Table of contents for December 2023 in Getaway

WHERE ON EARTH? THE LAST RECORDED NUMBER OF LEOPARDS IN THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK WAS 1 000. THEY ARE SOLITARY, SECRETIVE ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTIVE MAINLY AT NIGHT. DURING THE DAY, THEY RELY HEAVILY ON THEIR CAMOUFLAGE, SUCH AS THEIR COATS, TO GO UNDETECTED, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT FOR HUMANS TO SPOT. They're hard to spat far a reason It has bean estimated that this once-widespread species has vanished from nearly half of its historic range in Africa and is already extinct in six countries, and maybe six mere. Illegal killing for their skins and other body parts used for ceremonial regalia, conflict with local people, rampant bushmeat poaching, and poorly managed trophy hunting all contribute to its decline in numbers.…

BRIEFS | First Person Nkateko Letti Mzimba remembers the saddening day she and her colleagues from the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit found a rhino that poachers had killed and hidden with branches, 'The presence of vultures alerted us to the carcass. They had shot the rhino and took out the horn while it was still alive, then left it to bleed to death painfully and slowly. “How can they be okay with doing this?“ we cried.' One rhino is poached in Africa every 20 hours. The scarcer they become, the more valuable their horns. It's easy for poaching to seduce the povertystricken into becoming a perpetrator or an informer. When park officials shoot or jail poachers, it robs children of parents and wives of husbands. So, Transfrontier Africa NPC founded…

IN-DEPTH | Food From time to time, I sit and reflect upon how spoilt for choice we South Africans are. And, sadly, most times somewhat unaware of it. What with access to the bushveld literally on our collective doorstep, today's bush itinerary could very well include a sighting of elephants grazing at dawn, lions at rest in the mid-morning and perhaps end with a lone cheetah perched in an old-as-time acacia tree; the African sunset a fitting backdrop to the marvel of nature. This realisation hits home even more when I observe foreign tourists' delight at their first sighting on a game drive, often a locally-scoffed-at herd of impala. When it comes to luxury bush travel, South Africa does it well, laying on all the belts and whistles for the…

FIELD NOTES | Rhinos Our plane comes in to land on a dusty airstrip, A vast, dry, open landscape rises to meet us. A lone male wildebeest looks skyward, his tail and mane billowing in the wind, before turning and cantering off toward the perceived protection of a knobbly acaria tree. The sky is hazy. Smoke from a fire burning on the horizon tints the world below the sepia tones of an old photograph. Beneath us are the Ngamo Plains, on the edge of Hwangs National Park, Zimbabwe's largest national park. A game drive vehicle is parked on the side of the airstrip, and as we touch down, its occupants alight, waving and walk towards the plane. It all feels a very long way from the crowded tourist town of…

What you need to know A list of things you should consider when planning your visit to the ancient city of Petra • Jordan welcomes tourists and is an easy country to travel. • Hiring a car from the main airport In Amman, the capital, is well worth it as it gives you flexibility. Petra Is only a three-hour drive away. • In Petra, I recommend staying dose to the main entrance In the town of Wadi Musa, It makes it easy to pop back and forth. • Buy a Jordan Pass online before you visit. It gives you free entrance to Petra as well as other places and Ib worth It If you are going to atay a while. Jordanpass.jo • Try to allocate at least three days to…

Sue Adams CITY Of ROCK (P104) It seemed to Sue that the only way to feed her travel bug was by becoming a travel writer and photographer. The more foreign, mysterious and legendary a destination, the better. Sue could not resist the call of the Arabian Desert and ancient Petra, and her first-hand experience was even better than her fantasies. She has sailed up the east coast of Africa, chased stories of piracy in the Seychelles and Madagascar, and visited some of the most ancient civilisations in the world. But she's just as happy to sit around a campfire in the bushveld or go cold-water swimming in the tidal pools of Cape Town where she lives. Amelia Pallett  INDIA IS EVERYTHING'(P54) 'There's nothing I like more than getting home from…

Views of the city buildings turn to villages with smaller houses, and than all you see are valleys with a farm house or two surraunded by cows and a mountain backdrop. Wind down the windows and turn off the music because that fresh Berg air is too delicious to Ignore, and the mountain silence is the best sound in the world. We are finally in the Northern Drakanaberg's Cathkin Perk, and I can already feel the effects of being amidst the 'dragons'. You breathe slower and deeper; you look to the sky more for the stars, the sunsets, end the birds, and your body automatically relaxes. Our three-bedroom Airbnb is one of many in Bergview Estates, and we can walk the grounds of the Drakensberg Sun Resort right after we…

