Table of contents for July 2016 in Getaway

ERNEST WHITE II A storyteller and explorer, Ernest brings non-traditional narratives to the mainstream. In 20 years of travels as a journalist, South Africa and Brazil remain his favourite countries. He tells you where to go and what to do in his old home, Rio, and São Paulo (page 94). VUYI QUBEKA After an epic adventure in Namibia's Zambezi Region last year, Vuyi was inspired to take her parents camping for the very first time. This is how it unfolded (page 86). BEN MCRAE Despite working as an Ocean Lifeguard in Australia, Ben's roots in southern Africa run deep. He travels back each winter, armed with his camera, to capture its hidden corners and unique cultures. This month, he shares some inside information on how to make your pictures of…

With regard to the article ‘Does Cape Town love you back?' (April 2015), racism is alive and well in the winelands. The truth is that it's everywhere. My husband goes in alone and asks for a table and he's turned down. I go in four minutes later and I'm seated immediately. He's black, from Cape Town. I'm white, from New York. Yes, it happens all the time. So when we went to a well-known wine-farm restaurant in Somerset West to celebrate our son's fourth birthday recently, I shouldn't have been surprised that my husband was told they could not possibly seat anyone. And I wasn't surprised when I then went in and had a table in under a minute. What issurprising is how the manager responded when I raised the…

COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE EXPO JOHANNESBURG 14 – 17 July, Johannesburg The decadence returns to Montecasino and includes samplings, pairings and workshops. Learn how to roast coffee beans, nibble on chocolate and make the perfect Americano. R120 pp. itickets.co.za GOOD FOOD & WINE SHOW JOHANNESBURG 28 – 31 July, Johannesburg Expect celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, tastings and all the new gourmet gadgets and trends. Australia's 2014 Masterchef winner Brent Owens will show off his kitchen skills. R150 pp (under-18s and pensioners R110, kids under six go free). joburg.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za CAPE TOWN STREET FOOD FESTIVAL 31 July, Cape Town If you've always wondered what a walkie talkie or a smiley tastes like, this celebration of local street fare can lend a hand. There are also lectures for aspiring street-food entrepreneurs. Entry is free.cargocollective.com/streetfoodfestival/2016-preview…

EMIRATES ADDS FLIGHT TO SA ROUTE Emirates Airline has added a third daily flight between Cape Town and Dubai, starting on 4 July. The new flight leaves Cape Town at 8.05pm and arrives in Dubai at 6.30pm. From there, the airline has connections to myriad destinations including New York, London, Sydney, Phuket, Medina, Rome, Munich and Beijing. From R7554 return. emirates.com FLY BLUE CRANE POISED TO HEAD NORTH Fly Blue Crane – South Africa's first female-owned airline – has got the nod to fly between Cape Town and Windhoek. The airline conducted an inaugural flight in May and was busy scheduling flights, with single fares expected to cost about R1500. flybluecrane.com EMIRATES INCREASES BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE Passengers flying from Africa can now take more free baggage aboard Emirates flights, regardless of…

A Little Farmhouse Arguably Stanford's best bargain, this gem – located a few minutes outside of the village – has thick walls and rough adobe plastering that makes it feel like an authentic century-old farmhouse, but the proportions and bathrooms are modern and comfortable. It's well-equipped and private – set in a forest glade on a 10-hectare property – and only R1200 (sleeps six). overberggems.co.za Bugler’s Cottage The oldest most authentic historic cottage you can rent in Stanford, Bugler's was built in the 1860s for one of the labourers on Sir Robert Stanford's farm. The one-bedroom cottage has been modernised and the thatch exposed but still has the proportions authentic to the period, and a cutesy charm that is irresistible. From R750 (sleeps two or a family of three). stanford-accommodation.co.za…

DAY TRIP TO CULLINAN A REAL VELD PICNIC Lientjie Wessels is an artist and cook who lives with her husband, Robert Scott Denton, on a farm in De Tweedespruit. Having developed a following with her restaurants Li-bel in Sunnyside and Albizia in Cullinan, this autumn Lientjie began hosting ‘veld picnics' on her property. Albizia closed in 2013 and those who feel Lientjie's absence have found the path to her door, or rather her white chair that marks the entrance. A group of strangers who will leave lunch as friends hoick up skirts and pile into the back of Robert's bakkie. Everyone holds on to Panama hats and designer sunglasses as the vehicle bumps over rocky terrain to where Lientjie is waiting under the wild syringa trees, next to a table…

