Chartered Wealth Solutions clients, Carl and Santjie Geldenhuys, have unique requirements when travelling. While some prioritise balmy weather and a welcoming beach, others love the thrill of excursions. Some can’t imagine accommodation without heated bathroom rails or an adjoining spa.

For the Geldenhuys couple, a child-friendly location off the beaten track is essential, as they take the whole family with them. Join them as they visit their surprising selection: Bulgaria, and tell their story.

It started with a phone call from our representative at Dream Vacations (our holiday club).

She: Carl, I think I have what you have been looking for. Off the beaten track and very child-friendly. In Bulgaria.

Me: What is the cost for the seven of us? (oupa, ouma, two kids from London and their three kids, one still a toddler)

She: R1 747, but, unfortunately, you cannot use your club points. It is an RCI special.

Me: That is a bit stiff per day for four adults, two kids and a toddler.vShe: You have it all wrong. R 1 747 for the week’s accommodation in a ski-resort close to Razlog, 80 km south of Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.

Me: Done deal. Where do I sign?

This is the only advantage to having kids and grandkids overseas. Travelling together is a good excuse to discover new places with the Londonites, and the three grandchildren are seasoned travellers.

Bulgaria is cheap, dirt cheap, even with a weak Rand. A Bulgarian ‘Alps’ ski-resort is not well frequented in October. The Balkan Jewel Resort was just what we were looking for: centrally located to explore the natural parks and villages in southwest Bulgaria, and a kid’s paradise (they provide care for children of all ages during the skiing season when the parents are skiing). The heated indoor swimming pool was a major plus!

We rented a 4×4 Mercedes bus at the Sofia airport for R2 700 for seven days (about what you pay for two days in South Africa).

We visited Debarsko village, known for its 11^th century underground church, the Dancing Bear Park close to Belitsa, Melnik (a village dating back to the times of the Roman empire) and the Seven Rila Lakes.

The Dancing Bear Park was an eye-opener. 25 bears are being rehabilitated, most “rescued” from gypsies, who have in the past “trained” bears to dance by placing them on hot plates, forcing them to “dance”.

Our tour guide, fluent in English, called her restauranteur friend in Belitsa. On arrival, we were treated to an unforgettable lunch of traditional Bulgarian foods and wine: R 600,00 for all seven of us.

The Seven Rila Lakes visit was both the highlight and the ‘lowlight’ of our trip. The lakes are situated in the Rila mountain, one of the highest in the Balkans. The 4×4 bus came in handy, as we traveled for two hours up the mountain just to learn that the ski-lift into the mountain was being serviced. We negotiated with an owner of a monster of a Pajero to take the seven of us up – an absolute nightmare, and undoubtedly Santjie’s “lowlight”. Our son-in-law equated it to his trip up van Zyl’s pass in Namibia. We also had snow en route.

But it was absolutely memory making!

At the top of the route, the guys still had to hike another two hours to get to the lakes.

After a week in the Balkans, we moved on to Sophia, Bulgaria’s capital. There, we visited the Saint Nicholas Church, the city park and the Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Church.

The downside of Bulgaria? English is largely non-existent. All signs are in Bulgarian (which looks like Russian to the ill-informed – that’s us) That is where sign-language, now our twelfth official language in South Africa, comes in handy. And it is international.

The kids and grandkids then moved on to London.

Santjie and I intended to travel by bus to Bucharest, but departure was changed at short notice from a day trip to a night trip, so we would have seen nothing of the Bulgarian and Romanian countryside. Instead, we took a private shuttle (like our Uber). It was an absolute blessing as we were shuttled by a Romanian fluent in English. Though he had a university degree in Economics, he could not find employment as an Economist. This was surely the most educational five hours I have spent with an absolute stranger. Our guide was well informed regarding South Africa, even about the Guptas!

We detoured to the Church of the Virgin just inside Romania. Cut out of solid rock in a cliff overhanging a river gorge, it had been operational since 1220 but is now a tourist attraction.

