Table of contents for August 2017 in Getaway

I was in Rwanda with Teagan Cunniffe, Getaway’s photographer, and she had just shown me how the GPS on her phone works. For years I’ve shunned Google Maps and GPS. I’ve always said I want to be in touch with my surroundings and have a more authentic experience, but actually it’s because GPS is technology and when it comes to technology I am a small arachnophobic girl and technology is a large spider. But it turns out that GPS is quite easy to use, especially if you aren’t the one paying for the roaming data, so when a driver picked us up in Musanze to take us to a hotel somewhere outside town, I was quite keen to help. ‘You should take the second left,’ I told Habimana. Habimana frowned.…

Eastern Cape Mantis getaway worth R40 000 I am very, very happy to be the winner of this competition. I also can’t wait to experience the Eastern Cape! – Thilli Kedibone Hanong A trip to Spier Wine Farm worth R5 000 Thank you so much for the wonderful prize. My hubby and I are very excited about it. We do need a special break so much. – Elizabeth Groenewald Five multi-day hiking essentials worth R3 511 Thanks so much for the prize. I was excited to receive the call and I can’t wait to go on my next hike. In the meantime, I will definitely be wearing the jacket to all the winter soccer matches that my boys will be playing this season. – Leanne Barberini Two First Ascent jackets…

KROTOA INSPIRED BY The Khoi woman who became the chief translator and negotiator for Van Riebeeck in the early days of the Castle of Good Hope. Her story is both inspiring and tragic – caught between two cultures, she ended her days banished to Robben Island. ON SCREEN Having already won eight awards at international film festivals, Roberta Durrant’s feature about this remarkable woman gives a much-needed fresh spin on South Africa’s ‘origin story’ – and the opportunity to hear characters speaking Khoekhoegowab. THIS VERSION Starring Crystal Donna Roberts, it’s an epic adventure back in time for the viewer, providing a vision of the wild Cape landscape before it was overrun by ‘civilisation’. Incidentally, if you’re in search of such a landscape, it was filmed in Agulhas National Park, close…

Every year in August, the farmers of the Robertson Wine Valley host intimate dinners in their homes, giving the public a taste of a slower, gentler way of life. Foodies returning this year will find it’s been all change at Zandvliet Estate, the venerated Shiraz pioneer. There’s the Kalkveld Lounge, opened a few months back – a stylish space with an eye-catching, custom-built eight-metre-long chandelier made from recycled wine bottles. Here you can try blending your own wine, and do wine tastings paired with mandarin-flavoured nibbles – think biscotti, spicy panforte, dark chocolate and marmalade. Why mandarin? Because Zandvliet, based on growing global demand for ClemenGolds (as they’re officially known), pulled up some of its vines in 2015 to plant orchards of this North African citrus fruit. (For those who…

WHAT WINE? There are two things to look for in a great potjie wine: something to pair with whatever’s in the pot, and something to drink all afternoon waiting for the meat to melt. In general, the soft and unctuous things that come out of cast-iron Dutch ovens love a soft wine, and easy-drinking Merlot will always do the job. On the other hand, more exotic concoctions and badass bredies respond better to big bold blends and wines with strong character. Start here… WHAT LABEL? For green cred Feel-good vino doesn’t get much better than Woolies Organic Merlot (R45), specially bottled for the retailer by the award-winning kings of green wine, Stellar Winery. It’s super-quaffable, with a bit of cherry-chocolate, and has just the right level of smoothness and intensity…

1. REITZER ANTI-MOZZIE GLYCERINE SOAP R48, dischem.co.za This soap ticks all the boxes of an environmentally friendly product: it’s made locally, contains only natural ingredients and the packaging is made from recycled board. It smells fresh and wards off mozzies, thanks to the addition of citronella, tea tree and lemongrass essential oils. It lathers well so it can be used as a shampoo too. TIP Protect the ocean and your skin with biodegradable Island Tribe Natural Lab SPF30 sunscreen. R185, faithful-to-nature.co.za 2. LUSH SHAMPOO BARS AND SOLID TOOTHPASTE R130 and R125, lush.co.za Made from organic ingredients and sold without packaging, these innovative Solid Shampoo bars are preservative-free and work a treat. I love the variety of fragrances available, plus…

GETTING THERE We flew from Johannesburg to Amsterdam with KLM. From R8 000 return. klm.com From there it’s a four-hour flight to Reykjavik with Icelandair. From R4 000 return. icelandair.com TIP Sign up to the airline newsletters and book when you spot a good deal. GETTING AROUND We booked a Subaru Forester because it had all-wheel drive. We took out all the insurance policies on offer, additional travel insurance and, of course, those snow tyres. Be sure to rent a GPS too. Google Maps can’t always be trusted. We paid about R11 000 for the lot for nine days. geysir.is WHAT IT COST US Flights R13 000 pp Accommodation R9 000 pp (sometimes three to a room) Vehicle R3 500 pp Fuel R1 500 pp Food, drinks and activities R3 000…

