Innehållsförteckning för April 2019 från Getaway

This is not a letter about travelling to some exotic destination in a faraway country, but rather a story closer to home. One night after dinner I came across my ‘laaitie ’ on the potty reading, or rather browsing, through my copy of Getaway. He was really fond of all the images. I had to explain and read some of the stories behind them. Although they say a picture is worth a thousand words, it was rather interesting to create my own version of some of the stories to satisfy my son’s curious and fascinated little mind. Both father and son loved it. I was very grateful to Getaway at that moment for saving me from the typical bedtime story! And I thought to myself: wouldn’t it be great to…

1 ST THE EARLY YEARS DAVID STEELE (1989–1994) After a year of discussion and market-testing, I was asked by Alan Ramsay to launch Getaway and, together with a tiny staff, produced the first issue in April 1989. I remained with the magazine for 11 years, going from founding editor to editor-in-chief and finally publisher and a director of the company. It was an exciting time and I was supported by some enthusiastic and very capable photojournalists. On the design side, James Berrange was the ideal art director. I was also involved in setting up the magazine’s offshoots, including its travel show, travel business, book publishing, branded clothing and TV show, The Getaway Explorer. I particularly enjoyed all the assignments that involved scuba diving and wildlife safaris. Diving with…

• FW de Klerk met imprisoned Nelson Mandela face-to-face in July, and was sworn in as President in August. SA dismantled the last of its nuclear weapons. • The civil war in Mozambique was coming to an end, Cuban troops began withdrawing from Angola, Namibia was newly independent (elections were held in November). • A new wave of revolutions was sweeping through Communist Eastern Europe; the Berlin Wall came down in November. • Mikhail Gorbachev ruled the Soviet Union; George Bush senior succeeded Reagan as president of the USA. Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest in Burma, and the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize. • Tim Berners-Lee produced the blueprint document for the World Wide Web, and the first internet-service providers surfaced. • The first…

Moroccan cuisine is a hearty melting pot of rich Arabic spices, Mediterranean grains and North African fruits. These ingredients are lovingly slow-cooked in large quantities to allow for maximum enjoyment around a full table. The Menu STARTER A slice of savoury-sweet-spicy pie. MAIN Slow-cooked stew that will melt in your mouth. DESSERT Fragrant cake – with mint tea, of course. Lamb Shank Tagine With Mint Couscous This fragrant stew gets its name from the terracotta pot it’s cooked in. The clay holds in the heat and regulates the cooking process, making the meat inside so tender it falls off the bone. Note: this delectable recipe will take just over three hours to make. Serves 8 • 6T olive oil • 4T ras el hanout spice mix (see following page) • 4 lamb shanks,…

If you are fascinated by enigmas, a visit to Great Zimbabwe ruins will thrill you. The place exudes mystery, as much about the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara is unknown. What is certain, though, is that the site displays ‘architecture that is unparalleled elsewhere in Africa’, according to archaeologist and historian Peter Garlake, whose research proved, once and for all, that the granite dwellings were African and built by ancestors of the Shona people. The level of skill and ingenuity shown in the mortarless stonework is awe-inspiring, but you’ll have to go there and walk through its narrow passages and enclosures-within-enclosures to truly appreciate the craftsmanship achieved as far back as the 11th century. Some of the walls are six metres thick and 11 metres high, and the…

STAY HERE Third Bridge in Moremi Game Reserve is great for camping (book in advance). From R401 pp, park fees R155 pp, R65 per vehicle per day (paid in cash at the gate). xomaesites.com Magotho Camp, run by the Khwai Community Trust, is a popular option on the Moremi boundary. There are no daily park fees and no facilities. R460 pp. khwai@bctmail.co.bw Moremi Crossing is on an island so flying is the only option to get there, R2 078 one way. Activities include year-round mokoro trips, bush walks, seasonal fishing and the option of camping wild for a night. From R5 970 pp full board. underonebotswanasky.com Kwando Splash Camp (newly opened in the Kwara Private Reserve, north of Moremi) is a splurge, but twitchers will love Godikwe Lagoon and the…

Images of Sossusvlei are recognised world-wide by the definitive ochre dunes and skeletal trees of Deadvlei. But I wonder how many people know about the strudel? Namibia’s busiest bakery sits on a lonely desert road (the tyre-destroying C19) and no self-respecting road-tripper should visit the area without pulling into McGregor’s Bakery. Every day, the store at Solitaire swirls with the scent of home-baked goods, laid out on trays for visitors on their way to Namibia’s most revered site. Such aroma is irresistible, so my family and I joined the fray, washing down our slice of strudel with a cup of coffee. I could tell we were in the desert, but it was still of the rocky and rugged variety – a bit like the crumble on my pie. The dunes…

