails that challenged the most hardy trail runners, but also allowed them the most amazing views and vistas, with an abundance of highland grassland game to keep them company. The event was won by Wayne Scott (8h 6minutes) and Erica Walker (9h 25min) respectively in the men’s and ladies categories while many were relieved to have simply finished the race. Throughout the event, runners were praising the professional manner in which the event was run, and the amazing routes selected for them to traverse, despite grasps from participants when the next day’s race profile was revealed! Read more

Category: Festivals and Events | Tags: ,
| October 17, 2012
No comments

Our Lodge in Lesotho – World Luxury Hotel Awards Winner 2012

World Luxury Hotel Awards Maliba Lodge, just four years old, is the new kid on the block but the Lesotho resort is already playing with the big boys.

This week Maliba Mountain Lodge beat off quality international competition and was awarded the World Luxury Hotel Award “for outstanding achievement in service delivery over the past year voted for by your guests and industry consultants in the recent voting poll.”

After months of voting polls, Maliba was  officially named “Luxury Mountain Resort in Africa” at the glitzy 2012 World Luxury Hotel Awards Gala Ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month.

The world’s most sought after hotels, lodges, resorts and private islands were vying for recognition.  The Panviman Chiang Mai Spa Resort in Thailand last year picked up the award as the global winner in the mountain category while Africa featured in many top awards with Chitwa Chitwa in Botswana and Stanley Safari Lodge in Zambia, winning in their categories for Best Luxury Bush Lodge.

Hotels and resorts were nominated by guests, tour operators and independent travel consultants and voting was based on facilities and service excellence. Situated deep in the north of Lesotho’s breathtaking Maluti/Drakensburg Mountains, the five-star Maliba Mountain Lodge and three-star River Lodge offer a tranquil retreat set in a pristine national park.

Guests have the unique opportunity to explore the beauty of the landscape from horseback, hiking along the various mountain trails, visiting the cultural village or enjoying a massage from the private deck. Maliba also places huge emphasis on community development and welfare and has been shortlisted in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2012.

Pages: 1 2 3

Category: News |
| September 26, 2012
No comments

Gavan and Judy Hogan volunteer at the local Schools

One of the directors of Maliba Lodge is a friend who lives near us in Melbourne, Australia. When we heard that there was an opportunity to come to Lesotho to do several weeks of volunteer teaching, we jumped at the chance. We have had several years experience of living and teaching in Papua New Guinea and have great memories of that time.

Gavan and Judy Hogan singing to students

Singing with students at Ts’ehlanyane Community Secondary School

Read more

Category: News | Tags: ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Return to Top ▲Return to Top ▲

Site protected by VNetPublishing.Com Web Security Tools