The Pepper Travel Blog

Doug joins Pepper!

2008-12-29T12:26:00.000Z

Apart from Francesca's incredible work with our marketing and gap year fairs, up until now it has basically been Vince and myself in the Pepper office. We are now very excited about a new arrival, Doug Stanley, who is heading out to meet Vince in South Africa in January ready for our 3 Month Experience.

Doug describes himself as an experienced traveller but with signs of rust developing! Whilst studying Spanish + Portuguese at Leeds University he lived in Leon, Spain and Joao Pessoa, Brazil and travelled round the countries whenever possible. Happy on shoestrings or in luxury, his philosophy is you’ll never know a place until you know its people. Since graduating in 2006 he’s lived in Paris and in London, working at ABC – a charity for Brazil’s children, and in the NHS. Having spent time in Scotland, France and South America on his Gap Year, he remains convinced that there are 3 key things essential for an unforgettable Gap Year or Career Break: new places, new people, new experiences.

As a snowboarding fanatic, Doug hopes skills on the slopes translate easily to the waves and harbours quiet aspirations of infiltrating as much ‘70’s prog-rock onto the Pepper bus as possible. "I was particularly impressed by Pepper’s insistence that travel is done in the right way; with good motives and responsible tourism, providing the best possible experience for those on the trip, with gains for both the travellers, and the people and places they see."

Doug shares our passion for travel and new experiences and will bring a lot of enthusiam and energy to Pepper. He is a seriously amusing character who we very much look forward to working with.

cheers

Johnny

Happy holidays!

2008-12-22T09:17:00.002Z

Happy holidays from everyone here at Pepper. The office is slowly winding with Johnny tying up the loose ends for the year. As for myself, I am currently in South Africa putting the finishing touches on the organisation for our 3 Month trip kicking off on the 11 January. It is great to be back in the sunshine! For all of you who are flying out to join us in January, you have a great trip to look forward to with a surprise orientation week that I have just confirmed this morning.

2009 is already gearing up to be a great year for Pepper, with bookings coming in steadily for our 2010 trips and some big plans in South Africa. The other big news is that Doug Stanley will be joining us from January. Thats all for now from sunny Plettenberg Bay, where I am currently sitting in the sunshine typing this, I'm off to the beach. See you all in the new year!

Cape Town Voted World's No 1 City

2008-12-02T19:34:00.005Z

Saturday 29th November 2008 - Daily Telegraph
"The Jewel in the Crown of South Africa"

"Cape Town - and South Africa itself - is consistently voted among the world's top holiday destinations.......its high-energy city life and rich culture, it really does have it all."

For those of you that have been out here, you will understand.......for those of you that haven't, you should book your flights asap. I have just spoken to some of our mates in Cape Town and Summer has definitely hit now. Whilst we work away in the Pepper office, the equivalent work routine in Cape Town, whether you are in an investment bank, a surf shop or estate agency involves leaving at 4pm and heading straight for the beaches, watching perfect sunsets across the Atlantic coast before heading to Camps Bay for cocktails and incredible nightlife.

One of the things that makes Cape Town so special as a city is the fact that it is large enough to have a buzzing atmosphere, great restaurants and nightlife but small enough that after a 10 minute drive you can be in the mountains, emmersed in lush vineyards or chilling on beautiful beaches.

We have our flagship 3 Month Experience kicking off again on 11th January with a great group which we are all really excited about. Vince is heading back out to Cape Town in a couple of weeks which kills me - the thought of his grin as he reclines in 35 degree heat is too much!

cheers for now

Johnny

How to Destroy Yourself Mentally, Physically and Financially - Tales of an Englishman in South Africa

2008-12-01T19:18:00.007Z

At the beginning of 2004, a good friend of ours, known to all as the Mule, embarked on a year studying at the University of Cape Town and generally working his way around South Africa. During his time there he kept a short diary and over the next few months he will be sharing a few experiences with us all...........so enjoy!

Previous Chapters:
INTRODUCTION
FINDING MY FEET
JEEVES

Chapter 3 - The Punisher

Since the idea of coming to Cape Town first came into my head I'd always dreamt of owning a VW Camper Van to cruise around in - images involving surf trips with cheeky South African ladies played a significant part in my desperate search for a van.

After a lot of phoning around in the "Cape Ads", I finally stumbled across what seemed like an incredible deal - "1980 VW Panel Van in good condition. Blue. With roadworthy certificate. R16,000 ono. Phone ......."

As was usually the case when phoning these guys I couldn't understand more than a handleful of words. It was a peculiar, Broken English with, what i would late discover was, a coloured accent. This was originally associated with people that grew up in the Cape Flats, a very poor suburb of Cape Town with very high levels of crime. After a few conversations I pieced together that he was from Kraifontien which didn't mean anything to me. My mates, as soon as I mentioned the name, broke down in hysterics telling me that it was a ridiculously dodgy area of the Northern suburbs.

After a pretty painful conversation we somehow managed to arrange a meeting. He arrived at my house in Mowbray the following evening. My first impression to be honest was - dodgy looking character - he was a short coloured guy with a moustache and glasses. An old woman then appeared in the passenger window with a very creapy smile. After a couple of minutes the window went down and a horrific screach was heard, "It's a very good deal I can assure you - my son's selling it to you very cheap"! He took me for a short drive around the block and everything seemed ok although the engine was pretty loud! I knew close to nothing about vans, or even cars for that matter, having had a 1 litre VW Polo in the UK that never went wrong.

He reluctantly agreed to take it with me for an AA test - I thought it was probably worth spending R500 for a thorough vehicle inspection to make sure that this guy wasn't taking me for a ride. Being a member of the AA in the UK I thought they'd be fairly reliable. The guy checked it out and apart from a few minor problems such as tyre wear he said it was "fine and a good deal". I eventually got him down to R13,000 thinking I'd got an absolute steal! With a surge of excitement I immediately installed a sound system and a pair of 6x9 speakers, curtains and started planning trips.

Licencing a vehicle in South Africa is something I would not wish upon anyone. It involved waiting in a queue for approximately 4 1/2 hours whilst the most incompetent staff tried to type information into computers and communicate with customers.

