Table of contents for August 2018 in Getaway

Horsing around the Wild Coast When the sun rose at 5.30am over the serene hills of Cintsa, throwing its first rays into my bedroom at Newhampshire horse farm, and Ben Baxter was pounding his hooves impatiently against the empty feeding trough, a busy day began for the Dickerson family and their volunteers. After a quick shower and throwing on my riding gear, it was over to the main house for a cup of delicious coffee. There are many choices of horse-riding holidays along the Eastern Cape coast, but none is as exhilarating as the four-week ‘work‘ vacation at Newhampshire Rehabilitation Centre. I’m a German in my 70s and I love horses but I hadn’t ridden for six years. I wasn’t looking for a posh riding holiday at a five-star lodge…

Joined by more than 100 other hikers, I took part in the Big5Hike for Education, a fundraising initiative for the Royal Drakensberg Primary School. Having summited the peaks backdropping The Cavern Resort & Spa in the Drakensberg, I had some time to reflect on what lessons to take away from the weekend. Firstly, how nature opens her arms to people from all walks of life; from young children to oldies, city slickers to farmers, the outdoors is there for everyone’s enjoyment. Secondly, how change is refreshing and we mustn’t shy away from it. I was initially disappointed when I drew open the curtains to find a layer of mist had descended upon the surrounding mountains, diminishing my hopes of the sweeping views that I couldn’t wait to see. However, I…

Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa R290. Free sample version Twitchers, if you’re only going to buy one bird app, this should be it. It has all the illustrations, info and distribution lists of the 975 species from the book, but also features more than 1 000 photos and 800 calls. What makes this app stand out, is how easy it is to use. Browse by recognisable bird groups, do a smart search by location, bird size or colour, or compare birds side by side. Record all your sightings on the life list, which is automatically backed up to the cloud so there’s no chance of losing it should something happen to your phone. Woodhall’s Butterflies of South Africa R290 If butterflies have always been a beautiful mystery to you, this…

At this year’s Getaway Show in Gauteng, our photographic workshops will be hosted by Big 5 Photos and Canon, with two professionals on hand to help you brush up on your skills. • Big 5 Photos owner and trainer Michael Tucker will give a short course in wildlife photography, including animal behaviour, compositional rules (and when to break them), tracking moving subjects and how to get off auto and get the most out of manual. • Knysna-based photo-safari guide Andrew Aveley (his leopard pictured) will focus on nature photography and digital darkroom skills; topics include in-camera image development, the ‘triangle of fear’, creative techniques and how to shoot mammals and birds (a category he dubs ‘the frustration’). DATES Saturday 15 September and Sunday 16 September. Both workshops will take place on each…

The Tugela River had burst its banks. Heavy rains had fallen persistently over the previous 36 hours, and there were flood warnings throughout the province. Now, with the sun out, the swollen waters showed the severity of the deluge. The river was muddy brown and twice its normal width. Broken branches flashed past like speeding cars. The water would flow on to fill Midmar Dam for the first time in four years. ‘The issue with a river like this is the danger posed by fast-moving debris,’ said Gustav Greffrath, my rafting guide. ‘And, if you get separated from the raft, you can end up swimming all afternoon.’ We were scoping out the river from an old bridge on the outskirts of Bergville. Its surging power was disquieting. A group of…

Yzerfontein, St Helena Bay, Paternoster and Lambert’s Bay. Do the classic Peninsula drive, especially the False Bay side. Home of the iconic five-day Whale Trail hike. San Sebastian Bay has been called the ‘whale nursery of SA’. The Point area, Dana Bay, Reebok and St Blaize hiking trails. From Wild Side Rocks to Oyster Bay. Robberg and Keurboom beaches, and the Robberg Peninsula’s cliffs. Whale deck at the Aquarium, plus Nahoon and Gonubie. Best from a boat in St Lucia, Richards Bay and Sodwana. Two platforms at The Bluff; plus on the South Coast at Ramsgate, Margate, Umtentweni and Pennington. Bluewater Bay, Pollock Beach and the stretch between Beachview and Seaview.…

