Hotel Review - Sangiro Lodge #Bloemfontein @LodgeSangiro @Bains_Lodges #SouthAfrica

Hi Friends, 

I completed my 10th year in the IT company I have been employed since 2007 after my post-graduation of Master in Business Administration. It's been a long time and I wanted to really unwind myself and SA Commuter to my rescue and asked me go and check out the Sangiro Lodge in Bloemfontein. What a lovely property this one is! I really enjoyed and loved my 3 nights stay there at this property in one of the self-catering chalets in the lovely and picturesque outskirts of the capital city of Bloemfontein, South Africa. 

Sunrise at Sangiro Lodge

Sangiro Lodge is one of the properties belonging to Bains Lodges which is headquartered in Bloemfontein itself. As we reached in the afternoon, we got the keys to our chalet no. 7 and said no to the breakfast as we wanted to make our own food and enjoy some relaxed meals. 

Reception and Restaurant at Sangiro Lodge

Our chalet was right in front of the long territory of animals from Zebras to antelopes to Giraffes to ostriches and peacock. There is a crocodile also right in front of the small restaurant where breakfast is also served every morning. It was like staying in the jungle but without any fear of carnivorous animals. 

Chalets and other rooms

Each chalet has 2 rooms along with a kitchen, bathroom, drawing room and a balcony opening towards the braai area. Each evening and morning peacock and ostriches starts roaming around your rooms in search of food. Kitchen has enough utensils to prepare your own meals but I did miss the coffee table in the TV room as it was difficult to hold the plates in the hands.The rooms are fitted with centralized air-conditioning as it can be quiet hot during the day time. I loved watching the Wimbledon Semi-finals on the TV while enjoying the surroundings and away from hassles of the city.

View from Balcony

Every morning and evening at Sangiro Lodge, I watched the sunrise and sunsets and the view was simply stunning. Main bedroom has the whole wall made of glass sliding door and you can watch the sky and stars and the vast lands right in front of your chalet. You could see all the animals drinking water from the water body right near the N1 highway and then vanishing into the mountains behind the rooms of the lodge. 

Ostriches looking for food around chalets

Sangiro Lodge offers multiple types of accommodations for each type of commuter and stay-cations requirements. The honeymoon rooms are lovely and best kept on one end of the lodge to stay away from any disturbances whatsoever. The one room suites are right in front of the main reception and has all the facilities to make your stay comfortable and Shell Ultra City is just a kilometer away. 

Chalet - Main Bedroom

Chalet - Second Bedroom

Chalet - Drawing room

Chalet - Kitchen

While staying at the Sangiro Lodge we had the opportunity to visit Bains Lodge and various other points of interest in Bloemfontein. Botanical garden is nice and a great place to unwind. There are good markets and great shopping malls to visit in the lovely city of Bloemfontein. Windmill Casino by Sun International is one of the properties to go and visit. We had a lovely encounter with Gru and Minions during our time there and my daughter loved meeting them. 

Sunset at Sangiro Lodge

In the end, I would highly recommend this place for a night stay on your road trip to Cape Town or just there to enjoy the city of Bloemfontein. I would love to stay there every time I pass this property. Thanks to Geniene for arranging the stay there and Kudos to Bains Lodge for maintaining this property. For more photographs of the property, do visit my instagram.com/araijain page.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !

Hotel Review - All Seasons Boutique Bed and Breakfast #Pretoria @Bains_Lodges #SouthAfrica

Hi Guys,

Pretoria for me was just a place to go and get the official documents submitted for one or the other VISA requirements. I came closer to the city when I took my parents around the Union Buildings and various other monuments last year in July 2016 and also then went again to the same place in search of Jacaranda trees with friends and their families. So when Geniene Preston from UKSACommuter presented this opportunity to join their family in braai at a place in Pretoria, I gladly accepted the same. It was at All Seasons Boutique Hotel and what a wonderful overnight stay we had with a lot of new people who became friends. 

I always wanted to stay in a place where the balcony can give the view of the valley and this was a perfect place and this is one of the photographs I clicked from the balcony of the Private room, I was offered to stay for a day. It took me one hour to reach the place in extreme traffic on a friday evening but the view took all the traffic pain away. 

Now coming back to the property, All Seasons Hotel in Pretoria belongs to the Bains Lodges. They have various properties all over the country and is an upcoming brand. This property is run by Mr. Thinus who is the General Manager along with Chef and everything all in one for this property. 