Then we explored Bucharest by “hop-off-hop-on” bus and by foot. Memorable was the visit to Cismigui Gardens, the second largest city park in the world after New York’s Central Park.

Bucharest is an absolute jewel in comparison to Sophia. Modern with skyscrapers all over, it is very cheap, albeit not as cheap as Sofia. The two of us lunched on soup, a choice of three meats, and veggies for the equivalent of R 55,00 for both of us!

The next day was the absolute highlight of our trip: a shuttle trip with our new friend to Transylvania, the Alps of Romania. We visited the Pelisor Royal Castle in Pelles, and made a brief stop in Brasov, a beautiful village in the heart of Transylvania.

Our shuttle friend took us for a late lunch at a very well-known sky resort in the mountains. We were treated to a starter, entré, main course and dessert, all very Romanian. And, of course, Palinka, the national drink of Romania. Our own mampoer would give it a good go.

We were back at our hotel at 23:00, having originally planned to be there at at 18:00!

Romania, and especially Transylvania, is an absolute must on anybody’s bucket list. Communication is no problem as they are fluent in English and all signs are bilingual.

We left for London the next day with mixed feelings. The trip to Transylvania is surely a highlight of our overseas’ visits.

In July last year, Chartered client Darrell Adrain, embarked on her adventure of a lifetime: a Trans-Siberian rail journey from Beijing to Moscow via Mongolia on the Tsar’s Gold Private Train. Here is her account of a trip that she describes as “a real bucket-list trip that I can highly recommend!” Enjoy her adventure along with her.

It took some courage to embark on this journey on my own since being widowed. I joined a group of 15 people, of similar age and with the same love of travelling. The tour was organised from beginning to end by a travel agency in Simon’s Town, which specialises in journeys to unusual destinations.

Departing on 4 July, we flew to Beijing where we spent three days visiting highlights: the iconic Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, the Sacred Way, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City – all sights I had never seen before.

Our exciting train journey began with a crossing over the Gobi Desert at night in a clean and comfortable Chinese train that glided over the rails. The Desert – which is only two percent desert – comprises mainly dry gravel planes and sandstone cliffs. There are great reserves of coal, copper, gold uranium and other minerals; it is estimated that up to 10bn tons of coal exist beneath the golden sands of the Gobi Desert.

Having crossed the border into Mongolia, we were welcomed onto the Tsar’s Gold Train: 21 carriages, three dining cars. The train was designed and built in St Petersburg as the Tsar and his staff’s mobile office while they travelled across Russia in the early 20^th century. The team of dedicated staff included an onboard doctor (carrying a huge emergency medical backpack) and a tour director.

On the Tsar’s Gold Train In addition to our group, there were 120 other tourists on the train, representing 16 different nationalities. Each group had it own leader, with Russian guides travelling with us all the way to Moscow.

How luxurious were our compartments! Red velvet curtains and carpets, two single beds with a table between, vodka and fruit, re-charging plugs under the table, wood panelling with ornate gold designs, a newly renovated shower room, and two new toilet and basin rooms at each end of the carriage. Our conductors (a married Russian couple) looked after us day and night, ensuring clean ablutions, hot water for tea and coffee, and neat beds with turned-down covers.

Our dining car was sumptuous: beautifully laid tables for four; varied four-course menus for lunches and dinners; breakfasts were English and Continental (fruit, yoghurts, cereals, nuts, eggs to order). The Russian-styled meals always comprised a salad starter, a bowl of delicious soup, a main course of fish, meat, chicken, pasta and desserts of different kinds, followed by tea and coffee. We ordered drinks which we paid for at the end of the trip in either Euros or USD.

Our first stop, on 10 July, across the rolling grasslands was Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, an unbelievably bustling city! The country’s total population is three million and one million live in the capital city. There were traffic jams and no shortage of latest cars: Lexus, Merc, and the newest SUV! The economy is booming owing to huge mineral and mining deposits, and livestock farming. The country’s GDP grew 10-fold between 2000 and 2012.