Who could have imagined Capetonians would travel to the light-industrial suburb of Ndabeni for barbecue? It says a lot for the quality of chef PJ Vadas's offering at Hoghouse Barbeque. Beer and bread complete the three cornerstones of this restaurant and taproom, but don't overlook the sides, particularly the pineapple kimchi, hand-cut chips with truffle aioli and roast cauliflower with goat's cheese, almonds and capers. On approach, look for the name spelt out in vintage circus lights above the building. DO IT Hoghouse has a reputation for Pasteis de Nata (a Portuguese custard-filled tart) for R35. Order one with coffee or find them at Oranjezicht City Farm Market, but go early. Unit 4 Technosquare, 42 Morningside Road, Ndabeni. 021-810-4545, hhbc.co.za/bbq…

WHY I TOOK THEM CAMPING I've been working at Getaway for more than two years and I've come to appreciate that camping is a really big deal, for white people especially. I myself had tried it when I went on assignment with fellow journalist and old-time camper Melanie van Zyl. It was a thrill and she made it seem so easy. Those were my first lessons in camping, though it was the rooftop kind, and those lessons stuck. But in my culture, travel for leisure is still in its infancy, and there are many reasons for this. When visiting my gogo in Ndunduma in KwaZulu-Natal when I was younger, my cousins, siblings and I would all have to sleep on the floor simply because there just wasn't enough room or…

1. There are two primary battery types, defined by their intended use: starter-and deep-cycle batteries. Both batteries deliver their power in different ways, making them suitable for different applications. 2. The starter battery, such as the one in your vehicle, delivers a high current for a short period, making it ideal to power up the engine’s electronics and turn the starter to get moving. If the battery is drained too far, dropping its charge level below 50%, it gets damaged. 3. The deep-cycle battery, on the other hand, can withstand up to 80% discharge, meaning more of the stored energy is available to the user. However, it can’t cope with the high power demands of an engine’s starter motor and/or a winch. 4. The dual-battery system meets both power demands.…

I was swimming in the kelp when a big shadow shifted beneath me. My heart gave a jolt. I stopped and let my legs sink down, adjusting my mask. Yes, there it was. It moved dreamily, first curving one way, then the other, like a slow and languorous song. My swimming partner gave a thumbs up. 'Yes,' he pointed downwards, 'this is what we are here for.' I looked at him, eyes big. 'I must swim down there? To it? Can't I just look at it from up here? It's really quite impressive enough!' With a wry look he hooked my hand in his rubber belt and, eyes fixed on mine so I would follow suit, took a deep breath in and flipped his legs up and his head down…

Rocking-chair reminiscing My husband and I have a theory that unfortunately, as the stats tell us, not all memories make it to the retirement home's stoep. So when you do make memories, make them epic to ensure they last! During our three-year stint in the UK we decided to use the handy pound and allowed sabbaticals (heaven!) to embark on our adventure of travelling around South America. For half of our trip we travelled with an organised group, Oasis Overland, and the other half we did on our own. (Surprisingly, the group worked out cheaper and with less hassles. Highly recommended.) I have always envisioned Buenos Aires and Argentina as our highlight, but surprisingly it was Peru that blew my mind and caught my heart. From Lima on the coast…

Jbay Winterfest 6 – 17 July, Jeffreys Bay The highlight at this annual event is Jbay Open for Surfing, which this year will feature some of the world's top surfers, such as Sebastian Ziets and Italo Ferreira. There will also be a mountain-bike race, trail run, swimming race, kite festival as well as food and music. Entry is free.jbaywinterfest.com Dullstroom Winter Festival 8 – 10 July, Dullstroom Fishing takes centre stage, with numerous fly-fishing competitions. There are also trail runs, bike races, food stalls, music and children's entertainment. Entry is free. facebook.com/ DullstroomWinter Festival…

BEST FOR OVERPACKING This clever carrier expands from being the size of a dinner plate into a 45-litre duffel bag. Made with durable polyester ripstop fabric, the 450-gram K-Way Barrel Bag is great to pack for an overseas trip where you plan on bringing home more than you're taking, or to use for a weekend away. There's nothing fancy here, but the bag is well-made, fits a lot of kit (in this instance, we packed it with two jackets, thermal gloves, hiking boots, a hiking pack, socks and a base-layer top), has a side pocket and padded shoulder sling. R399, capeunionmart.co.za BEST FOR BACKPACKING When it comes to hiking, you've got to watch your weight – less is definitely more on a slog up a mountain – and…

You have visitors. Where do you recommend they stay? Kings in Cape. There are practical reasons, and others. Practical, because it's next to the Chimurenga offices, inside the Pan African Market. So if you're here, then we're together. The second is ownership; there aren't many places [in tourism] owned by black people. Even though on the surface there's a lot of monkey dance, white people still define culture. I know the people who own that space. I know where they come from and their intentions. And the rooms are warm and clean. Favourite city on the continent? Whoa … there are many. I've just come back from Dakar and I'm constantly reminded of how beautiful, in a human sense, it is. What I'm saying is this sense of feeling welcome.…

