Innehållsförteckning för January 2024 från Getaway

SPEAK TO US: GETAWAY.CO.ZA GETAWAYMAGAZINE GETAWAYMAGAZINE January 2024. How quickly it seems we have reached this point. It seems like forever ago that almost everyone seemed to be trying to prepare for Y2K and living through the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic. The last few years have been wild, and I'm sure many people will agree with me when I say 2023 was one hell of a wild ride. One where you were hurtling along rollercoaster tracks, certain the guy who'd fastened you into your seat hadn't tightened the straps enough. You may have felt like you were flung around in every direction thanks to the constant high speed at which we travelled as we went about our daily lives - always on the move, always connected to the web,…

WHERE ON EARTH? KOLMANSKOP IS A MERE 10 KM INLAND FROM THE PORT TOWN OF LUDERITZ. IT WAS ONCE A BUSTLING DIAMOND MINING TOWN, BUT KOLMANSKOP'S DIAMONDS WERE DEPLETED BY THE '30s, RESULTING IN THE TOWNSPEOPLE LEAVING IN DROVES, ABANDONING THE AREA BY 1956. TODAY, IT IS A GHOST TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NAMIB DESERT THAT ATTRACTS APPROXIMATELY 35 000 TOURISTS ANNUALLY. Diamonds Aren't Forever Pictured here are deserted homes in the ghost town of Kolmanskop near Luderitz, Namibia, which attract tourists, as does its abandoned diamond mine.…

Igrew up in Spokane, a city in Washington. I was lucky, considering my parents came from severe poverty. By the time I was born, we lived in a nice neighbourhood with a decent schooling system - I'm the first person in my lineage to have attended college. We lived across the street from a park I rode my bike to. It had lawns, flowers, a pond where I could catch turtles and a Japanese garden where I could look at specific kinds of plants. I knew all the groundskeepers who'd teach me about various plants they'd found and give me cuttings to grow myself. It had this massive greenhouse I liked so much that I'd break in at nighttime for moments alone with the orchids and Philodendrons I wanted books…

If you grew up in the era of Shaun Tomson dominating surfing competitions locally and worldwide, you’d better face the fact that a lot of water has run under the bridge since then. Time has moved on, and Jeffreys Bay has moved with it, modernising from a small village of hippies into a cosmopolitan, modem tourist attraction, as you’d expect from a place boasting top-quality beaches. What hasn’t changed, however, is its charm. Jeffreys Bay remains as cool and laid-back as ever, attracting a constant influx of surfers eager to test themselves on one of the best right-hand point breaks anywhere on the planet. Located in the Eastern Cape, just 75 km west of Gqeberha (if you're old enough to remember Shaun, we’d better explain that that’s Port Elizabeth now),…

Captivating getaway seekers with its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, myriad outdoor activities and vast ocean, Knysna sits proudly between lush forests and the Indian Ocean. More than a town filled with awe-inspiring scenery, it offers various experiences for nature lovers, adventure chasers or those who want to unwind in a tranquil setting, even if only for a weekend. Knysna greets visitors with rolling mountains, quaint houses, a buzzing main road with local stores and businesses and the town's iconic lagoon. While activities and sights are plentiful, there are a few must-dos you really shouldn't miss. Start your journey by marvelling at the iconic Heads, two massive sandstone cliffs guarding the border between the lagoon and the ocean. Stroll along the cliffs to various lookout points for magnificent panoramic views…

Airlink has its eye set on Africa. In September, the airline launched services to Lilongwe and Blantyre, making Malawi the 15th country in its route network. And they've been so popular that Airlink increased the frequency of its Johannesburg- Lilongwe-Johannesburg flights to four a week with the introduction of Saturday offerings. They're on the 37-seat Embraer regional jets, and flights take just over two hours. Why go to Malawi? Glad you asked. Besides the friendliest people in the world, it has Lake Malawi, or the Lake of Stars (Africa's third-largest and more like an inland sea), wildlife, adventure and a rich cultural heritage. The lake is a natural aquarium with the greatest diversity of freshwater fish species of any lake in the world, including at least 700 species of colourful…