2 days later whilst on the way to the beach with a friend called Uncle Snapper and singing along to the Chili Peppers I suddenly heard a massive crash from the back where the engine is - then all the power was lost and I ground to a halt in the middle of a cliff top road overlooking Clifton 4th Beach - an exclusive area heaving with young mothers keeping in shape! They ran past with a look of confusion and disgust!

After getting it towed back to my house in Mowbray I was once again without wheels. Jeeves gave me the number of one of his best mates' brother called Nick Harris who was a mechanic. He arrived the next day in a very slick Audi with an unbelievably attractive girl in the passenger seat. He walked towards the Punisher with a frown and, within 10 seconds of looking underneath, started laughing and explained how the engine had literally fallen out of the van and was basically lying on the road.

He also explained that it had a Ford V6 tractor engine installed which went some way into explaining the high powered chain saw that accompanied my music. He said he'd rather die than work on modified vans but agreed to help me out.

R3000 later and after a thorough inspection Nick told me a million things that were wrong with it and advised me to get rid of it as soon as possible! The tool from Kraifontien had taken me to the industrial dry cleaners and was now laughing all the way to the bank. Apart from the fact that I was now back to square one and reliant once again on Jeeves and his taxi service I also had to endure the familar sound of my Dad, "you are a prat - what a sucker"! My friends found the whole fiasco seriously amusing so at least I provided some entertainment in the Western Cape - it took a while to see the funny side.

About 2 months went by with numerous breakdowns where Nick would come to my rescue and numerous phone calls from inbreds from just about every dodgy suburb of Cape Town interested in the purchase. Eventually a relatively normal sounding guy phoned from up the coast. By now I was trying desperately to flog it for R8000. I met him at a garage and he seemed impressed and agreed to buy it. I offered to drive him back to my road in Mowbray to get the papers and show him how to operate the gears. As we turned the final corner into my road a loud hissing sound was heard from behind - as we both turned around all that could be seen was billowing, thick, black smoke. Just like a 1950's comedy script he looked back at me and said "I'll call you!".

Lions 2009 Pre Trip Gathering

2008-11-25T18:20:00.003Z

England 6 - 42 South Africa!

On Saturday we had a gathering for lots of the guys that are coming out with us to South Africa next June for the British Lions tour. For anyone near South West London, the Aragon House in Parsons Green is an incredible venue for sports games - The "Blue Room" has two huge screens and a bar with some very friendly barman - a great atmosphere.

The result, as I'm sure most people will know, was a beating from the Springboks and an embarrassment for English rugby. Annoyingly I have had to weather the barrage of abuse and continual chat from Vince in the Pepper office - my only saving grace is that the Lions may return the favour next summer. It was awesome to see all of you that made it down and a great chance for everyone to meet each other before the trips next year.

cheers for now

Johnny

How to Destroy Yourself Mentally, Physically and Financially - Tales of an Englishman in South Africa

2008-11-20T09:32:00.010Z

Previous Chapters:
INTRODUCTION
FINDING MY FEET

Chapter 2 - Jeeves

It was Jeeves, originally from Johannesburg, that took me under his wing in Cape Town. The vast majority of people studying economics in the UK are a little on the nerdy side to say the least. The refreshing change at UCT was that most people on my wave length studied some form of “business science”. It was actually in the computer labs where I first met Jeeves – ironic as that was one of the only times that either of us were actually on campus.

After only meeting him twice, Jeeves picked me up in his black VW Polo and took me to a house party in a trendy area of town called Tamboerskloof, on the side of the mountain that leads over to Camps Bay. I strolled in not knowing a single person, not that I even knew Jeeves! I almost had a heart attack due to the sheer number of ridiculously attractive ladies! Jeeves seemed to know everyone and proceeded to energetically introduce me to the entire party. From a pretty limited social life in the hippy and run down suburb of Observatory which was within walking distance of my house, I was suddenly swept into the side of Cape Town that I had been imagining. We later found ourselves in one of the smartest clubs in Cape Town apparently, called Opium, which was full of some seriously slick operators (guys dressed in tight jeans, pouting and flicking their hair back) and again an unbelievable selection of beautiful girls. I did what I do best, and propped myself up at the bar, drinking myself into oblivion.

It was the next day that Jeeves invited me to his flat in Rondebosch (an area of Cape Town in the southern suburbs) to watch the Springboks in action and meet some of his best mates. He lived in a two bedroom apartment which was immaculately kept with all the latest gadgets including a home cinema setup.

His flat mate, Grant appeared from his bedroom – a ripped, dark haired guy with a big grin. He’d been living with Jeeves for a about six months although he spent most of his time enjoying the home comforts at his Mum’s place about a mile away.

Paul – your typical rugger bugger who captained their Inter Mural University team side and whose interests included watching rugby, reading about rugby, chatting about rugby and guzzling vast quantities of beer – a very interesting character.

The Mackeral – seemed a very friendly, genuine guy with ridiculously spiky black hair. He was one of Jeeves’ best mates and together they had just organised to do a ski season together in Vale, Colorado. He worked most evenings at a very prestigious restaurant called Five Flies as a barman. He would often invite us all to come and provide us with a never ending flow of free drinks!

Rossinigre – a very big guy, always laughing. He was studying hotel management, working as a chef and managing one of Cape Town’s hottest cocktail bars on the beach in Camps Bay called – Caprice. He gave the impression this was a tough job but he would often be spotted sipping strawberry daiquiris with a group of girls whilst watching the sun go down!

Lord Gregoire – quite a chubby, rosy cheeked character who resembled an aristocratic colonel from the 1920’s in the British army. This was a guy that you couldn’t help to grow fond of with his very eccentric habits and expressions. He would often be found skimming over the financial papers whilst reclining on a deck chair in his gentleman’s club, Kelvin Grove (equivalent of the UK’s RAC club in Pall Mall)! Bizarrely he was also a barman at Caprice where he gave orders and tweaked peoples’ nipples giving off a little chuckle. Rumour had it that he was a provincial squash player but exercise no longer came into his agenda.