OUR EXPERT SAYS: 'Stanford village is considered the third most preserved village in the Cape' HOW IT WORKS: TripAdvisor lists accommodation rated by guests, but as much as we love peer reviews, can we trust them? Pippa, who has reviewed accommodation for 18 years, inspected 32 properties – some rated on TripAdvisor, plus she rooted out new ones. These 14 made her list. Best all-round lodge STANFORD VALLEY GUEST FARM TripAdvisor No. 5 of 11, Speciality Lodging We almost lost Elsabe and Reinder Nauta to a farm in France and, boy, am I glad we didn't! The couple purchased this 440-hectare farm neighbouring Raka wine estate instead, and set about transforming the lodgings and homestead, winning Sleeping Out's Best Establishment in Stanford 2015. Comprising three self-catering cottages, 10 en-suite rooms…

On a ‘lawn' laid along a sunny lane at Newtown Junction, toddlers romp on blankets while parents lounge on deckchairs and older siblings play on wood-and-rope swings. Dressed-to-the-nines youth order trays of dry Martinis in vintage cocktail glasses. The Green Lane, hosted by Work Shop New Town, is the latest project by Trevyn and Julian McGowan (who established Watershed at the V&A Waterfront) aimed at rejuvenating the CBD. This is picnicking Joburg-style. It happens in a pedestrianised section of an inner-city precinct, the grass is AstroTurf, food is ordered from The Potato Shed and Town, and craft beer is on tap. DO IT Saturdays from noon until 5pm. Baskets are designed to be shared and range from the ‘Pigeon Friendly' Dim Sum Basket for two with spinach-and-cream-cheese and roast-butternut dim…

QUICK CHECKLIST FOR FIRST-TIME CAMPERS Good camping gear is something that can be acquired over time – you don’t need all the bells and whistles immediately. However, sourcing these basic items will ensure that your first camping trip isn’t a total disaster: Tent (obviously)Sleeping bagMattress (see page 58 for our review of the best camping mattresses)Braai grid (while most campsites have braai facilities, many do not have grids)Camping chairsSmall tableCooler bag or boxLantern or head torchCompact camp stove and kettle For ideas on affordable and reliable products, visit getaway.co.za/budget-camping-gear/ for a list of our top-rated items for starters. BRING FROM HOME Hammer (for knocking pegs into hard ground)Dishcloths and washing-up kitPeeler, bottle opener, can opener, spatula and braai tongsKnives, forks and spoonsMugs, bowls and platesChopping board and sharp knifePlastic containers…

I'm standing on the fourth floor of Ambassador House, looking out at the city of Durban spread before me. Taxis brush paths with the perpendicular lines of shadows, attached to the feet of people scurrying about their day. Reece Easthorpe, the community manager from Propertuity, looks out with a visionary glint in his eye. ‘Everything the light touches is our kingdom,' he says. Okay, he didn't actually say that, but that's what the scene feels like as we breathe in the view. 8 Morrison Street is the initiative of Propertuity, the brainchild behind the vibey Maboneng Precinct in Johannesburg. Turning its attention to Durban, the company bought out four-and-a-half city blocks in a rough triangle shape, stretching from 8 Morrison Street to the International Convention Centre to Ambassador House. It's…

‘4am is always an optimal time for secretive shenanigans’ There's always a church bell ringing somewhere in Rome, even at 3.45 on a Monday morning when you're slinking furtively down the Corso carrying a bath towel and wearing your cap pulled low over your eyes. I had to pull the cap low – there were security cameras, see? And attached to the cameras were Italian carabinieri in some subterranean surveillance headquarters, leaning closer to the monitor, narrowing their eyes and making Womble shapes with their lips to sip their espressos, stroking their moustaches suspiciously at the sight of this doofus tourist casually sauntering through the city towards the Trevi Fountain. I'd been there in the afternoon to case the joint. It was a hot, sticky Roman summer that stuck the…

This Grahamstown festival just keeps getting bigger and bigger, with more than 500 different performances at various venues around the university town (180 events on the Main programme and 350 on the Fringe). Throw in the street performers, buskers and the Village Green market and it can all be a little overwhelming. Here’s Ismail Mahomed’s advice for staying sane: • Book a good selection of productions across different genres. • Vary your choice between the Main, Arena and Fringe programmes. • If you are interested in particular themes, read the artistic director’s note in the festival brochure. • Read the daily festival newspaper for reviews. • Keep your ear to the ground. Very often audiences waiting in queues talk about shows that they have seen. • Attend the free Sundowner…