STAY HERE Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has three fenced rest camps on the SA side: Mata-Mata, Nossob and Twee Rivieren (the entry point from SA). Two-sleeper chalets from R1 085, camping from R318. First prize is six off-grid wilderness camps, including Kalahari Tented Camp; two-sleeper tents from R1 675. sanparks.org There are also ‘wild’ camps on the Botswana side, particularly in the Mabuasehube section. Camping is R40 pp, plus an entry fee of R26 pp and R5 per vehicle. To book, email the Department of Wildlife & National Parks at dwnp@gov.bw. !Xaus Lodge is a community-run concession lodge in the Kgalagadi, and the only place you can walk with guides in the park. From R2 500 pp sharing full board, with cultural outings, game drives and walks. xauslodge.co.za…

GETTING THERE SAA and Rwandair Express offer flights from Joburg to Kigali, from around R5 000. WHY RWANDA? Uganda and DRC are much cheaper (around R9 000 for a permit), but Rwanda is worth a visit in itself. Kigali is clean and safe, and the Genocide Memorial is a harrowing but important experience. STAY HERE You need to be at the park by 7am, so stay overnight near Musanze and arrange a transfer with your hotel. La Palme is a three-star hotel overlooking Sabyinyo Volcano, so you can see where you will be trekking the following day. Rooms are simple but clean, from R550 pp B&B. lapalmehotel.net DO THIS Gorilla trekking permits in Rwanda cost R20 980, and proceeds benefit the community directly. A 30% discount is offered if you…

Abu was looking at me with impish delight in his eyes and smile. I had just arrived on Medjumbe Island, and he was leading me to my beach villa. I realised he was not merely being friendly but pointing to something on the path. I looked down and there were several shells in the sand, scurrying out of my way! Hermit crabs. tention to them, I saw them everywhere. That night, it was the somewhat larger ghost crabs that accompanied me back up the path to dinner, most side-stepping out of the way but some seeming to stand their ground, playing chicken with me, for a few seconds longer. On late-afternoon walks on the beach over the next few days, crabs were my amusing companions, scuttling in crazy directions along…

GETTING THERE Mango flies to Zanzibar from Joburg three times a week, from around R3 600 pp return. flymango.com NEED TO KNOW Book a few nights in Stone Town initially, before heading to a beach resort, as travelling back and forth across the island can take a while. This will also give you more time to explore Stone Town at your own pace. Keep in mind that most of Zanzibar’s coastline, except for the north, is very tidal, so swimming in the sea is only possible for half the day. zanzibar.net…

Inspired by the crazy antics of Europe’s famous Mongol Rally, this unassisted adventure is a challenge of driving endurance and navigation. There is no set route but participants do have to pass through six checkpoints – with each hosting a themed party – in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique over the course of 19 days. It’s not a race; instead, the focus is on seeing the best of Southern Africa through one wild adventure over 9 000 kilometres (which averages out to around 450 kilometres a day). In between the driving and partying, teams visit iconic places such as Etosha National Park, the Makgadikgadi Pans, Victoria Falls and Lake Malawi. The first rally in 2011 had 25 crews and 90 participants, and has steadily grown – 2018…

Everything comes to the water. Thousands of thirsty elephants, herds of snorting buffalo, graceful giraffes, snuffling warthogs, dazzling zebras, rocking-horse wildebeest, endless antelope. Below the surface: grumpy hippos and lurking crocs. And you sit  in an easy chair, a fine Chardonnay frosting the glass, watching. There’s nothing quite like the Chobe River in Botswana near its confluence with the Zambezi. It’s an unparalleled wildlife nexus in Africa’s fecund heart and, right in the middle of it all, is the Zambezi Queen. It’s incongruous, out there on the water, causing newcomers to rub their eyes in disbelief. A three-storey, jet-propelled boutique hotel floating serenely in all that wilderness. She has 10 luxury cabins and four master suites, an air-conditioned library, a galley and – on the top deck –…

GETTING THERE SAA flies daily from Joburg to Lilongwe and three times a week to Blantyre, from R6 300 pp. flysaa.com DO THIS  Kayak Africa tailors packages, or choose a six-night option with flights included: Mumbo Island Castaway, R25 999 pp; island-hopping kayak adventure, R21 890 pp; or Domwe Adventure, R17 850 pp. kayakafrica.co.za Likoma Island on the eastern side of the lake is logistically awkward, but worth a visit for its beaches, baobabs and ‘Winchester’ cathedral. Stay at Kaya Mawa, from R4 245 pp full board. greensafaris.com NEED TO KNOW Malawi is a malaria area and prophylaxis is essential.…