THE HIKERS TEAGAN CUNNIFFE visited a place of gliding vultures, lofty mountains and jewelled trout. WELCOME LISHIVHA decluttered his mind with plenty of bush, wildlife and silence. MIA LOUW’s first-ever multi-day hike was an ambitious trek around the ‘Devil’s Office’. ‘They’re watching me with bright eyes, heads cocked to the side, white feathers ruffling on their backs’ 1 BERG SLACKPACKING THE DRAKENSBERG VULTURE TRAIL DURATION 2 days TYPE Guided LEVEL Moderately easy I’m standing near the edge of the escarpment, a stomach-plummeting height above the valley floor. Around me swirl countless vultures. Slow, lazy circles bring them closer and closer to where I stand, until they’re just metres away. They’re watching me with bright eyes, heads cocked to the side, white feathers ruffling on their backs. The thin whistle of…

GETTING THERE Ethiopian Airlines and SAA fly to Nairobi from Johannesburg; Kenya Airways flies direct from Cape Town too. Flights cost around R4 000 pp. Safarilink flies to various Mara airstrips from around R2 530 pp one way. WHEN TO GO In terms of weather, any time is good in Kenya since it’s close to the Equator. Most people want to see the wildebeest migration – from July until late October – as that’s something we don’t experience in SA. However, either side of the actual migration, the plains are still teeming with activity. STAY HERE Naboisho Camp is not as luxurious as some five-star camps out there (for instance, there’s no pool), but I liked it for its simple elegance, isolation and understated luxury (high teas, exceptional service, a comfy lounge).…

THE INSIDER Mira Weiner has called McGregor home for almost two decades, and is the town’s accommodation agent. She loves that she can witness the fruit trees changing to orange in autumn or see the blossoms in spring, a true sign of living in the countryside. Voortrekker Street is McGregor’s main road, one of few that is tarred and the only one with streetlights. Just beyond town, Voortrekker dissolves into a dirt track that locals call the ‘Road to Nowhere’, which heads off into the Riviersonderend Mountains. They will tell you McGregor is a destination, not a through-road (in fact, there is only one way into town). They believe the Road to Nowhere is the reason their charming village remains untarnished by commercialisation. ‘McGregor’s biggest export is peacefulness,’ says Edna…

START ME UP R1 499, capeunionmart.co.za A jump starter for your car the size of a paperback book sounds like a pretty helpful gadget to have in your cubby hole, right? Now add a phone charger and a flashlight and you have the ultra-useful Romoss Jump Starter portable kit. It can recharge a flat car battery up to 20 times and preserves its power for more than six months. The kit has a dual USB port for phones and tablets with 12 000 mAh charging power. In an emergency, the torch can also act as a strobe light. TWICE AS NICE R559, available from MTN stores The Xqisit Power Bank 10 400 mAh 2.1A has two USB ports, so two devices can be charged simultaneously. It also provides…

Cathy Lanz Maldives Cathy was first introduced to the Maldives when she travelled to Lohifushi for Getaway back in November 1999. After 10 years of roaming for the magazine, she left to start a family but her travels were not yet done. With both toddlers still in nappies, the family set off on a year-long camping adventure around Southern Africa, featured in Getaway as the ‘Spiderman Safari’. Recently she returned to the islands, this time with her two teenagers in tow. Michael Poliza Alaska After a career as an IT and internet entrepreneur, Michael started a three-year multimedia and environmental awareness expedition on a ship around the world. Then, after settling in Cape Town in 2002 and cruising the plains of Africa, he became a world-renowned wildlife and adventure photographer,…

