A review of Tatenda Guesthouse, Hazyview

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Review of Tatenda Guest House

Reviewed 20 November 2015, check it out on: https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/ShowUserReviews-g312630-d1591563-r327981090-Tatenda_Guest_House-Hazyview_Mpumalanga.html

My first and hopefully very last time staying at Tatenda. The moisquitoes and dodgy cleaning techniques (no broom & no mop?) aside, how could you fail to provide complimentary tea/coffee for guests? The dull bed linen and towels, toilets that don't flush(no joke, there were 2 * 10 litres water bottles in the bathroom for flushing). The breakfast was so minimal and lightly scotched. We stayed 4 nights and had to endure the same boring egg and bacon everyday. There is no security guard, I was always so scared about our safety.

• Stayed: October 2015, travelled on business
• 
  I truly hope that the security features have been upgraded!

National Zoological Gardens of South Africa - A Review of Pretoria Zoo

“Even better on a golf cart”
I have visited Pretoria zoo so many times since moving up to Pretoria. It is gorgeous and huge! If you want to enjoy this beauty and still have the energy to run around with the kids, book a gold cart. You might have to wait for like an hour for it but well worth it! What's even better is that you can have a lekker braai and picnic with your family or buy some fast food at the many outlets found within the zoo. Also the photoshopped photos are a perfect momento for all our zoo visits. Checkout other reviews of Pretoria zoo by clicking on the link below.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/ShowUserReviews-g312583-d459823-r327962354-National_Zoological_Gardens_of_South_Africa-Pretoria_Gauteng.html#

Review of Union Buildings

How ironic is it that I have an unobscured view if the Union Buildings from the spectacular balcony of my penthouse flat in Central Pretoria. (Just had to blow that horn!!!) 
So I have visited the Union Buildings numerous times with friends and family, visiting Pretoria. The Union of South Africa era was not exactly an inclusive period in our history, I had titled this TripAdvisor review "Too many 'old South Africa' reminders" and I stand by this title. A mere statue of Nelson Mandela will not change my opinion and observation.
This is how it went: "The grounds are very well-manicured! The steps are great for exercising and the view from the parking lot is great. I'm not too crazy about all the apartheid era memorabilia". I feel like I should have added #JustSaying

Best Hotel in Pretoria!

Back in 2015, I wrote about the Manhattan Hotel. I have not been to the hotel since then, so things may have changed. This was my experience back in 2015:
"My short stay at Manhattan was pleasant and relaxing.
With all the comforts of a 5 star hotel; gym; spa; buffet meals and pristine rooms, I felt like a princess. If you are ever in Pretoria, South Africa - give them a try.
Stayed: May 2015"
Checkout these links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSWpTjpcR3s
https://www.tripadvisor.co.za

Nothing to write home about - A TripAdvisor post about Khayalami - Nelspruit

So in April 2018, I travelled with two Afro-centric colleagues to Nelspruit. I was so excited that we were booked at a black-owned establishment!

Read all about it in my trip advisor review below:

"We stayed at Khayalami in Nelspruit. We had paid for our accommodation two weeks in advance but upon check-in we had to produce proof of payment before they could check us in.
The place is well-built, the rooms are specious. With a more attentive and friendly staff complement, it can only add value. My advice to the owner is to get experienced, qualified and professional front of office, booking and accounts personnel to make for a pleasurable, seamless and stress-free checking in experience. The wifi was not working the entire time we were there.
The aircons and curtains need a serious intervention, the curtains don't fit those big beautiful windows and the aircons were leaking so much water that I feared for the electrical wiring and electronics in the room.
The breakfast was the biggest let down for me. Rubbery eggs and squash is not what I was expecting.
Room Tip: Request a room with a balcony for the best views of the rising sun!
Stayed: April 2018, travelled on business"

My take home here is:
1. Owner-managed lodges function best (The next best thing is getting hospitality-
trained employees)
2. Staff training and supervision is crucial in ensuring that standards are set and adhered to
3. A smile doesn't cost a thing!

The Sticky Business of Property

For as long as I could remember, I have always wanted to own property(ies). It is no child's play I tell ya.

So let me start from the beginning. Early 2018, my significant other calls me besides himself with excitement about this steal: A four bedroom penthouse in the city centre at a very reasonable price. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity. We arranged for a viewing, and we were taken, smitten with the place, excited and hopeful! The picturesque views of the city, all the way from the Union buildings; Arcadia; Sunnyside with Hatfield in the distance; the Telkom tower; UNISA... We fell in love with the property!

In our haste to outbid other potential buyers, we overlooked some pretty crucial elements to buying a property. Add a pathological liar for an estate agent to the mix, we found ourselves stuck in a money-pit. Property levies grossly underestimated by agent, I mean 75% higher than what the agent had estimated.

Just so we are clear, when I say money-pit I mean new windows, flooring, plumbing, cabinetry, fumigating, de-cluttering (more like clearing a dump) and cleaning. And when I thought the nightmare was over, a pipe bursts in the kitchen flooding the entire flat. Lets just say 2018 has given me a good smack across the face. As could be expected, having gone through this and many other stresses in this dreadful 2018 I haven't had time or the energy to enjoy this wonderful property.

 *Mi casa*

2019 is gonna be the year, me and my penthouse live it up! That is my new year's resolution. I'm about 30 days early I know.

TripAdvisor craze

I finally wrote a couple of reviews on tripadvisor, been contemplating it for years! check them out: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/nondumisoj.

I recently visited KZN and stayed at Trancedi in Pietermaritzburg and Grey Goose Farm in Newcastle. I know the Natal Midlands like the back of my hand, haven't studied there in the late 90's and early 2000's. It was fascinating to note all the changes that have taken place since the last time I was there. In Scottsville, the gaming and movies area at 50 Durban road is no more, beckoning the question: What do students do for fun nowadays?

The new Midlands mall seems to have taken over, I doubt people still find going to the Cascades fun. I sound so bitter about these changes. It's all for the good of the city I suppose.

I had an unfortunate mishap with Debonairs Pizza while in Pietermaritzburg. I always order online, because I hate carrying cash around. This is South Africa after all. So, I was given a choice of three restaurants from which to order and the one I selected informed me that they do not deliver to the area where Trancedi is. Would have been simpler if they'd just rejected my order and prepayment.
Three hours later, the food came. Now I don't know about you but I have a food curfew.

The heat was unbearable in Pietermaritzburg but one wouldn't dare book in Bulwer or Donnybrook, the weather might be cooler there but not everybody is accepting of black guests. Let's face it, some people have only ever interacted with black folks as maids and garden boys. We can't fault them for that. We can't even call them racist, or can we?

So we worked in Bulwer by day and made the trek back to Pmb to sleep on our Pmb leg of the trip.

Newcastle was our second and final leg. Excited at the prospect of cooler weather we made the 500km trip, ever so mindful of the speed traps that KZN is famous for. We stayed at the Grey Goose Farm there, about 5km from the CBD. Ostriches, rabbits, zebras and people coexist in harmony at Grey Goose! Please checkout the TripAdvisor review I wrote on the farm :). What bothered me was not being able to connect Newcastle to the rest of KZN in my mind's map. I can tell you where it is in relation to Ermelo and Standerton (mpumalanga in other words). I need to travel the north-western parts of KZN frequently, to acquaint myself fully and enrich my internal GPS.