Innehållsförteckning för May 2016 från Getaway

DAVID ROSS With over a decade's experience shooting everything from food and fashion to far-flung places, David enjoys the challenge of using whatever light is thrown his way. While in the Serengeti (page 74), he discovered golden plains and moody skies - and captured them for us to experience. EVAN HAUSSMANN Writer and photographer Evan hates getting up early, deadlines, the cold and being out of his depth. So we sent him to Lesotho to 4x4 in snow (page 48), and to deliver the story on very short notice. He took the task hook, line and sinker as he’s a road-tripping masochist who likes fishing. PIPPA DE BRUYN Pippa was always a reluctant traveller who later realised she was never happier than on assignment, and the discoveries made en route…

Africa will soon be sporting a record-breaking 4800-kilometre-long, 14-kilometre-wide green belt. Eleven African countries will plant trees through the Sahara Desert from the west to the east of Africa in an effort to prevent desertification. The Great Green Wall will run through Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. Once completed, it’ll be the largest man-made structure on earth and a new world wonder. terrafrica.org/ great-green-wall…

Jozi Craft Beer Fest 7 May, entrance fee of R150 pp.jozicraftbeerfest.co.za Family, food and fragrance festival 7 - 8 May at Emperors Palace, entry is R80 pp. emperorspalace.com Riebeeck Valley Olive Festival 7 - 8 May, a weekend pass is R135 pp. riebeekvalley.info Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show 21 - 24 May, entry is R130 pp. goodfoodandwineshow.co.za NEW Crumbs and Cream has opened in Sea Point. Get your fix of ice cream sandwiched between two cookies for R35 each. crumbsandcream.co.za NEW Krispy Kreme has opened in Joburg. Doughnuts are from R8,90 each.krispykremesa.com SAVE THIS FOR LATER Jamie’s Italian restaurant by Jamie Oliver will be opening in Joburg’s Melrose Arch next year. THIS IS HOW THE DANISH We Food is SAVE BUCKS TILL PAY DAY a supermarket in Denmark…

AIRLINES ADJUST CHECK-IN TIMES All SAA domestic flights from Johannesburg have a new check-in cut-off time. Travellers need to check in 40 minutes before departure, whereas in the past it was 30 minutes. Just enough time to grab a quick coffee. flysaa.com Similarly, all British Airways domestic and regional flights will now close 45 minutes before departure and not 30 minutes. ba.com AIR MAURITIUS TO LAUNCH A REGIONAL AIRLINE The Indian Ocean carrier will expand into Africa - starting with Maputo and Dar es Salaam - and Asia. The new regional airline will be a subsidiary of Air Mauritius and will add eight operation points to the African region. airmauritius.com ISTANBUL PLANS TO BUILD THE WORLD’S BIGGEST AIRPORT The six-runway hub, that will have a capacity of 200-million passengers a…

FINALIST CHOBE ELEPHANT We were on an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park, Botswana, when all of a sudden the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. This gentle giant emerged from the thick bush silently and turned to face us, lifting her trunk and breathing in the surrounding scents. As she stood guard, a tiny elephant calf revealed itself and walked underneath what we assumed was its mother. The calf crossed the road and the elephant gently lowered her trunk and, without a sound, disappeared after the baby on the opposite side of the road. - By Chad Jason Gregory, Durban Canon 6D, Canon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/250 sec FINALIST GROUND SQUIRREL I took this image of a ground squirrel in Nossob Rest Camp, on the…

On a sunny Saturday morning in Pretoria, the taxis hoot incessantly on the corner of Sisulu and Helen Joseph streets. Diagonally across the road, a band warms up for a gallery opening. Inside 012 Central, at Market at the Sheds, a female vocalist is in full swing. And across the courtyard, at African Beer Emporium (ABE), a DJ surrounded by upturned plastic crates is spinning vinyl. ABE is a light, white, airy - and very large - beer hall serving 15 beers from around Africa (with a fresh-faced African-inspired menu to match) and proudly South African craft beers, such as Soweto Gold and Striped Horse, and special brews by Friar’s Habit in Silverton on tap. It is the next big idea from the team who spearheaded the beer fest at…

‘Africa’ and ‘snow’ are not commonly found in the same sentence. So when the opportunity arose to put a Fortuner into Lesotho’s fresh white powder I booked a flight. My friend and Lesotho local Glenn Jones, always up for an adventure, was already waiting when I landed at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport. ‘The Sani Pass border closes at 6pm,’ he said. There was clearly no time for small talk. We sped south on the N2 and turned onto the N3, and then drove through Hilton, turning left towards Bulwer, Underberg and Himeville to Sani Pass, where we slipped through the border with little time to spare. Snow crunched underfoot as we ducked into the warmth of Sani Mountain Lodge. Our mission was to find spectacular driving roads and see…

