Table of contents for April 2025 in Getaway

SPEAK TO US: GETAWAY.CO.ZA GETAWAYMAGAZINE GETAWAYMAGAZINE This year started with a bang, though it might not necessarily have been positive for some people. Many of us have been thrown our fair share of curveballs in the last three months, and between the demands of work and life, the sweet spot of the everelusive balance we all desperately seek has eluded us. Realising you may have to scale down grand travel plans may be disappointing, but before giving up, pause to reset your mind and body, then forge ahead. Rather than scrapping your holiday altogether, how about a well-deserved break closer to home? You don't need to wait for a special occasion or the end of the year, either. It may sound like I'm regurgitating a corny quote from Pinterest, but…

Do yourself a favour and include Howick on your itinerary when planning your next visit to KwaZulu-Natal. It's a charming town that nature lovers and budding historians alike will enjoy, approximately 90 km from Durban and 20 km from Pietermaritzburg. THE BACKSTORY The Howick we know today started, as many towns do, through farming. In the mid-19th century, a Wesleyan missionary, Reverend James Archbell, was granted Woodlands, Stocklands and Oatlands farms. The soil on the farms was fertile, thanks mainly to the uMngeni River running through it, leading to the second-highest waterfall in the country, Howick Falls, which has a 95 m drop (the highest is Tugela Falls in nearby Drakensberg), known among locals as KwaNogqaza (Place of the Tall One in Zulu). Today, the place that derived its name…

It's something of a labour of love - and deep respect for heritage - to restore an old building into a beautiful repurposed new present. There are other options: gut it and rebuild with no link to the past; cannibalise the good bits; leave it to crumble to dust; tear it down and build a gleaming modern edifice. But none of those were entertained by Hotelier Johan du Plessis when he bought one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town and turned it into the magnificent Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel. AN OLD AFFAIR On a corner of Church Square in the City Bowl, it murmurs sophistication. The hotel is in a national heritage monument and is one of South Africa's oldest buildings, dating to 1677. After several years of negotiations…

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival had been on my local bucket list since my varsity days. But it wasn't until a few years later that me and a group of friends finally decided to make the trip. Planning the journey halted after my vehicle (which I'd kindly volunteered for the drive) fell victim to a smash-and-grab. Disillusioned after becoming a crime statistic, I wondered why I should risk another incident in a different province. After some convincing from the group and not wanting to let them down, and with my window repaired, we forged ahead with our plans. By that time, however, most accommodation options within our budget were already fully booked. Luckily, after some digging, I found something that looked like it would work for us: basic, neat and…

Robo Assist Have you ever considered hiking Mount Tai in China's Shandong province, the eastern mountain of the Sacred Mountains of China, associated with sunrise and renewal? As poetic as it sounds, it is a challenging climb, even for the fittest amongst us - watch the social media videos showing hikers shaking and collapsing as they reach the top or trying to go back down on all fours. Their exertion is understandable, as reaching the 1 524-m-high summit requires climbing more than 7 000 steps. Help may be at hand thanks to a robotic lag co-developed by Shenzhen-based tech company Kenqing Technology and the Taishan Cultural Tourism Group, it's ‘designed to wrap around users’ waist and thighs’. It weighs less than 2 kg and is ‘powered by Al algorithms [that…

Seven months after Mill Steet Bistro's opening, Michelinstarred Welsh Chef Phil Carmichael's ode to casual bistronomy won a coveted gong at one of SA's most prestigious dining awards. This remarkable achievement celebrates the bistro's commitment to culinary excellence, innovation and storytelling through food, solidifying its reputation as one of this country's hospitality industry leaders. Chef Phil's vision for the eatery in Stellenbosch was a refined yet relaxed dining experience that showcases the best local produce and wines. ‘This restaurant is my passion project It's my baby, the culmination of 30 years of graft in other people's kitchens, winning awards for others, and now bringing my vision to life,’ says Chef Phil, before adding, ‘To receive this award is not just a personal achievement, but a testament to my entire team's…