HISTORY LESSON UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, inscribed 42 new sites and extended five sites to its World Heritage List this year. Of these, 33 are cultural sites and nine are natural sites. It's a good thing to be on the list. It means the sites will get the highest level of heritage protection in the world and will have access to new opportunities for technical and financial assistance from UNESCO. There are now 1 199 heritage sites across 168 countries. The World Heritage Committee also approved the extension of five sites and examined the state of conservation of 263 sites that were already inscribed. Climate change, urban development and demographic pressure, aimed conflicts and mass tourism are the biggest threats to World Heritage Sites. From 2025,…

BRIEFS | First Look I park my ear midway up Chapman's Peak Drive, and a shuttle transports me down a winding road that cuts into the side of the mountain and meanders to the rocky shoreline below. The view of The Sentinel and Hout Bay has got to be the clincher; it's paradisiacal, and I anticipate the sunset later that evening. Can a lodge match this panorama? The property has survived two devastating fires, one veld, one kitchen, a staff member explains as we walk to my room, pointing out the charred remains of a hammock that serves as a reminder that it's not only still standing but going from strength to strength. I walk into the top villa and immediately begin to understand why, I'm staying in the Elba…

BLACK COFFEE 2-3 December CAPE TOWN Gat ready to groove to the beats of summer as Cabo Beach Club brings you a BcintilletinQ event you won't want to miss. The iconic Black Coffee returns to Cape Town, promising a sizzling summer season filled with electrifying music and unforgettable vibes. Black Coffee, known for his groundbreaking performances, is set to turn Cabo Beach Club into the ultimate destination for music lovers and partygoers. It's going to be a summer celebration like no other. Tickets: from R350 musicpeople.howler.co.za HEY NEIGHBOUR FEST 2023 8-10 december PRETORIA Start that group chat and gat planning to make your way to the Hey Neighbour Feat 2023. A remarkable three-day music extravaganza set at Pretoria's sun-soaked Legends Adventure Farm this December. Music lovers and festival fairies gather…

Several African resorts, hotels and countries clocked up the votes In the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. They're arguably the most renowned awards in the travel and tourism industry and are the best of everything; as voted for by the readers of the travel media giant. Cape Town is the seventh best city in the world and fourth as the best big city. This came hot on the heels of The Telegraph Travel Awards 2023, where South Africa took home the overall Best Country in the World award. The Telegraph readers also voted Cape Town the Best City in the World. Beaches, waddling penguins, shark spotting, top hotels, art, great food and, of course, the Winelands, were all named by Condeé Nast Traveller and The Telegraph visitors. In the…

Field Guide To Fynbos Fauna BY CLIFF AND SUBETHA DORSE Struik Nature, RRP R350 Let's hear it far fynbos, one of the richest floras in the world. So rich, in fact, that Table Mountain alone has more species of plants than the whole of the British Isles. There are more than 9 000 species in an area the size of Malawi, and 150 to 170 unique species per 1 000 km, making it two to three times more speciesdiverse than the world's rainforests. We know the restios and proteas, the fragrant little-leaved shrubs and flowers. Less well-known is the fauna. Some species occur nowhere else from the tiny micro frog to the brightly coloured orange-breasted sunbird and the large, striking bontebok. Many fynbos species are adapted for pollination by nectar-feeding…

PHOTOGRAPHY | Portfolio 'During my first year studying at Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town, my yearning to visit India and interest in photography began. I wanted to be a painter, but they had a few digital cameras to “play with”, and I started to lean into that. 'As a Fine Art student, I didn't pursue commercial photography as I believed it was like selling your soul and lacked academic integrity. I shied away from it because I didn't think it was worth taking a picture of anything that wasn't an artwork.' Over time, while pursuing various creative careers, photography persistently elbowed its way into her travels and weekend adventures, fest becoming a more serious passion and pursuit. A friend who'd spent several years in India sparked her…

SOCIAL MEDIA When you're lazing an the beach this summer, what is this one thing you think should be outlawed from beaches that would make your experience that much better? Actually, there is nothing I would outlaw on beaches. Loud music gives them that summer vibe. I am 68 years old, in case you're wondering. Rosemarle Solomon Smoking cigarettes. Helena Grevalink People doing Monty Python's silly walk. Sand goes everywhere! Chris Viveirus Not cleaning up empty beer bottles. I wouldn't mind if people picked up after their dags, too. People can be gross! Arshad Pahad Find your accommodation on Daddy's Deals South Africa at a steal!…