WHY IT’S WORTH THE TRIP • It’s perfect for the all-rounder, or the indecisive: the relatively small distance between hills, estuary and beach means that you can pack a lot into one trip. • The biodiversity and natural beauty of the area has earned iSimangaliso World Heritage site status. In fact, it was the first destination in South Africa to be awarded this grade. • Two events: a four-day mountain bike ride and a half marathon take place inside the park every year. For the active, it's a great way to merge sport and wildlife. 'THOUGH I’M MUCH MORE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT CHEESE PUFFS THAN ADVENTURE SPORTS, I FOUND THAT THROWING MYSELF HEADFIRST INTO THE PHYSICAL SIDE OF THE PARK IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE IT' Gritting your teeth is…

46... That’s how many tiger fish Harry, Getaway Gear Editor Melanie van Zyl’s dad, and three friends caught in June last year on a trip to the Okavango Panhandle. Harry landed the biggest fish and the smallest fish. In fact, he caught the most fish out of them all. Many anglers deem tigers the best freshwater game fish in Africa, and they happen to live in some of the continent’s most beautiful places. This year, Melanie took a road trip with her dad to find the best tiger rivers in Botswana and Namibia, learn when it’s the perfect time to hook one and feel the addictive fun of fighting and landing her first striped water dog. Who now holds the family record? Find out in the June issue of Getaway.…

The Serengeti is a remarkable place. It feels like the closest to what Africa’s wild tracts of land must have been like before it was bordered and fenced and farmed and firmly managed. When I was there many years ago, I met a man who'd been a poacher. He was one of a band of five. He liked his life better now, he said, working as an anti-poacher for an Italian operation set just outside the official reserve. Perhaps he was telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. But I wondered about the truth of his statement. Although I'm vehemently against poaching, his life must have been vivid out there, living wild on those incredible stretches of yellow plains taking his chances with the creatures - because that’s…

May marks 100 years since Albert Einstein’s groundbreaking theory of general relativity was published. We thought we’d explain how energy, gravity, matter and momentum affect space and time. Just kidding. Instead, to mark the occasion, here are some cool places to go for science-loving space buffs. • Gaze at the universe through the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere in Sutherland. R80 pp. saao.ac.za • Visit the Observatory in Cape Town every second and fourth Saturday of the month - 14 and 28 May. Free entry and donations are welcome. saao.ac.za NEW ABROAD Stare at the stars from a PurePod: a new set of glass houses in New Zealand - so cool! purepods.com PHOTOJOURNALIST SCOTT RAMSAY RECOMMENDS THESE RESERVES FOR THEIR CLEAR NIGHT SKIES: • Tankwa Karoo National Park, entry…

Here’s one for the dream journal: as the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Trans-Siberian line through Russia, closer to home Rovos Rail has bought the 19-carriage Shongololo Express train to cater to three-star travellers. Don’t reach for your wallets just yet - the 12-day three-star trip from Pretoria to Vic Falls for R52000 pp is an epic journey, though, if that suits your pocket. rovos.com UPINGTON ON THE UP AND UP Upington was voted one of the best airports in the world with under two million passengers per year. At 4,9 kilometres, it also has one of the largest runways on Earth. WHY GO THERE? • Visit Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park • Canoe the Orange River • Hot-air balloon over Augrabies…

Winter is perfect for stargazing as there’s reduced haze and crisper nights. The Celestron Astromaster is a great dual-purpose telescope appropriate for both terrestrial and celestial viewing. It’s good for beginners, easy to set-up and features a permanently-mounted star pointer and German Equatorial mount with setting circles to locate and track sky objects. The telescope produces bright clear images of the moon and planets - use it to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings around Saturn easily. R2 200, glagencies.co.za…

Friends from out of town are visiting. Where do you recommend they stay? The Hyatt in Rosebank. Your reasons? It’s really central and directly opposite the Rosebank Gautrain station, so if they’re coming from the airport they don’t need a taxi. Also, the hotel is posh; beautiful. They have the greatest service there. And I love where it is, in Rosebank. It’s between the satellite smaller cities, Joburg and Sandton, they’re five minutes away either way. It’s also next to the [Rosebank] Mall, where there are different shops and you can experience the nightlife of South Africa, or you can easily go to Maboneng. The rooms are very big, have aircon and DStv and are spacious and very clean, too. Your writing has led to you travelling... I love travelling.…

1 LAURENTINA PRETA We’ve paired the peri-peri chicken livers in sweet and spicy tomato and pimento sauce with Laurentina Preta from Maputo, Mozambique - a deep brown, medium-bodied beer with flavours of malt, chocolate and caramel. 2 TUSKER Tusker, Kenya’s oldest brand of beer, goes well with the crispy roasted cauliflower and a couscous burger with tangy dill mayonnaise. The beer is yellow in colour and you can smell corn and Hallertau hops. Tusker is a light, crisp beer - perfect for summer. 3 MALUTI Maluti is a pale lager brewed by Maluti Mountain Brewery in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Chilli, mielies and sharp white-cheddar mandasi with home-made chakalaka accentuates the light grain flavours in the beer.…

