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BONUS! 16 PAGES OF GEAR WE TESTED

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FOOD ON THE COVER Sleep in the open in the NamibRand Nature Reserve

3 hacks that make everything taste good

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12.17 IN THIS MONTH’S GETAWAY

TRAVEL 56 HILARIOUS WILDLIFE

You’ll be delighted by these endearing images of wildlife at their best and worst 62 NAMIBIAN HIKE

The Tok Tokkie Trail is not a new experience, but it is an incredible one – for a great price, says Melanie van Zyl 70 BOOST YOUR HOLIDAYS

How to keep you and yours entertained this holiday? Here are 50 things to do around South Africa (like riding in a gondola, pictured here) 80 SURVIVAL GUIDE

This outdoor experience is huge fun, writes Chris Davies, plus you can customise it to suit you 86 PERU

COVER Melanie van Zyl THIS PHOTOGRAPH 7HDJDQ &XQQL΍H

Love mountains, hiking and llamas? Then this is the bucket-list adventure for you, writes Nick Dall

UPFRONT 5 ED’S LETTER

Sonya Schoeman loves a good pair of binoculars, and got to test a pair with her team at Silvermine Nature Reserve 6 CONTRIBUTORS

Meet this month’s experts and adventurers 9 THE TRAVELLER

If you’re thinking about inviting him around for Christmas, says Darrel Bristow-Bovey, stop thinking at once 10 INBOX

Our favourite letters and messages this month

Getaway 4X4 GUIDE TO LESOTHO Free with this issue

12.17 +

ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE We review this camera bag and 26 other items on pg 97

IN THIS MONTH’S GETAWAY

PG 44

zes’ er our ‘24 days of pri FEELING LUCKY? Ent on titi pe com za/ ay.co. competition on getaw

PG 32

ESCAPE

PHOTOGRAPHY

GEAR

COMPETITIONS

12 WISH YOU WERE HERE

28 MASTERCLASS

97 ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

Lesotho: high mountains and big adventures

Want to make holiday shots memorable? Read this

We tested 27 new items and here’s what we think

20 A NAMIBIAN ADVENTURE WORTH R43 600

14 BOOKS

32 GALLERY

You’re going to need a good read this holiday

Eight remarkable images of Africa by our readers

16 ADVENTURE

A hammock met a tent and the tentsile was created

FOOD

18 NEIGHBOURHOOD

Three super-smart ideas to make anything taste great

South End in Port Elizabeth

41 FLAVOUR SHORTCUTS

INSIDER’S GUIDE 139 JOBURG JAZZ

Getaway’s Welcome Lishivha goes back to Braamfontein to talk jazz with Thandi Ntuli

Six nights and three wildlife resorts for four travellers, PLUS do the walking trail on the cover (page 62) 23 WIN A FIVE-STAR SAFARI

Two nights at luxurious Tintswalo Safari Lodge near Kruger Park

21 CALENDAR

THE FINAL CUT

22 BITES

44 SIMON’S TOWN

Why rum will be your next drink of choice 24 GEAR

Funky vellies for easy summer walking 27 INSIDE GETAWAY

Lesotho dinosaurs can walk on ceilings, says Tyson Jopson 2 DECEMBER 2017

12 of the best seaside houses, revealed by our expert reviewer

ROAD TRIP 50 BARBERTON GEOTRAIL

Getaway’s Melanie van Zyl takes us on a historical route in Mpumalanga

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Editor Sonya Schoeman EDITORIAL TEAM Deputy Editor Tyson Jopson Copy Editor Food Editor Photographer and Photo Editor Gear Editor Multimedia Journalists

$VVRFLDWH (GLWRU Caroline Webb Michelle Hardie Nikki Werner 7HDJDQ &XQQLÎ?H Matthew Sterne Ondela Mlandu, Nandi Majola

CREATIVE TEAM AND PRODUCTION Marisa Steyn $UW 'LUHFWRU Leo Abrahams, Leigh Taylor Senior Designers Keryn Rheeder *URXS 3URGXFWLRQ 0DQDJHU DIGITAL TEAM Melanie van Zyl Digital Content Manager Welcome Lishivha Multimedia Journalist Wendy Lucas Group Digital Business Manager Cicero Joseph Group Web Development Manager Nawhaal Fakir Campaign Manager Bianca Liebenberg Group Digital Designer Lizelle Leonard Webmaster CONTRIBUTORS Sadiqah Assur-Ismail, Darrel Bristow-Bovey, Lynne Cloete, Nick Dall, Chris Davies, Pippa de Bruyn, Brandon de Kock, Jess Nicholson, Janine Stephen BUSINESS AND SALES TEAM 6DOHV 'LUHFWRU Group Sales Manager &RPPHUFLDO 0DQDJHU $FFRXQW 0DQDJHUV