20...  That’s how many milkwood trees you’ll find gathered around The Shepherd’s Hut; more or less, because it’s a bit difficult to tell with milkwoods. This style of mobile hut has been around since the 15th century in the UK, when shepherds needed a place to stay while looking after their flock. This one in Kommetjie was made by owner Mary Duncan (with some help from her brother). It has room enough for a bed and the sweetest little kitchen and table. Although it’s in Mary’s garden, it is but a hundred footsteps away from the shoreline, which is why it’s the perfect little spot for sea lovers. You can read all about it, and 11 more beach escapes, in September’s Getaway.…

EDUCATIONAL ESCAPES Ever wanted to learn how to pick mushrooms that won’t kill you, or tell the difference between lion and leopard tracks, or even (shudder) how to kill a bunny to eat? We did these things. Turn to page 88. NORTHERN CAPE RICHES It looks like nothing happens in the vast Northern Cape landscape, says Welcome Lishivha, and then you fall in love with it. He and Melanie van Zyl had an adventure of a lifetime there (page 68). IT’S FLOWER SEASON August signals that time of year when the Western Cape’s flora comes out for playtime. For inspiration, look at Peter Chadwick’s exquisite portfolio on page 62. LOOK OUT FOR THE GOOD-VALUE STAR Each issue of Getaway has several inexpensive accommodation options, places to stay for under R550…

First Ascent’s Ultralight Dry Pack 23L looked a little flimsy at first, but after hosing it down with a towel inside it, I was impressed – the towel remained bone dry and the beads of water easily rolled off the thin but durable fabric. I then submerged it in a swimming pool with a roll of toilet paper inside. Same result. The bag’s material is the hero here – it’s flexible, stain resistant and 100% waterproof (except the front and side pockets), great for unexpected rain showers, splashes when on the water and trips to the beach. It’s not a hiking-specific backpack and it’s not suitable to drag behind you in the water while paddling a canoe like you can with a PVC dry bag. However, it’s versatile enough for…

Celia Rabie of Betty Blue Bistro, Hermanus I would love to relax and switch off but it’s not in my nature – my husband calls me a Duracell bunny because I never stop. I believe food is an experience no matter where you are. Food is usually our focus for holidays. There are always funky new places to eat at in Cape Town, and to pick up on new trends. We recently went for a ‘create your own gin’ night at the Woodstock Gin Co where we could each flavour our bottle with different ingredients; I used lime, rose petals and rooibos. Halfampieskraal is a working farm just outside Napier that serves wholesome food. There was an abundance of tomatoes last season so everything had some form of tomato in…

Does this ever happen to you? You’re at a dinner party and everybody starts to bond over the things they dislike the most. Like traffic, and Mondays, and people who have conversations in doorways, and the rising cost of being a living, breathing human. And then you chime in with your thing and the whole table stops and glares at you as if you just took money out of a charity collection box. That happens when I tell people I don’t like the beach. ‘You don’t like the beach!’ they’ll say. ‘What the hell is wrong with you? The beach is pure bliss!’ I just don’t like it. I don’t like the sandy bits weaselling their way into my home by clinging to every fibrous thing they can find. And…

WILDLIFE PRIZE worth R28 385 The prize includes: • a Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW backpack; • a Manfrotto MMXPROA3 monopod; • a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens. LANDSCAPE PRIZE worth R29 790 The prize includes: • a Parrot Bebop 2 FPV kit with Parrot Bebop 2 drone, FPV glasses, controller; • a Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens. CULTURE PRIZE worth R27 785 The prize includes: • a Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 450 AW backpack; • a Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W tripod kit with a three-way head; • a Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD lens. HOW TO ENTER  Email your entries (about 1MB in size, maximum five per month) with your name and contact details to gallery@getaway.co.za. Include a title, some information on how…

‘Everybody should explore other countries in Africa at least once.It will change your life...’ Days 1 to 4: Nairobi, Kenya, to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda Distances Day 1: 328km (Nairobi – Eldoret), Day 2: 296km (Eldoret – Jinja), Day 3: 0km (rest), Day 4: 482km (Jinja – QEP). Take the A104 out of Nairobi (leave before 5.30am or after 9am to beat traffic) to Eldoret and Naiberi River Campsite (1) , about 16km out of town. Take the A104 to get to Malaba border post. Follow the A109 to Jinja. Nile River Explorers Club (2) is 8km out of town on Lake Bujagali. Take the A109 to Kampala and then head west through Kibale Forest National Park and south at Fort Portal on the A109 to Kasese. Cross…

COOK THE FARM-TO-TABLE WAY Photographer Dani Bischoff decided to learn how to slaughter chicken and rabbit. Her husband, comedian Rob van Vuuren, bore witness WHAT Graze Self-sufficiency & Sustainable Lifestyle Workshop WHERE Goodluck Cottage, Walshacres Farm, Stanford HOW LONG One to four days (each day is optional) COST R1 000 for a day or R3 750 for the whole course CONTACT  workshop@grazecafe.co.za My wife, Dani, burst into the room with a look on her face that was both inspiring and a little terrifying. ‘I’ve signed up for a self-sufficiency course!’ she proclaimed joyfully, as if she could already feel the earth between her toes and see her carbon footprint dissipating into specks in the sky around her like bees questing for pollen on the breeze. ‘Okay,’ I said cautiously, before…