WISH YOU WERE HERE DOUGGA AMPHITHEATRE, TUNISIA This month is the 54th edition of the International Festival of Carthage, the longest-running arts festival in Africa ( festivaldecarthage.tn ) . Meanwhile, holidaymakers are celebrating the news that Tunisia’s postcard-perfect slice of coastline and Saharan dunes have been declared safe for travel once more – posting selfies from Sousse is about to get hotter than harissa sauce. Now’s the time to go and explore, while its Ancient Roman amphitheatres still seem to echo with the battle cries of gladiators instead of the shouts of touts selling souvenirs. Carthage, on the eastern edge of Tunis, is the most famous ancient site in the country, but two hours’ drive inland is Dougga, a World Heritage Site that is…

Play with your food You may have heard of the Big Pineapple in the Eastern Cape, but do you know it hosts a pineapple-throwing contest? It’s one of many whacky events at the Bathurst Country Affair, along with bokdrol spitting, a beard championship, beer-drinking and brawn competitions (this year the latter involves the blacksmith’s forge) and mystery-basket cook-offs. There’s also an ‘Amazing Race’ on horseback and vintage motorcycle races. Village establishments such as the famous Pig and Whistle Inn and Pink Lady milkshake parlour get in on the festivities, as well as local crafters, entertainers and food and drink vendors on the village green. 9–12 August. Find it on Facebook. In the Magaliesberg area: anything from feeding ellies and bush walks for dogs, to games nights, alpacas, pie baking, as…

Take it yourself Photographing out of your element means being prepared for what you’ll encounter EQUIPMENT DSLR Apart from an underwater housing for your camera, you’ll need a wide-angle or fish-eye lens (these find focus a lot faster than other lenses) and a couple of underwater strobes. Water eliminates reds and yellows, and everything becomes very blue as you go deeper – adding flash brings out the beautiful colours of the fish and reef. FIRST THINGS FIRST Get to know your camera, strobe and housing – this will make it easier to troubleshoot while underwater. Practise with your kit, preferably in a pool. Check everything before getting in the water. Don’t let your camera get too hot before jumping in as this will cause the housing to fog up. SETTINGS…

FINALIST Arniston Cliffs It was still dark when I reached this spot along the rugged coastline of the Waenhuiskrans Nature Reserve. I set up my camera and waited, enjoying the amazing view of the coastline in the dawn light, with its limestone cliffs shaped and moulded by the relentless Indian Ocean. – By Johann Visser, Bloemfontein Canon 7D Mk II, Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, ISO 100, f/14, 30 sec FINALIST Metalhead This beautiful metallic-gold beetle was enjoying the filtered shade of a protea at Kirstenbosch. With the flower moving around, it was quite a challenge to focus using a handheld camera in natural light. – By Brian Suter, Fish Hoek Nikon D500, Nikon 105mm f/2.8, ISO 250, f/10, 1/1 000 sec FINALIST Swept Away During a visit to…

Day 1: Nottingham Road to Underberg DISTANCE 147km ALLOW 7 hours Starting in the early morning, take the Lower Lotheni Road out of Nottingham Road towards Himeville. The road is gravel and can be done with a sedan in dry conditions (high-clearance is needed in wet weather as the road becomes very muddy). After 60km, there’s a right turn to Lotheni Nature Reserve (1), 9km away. Continue on the Lower Lotheni Road for a pub lunch at The Himeville Arms (2). In nearby Underberg, turn right on the R617. Turn right 4km later, opposite a sign for Drakensberg Gardens Resort. Meet the guys at Pennygum Rafting and Tubing (3), 2km down the road on the left. Some 25km further along is the turn-off to Elands Rust (4), your accommodation for…

Humans are truly dwarfed by Alaska’s landscapes. Some of these icy-blue gaps are hundreds of metres deep. Braids of the Chitina River run like veins through the valley. ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER For the past two decades, Michael Poliza has photographed the wonders of Africa and beyond, documented in gorgeous books such as Eyes Over Africa and The World’s Most Magical Wilderness Escapes (books on Namibia and Iceland are being published this year). Well-heeled individuals started asking Michael if they could join him on his expeditions, and in 2011 he founded Michael Poliza Private Travel. Since then, he has been taking nature enthusiasts to some of the most secluded and untouched spots in the world. michaelpolizatravel.com HOW HE GOT THE SHOTS On a trip to North America, Michael spent the first…