Jeromy – A long term sympathy friend of Rossinigre and the Mackeral that managed to muscle an invitation to any social gathering in the Western Cape. I can honestly say that I am yet to meet a more obnoxious, irritating individual to watch a game of rugby with. He had a severe case of verbal diarrhoea, social interaction dysfunction and turrets syndrome with excessive use of disturbing language. His only saving grace was that he was, although completely oblivious, comic genius. Simply observing his behaviour and appalling attempts at humour was hysterical.

Danny Boy – He arrived half way through the game with his girlfriend in his arms. He was a big shot barman at Caprice, always giving a little show with flying vodka bottles. He was obsessed with fighting and a member of a Thai Kickboxing academy called Dragon Power. This was run by one of Cape Town’s most powerful men, Quinton Chong, a past Muay Thai world champion and heavily involved in Triad gangs and the bouncer organisation which ruled the city’s dark side!

The final character that I met that day at Jeeves’ house was Brad, nicknamed “The Warhead”. He resembled your typical surfer dude with perfectly spiked blond hair, tanned skin and a very laid back image. I could instantly tell he was thinking to himself “who is this English inbred that Mike has brought along now”. The next time that I met him was a week later at his own house party. I stumbled across him propped up against the wall holding his perfectly positioned surf board with six giggling girls gazing up at his flexed left bicep.

Running through the Sahara

2008-10-30T10:22:00.005Z

At the moment, out in the Sahara desert in Egypt, there is a race going on, part of the 4deserts series (http://www.4deserts.com/). It is the Sahara Race and consists of 250km of running through the desert over 6 stages. This is serious endurance racing through some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. The heat can get up to unbelievable levels as you can imagine and running up and down sand dunes is not exactly easy going. Today is the 5th stage and is the longest at 100km.

The reason I'm writing about this today is a good mate is racing and so far has won 4 out of 4 stages, an incredible record when you consider some of the hardened endurance athletes running in this race (one being Dean Karnazes, who famously ran 50 marathons in 50 days). This is just a shout out to anyone reading this to check out Ryan's blog at http://www.ryansandes.com/ and leave a few messages of encouragement for him. As I write this blog, he is somewhere in the middle of a 100km day in serious heat, so I'm sure he can use all the encouragement we can throw at him!

Thanks!

Vince

How to Destroy Yourself Mentally, Physically and Financially - Tales of an Englishman in South Africa

2008-10-15T09:56:00.010+01:00

Previous Chapters:
INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 - Finding My Feet

Landing at Cape Town International I was met by a very peculiar looking character with a seriously impressive Afro. He ushered us into his "party bus", a multi-coloured 1970's style VW Kombi taxi that definitely looked as if it had had its day. Driving down the N2 towards Cape Town he kindly informed his passengers, that comprised of seven nervous international students, that we were now on the most dangerous stretch of free way running alongside several kilometres of the infamous township, Khayelitsha. Misty told us that this sprawling mass of iron huts housed over a million people which was quite a shock to the system.

I had been told by the head of international accommodation services at the University of Cape Town that I was to be living with one guy from Canada, two girls from Norway and one from Germany. The law of averages strongly suggested that I would be in the company of at least one absolute peach!

I was dropped off in a suburb called Mowbray and introduced to my landlady, a very friendly faced, hippy looking fifty year old woman who showed me around my new house. It was a dark little semi-detached house and my room was a cold bare room with the smallest bed I’ve ever laid my eyes on – the thought of any rampaging in such a contraption seemed completely out of the question.

I then met the only person at home who introduced herself as Julia – not exactly the absolute stunner I had been imagining. She was quite a stumpy girl with thick glasses and an excruciatingly painful, high pitched German accent. She excitedly hopped around the house giving me a tour which predominantly consisted of an extremely intensive run down on the intricate workings of the alarm system and what to do in various scenarios that she had conjured up in her head. She then broke into the house rules which included leaving your own set of house keys on your own designated hook by the front door whilst in the house- apparently in order that every house member knew the whereabouts of everyone else!!

Eventually the next house mate appeared, a very happy faced, sweet looking girl with long dread locks from Norway called Elina. She was seriously amusing, laughing at anything and everything – we had an instant connection. She had been in Cape Town for one semester already and showed me the ropes including enlightening me that Mowbray was in fact one of the dodgiest suburbs!

Next on the scene, arriving a day later was Anthony, a stocky guy from Canada studying a masters course for one semester. At first he seemed on a similar wave-length and keen to explore the local nightlife. We ventured to a couple of local bars, played endless games of pool and chatted about anything from past lady situations to Canadian ice hockey. I honestly thought I had fallen on my feet and I was going to be living with an absolute legend. I’m not sure exactly what happened to our friendship, whether it was his masters course starting to get to him or the arrival of the fifth house mate.

Louise, also from Norway, had already spent a semester at UCT with Elina and Julia and was returning from a trip to Mozambique. She was quite a pretty girl, extremely confident and authoritative. With very opinionated and ultra eco-friendly views, with an extreme, feminist background, I was pretty certain that a long term relationship was not going to blossom between us!

It wasn’t long before things kicked off between Anthony and Louise. I was seriously pleased for Anthony but the novelty wore a little thin when my new companion transformed into a silent, love struck, soppy twenty-five going on forty-five year old whose only interests suddenly became reading and snuggling on the sofa with his new found love, watching some of the worst American chat shows before slipping up to bed before 9 pm. If he got very carried away he may have ventured onto the internet for a sneaky half an hour! What made things even worse was the fact that my bedroom was situated directly beneath Louise’s where they spent every night together.

Caroline, the landlady who first seemed very chilled, turned out to be a very peculiar lady, obsessed with rules and regulations. A short chat about “signing the lease and discussing a few house rules” turned into a two hour speech. She was in and out of the house at least once a day saying that she was ensuring that Constance, her maid, was doing her job correctly as a blatant disguise for having a general snoop around. She also turned out to be very sly on the financial side of things, demanding R1,880 a month for six months up front plus a deposit. Not only was I to discover that the taking of full rent was an unknown move in the South African property world as she would be making a healthy killing on the interest but also that this rent for a five bedroom house in one of the dodgiest suburbs in Cape Town was ridiculous. For this money you could be reclining in an obscene flat in Camps Bay, one of the most exclusive and luxurious locations, home to the rich and famous which overlooked the stunning Atlantic Ocean.