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FROM THE EDITOR Sonya Schoeman

A good traveller chooses the right tools My father’s binoculars were Atlases from Japan. They were big and black and heavy, 10x50, and they sat on top of a book shelf of weighty tomes that had changed the world. The binocs changed the world, too. In the distance, what seemed like a rock in the veld would be revealed as a stately kudu with a splendid crown of horns, an African paradise flycatcher would turn into a punk teenager with iridescent blue eyeliner and lipstick. We’d sit on the stoep for hours to watch the soapie of puffed up, acid-yellow male weavers sweat over intricate nests, only to have the females inspect them and turn their backs with cool indifference. I loved the feel of the binocular’s heavy body in my hands, and the magic of life it revealed when you twisted it into focus.

On a recent trip to Kenya’s Mara Naboisho Conservancy, our walking guide had a pair of Swarovskis; starting costs for these are around R13 000. ‘Is it really worth it?’ I wondered aloud. I’d brought my trusty Nikons, priced around R2 000, and they seemed good enough. He handed them over and I trained them on a lilacbreasted roller. Oh, the beauty! Yes, quality makes a difference, and there’s nowhere you see it as well as out in the field. For us travellers, the right gear is important. A good backpack can make a hike that much easier if you have waist support, if your water is easily accessible, and it allows in cooling air behind the back. And hammocks look like a fabulous idea but are they really a practical option? And it’s good to test a stove out in

the open air. So some of our team headed out to Silvermine Nature Reserve to unfold tents, pack them back up, lie down on mattresses, roll them back up, hang up the hammocks on any available trees and then lie in the bed we made, and, of course, we cooked breakfast on the stove. The end result is 16 pages of reviews about 27 items that are new releases, cool ideas and interesting concepts. We tell you what we think of them on page 97. And if you choose to get something on our recommendation, the rest of this issue will tell you where you can to go to test them yourselves. Enjoy your summer!

things to look 5 out for this December issue GO HERE FOR A LAUGH 6WDUW RÎ? WKLV LVVXH ZLWK D JLJJOH 7XUQ WR SDJH DQG ORRN DW HQWULHV IRU WKH :LOGOLIH &RPHG\ $ZDUGV <RX ZRQȇW UHJUHW LW 50 SUMMER BOOSTERS ΖI \RXȇUH DQ\WKLQJ OLNH PH KROLGD\V FRPH DURXQG DQG DQ\ LGHDV RI ZKDW WR Č´OO P\ GD\V ZLWK Čľ\ RXW P\ KHDG :HOO KHUH DUH JUHDW RQHV 6HH SDJH NAMIBIAN DREAM 7KH 7RN 7RNNLH WUDLO LV QRW QHZ EXW LWȇV VXFK DQ LQFUHGLEOH DQG DÎ?RUGDEOH H[SHULHQFH WKDW ZH ZDQWHG WR UHPLQG \RX RI WKH PDJLF WKDW LW RÎ?HUV 6HH SDJH SIMON’S TOWN 7KLV LV VLPSO\ RQH RI WKH PRVW WHUULČ´F KROLGD\ GHVWLQDWLRQV LI \RXȇUH LQ RU YLVLWLQJ WKH :HVWHUQ &DSH *R RQ WUHDW \RXUVHOI WR RQH RI WKHVH VHDVLGH KRXVHV SDJH

Welcome Lishivha Tyson Jopson

LOOK OUT FOR THE GOOD-VALUE STAR (DFK LVVXH RI Getaway KDV VHYHUDO LQH[SHQVLYH DFFRPPRGDWLRQ RSWLRQV IRU XQGHU 5 SS VRPH IRU OHVV WKDW ZH WKLQN RÎ?HU JRRG YDOXH :HȇYH PDUNHG WKHVH ZLWK D VWDU

Sonya Schoeman

Tyson Jopson

Matthew Sterne

Leo Abrahams

Nandi Majola Ondela Mlandu

TO OUR READERS Our aim is to help make your travel better. Mail us with any feedback or input at editor@getaway.co.za getaway.co.za 5

CONTRIBUTORS age at ai Music on st Shalom Adon Session w do in W nday The Orbit’s Su

