weeeeeeeeee

Amazing. Who knew that Manta Rays could fly? Well, technically it’s not flying, but more of a jump and glide out of water. But still, when you span over 3 ft and weight up to 2 tonnes – that’s pretty impressive, especially when you’re doing if for luurve. Definitely the most romantic animal we’ve come across.

(4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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trailer luxury

Driving down beautiful Elgin Valley, you know the place where all those South African apples come from, you’ll find yourself stumbling upon a unique gem, the Old Mac Daddy Trailer Hotel. But this ain’t no Britney Spears hangout. Think more avant-garde, eco-accommodation than trailer park.

old mac daddy

Designed by local designers, all trailers boast a unique and quirky interior; from tongue in cheek retro to post-modern.

And that’s not all. This luxury accommodation boasts its own farm dam to cool off in, a Grolsch bar to unwind and even an herb garden. Enjoy long walks in the bush or simply hang out by the camp fire with essential marshmallows on hand. This is camping the Old Mac Daddy way.

(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

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cross country

We can’t get enough of this amazing stop-motion video of a guy walking across America from New York to San Francisco. Pure genius. Now if only it were that easy.

(link via weblogtheworld)

(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)

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did you know…

So, why honeymoon? No, not why go, we mean why the name? Well, according to wise old folk law (definitely true then), it was traditional for the newlywed couple to be supplied with enough honey-based mead to last for a whole month after the wedding (is one day not boozy enough?), hence the name or as we like to say ‘that sweet trip’. Fact(ish) of the day.

(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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a new wardrobe fad in the office…

We love fancy dress in our office as much as the next person. From the 1960s, to the Wild West – you name it, we’ll find the outfit for it.

mcphee's strawberry daiquiri

Lately we’re all about wearing your cocktail. No, we don’t mean martini-stained shirts (admit it, we’ve all bumped elbows with someone and ended up with more of your shaken-not-stirred on your clothes than in your glass). We’re talking about your favourite cocktail drinks as an outfit.

A few weeks ago, McPhee had to find something for an ‘S’ party. After tossing out ideas for surgeon, superhero, star, sunflower and schoolgirl, she found the perfect fit. Strawberry daiquiri. Naturally we had a quick fashion show in the office.

knilly's new glasses

Then our own Knilly received a package from eBay in the post (not a rare occurrence…) and revealed a fab pair of cocktail glasses. And no, not the kind you can pour a drink into. Forget looking through rose coloured glasses, your life outlook will be much brighter after donning these. Not recommended if getting confused looks on the street isn’t your thing.

We’re waiting to see who’ll be first to turn up as a piña colada…

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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the people who talk to sharks…

You’ve seen it in the movies, humans interacting with animals. A reality – South Africa has its very own breed of shark whisperers…yes, you heard correctly.

dive with the great whites

Let us introduce you to a few remarkable people in the marine world: Wilfred Chivell, one of South Africa’s most experienced shark conservationists; Mark Rutzen, a shark behavioural expert, who is highly familiar with the body language of our great white friends of the deep; and finally, Andre Hartmann, who led the way when it comes to free diving with the Great White, having featured on the BBC, National Geographic and Discovery Channel documentaries. So if there is anything that you need to know on the subject of sharks these are your go-to guys.

So imagine this: submerging into the crystal clear waters, the only thing separating you from the marine life is a cage – cage-diving with sharks, accompanied by one of these experts. Who knows, soon enough you might be gossiping with the great creatures of the deep.

(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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amanda heads not-so-far away

Amanda headed to Provence, France recently. A bit different from her usual long haul flights, but very much worth the trip. She managed to fit a lot in to say the least…

Most of my travel to date has been long-haul. I love it – the long flights, stepping off the aircraft into a solid wall of heat and having that immediate feeling of knowing you are somewhere utterly foreign. It’s amazing.

hilltop villages

This time however, I chose to spend my holiday closer to home, and zipped over to Provence, France. We picked up our hire car and spent a week exploring the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence and the Bouche-du-Rhone. Though I know Northern France, this part of the world was something new to me, and I was absolutely blown-away by the rugged beauty of the place. And right on our English doorstep this whole time. Who knew.

This is a place that lets you switch off in a second. No jet-lag, no delhi-belly, just ease, fresh air and an altogether slow pace of life. It’s to do with the landscape if you ask me – the effect of seeing those typical Provencal green mountains with their exposed rock, bright red fields of poppies – it all has this peace-inducing effect on you. This isn’t the Riviera, it’s not glitz and glam, just real, rural, living.

ochre canyons

Rows and rows of olive trees, vineyards and various sorts of fruit trees grow as far as the eye can see. Everything is freshly grown, and you’ll find even lettuce leaves taste amazing. That’s right: lettuce with a flavour. And I love the culture of ‘the aperitif’. An evening sipping on locally-produced vin de noix, or pastis, chatting about the day that’s been and life in general. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

As for sites to see… the list is vast. We took a little electric boat through the stunning Gorges du Verdon; walked across the staggering Pont du Gard and visited ancient little hilltop villages straight out of the postcards. We explored ‘Provencal Colorado’ with its striking multi-coloured ochre, visited local wineries and had a few too many samples… We strolled through the gorgeous streets of Aix and swam in a little bay of the Calanques where the water is  bright turquoise (and freezing). We ate thick, green olive oil like there’s no tomorrow and the smoothest goat’s cheese I’ve ever eaten. And there is so much more.

endless french vineyards

A big eye-opener for me was the realisation of what lies so close.  It’s so easy to travel these days that I think all too often our eyes inadvertently skip over Europe when looking at the map and plotting for ‘the next trip’. But Provence, as I’m sure is true of rural parts of Italy, Spain and all across the continent, has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. You don’t have to go far to see something fantastic.

