Indice dei contenuti per February 2024 in Getaway

It feels like aeons ago when we were housebound during lockdowns as the world fought to survive the clutches of a pandemic. During that time, I'm sure, we all started a list of things we'd do when we made it safely through that dark time. Your list probably included big things ranging from skydiving to globetrotting, and small things, which you now realise are, in fact, big things, such as spending more time with loved ones. We learnt that while wild and crazy adventures are great, little, everyday adventures count most. And that's a good thing because, let's face it, we may not all be hunting for an adrenaline rush that will push our blood pressure to a point that our GPs look at us funny. Many people seek the…

WHERE ON EARTH? PINK LAKE (PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS LAKE SPENCER) IS A SALT LAKE IN THE GOLDFIELDS-ESPERANCE REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. THE WATER IN THE LAKE USED TO BE PINK, BUT AS OF 2017, IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR A DECADE DUE TO A LOWER SALT CONCENTRATION. IT IS AROUND 3 KM WEST OF ESPERANCE AND IS BOUNDED TO THE EAST BY THE SOUTH COAST HIGHWAY. Seeing Red While many describe Australia's pink-hued bodies of water as something straight out of a fairytale, the reason behind the water's rosy colouring is more scientific than magical. Simply put, when Dunaliella salina, an algae in the lakes, is exposed to the sun, it produces beta-carotene, the same pigment found in certain vegetables that help give it its bright red colour. It is…

UPFRONT First Person Professor Marcus Byrne is a zoologist and National Geographic Explorer Who's been a member of the School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences at Wits University since 1986, where he teachas zoology and entomology. He also works on orientation and navigation in dung beetles to understand how little brains have evolved to solve complex problems. He has published a book called The Dance of the Dung Beetles. Scan the QR code to watch his TED Talk of the same name. Why spend 30 years studying dung beetles? My first response to that question is, why not? Growing up in England, I was fascinated by the natural world. I moved to Joburg to teach and study for an MSc at Wits University. The Australian Dung Beetle Research Unit…

Rambling Man BY BILLY CONNOLLY John Murray/Jonathan Ball, RRP R348 First, there was Tall Tales and Wee Stories, the author's book of stand-up stories. Then there was Windswept and Interesting, his full autobiography. His latest book covers the other main strands of his career - his travels across the globe as a citizen of the world. It's got everything: humour, travel, celebrity in an unconventional memoir, reminiscing about a lifetime of journeys. And rollicking good fun on an international voyage from Ireland to India, Australia to the Arctic, full of detours, digressions and eccentric characters. And, of course, there is essential advice for anyone setting out on an adventure: 'A good trip, in my book, should be littered with little detours. Travelling from A to B is all very well,…

It was my first visit to the Kruger. Three friends and I headed up from Cape Town to celebrate completing our matric exams. We had planned the trip several months before: we were to drive up in my buddy Steve's blue VW Jetta. It isn't like we really had a choice as to which car to use. Only Steve owned a car. At least we all had our licences so we could share the driving responsibilities. Something of a problem was that the two couples were no longer two couples. My girlfriend and I had been together for about three years but decided to call time on our relationship a month before. Still, there was no way either of us were missing out on our first Kruger trip, so we…

TRAVEL Motoring Having driven nearly every iteration of Isuzu's D-Max bakkie this year, I have a massive soft spot for the distinctly diesel-powered beast that feels tuned for gravel roads rather than tar. Gravel roads being my preference, I was hugely excited by the announcement of the AT35 earlier this year - so much so that I reached out to Isuzu asking for a priority spot on the waiting list to drive it. My prayers were answered, and the car was sent to our team to test for two weeks, just in time for a weekend away, a tried-and-tested trip to the Overberg and up to Arniston driving the AT35. Something I wish that I had done on this trip, given how appropriate the vehicle was for the weekend, is…

TO ENTER HEAD ON OVER TO GETAWAY.CO.ZA Competition closes 29 February 2024 TANUR COLLECTION Mindful Luxury Tanur Collection reflects all things inspiring to luxury jewellery; mirroring African light, fauna, flora and contemporary energy. Intricately crafted fine jewellery demands exceptional craftsmanship. Each Tanur Collection piece is mindfully created with care. Drawing inspiration from the natural mise en scene and beauty that is Cape Town, South Africa, the designs are detailed, exuding organic shape and flow. African gold and gems are strategically espoused, forming delicate expressions of innate beauty. Elegant, tangible jewels hold memories of moments. The celebrations of special memories and occasions are made palpable with a bespoke piece of Tanur Collection jewellery to mark them. Tanur Collection is in the heart of the V&A Waterfront, offering a range of exclusive…

Anita Froneman RELAX AND UN-WINED (P 38) Anita Froneman is a Free State-born Capetonian who wants to see and do it all. From chasing the Northern Lights in Scandinavia to getting her fill of kimchi in South Korea, this adventure addict always keeps her passport within easy reach - but loves South Africa the most. When not travelling, she's usually paddleboarding in the ocean or has her nose in a glass of wine. Shai Rama TRADITION MEETS TREND (P 102) Shai Rama is a writer from Johannesburg with an affinity for art, design and travel. After graduating from UCT - majoring in French and English - Shai has been obsessed with visiting new countries and sampling all kinds of food. He's slowly working through a growing list of destinations that…