Welcome Lishivha Nick Dall Peru, page 86 Run-ins with stingrays DQG ȵHVK HDWLQJ SDUDVLWHV SLFNSRFNHWV DQG XQGHUFRRNHG XGGHUV KDYH GRQH QRWKLQJ WR GDPSHQ 1LFNȇV \HDU ORYH D΍DLU ZLWK 6RXWK $PHULFD ΖQ IDFW WKH\ȇUH SUHFLVHO\ ZK\ KHȇV VR REVHVVHG ZLWK WKH SODFH ΖW IROORZV WKDW ZKHQ KH ZDV LQYLWHG HQWLUHO\ RXW RI WKH EOXH WR KLNH D UHPRWH VHFWLRQ RI 3HUXȇV DQFLHQW ΖQFD KLJKZD\ WKHUH ZDV RQO\ HYHU JRLQJ WR EH RQH UHVSRQVH 6 DECEMBER 2017

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Tyson Jopson

Chris Davies

The Getaway 4x4 Guide to Lesotho, free with this issue

Survival Guide, page 80

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Welcome Lishivha

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THE TRAVELLER Darrel Bristow-Bovey

Pass the nightmarish Noel nuts

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Quitting Christmas cold turkey is preferable to labouring through it with other people, reckons our columnist

‘I don’t mind spending Christmas on my own,’ I said. ‘Honestly, I don’t.’ I wasn’t lying. One of the very reasons I was in Boston over Christmas was that I knew no one there and wouldn’t have to buy anyone presents or make dutiful visits or eat a gloomy lunch while scrutinising distant relatives, fearful of discovering that I resembled them in some way. I was looking forward to spending the day alone with a pizza and a carton of eggnog, watching the first two Godfather movies. But then, on 23 December, I made the fatal mistake of dropping by to pay my respects to an old school friend of my mother’s. I had never met Sal before but she was a strange, blue-haired old buzzard who wore a knitted multicoloured Peruvian beanie with ear flaps, even indoors. She wanted to know my Christmas plans and I made the second fatal mistake of telling her the truth. ‘Never!’ she declared. ‘You’ll have Christmas here.’ ‘Oh no, please,’ I said, a little desperately. ‘I couldn’t intrude.’ ‘No intrusion!’ she bellowed, like a bad-tempered judge overruling an objection. ‘There’ll be plenty of food, lots to go around! You need to experience some Boston hospitality!’ I spent the next day trying to figure out how to get out of it. I could call in sick, but what if she came over with chicken soup and vitamins? Damn the Americans and their hospitality. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If there were enough guests (how big was her family? Twenty people? Fifty? A hundred?), I could slink in, hover on the peripheries avoiding chit-chat, have a hearty meal and flee into the snowy night with no harm done. As I rang the doorbell, I wondered whether I should have brought Christmas presents. No, surely not. I hardly knew these people – they can’t expect gifts, can they? At such late notice? Damn it, I should have bought a box of Quality Street. Do they have Quality Street in Boston, Massachusetts?

The door opened and Sal stood there. She was still wearing her Peruvian beanie, and also some kind of flannel housecoat. ‘Come in, come in,’ she said. The place was very cold and strangely quiet. ‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Am I the first to arrive?’ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘there’s no one else, just the two of us.’ If you’d been present you’d have heard, in the silence that followed those words, the sound of my heart contracting like a ball of tin foil being crushed in a savage hand. Also, if you’d been present, it would have been a lot less awkward because then at least there would have been three strangers in a room, which is better than two. This was my worst nightmare. This could not get any worse. ‘Here’s a gift for you,’ she said, handing me an elaborately wrapped parcel. ‘Oh,’ I said, wishing I would faint, or spontaneously combust. ‘Oh, um ‌ I didn’t bring one‌’ ‘Hmm,’ she said, looking down at the gift as though considering taking it back. We sat at opposite ends of the lounge and looked at each other. We had no small talk left. We ate nuts from a bowl and each bite sounded like a gunshot. I think we sat there for three hours without saying a word. I started shrieking inside my head, to try and drown out the embarrassment. I’m not religious but I made a Christmas prayer: please let lunch be nearly ready so that I can eat and then run outside to throw myself in front of a passing car. ‘Well,’ she said at last, ‘I guess I’d better start making lunch.’ I hope your festive season is happy. I will be holed up in an undisclosed location. Please send no invitations.