The flying fish were flitting from white cap to white cap, using the 25-knot north-westerly to travel a fair way before crashing into the face of an on-marching swell. We were clinging to the foredeck trampoline as the hulls pitched skywards and dropped with a thud, douching us with warm water spray each time. Under sail, our cat was punching into the chop on a close reach, making six knots towards the faint outline of land. Tessa was already a greener shade of white and I was seriously regretting sampling the local Takamaka rum the night before. ‘You must tell people about the real Seychelles’, piped up the effervescent Nina. ‘If I’d known you can do this, I’d have wanted to come here long ago. It always looked just too…

STAY HERE Mdumbi Backpackers, rondavels and camping, from R95 pp. mdumbi.co.za Coffee Shack, from R170 pp. coffeeshack.co.za Bulungula Lodge, huts from R190 or camping from R120. bulungula.com Morgan Bay Hotel, from R825 pp sharing or the adjacent caravan park, from R290 a site. morganbayhotel.co.za Double Mouth, camping from R238 a site (for six), 043-705-4400. NEED TO KNOW The roads in the erstwhile Transkei are notoriously bad and you’ll need a 4x4 or at least a robust, high-clearance vehicle to reach some of the best spots.…

Catherine Hofmeyr DEPUTY EDITOR Islands are my thing, and paddling to Kayak Africa’s barefoot camps on Domwe and Mumbo in southern Lake Malawi tops my list of fantastic island experiences. The rest of Malawi is not too shabby either. Michelle Hardie MANAGING EDITOR The mountainous Bvumba in the east of Zimbabwe, right on the border with Mozambique, is full of lush foliage and alive with the sound of buzzing insects. Being there gives me peace and hope. Tara Osborne MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is a special place for me as it was the first city I visited outside of South Africa. I travelled by bus across the border, and through my window watched as the beautiful terrain transformed. Caroline Webb ASSOCIATE EDITOR Swakopmund is so incongruous. It’s like a toy…

WE ASKED: Do you have a destination you’d like to tick off your travel bucket list by your 30th birthday? I want to see the aurora borealis (northern lights). – Karishma Bagoon The Trans-Siberian Express! – Clair Koegelenberg I am actually turning 30 this year in April too. My destination is Xcaret Park in Mexico. – Lillian Roets I did a solo Vic Falls trip for my 30th. – Beryl Booi Definitely Machu Picchu. – Erin Jemma Byrne Antarctica. – Chantell Vorster Morocco or Ireland. Six months left to win the Lotto… – Christy Peacock I did Peru ... and 10 years later, I’m still here. – Robert Els Victoria Falls or Kruger. – Izolda Koekemoer…

I was on my way to Mauritius when I read the amazing article in Getaway (February 2019) about the Le Morne Brabant Trail. So I decided to follow your advice and explore the trails of Mauritius! The advice was spot-on, and by reading between the lines, I took a chance to do the hike with my mother, who is 60 years old. We climbed the mountain without a guide, being cautious, of course. We saw many guided tours along the way but did not think it was necessary to have a guide – and we were safe. Back home in Cape Town I am a trail runner. I have to say that running up Table Mountain every week gave me enough strength and the guts to tackle Le Morne!…

CADAC SKOTTEL Originating from local farmers using a plough shear over a fire to cook a meal in the bush, the Skottel is the ultimate outdoor-cooking setup (other than a braai, that is). The design has not changed much over the years and it’s still ideal for traditional breakfasts, paellas, stir-fries and boiling water. R1 050, makro.co.za LION MATCHES How many of us have burnt our fingers while playing with Lions? Considering that the company started in 1905 and makes an astonishing eight million boxes of matches a day, it’s probably a fair few. Want to impress your friends with random facts? Each Lion match is 42 millimetres long, and each box contains approximately 41 matches. R7,99 for 10 boxes KOO BAKED BEANS In 1940, a group…

It was sunset in midwinter Cairo. The city of 23 million souls was the colour of the desert, its skyline pricked with countless minarets. We threaded our way through apocalyptic traffic, across a mercury Nile, through avenues of Soviet-style high-rises and into Giza, the ancient realm of the dead. Turning a corner, they were suddenly before us. Incongruous, overpowering. Three monstrous triangles of stone. Our group had come to Giza for the nightly sound-and-light show. Finding our seats in an open-air plaza overlooking the site, we waited for darkness. Then, with lasers and lights, we traced the history of the pyramids: the rising and falling of Nile waters, of dynasties, of civilisations. Alexander the Great and Cleopatra, Caesar and Napoleon, all gazed upon this place in awe. Glowing in multicolour,…