So all in all the Mule found himself in a house from hell. I was woken by the inbreds rising before 6 am to get ready for university where they would spend all day, every day. They would then return at 6pm armed with fresh vegetables and some vegetarian supplement that got them ridiculously excited. Louise, fresh from her chemistry laboratory would set to work on her daily cake baking whilst Louise and Anthony cuddled engrossed in the new series of Ricky Lake. Elina was by far the coolest of the household, often on weekend excursions or round at one of the many local guys that were literally besotted with her.

Travelling around was a serious mission. I had to rely on the minibus taxes, Toyotas packed to the brim with local black guys that looked at me with an astonished, confused and intrigued gaze. Despite horror stories involving muggings I had no problems at all. I just kept my wallet close and avoided speaking in a posh English voice on my mobile – that would clearly have rung alarm bells of flashing pound signs and possibly been curtains for the Mule. You would often find your head almost completely submerged between two large breasts or up against an interesting smelling armpit. This was not exactly the most luxurious method of travel but was quite an experience none the less.

Despite the characters that I lived with, I kept myself to myself just passing in and out of the house for the purpose of simply sleeping. The only time I really despised the situation was when they suggested the idea of hosting a themed party. This was quite a regular occurrence which I desperately tried to make sure that I was away for with the creation of very unlikely and elaborate excuses. When I was caught by surprise however on a few occasions, not having the heart to let them down yet again, I experienced what I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Parties at 4 Grove Road commenced with some little Norwegian and German delicacies, usually made up of a very peculiar tasting concoction of nuts and oats, with one of their cringing “Tourist Appreciation of African Music” in the background. Then at about 6pm, the arrival of some of the most deranged individuals would begin. I would hide in my room for as long as I could without being blatantly rude. After a few deep breaths I would then throw myself into the danger zone. Making polite small talk to inbreds you have nothing in common with, apart from the fact that you are an international student at UCT, was an extremely painful process.

How to Destroy Yourself Mentally, Physically and Financially - Tales of an Englishman in South Africa

2008-10-06T23:51:00.007+01:00

Introduction

"It was actually the T-Bone with whom I travelled for a year that first gave me the idea of making Cape Town the next destination on my list of places to see. Images of surfing, incredible beaches and unbelievably beautiful women made my attempt to persuade Nottingham University into letting me exchange my third year for one at the University of Cape Town a very determined one.

My first port of call was my director of studies who grilled me with quick fire questions regarding my motives for such a move. "I really think that it would enhance my economic perspectives.....etc." With a bit of added charm it worked like an absolute peach. The head of Economics was the next hurdle and a little harder to overcome. He carefully analysed the courses that I had suggested taking and wrote them off immediately as being far inferior to those that I would otherwise be taking in Nottingham. He permitted my exchange on the slightly worrying condition that I took three "post-graduate" Economics classes in the second semester. These looked beyond horrific but nothing was going to obstruct a potentially incredible year in South Africa, especially not the opinion of an interestingly bearded professor!

The final barrier was the passing of my second year exams having completely underestimated the level of the courses and failed to attend more than a handful of lectures throughout the entire year. Two weeks before the exam time I transformed from a partying moron into a working machine, spending no less than ten hours a day in the library desperately trying to teach himself an extremely painful subject.

Being accepted into the University of Cape Town via the Internet when I had missed the deadline by a month and the acquisition of a study visa from the most disorganised embassy in London three days prior to the start of my course in Cape Town were also extremely stressful but entirely due to my appalling disorganisation!"

To be continued next week...............

Work your way around the world

2008-09-29T12:24:00.002+01:00

After a long week of talks, fairs and generally jet-setting around the UK, team Pepper is in full swing getting back to the office grind. With so much Gap year activity last week, I thought I would dedicate todays blog to all our Gap Year travellers, past, present and future. More specifically, why is South Africa such an amazing Gap Year destination and why should you head out there asap!

It's the huge range of cultures, landscapes and of course, travel opportunities and courses that should be attracting you. From unbelievably beautiful coastlines to spectacular mountain ranges and the ruggedly beautiful bush, home to sunsets and great African wildlife. The people are just as diverse and equally beautiful. From the cosmopolitan models and high rollers of Camps Bay to the nomadic san tribe (or bushmen) in the north, South Africa overflows in diversity.

For a worthwhile gap year, I would suggest joining us and completing your Yachtmaster sailing training in the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic, around Cape Town. This gives you incredible opportunities to travel and work on board yachts on some of the worlds most beautiful coastlines.

Or do your PADI Dive-master or Dive instructor at Aliwal Shoal, one of the top ten dive spots in the world. Then head off to Thailand or perhaps Mozambique to work in a dive shop. Not a bad life at all!

Why not become a surf instructor in the warm waters of Durban or complete a photography or journalism course in Cape Town, then pick up some work as a freelance writer or photographer. This is a job that can be done on the road and allows you to keep moving and making money at the same time.

Or if you are thinking of working your way around the world, being a barman/woman isn't a bad way to do it. Learn to be a professional barman with one of our cocktail courses and work your way around the night life capitals of the world.

The options of things to do are endless and there are courses for everyone. Spend some time on your Gap Year picking up a few valuable skills. All of these allow you to pick up jobs throughout your travels and work your way around the world. And what better way to learn a few money-making skills than while travelling around South Africa, a country as beautiful and diverse as all the courses and options on offer.

Call us for more details and all our options of courses and trips.

Cheers!

Vince

Politics and travel

2008-09-23T10:57:00.003+01:00

A slightly different blog today, but pretty relevant I think. For anyone that follows any sort of news, you will probably have heard of the recent events in South Africa involving the current president of the country, Thabo Mbeki resigning under pressure from his own party, the ANC. Now this news has sparked some panick among a lot of people and specially among some of you who were considering travelling to the country in the near future. Claims that the country is heading downhill and going to go the way of Zimbabwe are fairly common and a genuine worry for a lot of people out there. Jacob Zuma who now looks set to take up the presidency is an unknown quantity in a lot of regards, however he has been in court on a few serious charges, all of which he has so far managed to avoid. He is also a man of the people enjoying a lot of support from trade unions and working class voters. What does this mean though, for South Africa as a country and more specifically for your plans to travel there?