GETTING THERE The base camp is Berghouse & Cottages in Langkloof, Northern Drakensberg (three hours’ drive from Durban or Joburg). This heavenly spot, surrounded by miniature horses and spotty Appaloosas, is high up in the hills overlooking the Amphitheatre. NEED TO KNOW The 36km, two-night slackpacking trail runs up to Greenfire Lodge, which also has impressive views and cosy lodgings. There’s the option to extend the trail for an extra night to hike to Babangibona and enjoy trout fishing at Greenfire Lodge. You should be walking fit for the trail, but with regular stops and an unhurried pace, the hiking isn’t strenuous. WHEN TO GO Callum advises avoiding the unpredictable weather in summer and winter. The best times are March to May and September to November. WHAT TO BRING Weather…

I HAD NO CHOICE REALLY. On the eve of jetting off to the Maldives many years ago, I made a rash promise – to comfort my distraught little boy, Tom – that when he was big and a surfer, I’d take him to the Maldives. Recently my surf-mad teen reminded me that I owed him one. So Maldives it was, but this time I wanted to go boating. As we dropped through equatorial cloud on our flight, the Maldives first appeared like roughly circular pods of jellyfish floating serenely in an azure sea somewhere off the southwest coast of India. The sheer number of ‘jellyfish’ was staggering from the air and, as we descended, they sprouted palm trees, white sandy skirts and tentacles of water bungalows jutting into surrounding lagoons. We…

Riverstone’s FamTin WOLSELEY, WESTERN CAPE Fancy spending a night in a converted shipping container on a working fruit farm? It’s far more cosy, comfortable and stylish than it sounds. After the success of the original Riverstone House on the same property, owners Claire and Duncan Dicey decided to add another option to their farm stay. The container conversion was not only a financially viable solution, but unique. Two steel cargo containers are built onto a brick-walled rectangular framework, creating an open-plan living area with two bedrooms on either side. A deep, covered patio in front doubles up the space, creating a large, airy inside-outside room for dining, hanging out, playing games, reading, braaiing or just relaxing. The patio is fabulous in summer, and when it’s chilly outside, the glass sliding…

WHAT City Skate Tours WHERE Johannesburg CBD WHO Melanie van Zyl From never having set foot on a skateboard in my life (in fact, I’ve always been a little terrified of these whizzing machines), Ayanda Mnyandu had me up and rolling in under 30 minutes. He taught me the basics of steering, stopping and which foot to put where first by literally holding my hand through the process. I even learnt a new skating term – that I ride ‘mongo’ (pushing off with my dominant foot and putting it in front instead of at the back). Ayanda has had some practise guiding newbies into the playful world of boarding. His regular nine-to-five has him busy at the nearby Skateistan nonprofit school, where inner-city kids have a safe space to learn.…

33 INSPECTED 15 SELECTED HOW TripAdvisor lists accommodation rated by guests, but as much as we love peer reviews, they don’t offer a comparative voice – so how do we know No. 1 is really the best? Pippa de Bruyn, who has reviewed accommodation for 20 years for the likes of Frommer’s and The Telegraph , scours TripAdvisor and other online sites when researching a destination. For St Francis Bay, she created a longlist of 33 to inspect. The following made the cut. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? •  A resort with everything you need (pg 40) •  A gorgeous harbourside apartment (pg 40) •  Somewhere on the beach (pg 41) •  A cosy cabin for a small family (pg 41)…

FRIDAY NIGHT BRANDY-AND-PEPPER-MARINATED STEAKS This super steak dinner will kick-start your weekend away in under an hour. Serves 4 • 4 potatoes • 4T butter • 1T peppercorns, crushed • ¼ cup brandy • 6 rump steaks • 6T olive oil • salt and pepper • 250g button mushrooms, sliced • 1 cup cream • 1T brown onion soup powder • fresh parsley, for garnish Prepare a braai fire. Poke each potato all over with a fork, coat each with a tablespoon of butter and double wrap in foil. Bury the potatoes in the hot coals and cook for 30 to 60 minutes, until soft. Add the pepper to the brandy and marinate the steaks in it for 30 minutes. Pat the steaks dry with paper towel and brush each one with a tablespoon of oil. Season well. Grill the steaks…

