Innehållsförteckning för March 2020 från Getaway

The all-new Mahindra Pik Up S11 Automatic arrives in a couple of months. This new double cab will be available in S11 and S11 Karoo specification levels, and both models are now available at dealers for a test drive. TESTED FOR AFRICAN CONDITIONS The new gearbox and engine combination has been arduously tested at the Gerotek testing facility near Pretoria, as well as additional testing on the country’s highways and byways, so the S11 is ready for any on- or off-road application. The new six-speed automatic gearbox and 2.2 litre mHawk turbodiesel engine are perfectly matched to deliver smooth and linear power. The mHawk S11 Automatic Pik Up engine is similar to the engine found in the S10 and S10 Karoo, but its power delivery characteristics have been matched with…

The clarion call of a black-crowned tchagra woke me as sunlight streamed into my rondavel in Mpembeni, a Zulu village just outside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. I heard boys calling to each other and dogs barking. Looking out, I saw them running along the fence that separates the park from the village where I’d spent the night. Although I speak no Zulu, from their buoyant tones I could hear they were happy to be out hunting. Like generations of Zulu boys before them, they were chasing down an animal, maybe a bushbuck or steenbok that had found its way under the park’s fence – protein for the braai that evening. It was December, the start of the rainy season, and the hills of Zululand had turned emerald. ‘Sawubona, Scott,’ said Zamani Nkosi…

For more than 20 years I’ve travelled the world, filling my global adventure jar with incredible experiences. But besides the Camino de Santiago walking pilgrimage in Spain, my journeys have all been fuelled by trains, planes and automobiles. “... we had to carry everything we needed in custom-made saddlebags” When my long-time friend, Shane Eades, shared his dream of leading horseback expeditions along the Wild Coast and invited me to join his pioneering group, I was excited but apprehensive. As an inexperienced rider, the prospect of spending more than three weeks in the saddle, crossing rivers, beaches, fairy forests and rocky river mouths was daunting. Shane owns Terra-Khaya Eco-backpackers and Amathole Horse Trails in Hogsback and has been around horses all his life. Together with friend Sebastian Gidlow, also an…

Having received reports of unusually clean water in the Orange River, and with only four days available, my dive buddy, Zak O’Leary, and I hit the road north. We were towing a 4x4 trailer loaded to the gunwales and arrived at Richtersveld Wilderness Camp to overcast skies and an afternoon thunderstorm. We ran down to the camp jetty to check the visibility. The sandy river bed two and a half metres below the surface was clearly visible and we were good to go. Barely half an hour later we were unpacked and ready. To maximise the potential of the next two days we needed to work out the best camera settings for the available light, fine tune our dive gear and buoyancy so as not to stir up the silty…

GETTING THERE Haenertsburg is about 60km from Polokwane on the R71, and roughly 36km from Tzaneen on either the R71 or the R528. STAY HERE Art Gallery Guest House is one of the sexiest little spots in the village – a French-style double-storey cottage with romantic trappings, including a fireplace and gorgeous kitchen. From R450 pp B&B. 082-058-7011, artgalleryguesthouse.co.za Viewpoint Guesthouse offers stylish, spacious rooms and fabulous views over the village and mountains beyond in an artistic set-up. From R495 pp sharing. 082-513-0286 Meadow Cottage at Sequoia Garden Retreat. This self-catering spot for two is a charmer. Constructed from stone and wood, the cottage overlooks a dam in the forest. From R875 pp. 072-595-3511, sequoiastay.com The Loft at Glenogle. This romantic soul spot is tucked into the pine forests overlooking…

We were on foot in search of dragons. Not much stirred in the bright morning light as our group walked single file along a dusty trail on Rinca Island in Indonesia. The air was dry and the vegetation a toasted brown. Two cockatoos screeched in a tree high above. With sweat dripping off us, we followed our guide who carried a long stick for protection. Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world. They have skin like chainmail armour, eat their young, have serrated teeth and are venomous. Somehow a stick didn’t seem like it would count for much should we need to slay a dragon. Despite their brutal nature, dangerous encounters are unlikely. There’s a story they tell on Komodo Island, just north of Rinca, about the Dragon…

GETTING THERE Singapore, Qatar, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines all fly to Jakarta, from about R9 500 return. travelstart.co.za WHEN TO GO Temperatures hover around 28°C, so Indonesia is close to being a year-round destination. Monsoon season is from December to February with November and March also prone to rain, but generally limited to bursts. NEED TO KNOW A 30-day visa is granted on arrival to South Africans at no cost. Indonesia is a very affordable destination, so rand-wielding South Africans can treat themselves to upmarket accommodation and quality meals. Islam is widely practised, so alcohol is not always available and local customs should be respected. GETTING AROUND Choose your chariot: boat, train or plane? Fast boats and ferries take tourists to smaller islands, such as from Bali to the Gili…