Our Land Rover ate the kilometres over endless mountain passes north of Addis Ababa. The earth opened in chasms on either side; millet and wheat fields pimpled with haystacks filled the valleys below. At last we reached Lalibela, home to the rock-hewn churches: the unofficial Eighth Wonder of the World. These 800-year-old monoliths are not ancient relics preserved as museums; they’re living places of devotion with pilgrims arriving every day to pray. On saints’ days, the churches are packed with worshippers, leaning on their prayer sticks or prostrating themselves before the altar, the priests resplendent in gold and red. Services last all night, accompanied by drumming, chanting and tolling bells. We descended stairs into a hole cut by masons and followed tunnels leading through church precincts. Perhaps the most beautiful…

Early one morning, our safari vehicle headed down the Oloololo escarpment, bound for the Mara River. Reaching a tall embankment, we looked across the muddy waters to where animals were beginning to gather: a mass of dark hides, curved horns and shaggy beards, the air filled with their honking. Looking closer at the wildebeest throng, I noticed the stripy shapes of zebras and groups of Thomson’s gazelles, joining their comrades on this great journey. ‘Each year, more than two million creatures trek from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara and back again on a never-ending cycle to find water and grass,’ explained our guide. ‘The climax of Africa’s greatest theatre piece is the crossing of the Mara.’ We trained our binoculars on the river. The beasts were bunched along the…

STAY HERE Sesriem Campsite is in the Namib-Naukluft Park, which means you get an hour’s head start on day visitors and can stay longer for sunset. Camping R350 pp, park fee R60 pp per day, cars R10 per day. nwr.co.na Gondwana Dune Star Camp, 55km from Sesriem, offers a luxury night under the Milky Way (and you can meet the Namib’s unusual creatures on a sunset walk). From R1 172 pp sharing. gondwana-collection.com DO THIS  Take to the sky in a hot-air balloon for the ultimate Sossusvlei adventure. From R6 950 pp, including a champagne breakfast in the desert wherever you land. balloon-safaris.com NEED TO KNOW If you don’t have a 4x4, there’s a shuttle between the end of the tar road and the dunes where you’ll find Deadvlei and…

Cleopatra’s Bath is the most beautiful pool of crystal-blue-green water I’ve ever swum in, made more remarkable by its location. It’s in the middle of the Sahara, and legend has it the queen of Egypt trekked across the desert, all the way to near the Libyan border, to dip in this spring. ‘Oasis’ is a cliché in travel writing, used to describe anything from a lush garden to a hotel room, but Siwa is the real deal, complete with date palms, water and traditional Berber culture. It’s a surprisingly modern town; there are houses, 4x4s, satellite dishes – but alongside this is tremendous history. Alexander the Great visited in 332 AD to consult the Oracle of Amun (you too can visit the temple ruins) and, until very recently, the Mountain…

Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. It’s been isolated geographically for more than 150 million years, and this has resulted in a multitude of species that can be found nowhere else on Earth. About half the world’s chameleon species live here, along with the delightfully named satanic leaf-tailed gecko and the muscular fossa. The animal synonymous with Madagascar, however, is the lemur. The theory goes that they (or their distant relatives) floated to the island on rafts of vegetation thousands of years ago – I find this idea almost as entertaining as lemurs are in real life – evolving and adapting over time into a wide range of 111 species and sub-species. These comedians are constantly on the go, swinging from the canopy using their…

STAY HERE Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort has 12 gorgeous thatch-and-timber beach villas (with plunge pool and outdoor shower) just steps from the ocean. It’s an exclusive private island but the feeling is simple, beachy and natural, not glitzy or ostentatious. It costs from R7 935 pp sharing, including all meals, most drinks, non-motorised water activities and return air transfers from Pemba. Additional activities range from R690 pp for a dhow cruise to R830 pp for the island picnic. 010-003-8977, anantara.com GETTING THERE I flew to Maputo, then to Pemba on the new Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines and returned on LAM; from around R1 600 pp . ethiopian airlines.com, lam.co.mz This works out cheaper than flying direct to Pemba from Joburg. It’s worth staying in Maputo for a night or two; Dana…

Piton de la Fournaise is Réunion’s ace up its sleeve. It’s what makes it different – very different – from East Africa’s other islands. That’s because ‘Peak of the Furnace’ is an active volcano (it last erupted in July 2018). Another peak, the dormant Piton de Neiges, is the highest point in the Indian Ocean (3069 metres), and a popular day hike. A visit to Réunion can sometimes feel like you’re in Jurassic Park, with its jungly, rainforested interior filled with waterfalls (the cirques or calderas, home to quaint villages such as the inaptly named Hell-Bourg, are a World Heritage Site). At other times, it can feel like you’re on another planet – the volcanic activity has resulted in lunar landscapes, black-sand beaches and unique lava tunnels to explore. Being…

