Indice dei contenuti per September 2023 in Getaway

There is no denying South Africa’s wonder. Its sense of magic, if you will. It keeps many of us returning even after exploring what foreign lands have to offer and why many who may not have been born here now proudly call it home. As I sit and write this, my first letter back as the editor of this extraordinary magazine, I am planning two bucketlist international trips. The first will have me exploring Italy and Croatia, and the second to visit my best friend in the US and meet her newborn. While I’m overwhelmingly excited about seeing the Trevi Fountain in Rome, riding a gondola in Venice and holding the next generation in my arms for the first time, I also look forward to the moment when I return…

CHITTY-CHITTY-BANG-BANG Road trips will soon have an added dimension that'll help you skip the boring bits, if you have the cash to splash. Alef Aeronautics, the American electric car company, has won regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin test-driving its fully electric Model A flying car. The two-seater Model A can take off and land vertically, park in an ordinary parking spot and drive on an ordinary road. It weighs less than 1 360 kg but only has a top speed of 40 km/h. Pre-orders have already opened, with the car costing $300 000 (about R5.6 million), and Alef aims to start deliveries to customers by the end of 2025. The company has been working on it since 2015, and test driving and test flying the prototype…

The Buck that Buries its Poo BY QUINTON COETZEE Jonathan Ball, RRP R280 The author of this interesting little guide knows his stuff. Raised on the fringes of the Namib Desert, Quinton has spent a lifetime in the bush and is considered one of Southern Africa's leading bushcraft and survival specialists. He's been chilly in sub-Antarctica, and rather hot in the deserts of the Middle East. He's checked out the wastelands of Outer Mongolia, the jungles of the Amazon basin, and lived with the 'vanishing' tribes in Africa. And then there's the television shows and talks. And now there's this handy book. It's quite the pedigree, so you know this is the real deal. He gives the facts, dispels many myths and unpacks legends around creatures we thought we knew…

Winemakers name their wines for all sorts of important reasons, such as family members past and present, sometimes even beloved dogs - like the poodle Miss Lucy immortalised on Gabrielskloofs Cap Classique. But you would have to have solid connections or a personal vineyard to see your own name on a bottle of wine or bubbly. Or you can visit Weltevrede Wine Estate in the Robertson Wine Valley, on the Bonnievale outskirts of the region that stretches in four directions from Rooiberg Winery - less than half an hour from Worcester on the R60 - to Bonnievale, Montagu and McGregor. Central to these are Robertson itself and Ashton. Weltevrede offers visitors experiences such as the Captivated By Cap Classique Tour. For this, you'll descend into underground cellars, to learn more…

Head Ranger at Ivory Tree Game Lodge, Madel Marx, shares his insight into these powerful creatures. Warning signs an elephant doesn't feel safe around you. • Ears out • Trumpeting • Throwing objects • Warning charges • Visible discomfort and anxiety Three ways to interact with elephants that respect them and their habitat. • Give them the space they need tD move around comfortably in their habitat • Pay attention to warning signs and general behaviour • Always keep your noise level down, as they frighten easily Behaviour to avoid when around elephants. • Driving too close and entering their comfort zone • Coming between herd members and their young • Making a lot of noise (shouting, engine noise, and music playing)…

TRAVEL Namibia This year, I joined Jan Scannell (aka Jan Braai), former Olympic cyclist and multiple Namibian national champion Dan Craven (grandson of rugby legend Danie Craven), and a motley crew of other equally pleasant personalities on the ninth Ride for Rhinos cycle tour in Namibia's outback. We were all there to cycle for rhino conservation in the Palmwag concession and, hopefully, to catch a glimpse of these critically endangered mammals. We spent four nights and five days there. The first three wild camping in a riverbed - where a lioness had padded through the tented camp a few days prior - and the final night in the luxurious Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp. Leading the tour was Johan Fourie, the conservation and environmental manager at Wilderness, who, in addition to…

Say ‘Winelands’ and Stellenbosch or Franschhoek spring to mind. Even Constantia, Hemel en Aarde and the Swartland. Paarl lies forgotten. But you’d be the poorer for overlooking this gem of a town. It’s a city of contrasts - it gets almost unbearably hot in the summer and quite frigid in the winter; it is old and new but mostly pretty. Old Paarl is in the centre of the town, and it is here that we start our morning. DAY 1 9 am: First up, coffee and patisserie at MOM Café - that is Meals On Main, in case you were wondering. It is the public-facing aspect of the Hurst Campus of the Hurst Master Culinary School, founded, owned and run by Rebecca Hurst in 1997. The 70-odd students get practical,…

BRIEFS Meet The Team MEET THE TEAM SIT, EAT, SHOP, REPEAT LORRAINE KEARNEY Pretoria is our quiet capital, with its embassies and pockets of elegance. It's not generally on the tourism radar, but it should be. There are many reasons to love Jacaranda City besides the purple spring. About 37 000 jacaranda trees are along its streets, the first two planted in 1888 - they are still standing. Another claim to fame? Church Street (the city's main road) is the longest straight urban road in South Africa, at 26 km, and is one of the longest in the world. Although it is now named four different things along its path. There's lots of history tied up in the city. Nelson Mandela gave his famous 'I'm prepared to die' speech at the…

We’re shaking things up for the new season of our legendary Getaway Gallery Competition. We’ll continue to reward the best pictures and acknowledge creativity, but we’re keen to introduce new blood into our sponsors and look at how we can reward our winners with prizes their efforts deserve. Our team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure these prizes. Stand by for more info in upcoming issues. As always, we’ll promote the finest wildlife shots in Africa, acting as a platform for the pool of immensely talented photographers who’ve been contributing to our competition for decades. Wildlife will continue to be a focus, but we want to share this platform with other photographers too, and create a space for up-andcoming snappers to share their shots PICK YOUR GENRE When…