If you’re are jealous as we were reading this, get in touch and we’ll help you create your own short haul experience across the channel.

(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)

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if we could have an office pet…

red panda nap

Here at Black Tomato HQ in lovely London, there’s a whole lot to love about this city, but the wildlife doesn’t exactly inspire us these days… Grey squirrels and pigeons don’t really get us whipping out the cameras (no offence to any enthusiasts out there).

Lately, we’ve been checking out Bhutan, that little country sandwiched between China and India, and Sophie discovered one of this country’s natives that has quickly made the top of our ‘reasons you should go now’ list.  Red Pandas.

a face you can't say no to

Forget pesky raccoons (their closest relative despite the name…), these cuddly looking things don’t spend their days raiding rubbish bins – they’d rather be chilling in a tree chewing on bamboo or napping. Sounds like our kind of life…

We think they’re one of the best things around, and they may not be around for long, so again – ‘reasons you should go now.’ Plus how can you say no to a face like that?

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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top ten spots to do…nothing

the harbour in stromboli

Carolyn:

Il Malandrino bar in the harbour on Stromboli – Have a cold Peroni, nibble on local anchovies and lemon as the boats come and go in the harbour.

Al:

Gina Café by the Spanish Steps in Rome – The locals head here after shopping on the Via Condotti to get away from the tourist hoards. Great people watching, chic style and good food.

Helena:

Cafe de la Poste in Marrakech – Take a copy of Le Monde and set up on the terrace for a lazy afternoon.

marrakech from above

Katie:

Monsoon Temple, Udaipur– More of a peaceful definition of watching the world go by, overlooking the city as the sun sets: magic.

McPhee:

Siambooks, Pai, Northern Thailand - A used bookstore with mazelike rooms and hallways. The second floor windows looked over the night market, so you can see all the stalls and everyone wandering up and down the ‘high street’.

explore the record shop in finland

Claire:

Studio Shop, Finland – A tiny little record store in the design quarter of Helsinki. Full of character and strange Scandinavian sounds.

JT:

One of my favourites is a little bar/music shop/book store in a coastal village in Cambodia - Time literally seems to stop. The young staff are totally obsessed with music – Asian and Western artists and could talk for hours about Radiohead…change the CD in the player if you dare.

overlooking sugarloaf mountain

Sophie:

Little Creatures Brewery in Freemantle – An amazing brewery that grows western Australian beer on the green in Freo. It’s full of locals sitting out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Caz:

Boutique del Libro in Palermo, Buenos Aires – A book shop with wooden shelves up to the ceiling, ladders on wheels and little cafe where you can sit and sip a latte while the book worms browse around you.

Jon:

Bar Urca, Brazil - Roll up on a Sunday morning and grab an ice cold beer; sit on the wall overlooking the Sugarloaf Mountain and soak up the sights and sound of Rio.

If you want more advice on where we love best to watch the world go by, get in touch for a chat about cafes, music, books and all those perfect holiday moments.

(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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haus is where the heart is

berlin

Al headed to Berlin recently and check out some seriously cool hotels along the way. Nothing like drinking champagne and chilling on roof top bars to get a weekend going…

As I’ve heard from many an enthusiastic Berliner, there’s nowhere quite like the German capital during the summer. And with an abundance of beer gardens to watch the World Cup in, I decided the opportunity was too good to miss. I’d been aching to spend some time in one of the centres of stylish culture in Europe and after a first botched attempt (a minor passport fiasco) I managed to get out there for a couple of days of kultur and a bit of R&R in Berlin’s best new designer boltholes.

the michelberger

The first night, as the taxi driver pulled up at the Michelberger Hotel, I knew I was in for a treat. A former office block, the hotel’s got an ultra-relaxed vibe with the reception decked-out like a living room (TVs, sofas and bookshelves included) complete with a piano and guitars (in case you feel the urge to break into song). The rooms have great little touches like walls plastered with books, baths sunk into the flooring and antique lamp shades. There’s even a suite decorated entirely in gold for that understated look… Tom Michelberger, owner and namesake, met me with champagne glass in hand – the way to start the weekend out right as far as I’m concerned.

It was the World Cup and the party was already in full swing, with a BBQ in the courtyard and the buzzing hopes of reaching the final running through every hallway (if only they had known then what they know now…). With live music and an “alternative Berlin” tour of local artist squats and graffiti sites there was plenty to check out. My advice: book a suite to get the most of the experience. You won’t regret it.

football pitches for rooms

Next stop – Prenzlauer Berg, and the latest offering from the Soho House group. A short walk from Mitte (the centre of town), I was delighted to find that the latest member’s club-come-hotel didn’t disappoint. With eight floors of rooms, spa, gym, pool and in-house cinema you’d be tempted to spend all of your time in-haus (get it?). And why not? The ‘smaller’ rooms have king-sized beds, a walk-in shower and little extras like vintage turntables complete with a vinyl selection that make your stay feel that little bit more deluxe. The larger suites have free standing baths, imported antiques and enough room for a game of football. Ok, maybe not quite a football pitch, but you get the idea.

The roof top bar and the stunning views of Berlin from the club room made my stay here a stand out experience. And with a new Cecconi’s restaurant among more renovations, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already planning another trip over soon. Definitely not to be missed.

For your own Berlin experience, get in touch and we’ll have you saying ‘Guten Morgen’ in no time.

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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