Getaway September 2018

It was a plumb assignment early in my Getaway career. The Great Migration. Damn, it was going to be good. As it turns out, it wasn’t. At least not until the very, very end. Five of us waited on the grass runway beside a limp windsock. We were a forlorn bunch. Our Kenyan safari had gone all limp, robbed of its climax. Yes, there’d been good sightings – plenty of fornicating mammals and any number of kills – but we’d come to the Masai Mara for the wildebeest migration and had not been rewarded. A chartered Cessna landed and the pilot stepped out. He looked vaguely Eastern European with a bushy moustache, sunglasses, red cravat and dismissive manner. Chivvying us into our seats, he tossed the luggage aboard and we…

David Robbins Port Elizabeth, page 82 David always wanted to live in Port Elizabeth, but never has – at least not yet. So he welcomed the opportunity to write about the city and its art for Getaway. PE Central is a thrilling place, he says, packed with cultural stuff and a boisterous nightlife. He’s travelled widely in Africa but he always comes back home. ‘I love the energy here, and PE has plenty of that.’ Ondela Mlandu Wild Coast, page 50 Our multimedia journalist spent seven days among thick green forests and rolling hills, travelling along the old Transkei coast. She leapt off sea cliffs, learnt how to dodge cows and potholes and drive at a comfortable 40 km/h, and had an eye-opening experience of how supporting local communities through…

‘Have you thought of a question?’ I asked. The woman looked at me quizzically. ‘For the oracle,’ I said. ‘You have to ask the oracle something.’ We were walking up the hill to Delphi and we were strangers, but when you’re walking up a steep hill in Greek summer heat beside another person and both of you are moving as slowly as it is possible for human beings to move, after a while it becomes rude to ignore each other. ‘If I tell you,’ she said, ‘it won’t come true.’ I was about to explain that it’s a question, not a wish, but what did I know? When a question is important enough to you, is it any different to a wish? Besides, I needed to save my breath for…

Our little piece of heaven on Earth Following on from your ‘Four Ways to Explore the Namib Desert’ article (June 2018), I’d like to share my story. My husband and I decided to do something different for our honeymoon – all our friends went to islands, but we decided to give Namibia a chance. All we can say is, what an amazing, amazing destination! Out of all the places we visited, Gondwana’s Namib Dune Star Camp was the highlight. It was a trip we will both remember until the day we die. It was a holiday of total serenity and peace; a place where we could empty our heads of the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy togetherness under the African sky. To be able to sleep under…

Travelling as a group of friends, we decided to check out Mpumalanga and discover its gems. We first explored Waterval Boven, once a stop on the railway line from Pretoria to Maputo. The small town is in the heart of Mpumalanga, which made it easy for us to reach all the hotspots. We came across the old railway tunnel and ran through it and up a cliff to take in nature’s beauty. Then we ventured up to God’s Window, where the cliffs plunge down 700 metres – the perfect spot to see the world through God’s eyes. The scenery was otherworldly and, as it was a clear day, we had a spectacular view of Kruger National Park. Our next stop was Pinnacle Rock. We were 30 metres up on the…

Port Alfred – a relaxed, small coastal town between Port Elizabeth and East London, with pristine beaches (such as Cannon Rocks, a bit outside of town). – Mtunzi Makwakwa In a hot Jacuzzi under the stars, with the outside temperature at 4˚C, in Aquila Private Game Reserve [Touws River]. I felt totally at peace and very blessed. – Jennifer Poverello Ruegg Mabula Game Lodge [in Limpopo], because you feel like such a part of the family. – Corrie Oppermann Hartford House in the Midlands.is like a second home and every stay is exquisite. – Dyanne Johansson Mauritius, with its pristine beaches, catamaran to Île aux Cerfs, speedboating and exceptional cuisine. – Anita Maharaj Mozambique beaches and islands – Bazaruto Archipelago, Paradise Island and Tofu, which 20 years ago had one…