DO THIS Climbing Kilimanjaro has had more than 15 000 successful summits since 1994. The guides were intent on our success and tested our oxygen levels and pulse twice a day; food was plentiful. Trips depart daily, and cost from R19 500 to R36 000, depending on your route and number of days (I took six days). They also offer mountain biking to the summit. climbingkilimanjaro.co.za MATTHEW’S GEAR SALOMON X ULTRA MID 2 GTX BOOTS R3 299, salomonsports.co.za These are waterproof, super comfortable (due to the Ortholite footbed) and provide great support and grip with the help of a high-traction Contagrip sole. No blisters, no slipping, no brainer. OSPREY TALON 33L BACKPACK R1 999, adventureinc.co.za While this bag is extraordinarily light and has many…

It was a golden mid-winter afternoon in Aswan. Below the corniche, our felucca nudged the pylons. This boat with its tall yardarm and furled sail would be our home for the coming days. ‘Salaam, welcome aboard the Phila,’ called out Mahmoud Abazied, our skipper. Climbing over the rail, it felt as though we could just as easily be stepping back a millennium or three in time. I’d come to Egypt as a guest of On the Go Tours to travel down the Nile from Aswan to Luxor, one of the world’s great river journeys. Half our group had opted for the luxury of a cruise ship. The rest had chosen to do the voyage on a felucca instead. By sailing in a traditional craft – descendant of the ancient boats…

GETTING THERE Air Botswana and SAA fly from Joburg to Kasane, from R7 000 pp return. Or you can connect from nearby Livingstone and Victoria Falls. DO THIS A three-night cruise on the Zambezi Queen costs from R24 000 pp sharing, which includes all meals, wine and beer. zqcollection.com A day trip on the Chobe Explorer is a more affordable way to see the river. It sails daily, has a fine bar, first-class restaurant and comfortable lounge. It costs R1 400 pp. flameofafrica.com…

For nine months of the year Namaqualand is a dry, dusty semi-desert, scattered liberally with granite boulders and largely devoid of colour. But just below the soil lie the seeds of a pageant of colour, awaiting nature’s signal to burst into riotous fields of blooms. It’s a fickle exhibition, dependent on the timing and volume of winter rain to decide how many and which floral species will poke their heads out. The true brilliance is revealed when you step closer. In the details of those rolling flower beds, you’ll find 3000 species of plant, of which half are found only in this region, and 40000 seeds in just one square metre. You’ll also learn that you’re standing in one of South Africa’s three biodiversity hotspots – and be alarmed to…

Straddling the Equator, and blessed with a white coastline lapped by cerulean sea at the likes of Diani, Nyali and the Lamu Archipeligo, it’s hard to pick a winning beach in Kenya. For me, it’s Watamu – maybe because I stayed in a remarkable tree house there. Author Ernest Hemingway felt much the same, though, when he stopped for a dip during a deep-sea fishing trip many decades ago, and his name is still associated with the area. The Watamu coastal strip, about 20 kilometres south of Malindi, has chic resorts, good restaurants and several beaches, separated by coral coves, where kiteboarders and windsurfers mingle with traditional dhows in Turtle Bay. It is a vast aquarium protected by an outer coral reef which shelters Watamu Marine National Park, and beyond…

Prepare for a sensory feast in every sense of the word: eyes, ears, nose and tongue will be overwhelmed by this vibrant and ancient culture. In the souks, gorgeous cone-shaped piles of brightly hued spices hint at the marvels to come on your plate. Moroccan cuisine has been fine-tuned over many centuries – each wave of foreign influence (Arabian, Moorish, African, Middle Eastern, Spanish, French) taking the simple Berber nomad’s dishes to greater heights, adding textures, layers and new ideas. Morocco produces everything it needs to feed its people, and it’s these ingredients that shine in recipes – from green olives, saffron and oranges to almonds, peppers and lamb. Thanks to two coastlines, there’s an abundance of fish too. Morocco is world-famous for couscous and tagine (a spicy-sweet stew that…

‘Aha!’ said the policeman, shining his torch at my passport. That didn’t sound good. When a Cuban policeman who doesn’t speak English has pulled you over on a dirt track somewhere in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra mountains, not a million miles away from Guantanamo Bay, and is examining your papers by torchlight with a suspicious expression on his face – the kind of expression armed officials in Latin-American dictatorships reserve for shifty-looking foreigners who may or may not be plotting intrigue against the Glorious Revolution – ‘Aha!’ is not what you want to hear. What had he found? When I passed through Arrivals, had the guy behind the counter made some subtle mark in my passport, a coded message to any authorities I may encounter, meaning ‘I’ve got…