1 CHOOSE YOUR EXPOSURE Backlighting is one of the trickiest, but most rewarding, lighting conditions to crack. With such a high-contrast situation, your camera will battle to expose the image correctly. Rather switch to manual mode or use auto-exposure lock (refer to your manual to see how) and get creative. Choose whether you want to expose for the midtones of your subject, so that you can see your subject clearly, or expose for the brighter parts of your image and leave your subject in semi-shadow or full silhouette. 2 CHANGE YOUR APERTURE To create images with soft, glowing light that wraps around your subject, use a wide aperture (f/5.6 and wider). For a more dramatic look, create starbursts by narrowing your aperture to f/13 or smaller. Next, move so that…

• STOCK UP ON FARM-FRESH PRODUCE You can prepare entire meals from produce grown and made within a 10-kilometre radius of the village. Browse for ingredients on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the morning market, pick up fresh breads and delicious farm butter daily from Oumeul Bakkery, picnic at the award-winning Klein River Cheese Farmstead and procure your libations from a number of excellent wine estates, or the Birkenhead Brewery. It's hardly surprising that the area attracts the culinary sort, with restaurants such as Marianas, Graze Slow Food Café, Springfontein Eats and Manor House, all worth booking well in advance. • THERE'S HISTORY Founded in 1857, Stanford village is considered the third most preserved village in the Cape, its Cape Victorian and Edwardian streetscapes earning it Heritage Site status. The Stanford Conservation Trust…

NEW SPA IN CAPE TOWN Steenberg Spa, recently opened at Steenberg Farm in Cape Town, has four treatment rooms with views of vineyards and hills. Eco-friendly, fair-trade products such as Maroma are used in a range of treatments including a traditional Swedish massage, a plant-based skin renewal peel, a couples massage and a two-hour facial and body Soulful Decadence massage. The Steenberg Hotel is on site, as well as Catharina's Restaurant and Bistro 1682. 021-713-2222, steenberghotel.com WELLNESS IN THE WILD This mobile spa service has teamed up with holiday accommodation website Perfect Hideaways to bring deluxe treatments and pampering to guests. Called Mobile Hideaway, the service includes standard treatments using ecologically sustainable products, as well as reflexology, yoga, Nordic walking and personal training. Wellness in the Wild also donates one…

If you’ve taken the N2 out of Cape Town recently, you may have noticed the smoke or the billboard build-up for the latest pit stop between Elgin and Houw Hoek: The Hickory Shack. Save your appetite – this is worth holding off on the biltong. The Tretchikoff print, ‘Bad Ass’ emblazoned on waiters’ T-shirts and the fact that they’re serving barbecue (a current urban obsession) feels like a bit of city in the country. And there’s a fireplace, making it a cosy refuge in wet weather. While the concept originated with Elgin local Jay Haupt, pitmaster Eugene Schroeder monitors smoking times and temperatures in the wooden shack out front and Mac McKibbin cooks up cowboy beans enriched with whipped bone marrow in the kitchen. Standouts are the tender brisket (R105)…

HIKING MATTRESSES Generally, anything below 600 g and a packed size smaller than 30 cm x 20 cm is good for hiking. K-WAY AIR LITE MATTRESS R899, capeunionmart.co.za WEIGHT 580g INFLATED THICKNESS 6cm PACKED SIZE 30cm x 12cm diameter DIMENSIONS 183cm x 51cm SLEEP ON IT This inflatable is impressively compact and comfortable for a hiking mat. The shiny covering makes it a bit slippery when paired with a sleeping bag but the thick, soft cushioning really gave me a great night’s sleep. It took a little longer to inflate than the others tested here and the bright colour tends to show the dirt, but it was by far the most comfortable hiking mat I tested. JR GEAR LITE STANDARD MUMMY MAT R949, rammountain.co.za WEIGHT 740g…

WHY IT’S WORTH THE VISIT • South Africans do not require a visa to visit Brazil. • Some of Rio’s previously inaccesible architecture has recently been restored and opened to the public for nominal entrance fees (sometimes free). • Almost all flights from SA to Rio stop in Sa~ o Paulo, giving you two great cities in one trip. • Entrance to museums, theatres and music venues are incredibly affordable in both cities. • The vibrant, sensual atmosphere of the cities and beaches.…

15 mins That’s how long visitors to Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe have to observe animals before they must continue walking. That’s right, walking. It’s the only big-game national park in Africa where visitors are allowed to move freely on foot. And with sightings such as this one, in which Scott Ramsay sat within 40 metres of a lioness and her three cubs, ‘it’s a huge privilege,’ he writes. It’s also something that has previously been taken for granted. In the August issue of Getaway, Scott takes us to one of Africa’s finest remaining wild places, exploring the trust between man and animal and the respect we as visitors must show if we want to enjoy this rare and life-changing experience in future.…