Innehållsförteckning för February 2020 från Getaway

The mountain gods were angry. We stood in the mouth of a cave and watched the approaching storm. The light turned an eerie purple, the sun disappeared and soon the basalt spires were shrouded in grey. Lightning split the gloom. Thunderclaps echoed between the sandstone ramparts, building to a continuous roar. The rain arrived in solid sheets. It felt religious: the gods hurling down thunderbolts to test our faith. Indeed, the Drakensberg has always been a holy place. San shamans painted images of the spirit world in its caves, while the amaZizi sought spiritual sustenance in its heights. Voortrekker predikants looked upon these mountains for examples of their God’s work, while British settlers were certainly thinking in religious terms when they named the crags: Cathedral Peak, the Bell, Organ Pipes,…

WE ASKED: Which food did you fall in love with while travelling? Chicken livers in pomegranate molasses sauce in Lebanon, and roti canai (‘flying bread’) for breakfast in Malaysia. Catherine Reichardt Trdelník (cinnamon pastries on sticks) in Prague. Glynne Gibson Banana soup in Moshi, Tanzania. Kirsten Waller Raclette in Switzerland. Alida Dippenaar In New York I had grits, biscuits and southern-fried chicken for the first time. Shana Rome A tagine in Ouarzazate, Morocco, and paprikash (chicken stew) at a restaurant on the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. Marguerite Blignaut Real tortillas in Central America. Matt Carter Swahili rice, naan, spinach and squid in a tiny restaurant in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Ashlea Myson Fried zucchini flowers in Rome – light and piping hot, with such a delicate flavour. Deryn Graham…

A day trip to Chumbe Island costs R1320 pp, which includes boat transfers, lunch, forest walk, lighthouse visit and guided snorkelling. The boat departs daily from the Protea Hotel Mbweni Ruins, south of Stone Town, at 10am (check-in 9.30am). Overnight stays are from R3 800 pp sharing, full board (alcohol charged extra), and include all of the above plus a mangrove walk, evening crab walk, intertidal walk and guided day and night snorkelling. Kids under 12 half price. chumbeisland.com…

‘Of course I love cooking on holiday. The kitchen is the place to spend time with family. And when you are a chef, family members will expect you to cook for them. Here is a favourite seafood recipe of mine – you can also use clams: 1 Rinse 200g mussels in clear, cold water. Place them in a pot with 4 sliced shallots and a glass of white wine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until they open. Set the pot aside to let it cool down. 2 Cut 150g butter into small cubes, finely chop 2 shallots as well as some garlic and parsley (to taste). Add it all to the soft butter and work it in with a fork. 3 Once the mussels are cold, remove one side…

THE MOOD SETTER R399, sportsmanswarehouse.co.za This magic little Luci Color Solar Light inflates to the size of a small paint-tin and can produce eight different colours (choose from red, green, blue, purple, yellow, cyan, orange and white, or set it to change automatically between them). The lantern deflates to a small size (similar to a thick paint-tin lid) and weighs just 125g, so it’s a perfect little hiking lamp – the green, yellow and white colours provide enough light to eat by. The battery lasts for six hours on a single charge but takes seven hours to recharge via direct sunlight, which could be an issue on cloudy days. But with its sparkle coating and cool factor, it’s easy to love this kaleidoscopic lantern. FANCY FAIRIES R749, sportsmanswarehouse.co.za Meet the…

TORBURNLEA Located in the secure Mataffin Macadamia Village (and listed under Nelspruit/Mbombela), this 107-year-old farmhouse, transformed into a gracious six-room guest house, is a real find. Given the luxury and elegance, it’s also good value. If you need to be closer to Mbombela, don’t think twice. From R880 pp sharing B&B. torburnlea.co.za OLIVER’S A well-managed boutique hotel on White River Country Estate, with the most reputable restaurant in town. An excellent choice if you’re not on a budget, and it’s the best for foodies. From R1 750 pp sharing B&B. olivers.co.za CASTERBRIDGE HOLLOW Part of the Casterbridge lifestyle centre, this hotel (pictured right) is an ideal stopover if you want to combine your stay with a bit of retail therapy. Rooms have been upgraded, and nicely so, but it’s come…

GETTING THERE Yzerfontein is just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town on the R27 (87 km) JOIN THE MOVEMENT Upload your beach clean-up efforts directly to the CleanSwell app, oceanconservancy.org. Help save lives by donating or volunteering at the NSRI, nsri.org.za. NEED TO KNOW Walk in trail sandals or running shoes and take a sturdy day- or backpack. Pack extra socks (in a watertight bag), raincoat, energy-rich snacks, a beach towel, sunscreen and hat, and at least two litres of water each. DO IT More than a long beach walk, the Challenge is designed as a full West Coast experience – food, wine and lekka geselsskap (chat). There’s a two-day (R2 395) or three-day (R2 920 pp) option for a minimum of seven people, all inclusive (excluding dinner drinks).…

