Getawayの January/February 2025 の目次

SPEAK TO US: GETAWAY.CO.ZA GETAWAYMAGAZINE GETAWAYMAGAZINE Many people use the new year to set goals for the next 12 months, but achieving them can be easier said than done. Having more adventures tops my list, and it's one resolution that covers it all, big or small, whether travelling locally or internationally or exploring my city. I hope it'll help me find that elusive sense of balance we're all chasing. I'm going to eat at that no-longer-new Mexican restaurant I've been meaning to visit for the longest time, finalise my itinerary and admin for that international trip I have been dreaming about and planning for the last few months, spend a long-talked-about girls’ day at a beautiful wine estate, start a new hobby, try that craft place that serves mouth-watering pizzas…

WHERE ON EARTH? Lençóis Maranhenses National Park Considered a natural treasure of Northeast Brazil, the 155 OOO ha Lençóis Maranhenses National Park is a white-sand desert created in 1981 to protect the area's ever-changing dunes, inside which are freshwater lagoons. This spectacle attracts visitors from worldwide. The best time to visit is between May and September because although it's high season, the lagoons are full and ideal for swimming - which is great considering the average 30°C weather in the area throughout the year.…

What to do in Graaff-Reinet THE VALLEY OF DESOLATION The Valley of Desolation, a short drive from the town centre, is a must-see. This geological wonder features towering dolerite pillars that rise dramatically from the Karoo landscape. The breathtaking views of the surrounding plains, espacially at sunrise or sunset, make it a favourite spot for photographers and nature enthusiasts. The boulders are overwhelmingly vast and beautiful, and it's best to witness their sheer wonder from one of the viewpoints. CAMDEBOO NATIONAL PARK This national park, surrounding GraaffReinet, offers visitors a chance to experience the diverse Karoo ecosystem by providing numerous activities, from wildlife viewing to hiking and birdwatching. And camping under the star-studded Karoo sky is not to be missed. STOEP TASTING WINE WEEKEND Graaff-Reinat hosts this wine-tasting event on…

Passing through the tree-lined entrance toward the La Motte Manor House in Franschhoek, I gasped audibly at the beautiful setting, realising I was more excited than I'd thought possible about the prospect of dining at JAN Franschhoek Season III. Upon entering the Manor House, the staff smiled warmly and handed us glasses of La Motte Cap Classique 2020 and a canapé spread of biltong lamingtons, smoked tomato consomme with fynbos and walnut, green fig and Boerenkaas mousse, setting the tone for a delicious menu. Our chariot awaited outside, a blue-and-white, two-toned 1974 VW Kombi, to take us on a short drive to Veepos, an 18th-century cottage amid lavender fields in the Franschhoek Valley. I headed down a footpath toward a towering oak tree, stopping to use a traditional hand-washing station…

This love story begins in darkness, not even a pinprick of light. From neither the roof of a specifically designed trailer carrying a Cape mountain zebra (CMZ) mare towed from a farm called Vlakteplaas in the De Rust area, where she strayed from Kammanassie World Heritage Site and lived for eight years in the company of the landowner's catde, springbok and even a few giraffes, to her new home, the 4172-ha Zebraskop property to the south of the Gamkaberg World Heritage Site in the Klein Karoo, nor the blindfold covering her eyes. Wildlife Veterinarian Dr Willem Burger, who's planned her safe translocation to a tee, has immobilised and tranquilised her to keep her calm in her confines and plugged her ears to reduce noise, necessary precautions to stop her from…

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Stef Martin UNPLU6, UNWIND ENJOY (P44) Stef Martin is a writer from a small town you've never heard of who now lives in Cape Town. When she's not behind her laptop, find her spinning clay into bowls on a wheel, packing picnic baskets for friends, or feeding her fish. Stef is doing what would make her younger self giddy - wielding words for a living as a freelance copywriter and working with beautiful brands. Follow her on stefmartin, where she tells visual stories, too. SAVANNA DOUGLAS MABULA MAGIC (P78) Savanna grew up a nature lover. Born in the Transkei, she spent her younger years splashing around emerald pools and bounding the lush coast of Port St Johns. Savanna is a storyteller and journalist, happiest when exploring the great outdoors -…

DAY 1 It doesn't take long to escape the bustle of Cape Town. Take the N7, and in 1 hour and 26 minutes as the crow flies, you arrive at Piketberg, a small farming town in the centre of the gorgeous Swartland region. Surrounded by stretches of golden-yellow wheat fields and fruit farms, this hidden haven has a rich history to explore, a slow pace of life and indulgent West Coast delicacies. I wouldn't call it a hidden gem because I spent most of my childhood there, but imagine my delight when I revisited my roots and rediscovered what makes this town unique. Bergrivier Municipality also includes towns and settlements surrounding Piketberg: the Moravian mission settlement Goedverwacht (which hosts the annual Snoek en Patatfees), Eendekuil, Pools, Porterville, Redelinghuys, Velddrif, Aurora…

Tidal Pools of the Western Cape BY SERAI DOWLING Rockhopper Books, R395 at exclusivebooks.co.za It's a sad day when a tidal pool does not fill you with the glee of childhood. A hot morning, a striped sun umbrella, buckets and spades, and a cool, fresh tidal pool. Sandwiches and juice on a picnic blanket, going home with skin crinkly from the salt, sand and sun. Whole holidays of joy. So it was with delight that I dived into Serai's book. Let's start with the photos: they're gorgeous and in an instant, you're planning your weekend when you can decamp with family, swimsuits, towels and grub in the boot. In Cape Town, where, let's be honest, the water temperatures lean very much into freezing territory, a wetsuit is probably a good…