All Seasons Bed and Breakfast is a perfect place for those travelers who are on a long term business trips to Pretoria and nearby areas. The staff is extremely friendly and takes a lot of care of your needs.

All Seasons have rooms as per the seasons of the year - Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring along with a Private room which is the biggest of them all and some self-catering units are also part of this property. You can choose to stay as per your choice and availability at the hotel. 

There are many places of wine and dine along with many to do breakfast so you will never feel bored. It's a casual and relaxing atmosphere that brings people together. 

Swimming pool is nice and good for a hot scotching summer when you want to cool yourself. 

Some of the areas are just perfect like this one on Porch of the hotel, doesn't give a lot of view but is perfect for the rainy seasons lunch and brunches with your family and friends. 

Every sitting area is fitted with a TV so that you and friends can watch a game of sports or a movie. 

The decor of the place is highly taken care of and you will admire each and every piece of the same. You will definitely fall in love with this property from the Bains Lodges and will want to come visit again or stay for longer period of time. 

I really fell in love with this Zen Garden kind of setup with so much of nature, water and light which brings a lot of positive energy to your soul. There are a lot more photographs I have posted on my instagram.com/araijain channel which you can see for this property. I have not touched on the rooms and the decor in this post but will share those photos on my instagram channels. 

Do check it out on your next trip to Pretoria as this is on 741, Frhensch St, Moreletapark, Pretoria 0181 and follow them on instagram, twitter and facebook.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !

Joburg Property Company (JPC) Re-Creating A New #Joburg Skyline @JhbProperty

Hi Guys,

The heart and soul of every South African beats to the rhythm of the African drum. It’s shape and form comes to mind as the new Joburg Council Chambes rises in front of the contrasting Metro Centre directly behind it. The drum beats faster as you enter the chambers from the existing Metro Centre building into the newly completed Council Chambers. Like the African drum for centuries has been used as a form of communication to summon leaders to tribal council, the Chamber calls our Joburg district Councillors together to attend sessions that determine our future and make critical decisions.

The architects vision of the drum shape, determines many of the features in the building itself which challenged not only the sound and audio design but also how the currently elected councillors were placed to face the Speaker and each other in a way that embraced solidarity with each other. From floor to ceiling, each facet of the building has a story and a reason for being designed in a particular way. From the architectral drawing to a reality, the common thread has shown community involvement and produced excellence in every way. Community, togetherness and transparency has been the key to unlocking the doors to the growing rejuvenation of the City of Johannesburg.

It is fitting that the month of April celebrated not only the 23 years since all South Africans of voting age stood in line for hours to cast their vote for the first time in a free and democratic election but that the building completion date was scheduled for 31 March with the official opening 3 May 2017.

The Council Chamber circular shape is followed through by many of its internal finishing touches. In the passages leading up to the Chamber, various artists have shown the journey in artforms from glass through to copper interweaving their own stories into those of the struggle to freedom. The “Oh Wanderer” glass encased panels tracing the footsteps of the growth of Johannesburg by Pamela Sunstrum is placed perfectly along the first walkway, reminding those who enter the Chamber that decisions made inside affect those outside who trust them. An imposing copper wall sculpture, by Sam Nhlengetwa, encloses the staircase to the upper media area depicting the queues of South Africans in the voting lines of 1994 and showing the assertion of diverse individual identities within our changing living environment which still exist today.

Along the passages surrounding the Chamber, the diversity of those that live and work in our city and their stories, of crime, hate, love and existence beyond those council walls are depicted in a series of 134 wooden totem poles. Totem poles serve many purposes beyond their beauty, and their meanings are as varied as the cultures that make them. After a competition lasting nearly 6 months, South Africans from all walks of life and age groups were asked to submit entries of their lives in drawings. From a three year old drawing and colouring in a heart to a 70 year old holding a crayon for the first time, these totems made from Kiaat, were used to be a graphic representation of their stories. Out of 570 entries, 134 stories were selected and besides the artists being compensated for their contributions, their stories will forever be woven into the fabric of the building where decisions are made that affect them directly.

Once you enter the Chamber, the transparency of the glass becomes evident in the view of the daily lives of all those who live, work and hope to survive the ravages of city life. And those outside can view the roof mounted circular TV showing the sessions as they take place. The striking drum shape of the building together with the glass panels that are shaped to ensure that the audio within does not distort, is a world class design and final finish.

