Pet Masters review, Boksburg (JHB East)

Date last visited

February 2012

Location and Setting

Pet Masters is situated at 7 North Rand Road, Boksburg (next door to Flora Farm).

It is fairly central for those who are on the East Rand of Johannesburg, while also being close to OR Tambo International Airport and East Rand Mall.
You can view a map here.

For the kids...

The selection of pets and animals on offer here is really amazing - starting inside the pet shop itself, there are dogs, gerbils, parrots, fish of all sorts, different kinds of doves... the list just goes on.
There are also snakes and spiders... cool!
These are of course, all for sale.

Step outside though, and you are greeted by a lovely bird park. Here you can see ostriches, emus, owls, flamingoes, ducks, geese, black and white swans... even vultures!

Animals never fail to amuse and entertain those little folk among us - the looks of sheer delight are evident on all the kiddies faces.

After a lesson in bird spotting, what better way to spend all that excess child-energy, than on a jungle-gym or 2...

There are several cool jungle-gyms, slides and other kids rides on the premises that will keep the kids busy for a while, while the adults attempt to find ways to refuel... roll on the next section!

For the adults...

Sure, bird life is a treat for any visitor to Pet Masters, but many ostriches and emus later, after controlling the ankle biters and keeping them in check, the appetite beckons and a sit-down and refuel is much-needed.

Pet Masters boasts its own tea garden - aptly named the Blue Crane Tea Garden.

The setting is pretty, the layout is clever with both inside and outside areas (the play area is close by so you can keep the young ones in sight), and the service is generally swift, friendly and good.

The menu is also fairly comprehensive, offering all the usual beverages, toasted sandwiches, scones, pancakes, breakfasts, burgers and more - you can view it here.
Our culinary experience last time though was rather average, although this might just have been a once-off occurrence.
We have not yet tried their food again, but as soon as we do, we will update this post :)

Anything else?

You won't only find animals inside the pet section... Need a gift for an animal-loving friend?
Then you are at the right place - you will find all of the usual pet accessories here, as well as a great selection of gifts for pet-lovers and their assortment of pets :)
Cages, baskets, chew toys, leashes, feeders, fish tanks and lots more are on offer here.

Let's also not forget that this is a pet shop, so you may end up taking an animal home as a new member of your family :)

Final words

If your kids want to see birds, and the East Rand is convenient for you, then Pet Masters is a great place to visit.
You can easily spend a morning here enjoying the great variety of pets and birds, and letting the little ones expend those boundless energy stores on the jungle-gyms and slides.

Getting in touch

Telephone:
+27 (0)11 894 2359

+27 (0)11 918 3144

Fax:
+ 27 (0)11 918 3145

Email:
info@petmasters.co.za

Website:
www.petmasters.co.za

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Da Vincenzo Restaurant review, Kyalami (JHB)

Dotted all around Johannesburg you will find family restaurants which offer amazing food, along with lovely surroundings.
Da Vincenzo in Kyalami achieves all of this and brings along with it fantastic authentic Italian fare, all the while keeping the kids in mind as well.

Date last visited

December 2011

Location and Setting

Da Vincenzo Restaurant is situated at 29 Montrose Rd, Barbeque Downs, Kyalami, in Johannesburg.
From the gardens of the restaurant, you get a great view of The Castle, which sits up on a hill and overlooks Kyalami racetrack.

You can view a map here (Google Maps) or here (PDF).

For the kids...

First off, some history.

Da Vincenzo was recently rebuilt, after a fire which all but destroyed the amazing venue.
Thankfully, business is booming again, and the newly rebuilt restaurant now features a kiddies play area, a lovely garden, and even a small aviary complete with white doves freely flying in and out.

The combination of swings, slides, open space to run around, and great food all adds up to contented kiddies :)
Speaking of great food, on our last visit we had 5 kids in our group, and they all loved the food that was served - pizza, pastas, juice, and ice cream for dessert.

For the adults...

To put it plainly, the food at Da Vincenzo is simply fantastic.
Vincenzo himself (the owner), sees to all the dishes personally, and no meal leaves the kitchen without getting past him.