South Africa has been through a lot in the last 14 or so years since our first democratic elections and the birth of what is now known as the rainbow nation. It certainly has had its problems and continues to do so, but what has remained strong, is its democracy and freedoms. Basic rights such as freedom of speech have not been in existence in Zimbabwe and many other African examples where things have gone horribly wrong. The truth in South Africa is that Mbeki has not been performing and he has not delivered what he promised. This has led to the democratic process of the people of the country showing their support to someone else and the result is a new leader. What we don't know is how this new leader is going to perform in the years to come and what affect he is going to have on the rainbow nation, but what you can be sure of is that we are a long long way from coming anywhere close to a situation such as the one in Zimbabwe, and if we do, we have our democracy and the will of the people to force change. Recent events show that democracy is alive and well in South Africa and it is still one of the most beautiful, interesting and diverse places you could visit. So don't waste anymore time..get there immediately and soak up the atmosphere of a healthy country!

Vince

Vince

Part II

2008-09-16T15:02:00.007+01:00

So, following on from Cape Town, I thought I would move up the famous garden route and along one of the most spectacular pieces of coastline in the world.

The Garden Route is a very well marketed part of the country, for very good reason though. The beauty of this part of the country lies not only in the coastline itself but also the great towns that are dotted along the route. The first tip of the day is rather than taking the standard route of the N2 national highway out of Cape Town, rather head into the Roberson valley that I mentioned last week and take the R62 route to Oudtshoorn. There are some very small but amazing little towns dotted along this route and the pace of life in this part of the world is significantly slower than speeding up the N2.
Inside Tip: Stop at Ronnies Sex Shop for a meal and a drink. (This is a small and very cool little bar along the R62. It used to be just Ronnies Shop until some of his friends painted sex next to it as a joke. This started bringing in more and more curious visitors and the name stayed)

From Ronnies, just outside of Barrydale, head into Outdshoorn for some ostrich and crocodile farming and a visit to the famous Cango Caves. The caves are absolutely incredible and the adventure tour takes you through some pretty tight sections including the Devils chimney and the mailbox. Not for the claustrophobic.
Inside Tip: Visit Oudtshoorn around the beginning of April for the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival to get a real inside look at Afrikaans music and culture.

From Oudtshoorn, take a really beautiful drive over the Outeniqua Pass to the coast and head through to Knynsa, voted one of South Africa's favourite towns ( a few days strolling around the town and you will soon see why)
Inside Tip: Visit around the beginning of July and catch the Knysna Oyster Festival, one of the biggest festivals in the country, featuring a lot of Oysters and some great cycling, running and adventure races. Make sure you book accommodation well in advance.

Moving further along the coast, just inland from East London, lies the spectacular Amathole mountain range and the tiny town of Hogsback. Famed as the area that inspired J.R.R Tolkiens Lord of the Rings. This is not very likely to be an accurate story as Tolkien left here at a very early age, but irrelevant of that fact, it is a truly incredible place. The sort of place in which time completely stands still and you will never have felt so relaxed. There are some great walks and waterfalls for any level of fitness.
Inside Tip: Make sure you have a meal at the Hogsback Inn and make some time for lying on your back watching the stars, there aren't many places where you will see such a beautiful night-time sky.

Till next time..

Vince

Ethical. Ecological. Excellent

2008-09-12T10:08:00.011+01:00

For those of you that read The Sunday Times this past weekend, you might have noticed the Cover story of their Travel section, titled: Ethical. Ecological. Excellent, an article about eco-destinations that combine all three qualities. Amongst the hotlist of destinations, was South Africa, which: "receives high marks for supporting eco-friendly, community-based tourism ventures, as well as for species protection and vigilance against poaching."

On that note, I thought I would include some insider tips on how to take advantage of some of South Africa's lesser known natural beauty, starting today with Cape Town:

First up, Table Mountain, now I know that this one is by no means an insiders tip but what not many people get to experience is hiking up this spectacular mountain from one of its back routes. (The vast majority will hike up the well worn path on the face of the mountain, or catch the cable car up). To really appreciate what a large and special part of Cape Town this mountain is, I highly recommend buying yourself a map at any local camping/hiking/outdoor store and pick one of the many routes that bring you up the back side of the mountain, These routes are not incredibly strenuous, but do require a relative fitness level (after all, you are going up a mountain). The views on either side of the mountain are incredible and well worth any blisters.
Inside tip: treat yourself to a swim in one of the reservoirs on top, this isn't strictly street legal, so you didn't hear it from me, before walking the last stretch to the cable station, catching a much deserved ride down and finishing with a sun-downer at Caprice in Camps Bay.

Next up on the list also involves mountain walking in Cape Town and is incredibly popular with the locals. Take a few drinks and walk up to the top of Lions Head to watch the sun go down over the Atlantic Ocean. Amazing! A particularly interesting way to do Lions Head is at full moon, when some of the local hippies and other assorted interesting characters climb up and celebrate full moon.
Inside tip: take your own home-made brownies.

When the crowds get too heavy and the world famous Beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay get too packed to handle, make your way out of Cape Town through to Gordons Bay on the False Bay side of the coast. Just beyond Gordons Bay on the coastal road is the hidden gem of Koel Bay. You'll see cars parked on the right hand side of the road. Join them and hike down the short path to the small, protected beach below. Avoid the main beach and campsite.
Inside tip: Take your surfboard as the waves here can be very good in the right conditions
Inside tip #2: Just before you get to Koel Bay, there is a small river that you will cross, park here and follow the river upstream for some beautiful rockpools and crazy cliff jumps.