SCOTT RAMSAY Hwange, page 24 & Zululand, page 74 Scott loves wilderness areas, and one of his favourites is Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park where he visited three camps resurrected after years of neglect. The other is iMfolozi. It was there, almost a decade ago, that he befriended trail guide Nunu Jobe. Recently, he joined up with Nunu at Rhino Ridge Lodge in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, where they walked again with rhinos, and spent the night with the Nkosi family who live adjacent to the park fence. Black rhinos were dodged, Carling Black Labels were drunk, new friends were made and Scott came away with a better understanding of how the Zulu community perceives the park. SARAH KINGDOM Zambia and Zimbabwe, page 100 Born and raised in Sydney before moving to Africa…

A bawdy mixture of AfrikaBurn, a rampant New Year’s Eve Party and the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan – that’s Las Fallas, the festival of fire in Valencia, Spain. What’s thought to have started as a 16th-century pagan ritual has become a five-day fiesta that revolves around the creation and destruction of ninots : gigantic satirical statues, or puppets, made of cardboard, wood and paper-mache that poke fun at corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities. They’re displayed around the city from the day of La Plantà (The Rising) until La Cremà (The Burning), when they are set alight at the stroke of midnight. Each year, one of the ninots – ninot undultant (the pardoned puppet) – is spared from destruction by popular vote and exhibited in the local Museum of…

ROBINS CAMP Two hours from Victoria Falls, via Hwange’s Nantwich Gate, Zimbabwe When I last travelled to Robins Camp 10 years ago, it was functionally extinct – walls were crumbling, roofs were caving in, and there wasn’t a ranger in sight. In the past year, this former model of traditional Hwange stay-overs has been resurrected to such a spectacular degree that it will have faithfuls and newcomers alike trumpeting like thirsty elephants at a new waterhole. The whole camp, including its look-out tower, thatched bungalows and chalets, dining area, lounge, bar and gardens, has been comprehensively renovated. Yet the atmosphere of the old, pioneering Robins remains as redolent as the sweet smell of fresh ellie dung. The Matabele-inspired interiors are simple and comfortable, with king-size and twin beds. Family units…

FINALIST TAKING IN THE VIEW I was hiking through the highlands in northern Ethiopia, a place where few people live, and where the gelada ‘baboons’ munch on its grasses. This Highland ‘couple’ reminded me of tourists posing for the camera. [The gelada is actually not a baboon but the only living member of the genus Theropithecus, and it’s sometimes called the bleeding-heart monkey.] By LEXI NOVITSKE, NIGERIA Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8, ISO 320, f/10, 1/640 sec FINALIST IBIS ON THE WING (left) While watching a flock of African sacred ibis from the Sasol Dam hide at Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort, I noticed that some of them had a thick neck, which could be a crop used to store food. Having not seen this before,…

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 Paarl, she created a longlist of 21 to inspect. The following made the final cut. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? • Self-catering on a wine farm (pg 68) • Family fun on a farm (pg 68) • A wild Winelands sanctuary (pg 69) • Mountain views (pg 69) • Quirky and a bargain (pg 70) • Five-star country comfort (pg 70) • Luxurious boutique suites (pg 71) WHAT I FOUND ABOUT ACCOMMODATION HERE •…

GETTING THERE Drive north from Durban on the N2 for about 220km to Mtubatuba, then turn left onto the R618 and follow the road for about 30km to Nyalazi Gate at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. From the gate, follow the signs to Rhino Ridge (S28° 09.219’ E31° 57.346’). WHEN TO GO All year round, but autumn and winter are cooler and less rainy for walking. STAY HERE Rhino Ridge has 16 rooms, for families and couples. From R2 780 pp including meals, drinks and activities (except rhino walks). Zulu homestay in Mpembeni Village with Zamani Nkosi’s family. This includes overnighting in a rondavel at their homestead plus a traditional dinner and breakfast, Zulu beer, cold drinks and getting involved in typical daily chores and activities. Hot water is provided for a bucket…

GETTING THERE East London and Mthatha are the closest major hubs (and the nearest airports), from where you need to get to Kei Mouth, Mdumbi Backpackers (on a rugged dirt road) or Port St Johns. Vehicle access to the start or end of the various rides (see box opposite) is challenging, so Terra-Khaya runs a shuttle from these three places to either the start, or back to your vehicle at the end of each ride. NEED TO KNOW These rides are not for beginners and there is plenty of fast-paced riding and long days in the saddle. The support vehicle meets up with riders at the end of most days, except for the Pondoland stretch which is too remote and inaccessible. The rides take place in winter when the weather…