SCAN THIS QR CODES RETURN OF THE CHEETAH A new documentary by the Discovery Channel in partnership with Jetour, that sheds light on the CCF's critical efforts to save cheetahs in the wild. Malnourished, dehydrated, starving, infested with maggots, lacerations and open wounds across their bodies, the list goes on. The Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre (CRCC) in Somaliland is currently home to over 100 cheetahs rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. They're lucky - one in four stolen cubs don't make it. They're separated from their mother before they develop the skills to survive in the wild. But at this centre, they have all they need for a happy life: medical care, food, enclosures, socialisation, safety and security. This hard-won battle begins with a little girl called Laurie Marker,…

WHERE TO STAY A mobile safari is the ultimate way to experience the CKGR. Maun-based Island Safaris offers numerous mobile safaris across Botswana and can tailor-make an itinerary for you. From R27 800 pps (four days, threB nights) islmaun.com/sefaris Watch a clip on YouTube of a mobile safari to get an idea of what to expect on a safari with Island Mobile Safaris: yautu.be/CHJTODugiDk?si=D7RqGlaLh7rMlv99 If a mobile safari just isn't your thing and you need a bit more in the way of creature comforts, Evolve Back's Gham Dhao Lodge is in an 11 000-ha private game reserve on the the CKGR's northern border. From R11OOO pps (fully inclusive) evolvebback.com/evolve-back-kalahari GETTING THERE Deception Pan is about a six-hour drive from Maun in an open vehicle. From Maun, it's a 220 km…

TOTALSPORTS TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON 5 April CORNER OF DEAN STREET AND MAIN ROAD, NEWLANDS This 56 km race hugs Cape Town's coastline and has two challenging climbs that test participants’ endurance and determination. Whether racing or cheering from the sidelines, be part of the excitement as athletes #ConquerTheCurrent. twooceansmarathon.org.za MUDDY PRINCESS JOBURG 6 April RIETVLEI ZOO FARM. SWARTKOPPIES ROAD, ALBERTON Get ready for the ultimate girls’ day out, a 5 km obstacle mud run for women of all ages, sizes and fitness levels. It's more about having fun than competition, as you run, crawl, slide and climb through the course. Tickets: from R299 webtickets.co.za MOTHERWELL FREEDOM RUN 26 April RAYMOND MHLABA SPORTS CENTRE, MOTHERWELL This celebration of freedom and fitness offers a 10 km and 5 km race. The…

christophertosi christophertosi Christopher Tosi Scan this QR code to donate to #86daysinkruger One of my earliest memories of the Kruger was being in a car with my family when I was five. We reached a junction near the Orpen Gate where two cheetahs were walking side by side. The big cats followed us for a good five kilometres, seemingly unafraid. I visited the park twice a year with my family when I was growing up, more frequently once I passed my driving test, camping with friends, and all we needed was a tent, pillows and sleeping bags. I was an arty kid who spent his days in the Kruger drawing animals - I still have 10 albums full of them - so it seemed only natural to study graphic design…

Stanford, a village of some 14 000 souls in the Walker Bay region of the Western Cape's Overberg, is like a puff adder: so well camouflaged you won't know it's there till you trip over it and it strikes. However, unlike the adage, once bitten, twice shy, with Stanford, it's a case of once bitten, forever smitten. The description ‘hidden gem’ is one of the most hackneyed in travel writing, but it doesn't apply to Stanford because (like Sedgefield on the Garden Route) you have to drive through the place to bypass it. Its claim to fame - which sounds contradictory - is that it has little claim to fame other than that it is near where the British troopship HMS Birkenhead sank with substantial loss of life in 1852.…

It is 24 December, two days before my first trip abroad, although it feels odd calling it that, considering the distance is no more than a quick flight from Cape Town to Joburg. I'm sitting on my suitcase, struggling to close the zip. I've never been a last-minute packer; I honestly do not know how people can leave it until the day of their trip. The zip finally gives way, and I'm ready to go for the third and final time. As usual, I've packed as though I'm never coming back. But, I believe in being prepared, always taking extra stuff, just in case. My bag weighs 19.8 kg, successfully under the limit, minus two jackets and a pair of shoes. I ditch my exercise clothes because who works out…