Moving out of Cape Town, if you are looking for some very chilled wine farms, head for the small town of Robertson and the wine farms along the beautiful Breede River. Not only is this area incredible beautiful but the farms are a lots less commercial than the more popular Stellenbosch wine route.
Inside tip: The Roberston wine-farms provide free wine tastings, with some simply bringing out glasses and a selection of wines and leaving you to it. Try to avoid being the designated driver.

That's all for now...

Check back next week for more...

Cheers

Vince

Step out of the comfort zone and come to Cape Town

2008-09-09T16:51:00.006+01:00

What is it that makes some people fearless and others nervous of leaving the house? Is it something you're born with maybe, or is it how you grow up.

I like to think that it has a lot to do with starting small and and working your way up the list of fears. I like this theory because it implies that becoming fearless to a degree is something that anyone can become given enough willpower. Some people will however get round to starting at a much younger age, thereby laying the foundation for a life of constantly upping the ante and pushing themselves to find the next biggest rush. For others however, its a process that is never started and just gets harder and harder the longer its put off, thereby condemning themselves to a life in the dreaded comfort-zone. For some of us, pushing our boundaries and facing up to our fears is the most difficult thing we can think of, for others, its the constant rush of conquering those imaginary demons that gets us going. The one thing that we can be certain of is that it is always a mental battle. I don't believe that the battle ever gets easier, you just become tougher and develop better weapons. The first time you win that battle however and stand up to a fear is an unbelievably exhilarating experience and often one which makes you realise how unfounded your fear was in the first place. You feel like you're on top of the world and its this that will keep you coming back over and over again. Its the healthiest addiction you can have!

Travel is something that can bring about a whole range of fears (mostly irrational) and thereby reasons not to, that can be a huge beast to overcome. While I have never met a person who says that seeing new places and experiencing new things is anything but the most amazing experience you can have, a huge number of people will never step out of their comfort zone and see whats beyond. I believe that travel, and here I mean real travel, not a last minute deal to a resort in Spain with 37 of your neighbours from back home as company, should challenge you constantly.

It should make you feel alive and using this weeks quote from our website: “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”- Freya Stark, I would like to add that awakening alone in a strange town is also one of the scariest sensations in the world and along with this fear and the fact that you have overcome it by simply being there in the first place, comes incredible freedom. The type of freedom that you feel when you first get your driving license or walk out of your last A-level exam. The feeling that you are on top of the world and nothing can touch you. That is the sort of feeling that real travel should bring with it. And the reason you feel free has more than a little to do with the fact that you have overcome your fears of stepping out and doing things, of meeting people and dealing with ideas and cultures completely foreign to you. As the famous quote goes: “Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.”
If you have never been travelling before there is no time like the present. Get up and brush past fear like it isn't even there and let the butterflies in your stomach fly free! Plan a great trip and go. One thing I can guarantee is that you will not regret it.

Why all this talk of overcoming fear today? Well it started from reading a recent article on a few of the most amazing travel experiences you can have and in that list was visit Cape Town for the Red Bull Big Wave Africa competition, held in none other than my home neighbourhood of Hout Bay in Cape Town. Now these guys are overcoming some serious fears, but you only have to look at the stoke on their faces to realise why they do it. While there aren't many of us who can comprehend dropping down the face of a 20 foot wave, most of us can comprehend the feeling of facing up to something that scares you and overcoming it. If you have ever heard Baz Luhrmans sunscreen song, there's a line in there that says: do one thing each day that scares you. In my opinion this is one of the greatest pieces of advice anyone could take to heart. Start small and work your way up. Who knows, maybe sometime in the not too distant future you will be sitting in the freezing cold, shark infested water of Dungeons about to take off on a 20 foot wave.

The Red Bull Big Wave Africa is held in July every year in Cape Town. The event goes ahead once organisers decide that the swell is big enough. Give us a call on 0800 030 4207 if you're interested in organising a trip to see this incredible competition.

Vince

South Africa is voted number 1!

2008-09-08T17:04:00.005+01:00

Its official!

Taken from an article on Hostelbookers.com:

"South Africa is the current gap year travel favourite among tourists, new research has shown.

Following closely in second is Canada, followed by Kenya in third and Peru in fourth, according to a report by the Year Out Group.

The figures are an indication that gap year travelers are increasingly seeking to explore more obscure destinations, with the UK dropping out of the top 12 destinations this year.

Previous research by the firm in May indicated that the majority of backpackers are young travelers aged between 18 and 24-years-old, representing 76 per cent of all gappers."

There you have it...contact us immediately to organise your Gap year to the current favourite destination!

January 08 Experience Reunion

2008-09-04T09:17:00.005+01:00

This last weekend saw Pepper in the depths of the Hampshire countryside on what was possibly the only day in August with sunshine! We organised a reunion for the group that were out in South Africa with us for our 3 Month Experience in January and their families at an incredible pub, the Bush Inn, set in a tucked away little village called Ovington. For anyone that is planning on heading down near that area i'd thoroughly recommend it. It is right beside a stream and defines the word "chilled"! The food is great, the bar staff are seriously friendly and the general atmosphere is perfect.

It was awesome to catch up with the guys from this trip and meet their families for the first time. It was also a great chance for all of their families to meet each other and hear some of the many stories from South Africa! Chilling in the garden enjoying Pimms cocktails beside the stream before watching the group's DVD with all the behind the scenes footage and then enjoying an incredible meal.......it really was the perfect day!

Anyway we're now back at Pepper HQ in Kent throwing around travel ideas for future trips. As Vince said in his previous blog we are always really excited about hearing travel stories from all of you so if any of you have just been to an interesting location in the world recently please drop us a quick message at info@experiencepepper.co.uk.

cheers

Johnny

Travelling with Pepper

2008-08-28T10:53:00.003+01:00

Welcome to the new and renamed Pepper Travel Blog. For those of you who are loyal blog readers you might notice slight changes in the layout of this blog. As we are steadily growing with all of your support out there, we are constantly evolving and moving towards becoming a more fully rounded travel company. Always with the style and quality that Pepper brings to all its trips and never forgetting our unofficial motto of providing unique and amazing experiences in everything we do. From this blog we hope to keep you up to date with anything interesting and inspiring in the world of travel and Pepper. We have a great following of loyal readers at the moment and we hope that lots more of you stumble upon his blog, gain something from it and keep coming back!