FIRST ASCENT GRAVITY JACKET R1 299, firstascent.co.za SMART TECH This men’s jacket looks similar to a jersey but performs like a softshell. It’s water resistant and breathable despite its ordinary winter-wear look, and has a knitted fleece outer with a cosy soft-to-the-touch Firestorm inner fleece. The generous hoody keeps your ears warm and ‘welded’ pockets add a technical edge – the zips close to prevent things falling out. It’s available in grey for ladies too. FIRST ASCENT X-TRAIL ZIP TOP R699, firstascent.co.za SMART TECH The zip top is made from lightweight Quik-Wic fabric. This trail running-specific shirt with its subtle reflective trim and flat-locked seams fits well and is great for hikes and travelling. The Quik-Wic fabric keeps moisture away from the body and dries quickly.…

Of all the booze in all the world, I never thought a plucky white would be my undoing. But here I am, in the cool stone-walled cellar at Springfield Estate at 10am on a Monday morning, staring at my nemesis: a quarter-filled tasting glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve just taken a sip and on the other side of a stately countertop, Alett Bruwer would like me to tell her what it tastes like. Her large doe eyes twinkle in the dim light. On a shelf below the counter, an old PC plays a subtle violin track. The label on the bottle reads Life from Stone, the vineyard’s flagship wine, I’m told. It might as well say Blood from Stone. I’ve got nothing. It’s no surprise, really. As a connoisseur, I’ve…

‘A trumpet rang through the dusk and they all started running’ ‘Are you sure we’re not getting too close?’ I asked. ‘It’s all right,’ said Gary. He seemed distracted. ‘The wind’s in the other direction.’ I gave my wife an encouraging look. See? The wind’s in the other direction. I don’t think she was entirely persuaded. We were in the north-west of Zimbabwe, in Hwange National Park. Before we’d arrived I was unsure what we’d find. You hear lots of scare stories about Zimbabwe. The place is in ruins! Nothing but poaching! Would there even be any elephants left? There were plenty of elephants left. The place was lousy with elephants. There were elephants everywhere, and Gary the guide was leading us on foot right up to them. If my…

Trip to Zanzibar for two worth R42500 I’m extremely excited about winning this prize as I am passionate about travelling - especially on this beautiful continent! - Khuliso Rasengane Romantic break to Kievits Kroon Country Estate What a lovely surprise to learn that I won a stay at Kievits Kroon. I’m treating my husband for his birthday, and we’re looking forward to it. - Michelle Ho Getaway for six to Touwsberg Private Game & Nature Reserve Thanks to Getaway for an awesome prize. We can’t wait to go on this well-needed break, and will certainly enjoy the experience. - Leo Simpson Gourmandium Bundu Booze Box I’m very excited about winning the Gourmandium Bundu Booze Box and I can’t wait to use it on our next road trip! It will definitely…

There’s a new (and novel) way to travel the world for free. The sharing economy has taken the world by storm. First there was Airbnb - turning houses into hotels. Then there was Uber - turning cars into cabs. And now? We’re turning pet-sitting into a holiday. That’s right, the new way to travel is to pet-sit your way around the world, looking after people’s furry friends, be it Bruno the bulldog in Boston or Tara the tabby cat in Tasmania, in return for free accommodation. See rover.com or dogvacay.com to pet sit your way around the USA, or happyhousesitters.com for Australia’s largest network of pet-sitters and homeowners. Not keen on the furry vacation? These might be more up your alley MEAL SHARING Book meals at local homes across the…

1 CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON For high-quality images, it's still best to use a camera and then transfer your images to your phone to edit and upload to Instagram. For on-the-go food snaps, shoot with your phone instead. First, download an app for your phone's camera that lets you adjust your exposure settings manually. For Android, use Open Camera, which is fast, easy to use - and free. For iOS, use Camera+ (which is about R46 -US$2,99). It’s the go-to iOS app and makes full use of the iPhone camera. 2 FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST Whether it’s straight-out-of-the-oven baked bread or a steaming bowl of mussels foraged from the ocean, your food needs to look appetising. Set up your shot using a place mat and swap in the dish as soon…

Best riverside accommodation BUSHRIVER LODGE TripAdvisor No. 9 of 96 Speciality Lodging, Hoedspruit This is one of those places that makes your heart soar. First off there is the location: at the end of a long track that takes you through a variety of gates, and situated on the banks of the Olifants River, so the water lullaby is a constant soundtrack. Accommodation - particularly the five en-suite rooms that make up the Hlatifula Main Lodge - is stellar. And the price is just amazing. The main lodge rooms - sharing a lovely tree-shaded deck with firepit, almost cantilevered over the river (pictured left) - can be booked as self-catering, or you can specify which and how many meals you’d like made for you. Home-cooked meals are prepared with flair…