Innehållsförteckning för January 2023 från Getaway

THE ENTHUSIAST There's loads to do in Haenertsburg, according to Lisa Martus, owner of Love Limpopo, an online portal showcasing the best of the province. ‘It started off as a mining town and is still laid out as such; she says. ‘Everything you need is on the main street: the tavern, police station, hotel and post office are all in the dead centre of town. The Pennefather Gold Mining Company shopping complex has some great cottages that have a mining town feel. A lot of their shops and cottages are named after the mining companies and characters from back then.’ THE BIRDER David Letsoalo grew up in Magoebaskloof and has been a bird guide for 20 years. He was recently nominated as a conservation hero by The More Foundation. He…

DESPATCHES Booze Optional No doubt, many of the world's legendary drunks are turning in their graves. Some of them were fierce and formidable writers. Heroically intoxicated scribes like Hunter S Thompson and Tennessee Williams, Hemingway and Kerouac, Truman Capote and James Joyce. Essentially my heroes. Bless them all, but this is a story set in a brave new world, one in which boozing is on the decline, and — heaven help us — trends such as “sober curious” have been doing the rounds. In fact, Sober Curious is the title of a six-year-old book chronicling the rising phenomenon of consciously choosing not to drink alcohol — at least not all the time. In its wake there've been legions of people appending #mindfuldrinking to pictures of themselves sipping New Age, booze-free elixirs…

‘My mom wouldn't let me cook because I was the last born and my mom thought my skills weren't good enough,’ says Sanele Duma, the chef at Zulu Waters who, despite her mum's misgivings, is changing things up with her plantforward menus. Sanele grew up in a poor village in the KZN Midlands, the youngest of six girls. Her village was surrounded by many hotels and restaurants, and at an early age that sparked in her a passion for food. ‘We had to go and work in the hotels over weekends to get something for our family. Sometimes I would just stand in the scullery, watching the chefs.’ Their passion inspired Sanele and motivated her to become a chef; it also sparked her specific interest in plant-based food, which she's…

INVEST IN A PAIR OF BINOCS Just observing the birds in your immediate environment is a great start, but for most — the connection happens when you are able to study birds through a pair of binoculars. TIP Ideally you want an 8x42 or 10x42. If money is no object, don't fanny about Swarovski is the top choice, not least due to its investment in all things birding, including the community birders. You can pick up a Bushnell for about R2 500 but for long-term investment get a Vortex — guaranteed for life, with great after-sales service; it's available for about R12 000. GET A GUIDE BOOK/APP Sasol Birds of Southern Africa 5th Edition or the Roberts Bird Guide — both books and apps ara excellent, as is BirdPro. Useful,…

Each year, Ngamiland eagerly awaits the annual inundation of the greater OkavangoChobe region, the floodwaters coming from faraway Angola. It is this flood that allows life to flourish in the arid Kalahari Basin. Most of the floods are fed by summer rains and it takes months for the water to creep across the flat landscape, weaving through dense reed beds to reach the main delta. It's often only in June or July, when winter has already cracked its grip on the land, that the water starts to arrive — some years it doesn't. Rainfall in the right place at the right time is all-important for everyone downstream, human and animal, but tectonics also plays a part. The Linyanti, for example, has a vertical fall of only about eight metres across…

‘East London is a fascinating city,’ raves Velile Ndlumbini, an award-winning guide and founder of Imonti Tours. He's been showing people the best of what East London has to offer for almost two decades. ‘The city itself was established 175 years ago as a port town that serviced the eastern frontier but, of course, its history goes back much further than that. Did you know that some of the oldest human footprints on the planet can be found here?’ Imonti's four-hour East London Walking Tour is a fantastic way to get to know the city — from Hero's Park, which honours South Africa's freedom fighters and incorporates the German Settlers Monument, to the coelacanth fish, and the beautiful Victorian-era buildings in town. imontitours.co.za…

AVALON Stalls are set up under towering trees, and this country-style market at Kidds Beach is a treat to visit. There's plenty of food, and stalls selling clothing, plants, crafts and more. Plus: pony rides! First Sunday of each month 9am-2pm AvalonAtKiddsBeach LAVENDER BLUE One of the most popular cafes in East London, Lavender Blue's market-style shop sells a variety of fresh produce, preserves, clothing and gift items. The coffee served here is exceptional; great food; plenty of space for children to play. Tuesday-Friday 7.30am-3pm, Thursday 5.30am-8pm, SaturdaySunday 8am-2pm Lavender-Blue-Market TEA IN THE TREES There's usually excellent local music at this bi-monthly market near Chintsa. Great food, interesting stalls and a chilled vibe on Sundays, 9am-2pm. teainthetrees.co.za…

Eat early Party types will be hung over and hungry. Drink smart Buy coupons for what you're going to drink and stick to that. Be moneywise Leave a cash deposit at reception. Lose the phone Satellite Wi-Fi costs an arm and a leg. Smart excursions Get on shore early and return early, it'll save hours waiting in the hot sun for an overcrowded tender. Bread facts Cruise ships make their own pastries and breads on beard. It's the freshest thing available, neither frozen ner tinned. Veggies net so much. Don't get lost Download a map of the ship and check out the location of your cabin, then memorise a route from there to the nearest, easily Identifiable lounge or public area. That way you'll get less confused about which way…