The seat itself, is on a sliding rod and cannot be removed or picked up therefore ensuring noise reduction when councillors leave the room while a session is still in progress. It is also designed to spring back against the desk to allow for fast evacuation in the case of emergencies. The staircase in the front of the room descends to a safe place below the building where there is an exit door into the Piazza below.

The newly developed People’s Piazza below the Green 5 Star rated Council Chamber has been developed around the Placemaking concept of creating quality places which is interesting, visually attractive and mixes public art with creative activities. And the People’s Piazza is just such a space. Developed with our mixed cultures in mind together with being pedestrian oriented, safe and yet comfortable, quiet yet able to create a space for sport on a national scale, it meets many of the criteria that promotes and facilitates civic engagement and allows a physical fabric where people can connect with one another.

The Piazza’s design softens the concrete Metro building which rises above the Council Chamber and brings together a community where green spaces with creative energy is but only a dream. The Rainbow Walkway to Freedom gives pedestrians the ability to walk safely under the solar streetlights to the outdoor chess and planter benches where public workers and councilors alike can relax and enjoy the sunlit gardens while having lunch. The skate park and outdoor gym as well as the outdoor Table Tennis can be used by anyone who wishes to exercise together with those who would rather play the outdoor chess or watch the big screen.

As the sun sets and whether you are arriving at the Joburg Theatre to watch ballet or a local production or you are going home using the newly developed Gautrain from Park Station, the breathtakingly lit Council Chamber is a daily reminder that the Jozi skyline is undergoing a massive change. Thanks to the Joburg Property Company whose vision and drive to make a difference is becoming apparent to those who not only live here but those who choose to visit Johannesburg. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !

@JhbProperty Creates A Truly SMART Technology Space Enabled Council Chamber

Hi Guys,
 

Buildings are designed with a number of functions in mind, as well as a clear priority of those functions. The most important function in the space of the newly built, SMART Space Enabled Council Chamber is communication and then debate, discussion and law-making.

Joburg Property Company (JPC) created a vision and a design to make that vision a reality. Translating their vision into a functional space is this particular masterpiece that has a 5-star rating on the Green Star SA Rating system and SMART infrastructures that may be linked to the regional precincts. The design focus is on creating a politically and visually transparent environment for council meeting, collaboration and debate.

One of the key features to a chamber like this, is the quality of audio and acoustics achieved to optimise communications. In any parliamentary space, if the video stops you can still continue the service, but if the sound stops you have to stop the session because when it comes to making laws, debating and decision making, it’s all about the spoken word

During the design phase, attempted researches of similar facilities around the world found no known circular fully glazed glass chambers similar to the design of the new Johannesburg City Council Chamber that could provide a very high degree of speech intelligibility and acoustic functionality. The acoustic and audio qualities achieved in the new Johannesburg Council Chamber is truly a reference level standard that can be appreciate by most untrained ears, not just sound professionals.

To achieve an optimum acoustic design, an inner angled glass wall was created not only to achieve the required sound insulation from the busy streets outside, but also to provide the required sound energy management and as a bonus, it also created a walkway passage for circulation and casual impromptu meeting spaces.

The SMART meeting technology installed in the chamber was originally conceptualised by the project AV technology consultant for the National Parliament Assembly Chamber in 2002. The SMART system integrates a delegate meeting system and a network touch screen information system. At the time, it was one of the most advanced chamber meeting systems in the world. The software used for the system was fully developed in South Africa by South Africans. Since 2002, various versions of the system have been installed in provincial legislatures. The NCOP chamber and the National Assembly chamber SMART meeting systems have also been, since then, updated. The SMART system installed in the Johannesburg Council Chamber represents the most technologically advanced version to date.

Due to the circular nature of the space, it would be challenging to provide optimal video viewing coverage for all seating areas; in addition, as the chamber is a glass walled space, very high ambient light levels would prevent the use of conventional video projection technologies. To overcome these challenges, the latest large format full HD LED walls were provided. This ensures high quality video images and presentations can be view by all delegates and public participants in the chamber. The video information can also be view by council delegates through their individual 15-inch touch screen video displays.

The touch screen information system can provide preloaded meeting information, council rules and all other information relevant to the council proceedings. It can also be used by individual delegates to call for assistance and services. An emergency evacuation system was installed to facilitate fast evacuation when required.

The fundamental philosophy underpinning this world class Council Chamber with SMART technology is space enabling for the intended users; the outcome truly is - political transparency enabled!

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !