Inhaltsverzeichnis für March 2016 in Getaway

A few months ago I visited Wuppertal in Germany, a place known for its lovely forests. On one cool, overcast day, I went for a run and, afterwards, sat under a beautiful beech tree. For about 20 minutes I kept very still, and slowly, the forest around me came to life. Bird calls rang out and were swiftly answered, creatures rustled about in the undergrowth, squirrels busied themselves on branch highways stretching towards the light, and the trees shushed and creaked and tapped. I felt in my bones that there was an entire conversation happening around me. Imagine then my delight when I read about a book by a forest ranger in Eifel (not too far from Wuppertal, in fact), Peter Wohlleben, who has cared for forests for a couple…

‘The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed’ – STEVE BIKO 1 CONSTITUTION HILL, GAUTENG DO  IT Daily tours are R55 pp and R27 for kids and pensioners.constitutionhill.org.za 2 APARTHEID MUSEUM, GAUTENG DO  IT Entry is R75 pp and R60 for kids, students (with ID) and pensioners.apartheidmuseum.org 3 THE IzIKO SLAVE LODGE, WESTERN CAPE DO IT Entry is R30 pp and R15 for kids, students (with ID) and pensioners.iziko.org.za 4 ROBBEN ISLAND, WESTERN CAPE DO  IT Tours are R300 pp.robben-island.org.za 5 LUTHULI MUSEUM, KWAzULU-NATAL DO  IT Admission is free.luthulimuseum.org.za…

RapidLion was inspired by... the realisation that there is a global need for a high-end alternative platform to The Oscars and Cannes [Film Festival] for the international promotion of film, especially South African and African cinema. The festival provides the continent with... the opportunity to view, compete against, mingle with, learn from and teach some of the best filmmakers on the continent and from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. The selection of films is... done such that you can blindly choose any film and not be disappointed. At RapidLion we say: ‘Come and see the best of a different kind of cinema.’ The films are some of the excellent films not available on our circuit presently. The RapidLion Award Ceremony... is on the 16th March at…

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Thomas Cook Airlines has launched direct, one-way flights from Gatwick to Cape Town for four months, between December 2016 and March 2017, on a trial basis. Flights will be three times a week (Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays). From £299 (about R6900). thomascookairlines.com NEW ROUTES FOR FASTjET Low-cost airline Fastjet has launched two new routes from Joburg: Harare and Zanzibar. According to Fastjet’s Chief Operating Officer, Richard Bodin, they’re hoping to link Victoria Falls and Joburg soon. Harare from R1939. Zanzibar from R1429 (one way). fastjet.com DUBAI BOASTS YET ANOTHER CONCOURSE The world’s third busiest airport, Dubai International Airport is opening its fourth concourse, titled ‘Concourse D’, increasing the airport’s capacity to 90 million passengers. It features ample seating, the popular SnoozeCubes, food outlets, nine lounges and…

OUR EXPERT SAYS: 'Paternoster is a bargain in winter and most houses have a fireplace or two' HOW IT WORKS: TripAdvisor lists accommodation rated by guests, but as much as we love peer reviews, can we trust them? Pippa, who has reviewed accommodation for 17 years, inspected 53 properties – some rated on TripAdvisor, plus she rooted out new ones. These 22 made her list. Best six-bedroom beachfront home AS IT IS IN HEAVEN Unrated Enjoying an elevated location right on the southern edge of Bekbaai, this is Paternoster’s quietest stretch of beach, and the views from here really are quite heavenly. Aside from location, the house offers a rare benefit: the six en-suite bedrooms are not only fairly similar in size but all, bar one, share the same lovely…

We were about 15 kilometres off the N2 when we first hit dirt. If you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle on a gravel road for the first time, it’s something you’ll never forget - it feels like roller skating on marbles. We pulled over to let the tyres down for some extra grip. We’re both experienced off-road riders with our own adventure bikes, but with two very shiny and very borrowed KTMs beneath us we weren’t taking any chances. With the tyres at optimal pressure (Chris had, just a few minutes previously, inhaled two pies at Peregrine Farm Stall, so I imagined he wouldn’t need to deflate his too much with all that extra bulk he was now carrying), we wound our way south over the Highlands Pass, climbing ever higher…

PALERMO Book Airbnb from R500 pppn. Budget about R450 pp per day for food A few months ago, I was on holiday in London and wanted a short break on the continent. I’d often thought of trying Sicily and, as the flights to Palermo were cheap, direct and daily, I took the plunge and booked. It’s easy to cover the old town on foot, but you’ll probably want to hire a car upon arrival at Palermo airport as there are many great attractions outside the city. Palermo was a revelation. There’s so much to remind one of Africa, not least the presence of refugees making Sicily their first port of call. Scruffy, derelict parts of the inner city look just like Maputo or Dar es Salaam. It’s a fascinating meeting…

'The sense of it being a last-chance saloon, a crossroads between civilisation and wilderness, remains' “There’s no two ways about it.’ Tyson Jopson, our deputy editor, looked as deflated as our tyres. ‘We’re going to have to spend another day in Maun.’ We were taking over from colleagues on an assignment through the wilds of Botswana - but admin had to be accomplished first, for our trusty vehicle had already been exploring the bumpy, dusty, mud-pocketed roads for three weeks. She needed a service, and a thorough one, before we could career back into the glorious nowhere land of the Delta. It’s not often that the first port of call on your adventure is a place that elicits groans, rather than sighs of happiness, but that’s how it is with…

THE ROGERS FAMILY Former Getaway staffer David Rogers, his wife Jenni and their two sons Liam and Dane love heading into Africa’s wilderness. During a Wild Coast hike, Liam - who completed the walk, despite being sick - learnt the value of samp and a good night’s sleep, and the family learnt the value of pulling together. See page 90. KEITH BAIN Keith is a destroyer of tents. The last time he was allowed to strike camp, the resulting mangle of nylon had to be thrown away. He has slept in cars, on top of a bus, and even in a London phone booth. He'd rather sleep under the stars than under canvas, which is why he recruited experts for our camping feature on page 82. JUSTIN FOX Justin cut…

What an excellent opportunity to visit a place I’ve always just read about. Fantastic feeling! - Mark Fourie What a great way to start my new year! We are outdoor people and this is a really great prize. - Anita Prinsloo Thank you Getaway magazine for the competition. I’ve never won anything in my life before! - Heindrich Meyer Thanks for allowing us to dream and, at times, live those dreams. This will make a great gift for a very special man! - Tanya Clausen…

Laurelle Sham, Cape Town I would go to an island for seven days, probably Mauritius being the closer and cheaper option. I see myself eating lots of fresh fruit and fish, reading, sleeping, swimming and living the lazy island lifestyle. Kapil Singh, Cape Town My wife and I are avid travellers and have planned a ‘quick and dirty’ tour of Namibia with another couple who haven’t been outside of SA ... yet. The plan is to rent a 4x4 that’s fully kitted out for a camping road trip and see as much as we can. Keith Kunene, Joburg I love going away when it’s not holiday season, so I won’t be taking the three days off to extend my break. But my ideal ten-day holiday would start in Mpumalanga (my…

WIN NEW COOL National Luna’s new 12-volt, top of the range 60-litre dual control, double-bin fridge and freezer is a great camping companion. The unit features thicker insulation around the freezer unit so it cools quickly and stays frozen (up to -24°C). The temperature of the bins can also be adjusted independently so you can use them as two freezers if ice is a serious priority or one as a fridge and one as a freezer. It features an internal light for better visibility, can be fitted with up to five organiser baskets and comes with a rugged stainless steel outer shell. From R11950, nationalluna .com ON TOP OF THE WORLD The new Alu-Cab Expedition 3 Flip Tent is a sleek and aerodynamic rooftop tent that minimises…

• PREPARE FOR CLICHÉS Apologies in advance for any overuse of words such as spectacular, glorious, fabulous, stunning, mesmerising - it’s hard to avoid these when describing Paternoster’s views. A wind- and sun-lashed bay, its long beaches lapped by an icy aquamarine Atlantic, Paternoster’s strict building regulations have resulted in a dense cluster of simple whitewashed dwellings, making it by far the prettiest village on the West Coast. • AUTHENTIC One of the oldest fishing villages in the country, Paternoster’s economy is still somewhat supported by fishing, and famous for its crayfish, but tourism now far outstrips any other income. Parts can become a ghost town in winter but Paternoster’s development - encompassing and growing around the original local residents - saves it from being some twee Disneyesque village, and is a…

WHY IT’S WORTH THE TRIP • It’s just across the border from South Africa and, luckily for Durbanites, it’s just a six-hour road trip. • There’s no need to fuss about exchanging rands. • The cost of a Mozambican holiday is reasonable. Six days including a 4x4 hire, meals, petrol and accommodation for father and daughter came to about R14960. • Mozambique is one of The New York Times’ 52 places to go in 2016. In my opinion, the Sunset Shack in Ponta Malongane has the best peri-peri chicken I’ve ever tasted. And I’m not alone in thinking this. My dad sits across from me at the wooden picnic table. We’re one of three tables seated in the sand on a summery evening out of peak season; music floats out…

COSY SIESTAS R895, http://frontrunneroutfitters.com frontrunner-outfitters.com The Front Runner Flip Pop Tent has a 1500mm rainfly, reflective guy lines, interior pockets and two overhead loops to hang a torch. Two single camping mattresses fit inside and it packs into a heavy-duty canvas carry bag with straps to sling over your back or to secure underneath the roof rack. THROW SHADE R699, campandclimb.co. za The Yellowstone Fast Pitch 2 Tent is a quick set-up, waterproof shelter that sleeps two people. It’s fire-retardant, has a tough polyethylene groundsheet, mesh windows, weighs under 1,5kg and is competitively priced. EASIEST UP R1 695, 4x4megaworld.co.za The Malamoo 3-Second Pop-Up Tent for two may be my favourite because I value convenience. The fabric isn’t very hardy but it has a simple design,…