This all adds up to a fantastic culinary experience - from the antipasti (starters), to pizza, pasta and meat dishes, to desserts and coffees.
There is also plenty of space if it's a large group that you need to feed - 3 exclusive venues are available for hire.

Anything else?

There are changing facilities for babies, and the toilets are clean and well-maintained.
Please note that children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

It is also probably a good idea to book a table in advance on weekends and public holidays.

Final words

Many people have supported Da Vincenzo for many years, and it is easy to see why.
Their kid-friendly facilities, consistently great food and wonderful hosts will keep customers coming back again and again.

Getting in touch

Telephone:

+27 (0)11 466 2618 / 42

Fax:

+ 27 (0)11 455 3925

Email:

info@davincenzo.co.za

Website:

www.davincenzo.co.za

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Garden of Lights @ Emperors Palace review, Kempton Park (JHB East)

This is a bit of a different review, because it pertains only to the Festive Season.
Even so, it is a seriously worthwhile one to check out with the kids these holidays - guaranteed to be a fun evening out for all.

Date last visited

December 2011

Location and Setting

Emperors Palace Hotel and Casino, 64 Jones Road, Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
You can find directions and a map on the Emperors Casino website here.

For the kids...

As Christmas approaches, kids just love all the lights and decorations that go up to celebrate the season.
Driving around at night, it is great to see South Africans getting into the spirit by lighting up their houses and gardens... sometimes in the extreme!

Emperors Palace cottoned onto this idea in a huge way in the past, and thankfully they have done it again this year - we heard a lot about the Garden of Lights from friends, so we had to check it out for ourselves.
Don't be put off if the queue is long - it moves quickly and the wait is well worthwhile.

Once you are inside (entrance is free, donations are welcome and go to charity), you are greeted by a fairytale night garden filled with thousands of coloured lights, reindeers, elves, christmas trees and even a host of interesting folk - the kids can have their photos taken with Santa, Cinderella or Captain Hook, and even sit down for a tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter :)

The sound of familiar Christmas songs and carols also fills the air as you walk along the garden path, something which just adds to the atmosphere of the place.

Although Emperors Palace certainly has enough in terms of food and drink when everyone gets hungry, the Garden of Lights itself has stalls where you can pick up eats, drinks, novelties, lights and other goodies that will have the kiddies begging you to buy :)

For the adults...

We enjoyed the lights probably as much as our little one did - even adults can appreciate good old Christmas cheer, especially when it is done as well as Emperors Palace have done it.

Make sure you take the camera along, as photo opportunities are all over the place - it feels a bit like a traditional scene from an American Christmas movie... minus the snow and the American accents :)
Speaking of photos, if you are one of those people who carries a half ton DSLR camera around your neck, then bring your tripod while you are at it - you will get some awesome long exposure night shots in the garden :)

A walk through the Garden of Lights will take at least half an hour if you take your time and enjoy it.
Once you are done exploring, you can always head into Emperors itself - there are a host of restaurants where you can sit down for a good meal, and the kids can head to the games arcade if the Garden of Lights has not depleted all of their energy reserves :)

Also, be sure to check out the amazing bronze statue at the entrance to the D'oreale Grande Hotel, which depicts a victorious Roman Emperor.
The statue, which weighs in at 8640kg, was sculpted in Arizona and is believed to be the largest, one piece horse sculpture ever created in bronze.

Anything else?

Entry is free, with donations welcome (to go to charity).
The Garden is open from 03 December 2011 - 03 January 2012, daily from 19:00 - 22:00 (weather permitting).

Final words

This is one of the must-do activities for the Festive Season, if you get the chance.
I would imagine that Emperors Palace will continue to run the Garden of Lights in years to come, because of how hugely popular it has become, but even so, get there while it is on now, just in case!

Getting in touch

Telephone:
(+27) 11 928 1000

Fax:
(+27) 11 928 1001

Email:
info@emperorspalace.com

Website:
Click here.

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