We raced towards where Manyeleti Reserve ends and Sabi Sands Game Reserve begins, the open-top game-drive vehicle offering no protection from the storm that swirled in the skies ahead. We had the choice of passing up the adventure, but Wise, our ranger, said, 'We're not sugar; we don't melt.' And that was enough for me. Manyeleti occupies 24 000 ha and rubs shoulders with Kruger National Park, Timbavati Game Reserve and Sabi Sands, with no fences restricting wildlifes' movement between boundaries, making this a sweet spot to see the Big Five and cats. While we didn't melt, we did freeze. Rain bucketed down, soaking us to the core, our ponchos even giving in to the weather. Our introduction to Tintswalo Safari Lodge was served on the rocks, but it's hard…

TRAVEL Into Africa 'If you look out of the window on the righthand side, you can usually see Mount Kilimanjaro,' the pilot announced to passengers aboard the Airlink flight heading to Kenya from OR Tambo International Airport. Unfortunately, the cloud cover prevented us from seeing much of Africa's highest mountain. Slightly disappointed, I settled back in for the final stretch of our flight that would take us to Nairobi for a night before we headed to the Masai Mara. After a night of acclimating to Nairobi's humidity (I'm spoilt with refreshing sea breezes back home in Cape Town), we started our day early ahead of a four-hour car journey to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The drive was long but our driver, Sammy, filled us with tidbits of information after…

CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR WITH HUNTERS PARADISE BEACH CLUB 1 January DURBAN Experience unparalleled luxury at Hunters Paradise Beach Club at uShaka Beach on New Year's Day 2024. Elevate your day with VIP cabanas and a curated dining menu that defines beachfront indulgence. Immerse yourself in the sun-soaked vibes, move to the beats of the country's best DJs, savour delectable cuisine and sip on refreshing drinks. Your unforgettable day of opulence awaits with a celebration of the ultimate lifestyle at Hunters Paradise Beach Club. Tickets: from R100 webtickets.co.za JOBURG FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 4-7 January JOHANNESBURG Immerse yourself in the magic of the annual Joburg Festival of Lights, presentsd by Joburg Theatre in collaboration with City of Johannesburg entitles Joburg City Parks and Zoo and City Power. From Thursday - Sunday,…

Clay is the beginning of life in creation stories across the world. The San believe people did not always live on the surface, but underneath it. In the Zulu creation story, Umvelinqangi created a single tiny seed. He sent it to the Earth, where it landed in the soil and sprouted into a long reed. At the end of one reed, there grew a man, Unkulunkulu, the first ancestor. Ara and Irik, two bird spirits from Bornean myth, created humans from clay and the sound of their own voices. In Chinese mythology, Nüwa molded figures from the yellow earth, giving them life. In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish, the goddess Ninhursag created humans from clay. The soil features in some of the five great religions as the beginning of…

NAMIB DREAMING Gondwana Collection is your go-to if it's Namibia you're heading to. And little wonder. The company has the mysterious country all sewn up, from the Fish River Canyon to the Zambezi, with lodges and camps for every appetite, as well as self-drive and guided safaris. Latest in the collection is The Pearls Beach Pods in Swakopmund, right on the beach, within spitting distance of the Atlantic Ocean. You get uninterrupted views of breathtaking sunsets and from the deck you can watch seals and dolphins playing. There's a fully stocked kitchen and bar. And even a hot tub. There are two swish beach pods: The Jetty has three bedrooms and The Mole has two. Each has an open-plan living space on the ground floor. On the first floor are…

2024 Sky Guide Southern Africa BY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA Struik Nature, RRP R170 What will be happening on your birthday? Nothing out of the ordinary on mine, but it misses the full moon by a day. On the night before my son’s birthday, the moon is near Pollux. This useful little astronomical handbook is exactly what you need if you’re a stargazer - and, truthfully, anyone with a bit of poetry in their soul is a stargazer. It’s an annual publication useful to novice, amateur and professional astronomers, and it highlights all the cosmic events for each month of the year. There are charts so you can follow the path of the seasons in the stars and constellations, as well as all sorts of information about the sun,…

Where is the trail, and when does the neat one take place? This trail takes place in the remote!Khamab Kalahari Reserve in the North West Province. Sharing its northern boundary with Botswana, this protected area covers almost 100 000 ha. lowveldtrails.co.za Overnight before and after the trail? Accommodation en route to!Khamab is limited. Lowveld Trails Co provides some suggestions for accommodation and transfers as needed. Cost? The trail can only be booked by a group of eight for three or six nights at R60 850 per group per three nights. How fit should I be? All clients sign an indemnity form. You need to be moderately fit. Logistics: Food, drink, sanitation and loo? The lighter the pack, the better. Lowveld Trails Co will send you a recommended kit list. Mama…