FLOWER POWER R200, sunfire.co.za Spotted at Design Indaba, this smiley 120g Little Sun solar light is made from recycled plastic, emits a 40-lumen beam and has two levels of brightness. Five hours of charging in the sun produces 10 hours of soft light or four hours of bright light. LITTLE LANTERN R999, rammountain.co.za Folding up to the size of a 500g block of butter, the updated Black Diamond Apollo Lantern throws out soft, glare-free light but its 225 lumens are bright enough for an evening outdoors, and there’s a hook to hang it from a branch. A useful power meter shows battery status and there’s a dimming function to help preserve its life. The capsule charges electronics via a USB port (the 2 600mAh battery…

Make sure there are no coals on the inside of the legs under the belly (the lowest section of the pot). This way, your pot won’t burn. You can safely add more coals, as long as they remain on the outside of the legs. – Michael J Wilcox Potjie is fairly easy to make but staying sober during the cooking process is the hard part! So take it easy with the dop . – Alwyn Bosman Start early and don’t rush. The longer the better. Just made an oxtail potjie in the bush and ended up eating at 10pm! – Nicholas Wessels Leave a potato on top of the lid when everything else is in the pot. If this potato is done then the rest should be…

In May this year, a male and two female lions were transferred – asleep, on the back of vet Dr Mike Toft’s special trailer – from Phinda to Somkhanda Game Reserve in northern KZN, which is owned and run by the local Gumbi community. The trio have spent the past two months acclimatising in a boma, and are ready to stretch their legs. ‘We feel privileged that the reserve is going to be a Big Five reserve – our dream is now a reality,’ says Nathi Gumbi, a key player in this community that, after successful process of land claims in 1998, turned what were cattle and game farms into a conservation success. The lions are the first in the area in 100 years. This means that biodiversity and ecological…

Manager of Shelflife This sneaker and streetwear store was founded in 2006 ‘with its roots firmly based in graffiti and street art. That’s how we started, in Cape Town, selling graffiti supplies.’ The store now exclusively stocks all the major footwear brands’ top lines ‘but we’re also working on our own label’. The Joburg store opened in August 2016 in the new Trumpet building. ‘Rosebank is probably the No. 1 up-and-coming area in the city. It’s super convenient for travellers to find their way around, everything is on your doorstep, and it’s surrounded by lovely suburbs.’ 010-594-5129 JAKE READ Manager and curator at Circa and Everard Read Gallery The Everard Read Gallery, established in 1913 by Jake’s grandfather, moved to Rosebank in 1980. In 2009 the Read family launched Circa…

1 Naiberi River Campsite and Resort, Eldoret, Kenya. Rustic and serene camp with a touch of modern luxury set in a pristine environment home to more than 250 bird species, from iconic bee-eaters to elusive turacos. Log cabins from R442 pp. Camping from R95 pp. naiberi.com 2 Explorers River Camp, Jinja, Uganda. This world-famous camp has fantastic views of the Nile River, a well-stocked bar and excellent meals. Boat cruises from R590 pp and white-water rafting from R2 100 pp. Rooms from R390 pp. Camping from R90 pp. raftafrica.com 3 The Bush Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Built on eco principles, the bandas are designed and spaced in such a way to maximise privacy and enhance that safari feeling. Rooms from R450 pp, B&B. naturelodges.biz/the-bush-lodge 4 Buhoma Community Rest…

CAMILLA I wanted to go somewhere challenging, different, but also safe. Iceland ticked all of those boxes. NATALIE Travelling with these two was a laugh a minute! My best moment was sipping whisky in a geothermal pool while the snow froze our eyelashes. MISHA Iceland has been on my wanderlust list for years. I wanted to experience its unspoiled natural beauty. Aflurry of blinding white is flying towards the windscreen and reflecting the headlights back into our eyes. It’s pitch dark and we can’t decide if it’s more terrifying driving with the brights on or off. Misha Coetzee is at the wheel. Camilla Corder and I are in the back, giggling nervously between reassuring murmurs of ‘You’re doing really great’ and ‘Just go dead slow’. We only landed in Iceland a…

THE INSIDER Retired teacher Matthew Cyster is now the chairman of the Pniel Heritage and Cultural Trust. He’s spent 72 years in Pniel and is passionate about the future of the village. To begin, let me tell you where Pniel is: it’s that little village on the R310 between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Blink and you’ll miss it. But had you kept your eyes open, you might have seen it and wondered: what is this place? Who lives here? And how, exactly, do you pronounce Pniel? (It’s Pin-yel, like Israel, and it means ‘face of God’). Pniel is a delightful little place. The houses have no fences; unguarded laundry flaps in the wind. Motivated by the news that Pniel will soon host the first Street Art Competition in the Dwarsrivier Valley,…