‘Let's hike up to Breakfast Rock tomorrow morning,’ a friend suggested while we lounged around the pool one hot New Year's Day. A pool-party get-together is our tradition, a way of easing into the first day of the year after a night of ringing in the new year as only a group of people who have been friends since they were teenagers (or younger) can. ‘Sounds like a plan,’ came the first response to the suggestion, as did the next and the next. We'd decided, then. We'd meet at the hike's starting point at 8 am. In hindsight, it was not a great starting time, but knowing there were those amongst us whose relationship with time is questionable at best, it seemed the earliest (and latest) we could get away…

Capetonians are spoilt for choice with camping options: the coastal beauty after a few hours’ drive up the N2 and into the Garden Route or the vast mountains that make a movie scene of the N1 and N7 northbound, the latter of which I've travelled with a tent and cooler box, seeking an escape, many times. I am biased towards dramatic mountains, the promise of rock pools within and the comfort of a valley's stillness after sunset That's what leads me north most often. You can't go wrong camping in the broader Western Cape, but a nudge in the right direction sometimes helps. The Cederberg is about 300 km outside of Cape Town. You could be walking on Mars high in those mountains. On the way out of the city,…

China is a very hard place to get into. Luckily, Chery Automobile provided detailed guidance and fast-tracking through the exhaustive visa application process. But the journey was a beast: A three-hour flight from Cape Town to Joburg, then 14 hours to Shenzhen and three hours to Shanghai. Three things to do before you get to China: Download WeChat and ask someone who has had the app for six months to verify you (not easy). Upload your card details to WeChat Pay or try your luck with Ali Pay (I could not get it to work). Inform your bank you'll use your card in China - on the rare occasion you find a card machine - and buy the local currency, Chinese yuan. Download as many VPNs as possible - you're…

CAPE TOWN JAZZATHON 12-14 January AMPHITHEATRE V&A WATERFRONT, DOCK ROAD, CAPETOWN Dubbed the ‘People's Festival’, this four-day celebration offers performances from local and international jazz artists. Experience a weekend of soulful sounds, vibrant rhythms, culture and connection. Tickets free jazzathon.co.za THE HOWICK HUSTLE 17 January STOCKOWNERS OUTDOOR PARK, MAIN STREET, HOWICK This 5 km run celebrates community spirit, fun and fitness while supporting a worthy cause. Your entry this year contributes to constructing classrooms and an admin block at Velakukhanya Primary School, so your steps count toward a brighter future for local learners. It also includes a free meal to refuel post-run, epic running socks to remember the day and a cold beer to toast your achievement. It is a family-friendly event, so bring everyone along for an evening of…

Dinner at Terrarium. Don't mind if we do, thank you. The understated restaurant has freshly opened at the Queen Victoria Hotel in the V&A Waterfront. It sits on its perch on Portswood Ridge, overlooking the bustle of people below. And what a bustle it is. Almost 24 million people visit the V&A. every year. This is one reason you should hurry to book a table at Terrarium. Another is the sommelier, Marlvin Gwese. He's full of information and loves sharing his love for wine through his considered pairings and spoton recommendations. Another reason to book a table is the food. It is splendid, conjured out of the imagination of Chef-patron Chris Erasmus and ably brought to life by Head Chef Anlou Erasmus. The restaurant serves an a la carte menu…

Let's fly to Graaff-Reinet. That's not something you hear every day. Driving there from Cape Town usually takes more than six hours. But thanks to Air du Cap, skipping the long drive and flying private is no longer a figment of your luxury travel imagination. Air du Cap is a private charter operator with an unwavering commitment to personalised, exclusive experiences - business trips, romantic getaways, family holidays or adventures with friends - ensuring your journey is as memorable and stylish as your destination. To meet the increasing demand for travelling in small planes, Air du Cap has an impressive fleet of aircraft available for charter, including a Beechcraft Baron 58 and Cessna 182 Skylane, chosen for their reliability, comfort and efficiency. The experience is like no other. Unlike commercial…

I think I'd be six feet under if I'd stayed in the corporate world,’ Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club's (TMTBC) Trail Manager Patrick Roberts admits. ‘I love gravity, the rough stuff, the gnarly stuff, the big rocks, those mountain bike trails where you get to the top, you're in the middle of nowhere with the whole world stretching beneath you, your heart's going boom, boom, boom, and you're thinking, am I going to end up in the local ER? And then you hurtle to the bottom and realise you've never felt more alive.’ The story goes that Patrick quit his high-level construction job in 2011 and travelled to Valencia, Spain, with clothes and a mountain bike, where he spent a carefree one-year-long sabbatical riding with los hombres (as he calls them)…

The most critical dimension of taking Isuzu's marquee D-Max 1.9TD DC X-Rider 4x4 automatic into our care was what we would name him. I know it doesn't seem serious, but he is with us for an extended period, so to leave him nameless feels wrong. Introducing Bakkies, named in honour of the iconic Springboks lock, Bakkies Botha, known for his no-nonsense sensibility, unrelenting work ethic, and appetite for rough and tumble. Our Bakkies is prettier than his namesake, but we'd never say that to the man's face. By the time you read this, we'll have banked myriad trips, including a wander to Wolseley, a short but memorable stay in Swellendam and a Cederberg sojourn. Bakkies has shown himself to be capable of each of these. Built here in Struandale, Gqeberha,…