GETTING THERE Hamburg lies 14km off the R72, exactly halfway between East London and Port Alfred. Authorities promise they’re going to tar the road this year! NEED TO KNOW Fill up your tank; we got no petrol. Bring cash; we got no ATM. Shop on the way; we got no supermarkets and the trading store has only the basics. STAY HERE Keiskamma Cottages are self-catering with sea or river views, and three double bedrooms. From R1 000. 082-600-7341 The Perch Cottages, with great views of the sea and estuary, are self-catering with two and three bedrooms respectively. From R500 a cottage. 082-463-6047 Hamburg Caravan Park has 31 sites on the banks of the Keiskamma Estuary. From R250 a site. 084-799-2724 Hamburg Backpackers has three private rooms (one double, two three-bedded)…

2... national parks, two countries, two epic self-drive safaris into the wilds of the Lower Zambezi region. Next month Zambian local, Sarah Kingdom, explores both sides of the Zambezi River on land and water, starting in the Lower Zambezi National Park, before crossing to Mana Pools (a Unesco World Heritage Site) in Zimbabwe. Both parks are currently under a cloud following a high-court ruling that seems to pave the way for the controversial Kangaluwi Copper Project – a proposed open-cast mine that will threaten the ecological health of the valley. See why these two gems are worth fighting for.…

MICHELLE HARDIE India, page 104 On a dream trip to India, our managing editor walked for miles in the Himalayan foothills and slept in a trekker’s hut at the top of a mountain. And she didn’t mind queueing to sit in ‘Lady Di’s Chair’ at the Taj Mahal, the famous Temple of Love in Agra. (pictured above). MARION WHITEHEAD Mandela’s Eastern Cape, page 82 While a young reporter in the dark days of apartheid, Marion read the famous banned speech that Nelson Mandela made during his treason trial in the newspaper library where she worked. It sparked an enduring admiration for the great man, so a trip to his birthplace and childhood haunts was especially poignant for her. Since returning to her roots in the Eastern Cape, the former Getaway…

Four nights at Mdluli Safari Lodge in Kruger, worth R30 000 ‘This will be a very nice surprise for my wife. We’re looking forward to breaking away from the everyday rush.’ Corné Grové The Photographer’s Guide to the Greater Kruger National Park, worth R400 WINNER 1 ‘I’m going to the Kruger for the first time next month so this book will help me make the most of the trip!’ Anton Botha WINNER 2 ‘Kruger has always been on my bucket list, but I’ve never had the opportunity to go – I’m inspired to rectify this situation now.’ Mike Pearlson See page 92 for our big win this month DON’T MISS THE CAPE GETAWAY SHOW, 6–8 MARCH AT SANDRINGHAM FARM IN STELLENBOSCH. PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AND YOU COULD WIN A…

Roll up your sleeves…  and work, picking grapes and stomping on them, then settle in with good food, wine and music afterwards at these harvest festivals: Delheim on 26 January in Stellenbosch. quicket.co.za Nederburg at dusk on 8 February in Paarl. webtickets.co.za Grand Provence on 22 February in Franschhoek. 021-876-6600 The large-scale, multi-farm Hands-On Harvest in the Robertson Valley is on 28 February to 1 March, and the Paarl Harvest Celebration on 7 March. No work, all play…  at these special events on wine farms in February: 1st Franschhoek Summer Wines Wear white and indulge in seasonal food and wine at this garden party at Leopard’s Leap. franschhoek.org.za 15th An Operatic Songbook Be transported by heavenly voices at the magical Paul Cluver forest amphitheatre in Elgin. computicket.com 23rd Constantia Fresh…

People of Africa didn’t need to describe the continent: they lived there. So almost every book or report up until the 20th century came from European adventurers venturing into a continent that was ‘dark’ only to themselves. They made notes and sketches that, often without realising it, opened the way for colonial incursions. Ibn Battuta was different. He came from Tangier in Morocco and most fully embodied Lao Tzu’s notion of a good traveller having ‘no fixed plans and not intent on arriving’. Battuta travelled almost continuously for 30 years. He began his journey as a hajji to Mecca in 1325. After that he just kept going. This is his final trip: across the Sahara Desert to Mali. In 1352 Ibn Battuta, with newly bought camels and supplies, joined a…

Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, which last year made Time’s Top 100 Places to Visit list, is sharing its bounty. The Peace Parks Foundation and its partners have sent 48 sable from Gorongosa to Zinave National Park to feed on its taller grasses after a decades-long absence. Meanwhile, Maputo Special Reserve (MPS) has welcomed 46 oribi (pictured above) – short-grass grazers that whistle when alarmed and are very vulnerable to people hunting with dogs – as well as 21 eland from Limpopo (MPS hasn’t seen eland tracks in nearly 30 years). The reintroduced pioneers will fill missing ecological niches in their new homes – and make tourists happy. Protected areas now cover a quarter of Mozambique’s land, an impressive statistic when compared to SA, which in 2014 had almost nine per…