Three nights at Tintswalo at Lapalala worth R53 000 This win is a dream come true. I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me. We need a break away from the hustle, like yesterday! – Rekha Bhugwandeen A copy of Sea Change worth R850 Winner 1 Thank you, I’m so delighted. I’ve met [author] Craig on a few occasions, and only paged through the book once with his mom, a good friend, so I feel honoured to be the winner of this beautiful book. – Susan Gray Winner 2 Winning something brings with it a small glimmer of hope, somehow. My family loves books, and where we live in Green Point, Cape Town, the ocean is a significant part of our lives.…

Opening up the Getaway time capsule WHERE IT ALL BEGAN… DATE APRIL 1989 PRICE R2,75 PAGES 128 Getaway – ‘Southern Africa’s Holiday, Touring and Outdoor Living Magazine’ – launched with 12 920 subscribers already signed up. Within three months, our circulation was 33 000. Back issues were snapped up, and before the end of the year the first three issues were sold out. (So great was the demand that a reprint was considered.) The magazine was printed half in colour and half in black-and-white. Phone numbers listed were still five digits long (not a cell or fax number, website, email address or social-media handle in sight!) Full-page and double-page spread images were rare in the beginning, although this would soon change. (As one reader…

FIRST VIEWS THE TRAVELS OF IBN BATTUTA This 14th-century Muslim scholar left Morocco, aged 21, to go to Mecca. He ended up travelling for more than 20 years. In addition to the Middle East and Asia, in Africa he visited Tunisia, Egypt, Somalia, the Swahili Coast and Timbuktu. DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA Leo Africanus (1550) This is an early popular account of Africa, printed in Italian. Born Al-Hasan, he’d gone to Timbuktu in its prime to visit the library in its Grand Mosque. After being captured by pirates, he became a Christian scholar. THE EARLY EXPLORERS TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA Mungo Park (1799) Sent to plot the course of the Niger River, Scotsman Park set out for the Gold Coast in 1795. He journeyed through Senegal and Mali and…

PIPPA DE BRUYN has reviewed accommodation for 20 years for the likes of Frommer’s and The Telegraph . In the past few years, she has also travelled the length and breadth of South Africa for Getaway , sharing more than 350 of the best finds. There comes a time when you no longer want to accumulate things; when birthdays are no longer something you look forward to. They come too soon, an annual reminder that time’s passing is etched on you. But tether your birthday to a weekend away and you revive the excited child you once were – counting the sleeps before you’re whisked away somewhere special; two days of indelible joy. Whether holing up in a…

GETTING THERE I flew to Cairo with Egypt Air (code sharing with SAA) from Joburg. From R7 000 return. egyptair.com ABOUT THE TOUR I travelled to Egypt with On the Go Tours. The tours are escorted by guides qualified in Egyptology, and stays are in four- or five-star establishments. My nine-day, ‘King Tutankhamen’ tour included Cairo, the Step and Giza pyramids, the Sphinx, Egyptian Museum and a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Included in the price are eight breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners and all transfers. From R14 900 pp sharing. 0800-990-311, onthegotours.com DO THIS Visit the pyramids early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Entry is R122 (plus there’s a fee for some of the museums and pyramids within). Follow the road past…

‘Thump, thump, thump’ went the palm of the poler’s hand as he clapped the side of the fibreglass mokoro. The sound echoed below the crystal waters of the Okavango Delta, and should have reached the tiny, Shrek-like ears of the hippos that were eyeing us from across the lagoon. ‘Don’t worry, we do this all the time,’ Bernard said confidently, as he thumped again. It was louder this time so that six sets of tiny eyes, buttoned to the top of their coal-coloured heads, disappeared into the water. I never got Bernard’s last name, but everyone on that 4x4 trip into Moremi Game Reserve in 2012 still remembers him because of a particular incident that could have ended badly. Bernard had poled us deep into the Delta from Mboma Boat…

This place really is manna from heaven for wildlife enthusiasts. It’s also a place where, if you’re complacent, you’ll get eaten. There are no fences and you might find an elephant wandering around camp at night, or a lion. I also got an insect in my ear here. Luckily, a thimbleful of warm oil poured into the canal, while I lay under a huge mahogany tree, meant I had a buzz-free holiday. Situated on the Zambezi River in the north, this national park lies downstream from Kariba, with the nearest town being Chirundu. Locals have a love affair with the park’s wildness and splendour, and some consider it to be the ‘jewel of Zimbabwe’. About 20 000 square kilometres of its land is protected so it’s teeming with animals. During…