There are so many places out there to see, thinking about them all makes me want to get up and go immediately! Just today, I have heard from various friends around the world. One studying in China, a few others surfing the magical waves of the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, someone about to leave to work on the pure white beaches of the Caribbean and even one who is busy preparing for a 5 day run across the Sahara dessert. It gives me very itchy feet! There is too much out there not to use every single moment available to us taking advantage of it. I hope that we can share as much of this beautiful world as possible with as many of you out there as we can. And that you will love it as much as we do. The travel bug is a hard thing to get rid of once you've caught it, the good news is who wants to? There is nothing more invigorating or amazing than waking up in a completely foreign place with the knowledge that amazing experiences are just around the corner. On that note, I came across this great quote from D.H. Lawrence recently, its a little deep but I really liked it so here it is:
“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.”

Not only do we love to travel, but we love to talk about it and hear about it as much and as often as possible! So please keep in touch with your thoughts and comments. If there's anything you want to discuss please drop us an email at info@experiencepepper.com. The Pepper office loves nothing more than an interesting email on a Monday morning so please keep them coming thick and fast. To end off, an open road in the middle of the beautiful South African wine-lands (a long way from a desk in London) for anyone out there in need of a little bit of inspiration.Cheers for now,

Vince

Long may you run

2008-08-27T10:10:00.001+01:00

The Pepper office is in full swing this Wednesday morning. Johnny is pulling his hair out because he is having issues with our newly arrived lazer printer and he has a pile of brochure requests steadily piling up. A bit of Neill Young playing in the background (the inspiration for my blog title this morning) and the scene is set for a good day here at Pepper.

The response to our newly launched 2 Month Adventurer in South Africa has been incredible and enquiries and bookings are coming in thick and fast. For those of you who haven't seen it on the website yet, its a 2 Month trip travelling through South Africa and is designed to be incredibly flexible for your budget as well as with the options available to you along the way. It kicks off in April next year and is ideal for those of you who have travel plans at the beginning of the year already, especially anyone doing a ski season. The combination of skiing for the first few months of the year and then hitting the sun and beaches of South Africa has proved to be a winner for a lot of you out there and we have had a lot of calls from guys n girls who are skiing in January and wanting to hit South Africa afterwards. If its sounds good to you make sure you call us sooner rather than later!

Here at Pepper we love any sort of new inspiration and the latest one to arrive on our doorstep is a travel book about the 500 best natural wonders in the world. If this book doesn't make you want to get up and jump onto the next plane immediately then nothing will. It has been a dangerous distraction from the work but has given us some a lot of great ideas for future Pepper expansion.

But for now, its back to work.

Cheers

Vince

The Isle of Wight and A Level Results

2008-08-19T10:01:00.000+01:00

I cannot believe it is now coming towards the end of August!! For all of you that have just received your A Level results - I hope that you all got what you needed. We were at the Clapham Grand on Thursday night for what was an incredible party!

After a couple of busy weeks in the Pepper office it was seriously good to unwind in an unbelievable UK retreat, the Isle of Wight, where I spent last weekend. I got there on the final Friday of Cowes Week just in time for the fireworks! I was staying in a very chilled spot, Sea View, with a quaint little pub on the rocks but even there the atmosphere was buzzing. I was then invited to the Bainbridge Ball on the Saturday night by a family friend that has been going there for years - it was ridiculously smart and over the top with some very bizare characters milling around but it was seriously amusing!

I came back on the hover craft to Portsmouth early on the Monday morning and I was astonished to meet a number of people that were commuting from the Isle of Wight to London every morning. Now that is a pretty relaxed way of life!!

For those of you that are gonna be in London next week you should definitely come along to the Jetset end of Summer Beach Party at Infernos on Wednesday 27th August which we're seriously looking forward to.

Cheers

Johnny

The great British summers evening!

2008-08-11T13:36:00.000+01:00

Johnnys last post mentioned my smugness about the state of Englands cricket team. Yes, we are better at cricket and rugby and most sports for that matter but one thing South Africans lack that is definitely in abundance in England is the tolerance of bad weather.

I spent saturday night at a picnic concert at Kenwood House in Hampstead. Anyone who has been there will agree with me when I say that it is a spectacular venue with an amazing view back towards London. On any decent summers evening, I couldn't imagine a better venue for an outdoor picnic concert, however Saturday was marginally different in that it rained the entire day. Maybe I was just being a pessimist but I was fairly sure that after a day of hard rain and an evening sky filled with dark grey clouds, there was a fair chance of rain in the evening. A view that not many people shared apparently because the concert was full. And just as expected we had just sat down in our red and white striped deck chairs on the grass than the heavens opened up.

And did one person get up and leave? No..not one..they just put on their coats and popped up their umbrellas. Picnics were pulled out and wine was opened and everyone looked like they were enjoying a pleasant day on the beach, instead of a tropical thunderstorm. They had bought their tickets and come to see the concert and nothing was going to stop them having a good time! As it turned once you got over the fact that you were wet and were going to stay that way, it was an awesome evening! I wouldn't have swapped the rain for anything, it just wouldn't have been the same without it. It was the definitely the most truly British experience I've ever had and it was great! Maybe I'll be sitting on a pebble beach with a grey sky above me staring out a flat ocean soon, persuading myself that the sea-side is great, but I'm taking it one step at a time for now.

Cheers

Vince

Pepper's Summer in the UK

2008-08-04T09:58:00.000+01:00

Well it has been another frustrating weekend of sport with South Africa closing the doors on English hopes of recovering some dignity in this test cricket series - you can imagine how smug Vince has been in the office this morning!

Anyway it is now just over a week before A Level results so good luck to all of you that are waiting for these. If any of you are around in London you should definitely pop into the Clapham Grand next Thursday night (14th August) where we will be joining the party. We were there last year and all had an incredible night. Pepper is also going to be at Jetset's End of Summer Beach Party on Wednesday 27th August at Infornos in Clapham for what promises to be an awesome night!