GETTING THERE Air Botswana flies direct from both Joburg and Cape Town to Maun for about R4 700 and R7500 return, respectively. If you’re driving, take the N1 from Joburg towards Pretoria and turn off onto the R33 towards Modimolle. Cross the border at Martin’s Drift and continue on the A14 and A3 to Maun. NEED TO KNOW There’s a lot of livestock on the roads. Cows and dogs tend to look both ways before crossing - but the donkeys obey only their whims and do not stop for love or money. They always have right of way. A surprisingly large number of establishments have free Wi-Fi, and they tend to be generous with it. If you can’t find the password, try 12345. Park and campsite fees should be paid…

‘A chap travelling with his mother attracts a lot of goodwill on a cruise ship’ ‘Where are you going?’ asked my mother. ‘Out,’ I said between gritted teeth. No matter how old and sophisticated you think you are, there’s nothing like a question from your mom to show you what a sulky adolescent you still remain. ‘Don’t get left behind!’ she called anxiously after me. We were on a cruise ship on the east coast of America, on our way to the Caribbean. I love my mother and I love cruise ships but I needed to get the hell off that ship and be alone. It wasn’t only that I was suddenly spending 24 hours a day with my mom, it’s also that a chap travelling with his mother attracts…

Flapp Air Commuter is a flight-booking app designed exclusively for the Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg commuters. Although the ‘two tap flight app’ tag line is more alliterative than true (you’ll need at least six taps to select and pay for a return flight, and that’s after you’ve saved your card and personal details), it’s still an excellent tool for regular flyers. Select your route and the neat interface produces flights for the next 14 days, with filters for price, departure time and preferred carrier. There’s also an option to save multiple travellers and store their frequent flyer details. The initial search can take a while - up to 20 seconds for the Joburg/Cape Town leg, but once loaded, flight selection and booking is near instantaneous. Free on Android and iOS.…

1 NAVIGATION If you’re serious about exploring - and to my mind this is almost entirely the point of adventure motorcycling - you need a rugged, waterproof, shockproof GPS loaded with good tracking software. A Garmin Montana and Tracks4Africa combo is king. The Montana is glove-friendly, the display is bright and you can mount it vertically to avoid a cluttered cockpit. With Tracks4Africa there’s no voice prompt to tell you where to turn, but the road network is exhaustive and includes conditions, fuel stops and numerous points of interest. Familiarisation with the interface is vital - it’s not as intuitive as regular navigation software and you need to keep an eye on where you’re going. However, the ability to plot routes and distances and mark waypoints make it an adventure-biking…

You have a friend visiting you from the United States, what hotel would you recommend? 15 On Orange, because it’s very much a part of my university landscape. It used to be a massive NG Kerk, and was then disused for a while, and disused buildings always interest me. I went to Michaelis School of Fine Art so I walked past that space every day. I saw them gut it, I saw them rip the whole one side off, all the papers flying, all the old chairs tumbling out, so for me, that building is so vast and I saw it change from this boring, very traditional 1960s church to the upper-crust African Pride hotel it is today. I like the opulence of it, and how dramatic it is. How…

SLEEPING 2 - 4 La Baleine has the best view in a village of superlative views from its four Seafront Houses in the La Baleine Collection, of which De Drommedaris and De Goede Hoop are top choices. From R1995 per night.labaleine.co.za. Sister outfit The Cottage Collection, on roads set back from the beach, is also worth looking into. From R1180 per night.thecottagecollection.co.za. Both collections are pet friendly. Bo Sig is a beachfront house on Bekbaai that comprises three separate self-catering units of which Bo Sig 3, the two-bedroom upstairs unit, is by far the best for privacy and views. From R1900 per night.paternosterrentals.co.za Ah! is another fabulous B&B with just five luxury rooms, each individually decorated with real flair. The house is filled with interesting objets and artworks picked up…

1 DORRANCE Christophe durand makes a Chenin, Chardonnay and syrah and opened bouchon in collaboration with the team behind La boheme Wine bar & bistro in sea Point. The ‘Travel Through Your Glass’ blackboard option changes weekly and offers three global wines by the glass. 95 Hout Street, Cape Town, 021-422-0695, dorrancewines.com 2 SIGNAL HILL WINERY Jean Vincent Ridon champions the city vineyard and his Clos d’Oranje Syrah comes from a block at the foot of Table Mountain. 100 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town, 021-424-5820, winery.co.za…

3... This is the number of exquisitely cool pools deep enough to leap into in this Baviaanskloof ravine, which ends at the prettiest pool we’ve ever swum in. Of course, there are more along this river, but the three mentioned are special because they’re deep enough to submerge yourself right over your head. In fact, the last one is so deep that a free-diver swam down nine metres, with no sign of nearing the bottom. This river trip is an add-on to the brand-new four-day, 55-kilometre hike we’ll be featuring in our next issue. The trial period has begun, and we were the first to do it. Find out what it’s like in the April issue of Getaway.…