The Kalahari is the largest uninterrupted stretch of sand in the world and covers most of Botswana, as well as large parts of Namibia and South Africa. And it certainly feels endless when you’re churning, in low range, through the thickest of it on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Fortunately, the South African section of this magnificent desert wilderness is accessible to lesser vehicles. On a midday game drive from Kalahari Tented Camp to Twee Rivieren, I didn’t expect to see much game. In near meditation, thanks to the rocking rhythm of the sand track, a shadowy motion suddenly caught my eye. There, in broad daylight, was a shaggy brown hyena in the dry Auob riverbed. This strandwolf of Skeleton Coast fame is just one great sighting of…

My grandmother was 73 when she made the trek to see the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. It was something she’d always wanted to do and, when my intrepid aunt suggested that they go, she gamely agreed despite worrying that it would be too physically taxing for her. I don’t remember much about the story of their trip besides my grandmother saying, ‘I made it up those mountains only through Myprodol, Voltarin and prayer.’ Her words came back to me as my friend Darrel and I wheezed our way up the mulchy slopes of Volcanoes National Park. The earth was black and loamy, bursting with fertility and oversized earthworms, and sweat drenched our shirts. We were likely walking on the same mountain range as my grandmother had done all those years…

My guide from Wilderness Safaris’ Hoanib Skeleton Coast camp, Herunga Ngwapia, knows his desert elephants. He parked our safari vehicle beneath a sand dune and warned me to get prepared. I adjusted my exposure and set my composition – just in time. A herd of elephants poured over the lip of the dune in a cloud of dust, coming straight towards the vehicle. Herunga clapped his hands, warding off the matriarch just before she reached our 4x4. The stream of elephants diverted and when the dust settled, our hearts continued to pound – what a beautiful sight! The mammals along the Skeleton Coast seem to be prettier than elsewhere. Elephants are smaller, with rounded foreheads and big eyes, and the lions have handsome faces and untarnished, sand-coloured coats. Animals out…

After an afternoon of drifting through the slender alleys of Stone Town, following my whims instead of a map, I finally found myself at the water’s edge. I’d spent the past few hours taking in the nuances of daily life in the labyrinth of the historical town: old men sharing small cups of coffee on store steps, bicycles laden with coconuts pushing past me, boys chasing each other while their souvenir-selling mothers called after them, and marvelling at the intricacy of the famous carved doors. Now on the promenade, I joined a crowd watching teenage boys leap into the water, taking turns to twist themselves into an array of distorted shapes while making faces – the acrobatic clowns of the islands. I got sucked into the buzz of the Forodhani…

GETTING THERE Flights from Joburg go via Mauritius. From R8 600 pp return. airmauritius.com STAY HERE Réunion is suitable for a self-drive, self-catering holiday, staying with the locals at gîtes (inns or guest houses) – some are basic, for hikers, while others offer more of a spoil; there are also campsites with furnished tents. Budget from about R600 pp. Or rent a Blacksheep camper van, from R1 415 a day. allonslareunion.com LUX Saint Gilles is the only five-star resort, with direct access to the lagoon. From around R1 350 pp sharing. luxresorts.com…

There are two striking aspects to the Rim of Africa. The first is its scale: a 650-kilometre hike over nine weeks from the Cederberg, in the west, to the Outeniqua foothills in the east. The route skirts atop the Cape Fold Mountains, forming the southwestern rim of our continent. Hikers can join for just one of the nine stages or, if they’re brave (or crazy) enough, they can attempt the full journey. The hiking is off-trail and routes change slightly every year. Hikers journey through remote kloofs, past ancient rock formations and dense protea forests, with days often featuring a dip in pristine and seldom-seen rock pools. You’ll camp beneath stars, cook your own food and drink from clear streams. The other special feature is the nature of the hiking.…

GETTING THERE South Africans need a visa. I got mine from the Egyptian Embassy in Pretoria using Visa Request (service fee R350, courier R240). visarequest.co.za I flew with Egypt Air (code sharing with SAA). Return flights from Joburg to Cairo start from about R7 000. egyptair.com DO THIS On the Go Tours offers a range of enjoyable tours, escorted by local guides qualified in Egyptology. Stays are in four-and five-star establishments (the felucca and train transfers are more rustic). I did the nine-day ‘King Tutankhamun Tour’, which included Cairo, the pyramids of Giza, temples such as Philae and Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, as well as a voyage on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor, either on a traditional felucca (two nights) or a cruise ship (three nights,…