It was the Nadaam Summer Festival. Everyone wears splendid cultural clothing and comes to town to celebrate and to see traditional wrestling, archery and horse-riding events.

We explored Mongolian temples and Buddhist monasteries. We visited the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park situated in the Mongolian Alps, where locals displayed their competitive talents in horse-riding, archery and wrestling. The largest equestrian statue (40m high) in the world is made of 90 tons of steel: Ghengis Khan on his horse holding his famed golden whip. What a spectacle! We climbed up through the statue to see the view of the undulating countryside.

Mongolia is a beautiful country and it was a surprise for all of us. Friendly people invited us into their home, a yurt (comfortable round canvas tent-like structures, heated by coal fires, hence Ulaanbaatar has the worst pollution in the world). Ulaanbaatar is also the coldest capital in the world, with minus 41degrees C in January.

To Russia, with love and lots of friends

Read about Darrell’s next chapter

Across the border into Russia, we travelled through the valley of Mongolia’s largest river, the Selenga, to Ulan-Ude, capital of the republic of Buryatia. It is a fascinating city, with a strong Buddhist culture and the largest sculpture of the head of Lenin. We walked around parks with beautiful flower beds, saw many high-rise buildings and old-style wooden buildings with ornamental trimmings. We watched Cossack dancing and attended a local concert … then back on the train.

The next highlight was a day around the beautiful 640km long Lake Baikal – the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1700m) fresh-water lake in the world. It has its own microclimate around its shores! There are 39 train tunnels spanning 200 kms alongside the lake! Amazing railroad construction started as early as the turn of the 19^th century.

On a clear day you can see 40 meters into the lake, home to numerous species of animals and plants, and the only fresh water seals, Nerpas. The omul – the most popular fish in the lake – is the main food source for the locals. Highlights were Port Baikal and a ferry trip across to the village with a huge food and cultural market. Some brave tourists swam in the icy waters, and we were treated to an evening BBQ and picnic on its shores, while being entertained by local musicians.

ln lrkutsk, the ‘Paris of Siberia’, with its many neo-classical and wooden buildings decorated with ornate fretwork, we visited the Memorial Decembrist Museum, in a house set up by the wives of noblemen who had been sent to Siberian prisons. These nine wives brought culture, music and books to lrkutsk.

We enjoyed a concert, featuring grand piano music and singing in a gracious dining area furnished in the style of those times (1850s). Many religions are practised there, and Russian orthodox and Roman Catholic churches abound. We were treated to a fabulous lunch by a Russian family in their dacha (summer home) in the Taiga forests next to a beautiful lake: salads, soup, breads, a chicken dish with broccoli, desserts, vodka and coffee!

Situated on the Ob river, Novosibirsk (the largest city in Siberia) was a great place to stroll around and explore Siberian wooden architecture, monuments, the Opera House and a lively music and art scene. lt’s a well-known scientific and education hub. Novosibirsk is the richest part of Russia, with reserves of oil, gold, nickel and coal, transported via the rivers South to North, and via trains from East to West.

From the train, we viewed the diverse landscape of eastern Siberia and enjoyed talks on board about the region: the Gulags, 1905 Revolution, and prisoners sent to labour camps (by mid-60s 20 million had passed through the Gulag system of camps).

We had vodka-tasting with typical Russian snacks and red caviar, experiencing first-hand the Russian festive customs of hospitality and toasts! We were treated to a typical Russian tea ceremony, a popular cultural activity with the samovar, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, cranberry juice and sherry. Russians are the biggest tea consumers in the world!

Yekaterinburg, the capital of Ural Federal District (33 hours east of Moscow by train), is located on the cusp of Europe and Asia. Here Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918. On this spot, a gorgeous Byzantine-style ‘Church Upon the Blood’ was built in 2003 to commemorate that tragic historic event. The city has a Soviet look about the buildings, opera theatre, railway yards, and is a University and education hub.