“The panicked elephant matriarch charged towards the carcass, trampling and kicking it like a football” Baboons leapt through the stream where a zebra carcass lay. Two lionesses and their cubs relaxed in the cool sand nearby, bellies bloated. Behind us the distinctive chirruping of wild dogs could be heard as they made a beeline for the carcass. Upon arrival they spotted the lions, including a large male who’d just appeared. Having second thoughts, the dogs turned tail and trotted off. Minutes later we heard them yelping, and elephants trumpeting in agitation. The male lion bolted in the direction of the noise with us hot on his heels. In a clearing stood five elephants; a pair of females with three babies. The matriarch was charging repeatedly at six wild dogs that…

TRY LOCAL TRAVEL It saddens me how South Africans are quick to book a week away to Thailand but don’t explore their own neighbourhoods. I am a city and culture guide in Durban and the KZN Midlands, and an avid reader of Getaway where I get many ideas for curating exciting, ‘niche’ tours for my business, Travel Bug Tours. There is so much more to Durban and South Africa than safari drives and the Big Five. We have an amazing cultural heritage, wonderfully friendly people and superb food. Durban recently received the accolade of ‘Greenest City in the World’ according to a survey that calculates the highest percentage of urban green spaces. When I host tourist groups around the city and on hikes in some of Durban’s best reserves, I’m…

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is situated in one of the world’s most diverse biological realms, the Cape Floristic Region. One of the keys to the region’s diversity is fire. Fire generally occurs in fynbos every eight to 30 years, but Kirstenbosch has not burnt its fynbos since it began planting about 40 years ago. A rather remarkable new experiment may change all that. Fires clear out weeds and old plants that have lost the power of cell division. Certain species, which struggle to compete with larger plants, are able to germinate after fire removes the competition, further enhancing the diversity of fynbos. Nutrients from burnt plants are recycled back into the earth enriching the soil, and seeds of plants that have been dormant in the soil for many years will…

When elephants gobbled up Donald Banda’s crop of maize, ‘We had hunger as a family,’ he says. School books became unaffordable, as did school fees. But now Donald patrols the fields around his village, armed with a ‘blaster’ that fires a secret weapon: ping-pong balls filled with chilli oil. ‘Elephants run away, unless I miss the target,’ he reports. Donald is one of 30 volunteers who have joined forces with Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) to prevent elephants raiding crops and thus improve human-wildlife relations in this increasingly populated area. They patrol night and day, or man duty posts (small wooden watchtowers). The chilli bombs are aimed at the rear end of the elephant, so that when it touches this area with its trunk, the oil irritates its trunk and eyes.…

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHS WEST COAST WONDERS Paul says, ‘The symmetry of the scene at Tieties Bay on the West Coast is what caught my eye, and the clouds looked amazing. To add scale, I asked my girlfriend to pose on the rock, looking out towards the ocean. I took two images, one above the other, and stitched them together. EQUIPMENT: Nikon D300 camera with Sigma 10-20mm lens, both images shot 10mm, f/14, ISO 200, 1/30 sec. FENCING FALSE BAY Paul says, ‘I took this image a few years ago while standing in the sea at False Bay, so it was impossible to use a tripod. Contradicting just about everything you’ll read in this article, I handheld the camera. Then I painstakingly stitched it together as the programmes weren’t as sophisticated…

LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK, ZAMBIA GETTING THERE From Lusaka it’s a two-hour drive on tar to Chirundu (where there’s a filling station and a Shoprite). From there, it’s 60km on a good dirt road to the entrance of the Chiawa GMA. Park fees aren’t required in the GMA. For those self-driving into the park there’s an office immediately after crossing the Chongwe River. NEED TO KNOW Discuss anti-malarial medication with your physician before you travel. Tsetse fly give painful bites and are attracted to blue and black, so don’t wear these colours. If self-driving you need to be self-sufficient and have a 4x4. Alternatively you can leave your car at Gwabi River Lodge where you can arrange to travel to the park by river boat. Park fees in most cases…

• The Komodo dragons reach more than three metres and weigh over 100kg. • For decades, their highly bacterial saliva was assumed to be responsible for their bites being so dangerous. In 2009, however, researchers found they have venom glands. • Females can fertilise their own eggs and give ‘virgin births’. This asexual method of reproduction is called parthenogenesis. • Komodos can eat 80% of their body weight and prey on animals such as water buffalo, deer, pigs and even humans. • When threatened, they can regurgitate to lessen their weight in order to move quickly. • Dragons will cannibalise their young and full-grown adults if food is scarce. • Under their scaly skin they’re completely covered in mail-like armour built out of tiny bones.…