Alexandria: The City that Changed the World BY ISLAM ISSA Hodder and Stoughton/ Jonathan Ball, RRP R391 Alexander the Great sketched out a sparkling metropolis that celebrated learning and diversity. He died before his city was built but his vision was realised and is still standing. In the beginning, Alexandria was Pharos, an island off the coast of Egypt. A causeway was built to the mainland, and the natural gradual deposit of silt widened it to form the geography it is today. Situated on the cusp of Africa, Europe and Asia, great civilisations met in Alexandria - Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and Jews created a global knowledge capital of enormous influence that shaped philosophy, science, religion and more. This is a sweeping biography of the city, covering thousands of years of…

TRAVEL Thulamela The cool balm of dark after a fiery day, the forest illuminated by the tiny pulsing andomems of flirting fireflies. We're sitting in the game vehicle, waiting. Minutes ago, a leopard crossed the track, its pelt gleaming in the headlights before melting into the undergrowth behind the small clearing where the impala huddled. The perilous wait for dawn is long. Except, perhaps, for one. We are in a reverential mood. Earlier, we ascended the rocky hill rising from the floodplains south of the Luvuvhu River, stepping over baobab roots thick as tree trunks to reach the medieval stonewalled citadel of Thulamela, a remarkable archeological site that is easily accessible for the first time. ‘When you head into this far northern corner of the Kruger, there is a sense…

TRAVEL Into Africa Overhead, the Zimbabwean flag flutters in the breeze. At the flagpoleʼs base, a sign reads Cape Town 1647 miles, Cairo 5165 miles. Looking over the dramatic Batoka Gorge, we can see the Victoria Falls Bridge and beyond, the spray of the falls rising high into the sky. Behind us are the manicured grounds of the Victoria Falls Hotel and Stanleyʼs Terrace, where uniformed waiters serve high tea, bearing silver teapots and three-tiered cake stands. Known as ʻthe Grand Old Lady of the Fallsʼ, the Edwardian-era hotel perfectly encapsulates the age of Grand Travel. From our arrival, we knew we were in for a treat. We crossed over from Zambia earlier in the day, negotiating the bridge in a dusty taxi with windows and door handles that no…

CALABASH SOUTH AFRICA 3 February FNB STADIUM, JOHANNESBURG Celebrate the height of summer at the country's premier concert, Calabash South Africa. Headlined by Grammy Award-winning pop-rock legends Maroon 5, the line—up includes Keane. marking their debut album's 20th anniversary, global streaming sensation Meduza, and pop star Ava Max, all making their South African debut. Also performing are Will Linley. Lloyiso and TiMO ODV. Presented by Big Concerts and powered by 947 and KFM 94.5, it promises to be an unforgettable family experience. Tickets: from R575 bigconcerts.co.za MIDMAR MILE 8 - 9 and 11 - 12 February MIDMAR DAM, HOWICK, KWAZULU-NATAL Die into the excitement of the world's largest open-water swimming event. Midmar Mile draws a diverse crowd, from Olympic medallists to international athletes and recreational swimmers, and covers approximately one…

First, there was Time Out Market Lisbon, which opened in 2014. It was so popular that New York, Boston, Montreal, Chicago and Dubai followed, and Porto, Prague, Abu Dhabi and Osaka are on the cards. And this summer, Time Out Market Cape Town flung open its doors to the harbour (and the mountain). It's at the ever-popular V&A Waterfront, in the harbour's original pump house and power station buildings, both restored, of course, and blending the industrial heritage of the space with what is called contemporary cool. Next to The Watershed design district, it overlooks the Alfred Basin, with gorgeous views of Table Mountain. You'll want to go; there are stacks of things on offer - 13 kitchens, all run by leading local chefs and restaurateurs, four bars pouring fine…

SANParks has embarked on a process of co-creating and re-imagining the future of national parks and the management authority that will govern them. This is the Vision 2040 initiative, a pioneering plan that will redefine our journey towards a thriving tomorrow. In just a few years, SANParks will be 100 years old and as we move towards our centenary in 2026, it is clear that this vision must go beyond traditional conservation. It must be a collective effort to foster community, healing, and inspiration across South Africa while taking key issues such as environmental resilience, sustainability, and climate adaptability into account - a tall order indeed. The SANParks footprint spans an impressive four million hectares of diverse ecosystems. It boasts an extensive network of national parks, each with its unique…

UPFRONT Small Towns Now straddling the borders of the Free State and North West provinces, the town of Parys was born when various churches in the late 1800s recognised that the time it took to travel between towns in both provinces made it challenging for people to attend religious services. In 1886, with the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, the town underwent a period of development, and by 1905, it had become significantly more accessible to the public. This was mainly thanks to the completion of the railway sideline, and the town started being marketed as the 'pride of the Vaal', as it was becoming known as a holiday destination for those living in the city. The town's woody islands and hills, which served as military vantage points during…

Trip Planner Stay Here PAFURI TENTED CAMP comprises 19 large, very comfortable en suite tents ranged along the Luvuvhu River on raised wooden walkways and connected to the bush bar, swimming pool and al fresco dining area. Seven ‘family tents’ comfortably sleep families of four. Special: To ensure South Africans get a chance to visit Thulamela, Origin Safaris is offering an incredible Super Special SA resident rate with Return Africa, valid till June 2024: pay for two nights and stay for three, at R3310 ppa pn (sharing) including all meals, game drives and a guided tour of Thulamela. info@originaafaria.africa ariginsafaris.africa…