The Tradouw Tarras Dua cycle loop runs parallel to the R62 alongside the Langeberg mountains. It begins at the Karoo Art Hotel. From there it makes its way through fruit farms and vineyards up to the Op de Tradouw Pass, where it loops back along a beautiful route through veld and farmlands to the village. The trail has three distance options with breakout routes that allow cyclists, runners and hikers to experience different activities along the way, such as a glass of classic Joubert-Tradauw Chardonnay, with an Alfresco Deli tapas lunch, or a gin tasting at Metanoia Distillery. The name Tradouw derives from the Khoekhoe words tar ras (path) and duas (women) and it means “footpath of the Khoisan women”. The women would trek through the valley barefoot to trade…

NEIGHBOURgood BRIEFS De Waterkant De Waterkant, adjacent to Green Point and on the CBD's seaward side, is perhaps the hippest area in town. Not that it lets on. A few hundred years ago its buildings were at the very edge of Table Bay, its taverns servicing swarthy seamen, its women and waifs no doubt, too. “Waterkant” — as it was called — was so near the sea it had a boathouse and was where customs officials were headquartered. But then the beaches and the ocean were staved off to make room for development. It is one of the oldest parts of the city, its earliest homes dating from 1790. Until 1966, when the city was re-zoned, it was a part of Bo-Kaap, and its connection to the Cape Malay quarter is evident…

‘It's a wonderful time of year,’ says Alex Starey, winemaker at Stellenbosch's Keermont Wines. ‘It's late summer, the vineyards are full of lovely ripe grapes — hopefully and you are getting them off the vines and processing them and getting all the fermentations going, which is something to be celebrated.’ Alex has a great story to tell about the kind of celebratory mood this time can evoke. ‘I had an intern once, a French guy from Tahiti, and he loved the fact that we were making wine in such a natural way and that we actually stomped the grapes with our bare feet and things like that. One day, he asked me if he could take all of his clothes off and climb into one of the fermenting vessels —…

The great German philosopher, Walter Benjamin, was my inspiration. ‘Never write your conclusion in a familiar place,’ he wrote. ‘You'll never find the necessary bravery there.’ Which is why I packed my bags and landed up in Germany studying something pretentious. Germany was not only my shot at being brave and my attempt to write my thesis somewhere unfamiliar, though. It was also my renegade moment, that time when we're young, slightly dumb, and obsessed with being far from home. Ultimately, though, the small student city of Munster, known for the pealing of its church bells and for the rain, soon grew too mundane, no match for my budding pretentiousness. So, with my coursework out of the way, I took Benjamin's advice to the next level and set off to…

DESPATCHES Zulu Waters I don't recall the precise moment the Drakensberg's snowcapped peaks came into view, nor exactly when I lost myself in the landscape. All I know is that, by the time we arrived at the lodge, two and a half hours from the airport, we were steeped in purest countryside: grassland plains, undulating hills and tall mountains in every direction. This was my first trip to KwaZuluNatal and I was struck by the ceaseless up-down of the landscape, the busy topography. I don't recall seeing so much as a cricket field-sized area that was flat. Cast your eye in any direction, and there's a mound, or hill, or steeprising peak. Another thing I noticed: fewer bushes and trees. Unlike Kruger, or Addo, or even the scraggly fynbos of the…

Have you ever been kissed by a giraffe? If not, be sure to book a date with Abby. After his mother was killed by poachers, Abby was hand-reared by the folk at Areena Riverside Resort, and an opportunity to meet the affectionate giraffe (now 16 years old) and learn more about giraffes in general has been a highlight for so many families that've spent time around East London. Areena offers an assortment of other activities, too, including a quad bike safari, obstacle course, Segway tours, abseiling and ziplining. The giraffe experience costs R600 for one to three people. areenaresort.com Spend time at Heartwood Homestead, and your family will have a chance to not only milk a cow (R250 pp, includes a farm tour), but also get up close to grazing…

TRAVEL Barrydale A road runs through it. Literally. Barrydale is really just a handful of buildings scattered across the highway, albeit a rather pleasant highway. From Montagu, it's the R62, through the Wildehondskloofhoogte and Op de Tradouw passes, the backdrop the Langeberg mountains. If you're coming from Swellendam, on the R324, however, you travel the spectacular Tradouw Pass into the Tradouw Valley. It was originally built by Thomas Bain, master road builder, and really should be driven at least once by any self-respecting road-tripper. Orange and ochre cliffs tower over you, green scrub gallantly holding out against the relentless sun. It is hot and dusty, and starkly beautiful, raptors soaring on the thermals, the sky an impossible cerulean. Whereas quaint, westerly McGregor is all gentility and shoo-wow, and neighbouring Montagu…