1 Lotheni Nature Reserve. Situated in a remote section of uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, it has trails with spectacular views. Entry is R40 pp. Chalets from R560 (sleeps three), camping from R180 per site. 033-702-0540, kznwildlife.com 2 The Himeville Arms. With a creaky wooden floor, and old hunting guns and trout sketches on the walls, it’s no surprise this pub first opened its doors in 1904. Pie and chips R55. 033-702-1305 3 Pennygum Rafting and Tubing. It provides rafts (two-and four-person) and tubes to take down the Umzimkulu River. There are two tours – 6km or 12km; the duration depends on the amount of water in the river. Tubing is R120 pp. 082-544-8627 4 Elands Rust. This large and comfortable stone house deep in foothills of the Southern Drakensberg has eye-popping…

Just like you and I and all South Africans, clans of sperm whales have their own dialects. For instance, Carribean sperm whales ‘talk’ differently from sperm whales in, say, the Pacific. Sperm whales communicate with a repetition of clicks, called codas. Caribbean sperm-whale clans click to a calypso rhythm of one, two, one-two-three. It’s distinct only to them, revealed Shane Gero, a research fellow at Denmark’s Aarhus University, in a paper published in 2016. When a new calf is born to these Caribbean whales, it’s taught the sequence. ‘This is an indication that the call is really important to all the families,’ explained Shane. ‘It’s a marker of their cultural heritage. They’re basically saying, “I’m from the eastern Caribbean.” Having these dialects means that sperm whales are socially segregated. It…

GETTING THERE From Phalaborwa, take the R71 to Gravelotte for 18km, then turn right onto a gravel road; the gate is about 4km further. Guests park here and are driven to the camp. Airlink flies to Phalaborwa Airport from Joburg (tickets from R1 600 pp). Transfers to the reserve can be arranged for R200. WHEN TO GO The trail runs from Friday to Monday or Tuesday to Friday. Bradley says the best time is June to September, as the mornings are cooler for walking and the days warm up quickly (no need for heavy winter gear). In summer, the river may be flowing if there have been good rains. NEED TO KNOW There are three-day and four-day trail options (minimum four and maximum eight people, no children under 16). Each…

We have the same wildlife, we think, plus it’s expensive. Why would we spend that much to see what we can see here? I’ll begin to answer that question by way of an anecdote. I was in the Kruger Park at a lodge, swimming in a rim-flow pool overlooking a glorious scene: below was a herd of elephants, ripping at the green grass on the edge of a stream, softly blowing air through their trunks, scuffling massive feet, rumbling softly at each other. The dust they kicked up saturated the air, turning the scene rusty and romantic. The soundtrack was the chatter of insects, birds and frogs. It was a moment of intense beauty. SOUTH AFRICANS AREN’T A BIG PERCENTAGE OF KENYA’S TOURISM MARKET. A Canadian woman swam up and…

GETTING THERE Take the N1 from Cape Town to Worcester via the Huguenot Tunnel (toll is R38), and head to Robertson on the R60 (50km). Turn right at the first four-way stop and drive until you cross a bridge (20km). Keep left and follow the road into McGregor. STAY HERE Rose House is an old Georgian home with a contemporary feel. It has four bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen plus braai area, a stoep for lazy days and a pool. From R1 250 (sleeps eight). 072-307-7399 Tigh-na-Breagha is a two-bedroom house with spacious, comfy living areas. Sun bathes the veranda and enchanting garden in the mornings. Guests can order in picnic baskets (from R120) and home-cooked meals (from R65 per portion). From R625 pp sharing (sleeps four). 072-307-7399 Green Gables Country…