We're also making our annual trip down to Polzeath in Cornwall later in the summer which we are already getting really excited about. For those of you that haven't been down there, it is a ridiculously chilled spot with a great atmosphere, some cool pubs, a beautiful coast and some really good surf when it decides to work! We're going to be meeting up with a lot of the group that were with us out in South Africa on our 3 Month Experience in January for some big parties.

Looking ahead into 2009 there is a lot to look forward to.....we have a great group lined up for our flagship 3 Month Experience in January. There are still a couple of spaces left so if you are interested then get in touch asap. Our main 2 week trip around the British Lions rugby tour of South Africa next June is now fully booked with an awesome group heading out for what promises to be an unforgettable sporting occassion. If you are interested in tailor-making any other itineraries then get in touch asap on 0800 030 4207.

Anyway I hope you are all having an incredible summer and good luck with your future travel plans.

Johnny

Some Lions History

2008-07-29T09:26:00.000+01:00

With plans being finalised for what promises to be an epic British Lions Tour to South Africa next year I thought I'd do some research into the history of the tours. The overall score between the Lions and the Springboks is as follows:
12 Tours played, Lions 5 wins, Draws 1 and Springboks 6 wins.
Details are below:

Year	Captain	Head Coach	Matches	Won	Lost	Result	Score
1891	Bill MacLagen	Edwin Ash	20	20	0	Won	3 - 0
1896	Johnny Hammond	R. Walker	21	19	1	Won	3 - 1
1903	Mark Morrison	Johnny Hammond	22	11	8	Won	0 - 1 (2 Draws)
1910	Dr Tom Smythe	W. Cail & Walter E. Rees	24	13	8	Lost	1 - 2
1924	Ronald Cove-Smith	Harry Packer	21	9	9	Lost	0 - 3 (1 Draw)
1938	Sam Walker	Col. B.C. Hartley	24	17	7	Lost	1 - 2
1955	Robin Thompson		25	19	5	Drew	2 - 2
1962	Arthur Smith		25	16	5	Lost	0 - 3 (1 Draw)
1968	Tom Kiernan	Ronnie Dawson	20	15	4	Lost	0 - 3 (1 Draw)
1974	Willie John McBride	Syd Millar	22	21	0	Won	3 - 0 (1 Draw)
1980	Bill Beaumont	Noel Murphy	18	15	3	Lost	1 - 3
1997	Martin Johnson	Ian McGeechan	11	9	2	Won	2 - 1

Here's hoping for another South African victory, I personally can't wait!

Cheers....

Vince

Croatia is a must!

2008-07-11T10:38:00.000+01:00

I have heard a great deal about Croatia from the last few years and I was lucky enough to spend last week sailing a fifty-two foot yacht around its southern islands. For those of you that have been to Croatia, you will know how magical this country really is. It has recently recovered from a decade of authoritarian nationalism and bitter war but now proudly celebrates its beauty to those travelling there. It boasts a bizarre mix of stunning Roman architecture, friendly and warm people with a great sense of humour and stunning coastlines and scenery. It is similar to how I would imagine Greece to have been thirty years ago - beautiful and unspoilt.

We spent some evenings anchored in secluded bays enjoying fresh fish and a few cocktails as the sun went down. Others were spent sampling the local nightlife at various fishing towns. For anyone looking to travel to Croatia in the near future, I’d highly recommend the Island of Hvar. The main bay is lined with vibrant bars and restaurants with a backdrop of rugged hills. We headed straight for the well known nightspot, Carpe Diem, a cocktail bar on the edge of the harbour front looking across the bay. I think this could be a future Pepper destination!

I am definitely going to be joining our next group in Cape Town on our RYA yachting course after that experience! One of our last group in January, Marisa, had a serious passion for yachting and left us in South Africa for the Caribbean where she joined a crew for four months…..I now fully understand!

It was quite a shock to the system landing in fifteen degree hail at Gatwick on Sunday……since then it hasn’t really stopped and unfortunately nor have the smug emails from Vince, out in Cape Town now. As I sit here in the UK Pepper office listening to the fifth day in a row of rain……how much I love England!

Anyway it’s been another hectic week with the finalising of our groups for the Lion’s tour of South Africa next June. I am seriously excited already and slowly beginning to irritate Vince with my enthusiastic predictions of the certain South African defeat!!!!

Cheers for now,

Johnny

Winter in Cape Town

2008-07-11T09:14:00.000+01:00

My most humble apologies for the lack of blog updates in a ridiculously long time. Its been frantic here at Pepper, with bookings coming in for both our January 2009 and September 2008 experiences. Our plans for the British Lions Tour next year are coming along nicely and we've got an amazing group geared up and ready to go out there and witness South Africa crush the hopes and dreams of British rugby!

Along with that we are preparing for our annual Cornwall trip and both Johnny and myself have been out of the country. Johnny is freshly back from a sailing trip around Croatia which by all accounts was absolutely amazing, while I have been in wintery Cape Town. Cape Town in winter is a very different place to itself in summer. Summertime here is one of the most amazing experiences in the world, with great weather, packed beaches and a buzzing nightlife. Winter is raining and stormy and amazing in a different way, with stormy seas and a much more low profile nightlife centered around chilled beers and fireplaces. Its great to be home for a bit and every time I come back here I appreciate more and more what an amazing city it is and how lucky I am to call it home.....

Vince

Another week gone!

2008-06-06T16:49:00.000+01:00

Time is flying past this year! With Summer fast approaching the UK (despite the current weather) it is time for everyone to start finalising their travel plans for after school. Bookings are coming in fast for our January Experiences next year so if you are interested in joining us, make sure you contact us sooner rather than later.

It feels incredible to be so busy and with a lot of big plans in the pipeline, the pepper office is a pretty frenetic place. The big news at the moment is of course the British Lions tour to South Africa next May/June/July. Pepper will be there with a custom 2 week trip already heading out. There’s room for more people to join us so if following the world’s greatest rugby touring side around South Africa sounds good to you contact us and we will put together a tailor made trip for your group. There are also some new additions to our GAP trips in South Africa, soon to be launched so keep your eyes on our website for more news on those.

Cheers

Vince