The farm, now designated “Joubert-Tradauw Wingerde & Kelder”, has been in the Joubert family for decades, but fruit-growing was traditionally the main focus. Later, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were added, with the grapes going to the Co-operative Cellar in Barrydale. In 1982, Cabernet Franc was planted, too. But things took a serious turn in the 1990s, when an old building was restored and converted into a maturation cellar. The fermentation cellar was built in 1998 out of stone from the rocky soils characteristic of the farm. In 1999, the first grapes were harvested and crushed for the production of wine. The R62 Merlot/Cabernet Blend was released after a 14-month ageing period in Burgundy oak barrels. Stop for a tasting and a meal at the Alfresco Deli. You…

Scan the OR code with your phone or fill in the entry form for Botswana online at getaway.co.za/competitions Entries close on 31 January 2023. THE PRIZE One reader will win a 10-night holiday for two, with three nights at Sekoma Island Lodge (including all meals, transfers from Kasane/Livingstone, a boat ride and two full days of fishing), four nights mobile camping in Savuti and Ohobe with Kalahari Tours (including meals, game drives and a boat cruise), and three nights at Mogotlho Safari Lodge in Khwai. The last includes all meals, safari activities, a helicopter ride up the Khwai River with Helicopter Horizons, and a transfer to Maun. TERMS AND CONDITIONS The prize is for two persons sharing, beginning in Kasane or Livingstone and ending in Maun. Flights, drinks, visas, gratuities and…

WHERE ON EARTH? AS OCEANS RISE BY ROUGHLY HALF AN INCH A YEAR, TIME FOR SOME IS RUNNING OUT Happy New Year? It is the first country to say hello to the new year, and might be the first to be wiped off the face of the Earth. Kiribati, a tiny Pacific nation of low-lying atolls, is inhabited by just 100 000 people; in the future that number might be closer to zero. Its citizens have been witness to rising ocean levels since the 1970s; this scene of a family wading through sea water that flooded the village of Eita on Tarawa atoll in 2015 is typical of the ongoing crisis. Such devastation is — according to the government — a barometer for Kiribati's future: many of its villages are…

BRIEFS First Person Kiteboarding has been my lifestyle for more than 20 years. With this sport, I live with nature every day. I'm able to touch it, feel it, play with it. It makes my day, nourishes my soul. When I disconnect from nature I feel a bit weird. I was not supposed to have this kind of lifestyle I grew up in the north of France in the Ardennes, nowhere near the sea. Luckily my dad was the director of a nautical school set on a lake. It wasn't really a town and we were alone most of the time, but it was a really big and beautiful lake and we had all we needed to just play and enjoy the environment Until I was 18 years old, I…

BRIEFS Gear 1 | Sealand Hemp Bucket Hat R625, sealandgear.co.za Bucket hats are a dime a dozen these days but Sealand's version is a step above the rest; it strikes a balance between being stylish and being big enough to protect your face from the sun. Made from a combination of upcycled sail and a hemp/recycled PET blend, they come in two colours and two sizes. They're lightweight, breathable, and have an adjustable chin strap and a hidden inner top pocket. 2 | E'yako Green African Wax Print/Upcycled PVC Billiboard Backpack R300 (minimum order of 50), eyakogreen.co.za E'yako Green believes that human values don't have to disappear just because you're in business. With this novel concept as a platform, the company turns endof-campaign PVC billboards and polyester marketing waste into bags and accessories.…

On a journey through Zambia and Botswana, it's impossible not to think of David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary who spent a good part of the 30 years between 1842 and 1873 covering some 50 000km of uncharted African territory, most of it on foot. Livingstone was of course not the first to “discover” Lake Ngami, Savuti or even Victoria Falls, but it was his poetic and vivid accounts that, for better or for worse, put this region on the colonial map and opened the floodgates for those who followed. Although greed and exploitation have tainted the legacies of many pioneers and imperialists, his statue still stands proudly at Victoria Falls, a major town in Zambia bears his name and, for the most part, he is remembered for good. As harsh…

Doris Day offers a guided introduction to sanctuaries, retreats, labyrinths and herb gardens. Among her tours are the Art of the Amble, meeting the Dancing Dakini at Santa Fe Soul Sanctuary and Native American teaching at HoZho House. She will take you on a sound bath ceremony and meditative journey at Kamala Retreat, or to a herbal tea ceremony at Yamù Botanicals. And she will help you book times with the wellness practitioners, energy healers and yoga classes in Barrydale. Tours are R250. 083 666 6125…

KAROO ART HOTEL It went from Barrydale's shining star to a down at heel establishment and back again, its rebirth thanks to Rick and Sue Melvill, who bought the crumbling building and turned it into a bright and fine place to stay, art on the walls, the pool blue and inviting on a hot day, and the food hearty, under chef Derek Lowe, who whips up South African- and Karooinspired dishes. Each of the 15 rooms is individually decorated, from the ruby red dogfriendly Dog Box Room to the alluring Tretchikoff wallpaper behind the bed in The Magnolia Room. There are two Bain rooms, just as there were two Bains, Thomas and his son, Andrew. There are individual murals aplenty by Barrydale artist Quinton Faro, among them the peacock and…