Dr Paula Kahumbu is the CEO of the Kenyan conservation organisation WildlifeDirect and a National Geographic Explorer. She is best known for her efforts to halt the illegal trade in elephant ivory and her campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of preserving Africa’s natural heritage. Dr Joyce Poole is a world authority on elephant reproductive, communicative and cognitive behaviour whose life’s work was to compile five decades of recordings of elephant behaviour. This National Geographic Explorer set up Elephant Voices to study elephant communication and act as a voice for elephants. She was instrumental in the 1989 ban on international ivory trade. National Geographic’s Secrets Of The Elephants is now available to view on Disney+. Scan this QR code to watch the trailer: Scan this QR code to find…

TRAVEL Provence It's said that most of the joy in travel lies in the planning, not the destination. Respectfully, I disagree. Gone are the days when I would pore over spreadsheets separating the pros and cons of every flight, train, hotel, suburb and restaurant in favour of a more relaxed approach to holiday plans. So, I ditched traditional research methods and asked ChatGPT to plan the perfect road trip through Provence. If it worked, I reasoned, I'd save hours of planning. And we're told time is money, so, by extension, saving time would mean I'd have more euros to spend on swilling rosé wine around my glass or sampling a particularly pungent variety of Roquefort as I basked in the sunshine of the South of France. What did I tell…

South African interest in Alaskan cruises is reaching unprecedented levels in 2023 as eager travellers book their once-in-a-lifetime adventures well in advance for the upcoming 2024/2025 cruise season. The allure of the Last Frontier is irresistible, and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is prepared to help you experience its wonders in the most memorable way possible. Embarking on an Alaskan cruise with NCL offers access to remote and untouched locations with panoramic views - and wildlife encounters - that will leave you breathless. Here are just 5 reasons why an NCL Alaskan cruise is a bucket-list experience you won't want to miss. 1. Wildlife galore Among the sightings you can expect: magnificent whales breaching the ocean's surface, seals lounging on ice floes, sea otters and puffins diving for their dinner. You'll…

If you have a hankering for a long-distance walk in the wilds, De Hoop Nature and Marine Reserve, near Cape Agulhas, has an answer in its new Vlei to Whales Trail. Fully catered and guided, the trail is four days, three nights and about 38 km covered. Why do it? Well, there’s the exercise and fresh air. And the cultural history, the marine, bird, animal and rare plant species. Look out for wild bush pigs, otters, rock dassies, eland and even leopards, as well as endangered Cape vultures and, yes, whales. The primary accommodation option is the De Hoop Collection’s De Mond Villa, a newly restored and refurbished, off-grid villa on the edge of the Ramsar-listed vlei. If the villa is booked, however, the accommodation is at Melkkamer Homestead. You…

I was a pharmaceutical sales rep for many years, and I decided one day that it wasn't what set my soul on fire. I had to keep doing that or go and do what makes me happy. I didn't know then that would be guiding, but I knew I needed to be outside with animals and people. So, I left for the US on a sabbatical that was meant to be for one year and ended up being three. There, I spent time in nature, in national parks. When I came home, my parents had booked a weekend away for us at Marataba Mountain Lodge in the Waterberg. When we got to Marataba, there was a pamphlet in our room for the MORE Field Guide College. When I was growing…

'I arrived in Africa when I was 21 with only a few hundred dollars I'd taken a long time to save. Travelling overseas is a rite of passage for most young Australians, and because we live so far from the rest of the world, we tend to go for a while. I started in Zimbabwe and had planned my first couple of months. After that, I totted up my steadily dwindling finances and decided I'd have to change my mode of transport. So, I spent the next few months hitchhiking around Southern Africa, sometimes with a buddy, mostly alone, and I have to say that doing so contributed to some of my best travel experiences. I hitched my way across and around Southern Africa, meeting a motley assortment of people,…

TRAVEL Maputaland The half-ton leatherback turtle hauled herself out of the ocean, up the beach, and setded into a little depression above the high tide line. Then, she anchored her front flippers and began: dig, flick, dig, flick. First, with the right side. Then with the left. The sand piled up around a steadily deepening hole as she laboured to hollow out a nest for her eggs. Her breathing rasped. The sand scratched. Behind her, the ocean whispered and sighed. Ghost crabs moonwalked where the sea wash shone silver on the sand. It was mesmerising. ‘Sometimes a flipper gets bitten off by a shark. She’ll still dig with it,’ said Andy Coetzee, a man with ocean-blue eyes and salt in his veins, who has seen thousands of turtles enact their…

GETTING THERE Fly into Nice or Marseilles if you're travelling from elsewhere in Europe. Alternatively, take a train from Paris into Avignon. Once you're in Provence, you will need to rent a car to explore the region properly. Stay Here AIX-EN-PROVENCE HÔTEL AQUABELLA &: SPA features a heated outdoor pool and access to extensive spa facilities, including a Jacuzzi, hammam, and whirlpool. The location just on the edge of the town is convenient and easy to access, and the rooms are modern and well-equipped. From R3 ODO pr pn aquabella.fr HOTEL AUGUSTINS is a more typically Provençal-style hotel, which offers affordable rates (starting at R2 700 per room) but plenty of the perks and amenities you'd expect from a more upscale establishment. It's set in the historic city centre within…