Our day in Kazan was extremely busy – it is the Tatar capital on the banks of the Volga. We visited the only surviving Tatar fortress in Russia, and the huge Kremlin, now a World Heritage Site on account of the many historic buildings. There are 140 different temples and mosques in Kazan, and everyone lives in peace.

On 19 July, we arrived in at the Moscow station, 850 years old. This city has a population of 12 million, but, include daily commuters and it rises to 15 million. 10% are Muslims, labour migrants from the republics. Our guide said there is no unemployment in Moscow, no ghettos and many people have dachas (cottages) in the country used in September.

The city had been beautified over the last few years for the Soccer World Cup, completed just before our arrival: floral displays, hanging flower baskets adorning the streets, abundant trees and flowers in pavement gardens and through Red Square towards the Kremlin. Fairy lights light up the buildings of the GUM shopping centre in the evening, and Lenin’s Mausoleum can be seen across the Square. St Basil’s Cathedral is an amazing sight day and night!

Our visit to the Kremlin was incredible; there was so much to see: 800 years of Russian history and artistry in one place.

Going down into the Metro is an amazing experience: the longest escalators ever, filled with people going up and down at 9pm! The trains travel at 40kms an hour, stopping at beautifully decorated stations underground, tiled to perfection, with artwork on ceilings and bronze statues – a free history lesson and art exhibition all in one!

Sadly, our time in Moscow came to an end as we departed on Friday evening to return to Johannesburg via Dubai.

So ended an epic and legendary rail tour, a total of 7858 kms. lt was a most remarkable journey for me, especially seeing such a vastly different part of the world and the pleasure of making new friends with similar interests.

To Moscow via Mongolia … in the Tsar’s Gold Train

If you missed the first part of Darrell’s article – click here to read the first part of her amazing journey.

Chartered Wealth Solutions clients, Cecilia and Ralph Auret, travelled to Cape Town two weekends ago, to listen to a mass Church choir.

On the way, the Arets saw beautiful snow on the mountains – a Spring surprise! And, in Houtbay, they savoured the best fish.

The highlight, though, was the choir. Cecilia and Ralph’s trip is testimony to the principle of finding joy in ordinary things, as advocated by Ingrid Lee Fetell in her extraordinary TED Talk.

(Don’t miss the takeaways from that TED Talk in this newsletter – and you can click through to listen to the whole talk … it is well worth the standing ovation she received!).

For those of you who follow the travel diaries of our clients, Norma and Rhys Rolfe, you will not be surprised to find that they have been on the move again in their motor home.  Not only tourists this time, they are also cat, dog and garden caretakers.

Here is their summary of their recent travels:

We have just returned to the UK, before the ferries and Chunnel were closed because of the heat. The temperatures and dryness were quite debilitating, and Normandy and the UK look like the Free State in winter. Things have cooled down now which is quite pleasant.

We arrived back in time for the families to depart on their holidays, while we look after gardens, cats and dogs … it is quite useful to have old folks around sometimes! I must say, we do enjoy staying in a six-bedroomed house on our own after six weeks in the motor home. We are not complaining, though.

We had a wonderful six weeks in France, big and beautiful with a cosmopolitan population of very friendly people. Watching part of the Tour de France was certainly interesting – one does not get the full impact on television. The passing parade lasts for about three hours, and the cyclists pass by in a blurred flash. Watching the World Cup Football final in a pub was most interesting, especially with France winning. It was a little like South Africa winning the rugby World Cup in 1995.

We found Brittany most interesting and enjoyable and plan to go back again next year. It is a section of France we have day-passed to a large extent to date: it is out on a limb (a little like Wales in that they have their own language and dialect).

When their family returns home to the UK, the Rolfes are off again … this time, to Ireland.  No doubt we will receive wonderful accounts of their adventures on the Emerald Isle.