Peri-Peri Prawns with Chilli Butter This is the classic if you’re on the coast, served with fresh crusty bread and an ice-cold beer or glass of vinho . Adding the butter gives it a richness and extra zing (you can use less chilli if you don’t like it too hot). Of course, the prawns can also be grilled over hot coals. SERVES 6 3 bird’s-eye chillies 2 cloves garlic, grated Zest and juice of 1 lemon Zest and juice of 1 orange Salt and pepper 2t smoked paprika 4T olive oil, plus extra for grilling 1t honey 36 king prawns, deveined 2 lemons, cut into wedges For the chilli butter: ½ cup soft butter 2 red chillies, finely chopped Zest of 1 lemon 2T chopped parsley 1 To make the…

TripAdvisor lists accommodation rated by guests, but as much as we love peer reviews, they don’t offer a comparative voice – so how do we know No. 1 is really the best? Pippa de Bruyn, who has reviewed accommodation for 20 years for the likes of Frommer’s and The Telegraph , scours TripAdvisor and other online accommodation sites when researching a destination. For White River, she created a longlist of 18 to inspect. The following made the final cut. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? • A luxury stay in nature (pg 68) • A stylish apartment at a steal (pg 68) • Gorgeous garden surroundings (pg 69) • The best base for Kruger (pg 69) • Glamping in a private reserve (pg 70) • A lakeside lodge with lots to do (pg 70) • Mountain-biking heaven (pg…

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to campsites in the Drakensberg. There are 24 across its main section, from Bushman’s Nek in the south to the Amphitheatre in the north. As the crow flies, it’s about 160 kilometres of ‘clear mountain streams and age-old forests, of frothing cascades tumbling into pools of laughing water, of green mountain slopes and secret kloofs, of wild flowers and singing birds’, as venerable Drakensberg scribe, Reg Pearse, put it. I visited in November, when the midweek campsites were quiet and afternoon showers struck like clockwork. As I made my way between them, I realised there are two types of campsite in the Drakensberg. The Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ones are very basic, with hot water often the extent of the facilities, but boy, their…

GETTING THERE iMonti Tours’s full-day excursion departs from and returns to East London. For the self-drive day, take the N2 from East London to King William’s Town, then the R63 to Alice and Fort Beaufort, and follow the signs on a gravel road to Healdtown. It takes about two and a half hours to drive the 160km. NEED TO KNOW You can visit the museums and Fort Hare University’s centenary exhibition as an independent traveller, but the rest of the experience is best done with a tour guide. Entry to the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha is free. 047-501-9500, nelsonmandelamuseum.org.za THE TOUR iMonti Tours’s Nelson Mandela Early Childhood Tour costs R1 150 pp, including lunch. It starts with an 8am pick-up from your accommodation and returns around 6pm, travelling along…

GETTING THERE Gondwana Game Reserve is 30km from Mossel Bay and 20km from the N2, with a few kilometres of gravel road to the reserve gate. NEED TO KNOW As the Gondwana brochure says, ‘just bring your boots’ and they’ll provide the rest. Your luggage is moved in a duffel bag between camps while a daypack is provided along with water, food and a poncho. Although the days can be long, the trail is not too steep and there are many stops. Each exclusive camp comprises four tents (max eight guests) with en-suite bathrooms. All drinks are included and meals are tasty and bountiful affairs. COST  From R12 750 pp CONTACT 044-333-0200, gondwanagr.co.za…

‘I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills...’ writes Karen Blixen in the opening of Out of Africa. Her farmhouse is still there, but now it’s in Nairobi, at the foot of an electric fence. But I’m getting ahead of my story. So let’s start when my transport dropped me, still dusty from a leopard sighting in the Masai Mara, at my Airbnb apartment in Westlands, Nairobi. Urban Retro was a chic, self-catering apartment with a security guard and Wi-Fi. I had a phone, 48 hours to kill and not a clue where I was in one of the largest capitals in Africa – a city sometimes called ‘Nairobbery’. There was an Uber strike. So I walked – to Sarrit Centre for dinner and supplies,…

STAR-SPANGLED SELFIE STICK I recently went on a fantastic road trip through iconic national parks in the USA, starting at Yellowstone, through the Grand Tetons, Utah’s ‘Mighty 5’ and on to the Grand Canyon. Due to my involvement at iSimangaliso Wetland Park, I have more than the average traveller’s interest in these parks. While we’re still working towards attracting heavier footfalls, my experiences at some of the US destinations (outside of peak season, mind you) was that there were just too many people. The viewing platform surrounding Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone was packed with tourists. Selfies rule, and I’m as guilty as the rest for trying to get the perfect Instagram shot. At Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River, and a dangerous-looking ledge at the Grand Canyon, people queued…