I’ve kayaked it, I’ve snorkelled it, I’ve dived it, I’ve sailed it, I’ve watched its shores pass by from the top deck of the MV Ilala ferry. And I’ve slept under the stars on its beautiful beaches. But mostly I’ve sat, frosty Green in hand, and marvelled at the beauty of it. Of all the destinations I’ve experienced during more than two decades of travelling Africa, Lake Malawi is the one that changed my life in memorable ways. It was a fortuitous meeting with the crazy folks from Kayak Africa who first introduced me to the charms of this long tail at the deep end of the Great Rift Valley. Seeing the safari tents on Domwe Island for the first time from the seat of a kayak, I thought, ‘This…

There were three simple pleasures I wished for on my visit to Victoria Falls – a misty walk in the rainforest, a drink on the veranda of the 115-year-old Victoria Falls Hotel and a cooling foot soak in the Zambezi River (without being carried off by a croc). As it turned out, I got a lot more than I bargained for. But if I hadn’t ticked off my top three, then I would have been just as satisfied watching the titanic flow of the Zambezi plunging over the cliff face 100 metres into the chasm below. Up to 54 billion litres a second has been recorded when the river is at its fullest from May to June. It pours into Batoka Gorge, travelling westwards through Mozambique to finally reach the…

There’s a legend that attributes Namibia’s Fish River Canyon to a giant snake that terrorised the people and livestock of the area. So hunters set upon it with spears and dogs. Writhing in its death throes, the giant serpent tore winding furrows into the parched plateau. If you consider that southern Namibia is one of the driest regions on Earth, and that the canyon is the second-deepest in the world (after Colorado’s Grand Canyon), it’s hard to fathom how an intermittent river had the necessary erosive power (fracturing and faulting, the geologists will say) to carve this giant scar into the gneiss bedrock – so maybe it was the snake. Intimidating from above? You bet. It’s roughly 160 kilometres long, up to 27 kilometres wide in places and more than…

Anywhere on the Wild Coast from Chintsa to Port Edward where there’s a track leading coastwards or a cliff path leading over the hills, you’re almost certain to find a beach at the end of it. And it’s likely to be long, empty (but for a few cows) and dramatically scenic. Some have river mouths, others a good surf point, or an uneasy history with sharks, and most have turbulent ocean currents – but they’re all, well, pretty wild. The following are my favourites – but why not go and find yours. Mdumbi has a river mouth and is secluded and tucked between green hills with milkwood forests. There’s an excellent surf point and a launch spot for ski-boats. For a more  vibey beach experience head a little way south…

The first time I dined out in Cape Town, as a wide-eyed teenage visitor from the Free State in the late 80s, was at the terrifically exotic Marco Polo, a Mongolian stir-fry restaurant in Sea Point. A few years later, once I’d moved to Cape Town, my friends forced me to ‘down-down’ a plate of eye-watering chilli poppers on my birthday at Papa Luke’s – at the time, the first Mexican eatery in town (and the only place serving these new things called chilli poppers). Then there was the discovery, on someone else’s birthday, of Anatoli – a Turkish restaurant in Green Point where I have never, to this day, managed to get beyond the large tray of a dozen-or-so mezze. I hope Anatoli never closes. I remember the first…

In the centre of Marrakech, attention-stealing Jemaa el-Fnaa square has long been the best place to sample authentic street foods. Now the city is becoming a foodie magnet of note, with a gourmet fine-dining scene that reinterprets traditional cuisine (try Nomad, Latitude 31, Libzar, La Maison Arabe or Le Trou au Mur). It certainly helps that these restaurants are in stunning settings –on rooftops and verandas or in hidden courtyards. For topnotch home-cooking, book at ‘old faithful’ Al Fassia; it’s the place to try ‘Moroccan salads’, served on 15 little plates. alfassia.com. Cooking schools are opening, too, so that visitors can take a taste of Morocco home. Amal offers cooking and baking classes in English, plus serves meals at its culinary training centre. amalnonprofit.org…

‘LM prawns…’ For decades, travellers have gone into rhapsodies about the seafood available across the border. So good are the prawns in Mozambique that they’re considered a (if not the) major reason to travel there – it doesn’t hurt that they’re often enjoyed on or near a beach, fresh off the grill and slathered in garlic or peri-peri sauce. Peri-peri (or piri-piri) is the other great thing Mozambican cuisine has given the world. This hot sauce goes onto just about everything – from chicken to fries to prego rolls (another favourite: peri-peri steak on a fluffy Portuguese bun). These are all street foods, which means there’s no need to book months in advance at a fancy restaurant to taste the best of the country’s cuisine. True foodies will dig a…