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WORTH TRAVELLING FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY CAPE TOWN Social players and weekend warriors can take part in two tournaments in front of big crowds this month, or you can just enjoy it all as a spectator. Cape Town Sixes (15–16 February) features cricket, football and touch rugby, while Cape Town 10s (31 January & 1 February) has netball, rugby, soccer, hockey, dodgeball, golf and a 6km run. Both also have music concerts, food and drinks stalls and kids’ activities. capetownsixes.com, capetown.10s.co.za 1–2 FEBRUARY MAGOEBASKLOOF Get the blues, in a good way, at the Berry Festival, where you can pick your own organic blueberries – and fill your basket with every kind of jam, juice, preserve, cordial and treat imaginable at the Harvest Market. The weekend includes one of SA’s most beautiful and…

The Platter’s Guide to South African wine is an institution. First published back in 1980, this year it celebrates four decades of stellar winemaking. As an indication of how much the industry has grown, in the first guide there were 200 wine producers and 1 500 wines featured; this year there are just over 900 producers and more than 8 000 wines! Only two wines earned five stars in the first edition – the Nederburg Edelkeur and Kanonkop Cabernet. The latest guide lists a whopping 125 wines (and the first-ever brandy), which earned the coveted five-star rating. To start with, seek out these: • Mullineux near Riebeek Kasteel – the top-performing Winery of the Year, for the fourth time. It has five wines that are five-star rated, as well as two…

A crate marked ‘Painted Dog Conservation’ in stencilled letters slid open. Snowtail, the alpha female, charged out. Two more crates opened. The alpha male and a yearling pup joined their queen. Peter Blinston, director of Painted Dog Conservation, coaxed out six puppies from other crates, still drowsy after the flight from Hwange National Park. Reunited, the pack explored the large enclosure behind Chikwenya Camp in Mana Pools, and I watched in awe. Here, the dogs will dine daily on goat carcasses. They’ll splash in a pool and snooze under shady trees. A wire fence and buffalo-thorn boma will protect them from rival lions and hyenas. The Mpindo Pack earned this unusual trip with Wilderness Safaris due to bad behaviour back home. They’d made a habit of eating goats at Mpindo…

David heads up three eateries at this five-star hotel in the heart of the CBD. The Bombay Brasserie offers Indian fine dining (set menus from R425 pp), the Bombay Brasserie Bar serves small plates based on Indian street food, and Mint Restaurant & Terrace, which spills out onto St George’s Mall, has a global menu inspired by David’s travels – try the Table Tandoor (R195 pp). ‘I like colours, and wild and fresh ingredients on a plate. Make sure you have the best-quality ingredients and cook with your heart and passion if you want a great result.’ 021-819-200…

It’s all about the three Ps: peri-peri, prawns and prego. Thanks to its lengthy coastline and seafaring history, Mozambican cuisine is rich and layered. Both Arab and Portuguese ships brought interesting foods – salt, spices, cassava, cashew nuts, maize, rice, potatoes, sugarcane, lemons, onions, garlic and peppers. Settlers introduced breads and pastries. At every meal, these ingredients, combined with the bounty of the ocean and indigenous tropical fruits, express not only the history and heritage of the country, but its warmth and vibrance too.…

• A sunset cruise on Da Gama Dam (R90 pp). • The three-storey, 2 000m2 vintage-car museum. • Shautany’s chocolate shop. • A do-it-yourself biltong route (via all the butcheries in town). • The Casterbridge and Bagdad lifestyle centres. • Mountain biking: head to MTO Trails (permits from Pull Scar Timber Co), NAD Living or Magnolia Café. • Dining out at Picasso’s Taqueria, 64 Coolmore and Magnolia; al-fresco meals at Dandelion Park & Cafe and Da Loose Mongoose. • The last stock left of late Frank Theron’s Avalencia wine (made from oranges) – available at Gin & Co.…

Ram Mountaineering ( rammountain.co.za ) sponsored the following gear (pictured above) : Black Diamond Fineline Stretch Rain Shell, R2 199 Wind- and waterproof, this lightweight shell kept me super-warm and dry. Black Diamond StormLine Stretch Rain Pants, R1 699 These were extra-stretchy, comfy and stylish. Vango Stryd 22 Grey Backpack, R665 This pack was a good size for our long day walks, with comfortable shoulder straps and a supportive chest strap. Lifeventure Trek Towel, R349 It dried extra fast – much quicker than a traditional towel. Lifesystems Heatshield Blanket, R149 This retains 90% of your body heat. I stowed it in my backpack for emergencies.…