getaway.co.za 9

INBOX Travellers share their thoughts

FROM FACEBOOK

WE ASKED: What is the most memorable meal from all your travels? I had mopane worms in Zim (trying to outdo the foreigners!) and buffalo bolognese on the iMfolozi wilderness walk. – Simone Du Plessis Bom-Schweimer

Lobster and prawns, the size of my hand, at The Rock in Zanzibar. And the freshest fish at the beach cafÊ in Plettenberg Bay. – Nini Sibiya

Small things burnish Copperton I used to dread the long road trip with my dad to Copperton in the Northern Cape. Maybe it was because I was young and the 880 kilometres from Cape Town felt so long. ‘Such a waste of time on the road,’ I used to think. I would spend it either sleeping or reading a book. There used to be nothing but dry hay for kilometres along this road, but it has become like a ribbon passing through patches of green, laced with patches of dry ODQG 6XGGHQO\ WKHUH LV D JLUDÎ?H VWDQGLQJ next to the road. We stop and get out of the car to look at this beautiful animal. I haven’t seen one for ages. We see a tortoise making its way across the road and we stop DJDLQ WR PRYH LW RÎ? WKH WDUPDF Č‚ WKHUH LW goes into the bush, slowly but surely. As we turn onto the orange dirt road towards Copperton, I see the old mine on

the left-hand side and think about the people who worked there for years. I wonder what happened to them, feeling sad for all of them. But I get such a great feeling when I go around the circle in Copperton’s main road and see my dad’s house. Where others see dryness and loneliness, I see love, friendships, helpfulness and forgiveness. To many people Copperton may be just a former mining town with only a handful of people left behind, but to me it represents what was and how humble people and places can be. This road trip reminds me of what a great country we have. Even though it is dry in Copperton, there is always beauty if you look for it. So never be IRROHG E\ ZKDW \RX ȴUVW VHH – Thea Lennox, Cape Town

WIN! Thea wins a pair of Hi-Tec Wild-Life Lux hiking boots ZRUWK 5 É‹ WR XVH RQ KHU QH[W H[SHGLWLRQ (PDLO \RXU OHWWHUV QR PRUH WKDQ ZRUGV WR editor@getaway.co.za. Getaway reserves the right to edit letters to style.

The first time I ate goat was at the Halley Hotel in Xai-Xai, Mozambique. It was so tasty I was convinced it was lamb. Of course, we also had lobster and prawns ... all the good sea stuff. Later I saw from the roof of the hotel that all the food was cooked over an open wood fire. – Renata Reck

Tarantula in Cambodia, with loads of garlic and chilli – you wouldn’t have guessed you were eating spider (if you had your eyes closed)! – Carmel Carmichael Pig’s head made at home in Malawi. I have tried mopane worms too, crocodile steaks and hippo stew – made by friends in Malawi mostly. I drew the line at the mice or locust sosaties, though. – Leanne Gernetzky van Niekerk

10 DECEMBER 2017

iStockphoto.com

WINNING LETTER

Traditional Russian meals eaten in cosy kitchens – whether in dachas or Communist apartment blocks – during an icy Siberian winter. The hospitality, generosity and warmth of the hosts made every single meal the best and most memorable ever. – Adele Steenkamp

A dam ďŹ ne place to overnight About a three-hour drive from Johannesburg and an easy day’s journey from the Eastern Cape coast is $OGDP +ROLGD\ 5HVRUW RÎ? the N1 between Winburg and Ventersburg. The cottages are set on a hill overlooking the Allemanskraal Dam, and the resort has become our favourite stopover when travelling north from Port Alfred. As pensioners, we were given a 50 per cent discount on an already very reasonable ORZ VHDVRQ WDULÎ? 7KH UHVRUW is also an ideal family holiday spot, with a restaurant on site and many sporting facilities.

Nearby is the most attractive and well-stocked Willem Pretorius Game Reserve (R70 entry per vehicle). A short drive up a rocky koppie leads to an excellent viewing platform,

which looks down onto winding roads through the lush valley along the shores of the dam. We drove along a 12-kilometre route and saw many contented and relaxed animals, including JLUDÎ?H HPHUJLQJ WKURXJK WKH trees and a majestic sable bull leading a herd of more than 50 animals. We also saw two ZHOO PXVFOHG KHUGV RI EXÎ?DOR kudu, eland and zebra, and many impala with a shy reedbuck in the vlei. At sunset, we returned for another comfortable night at our favourite cottage nestled among the aloes. – Mike and Diana Bartlett, Port Alfred

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Glamping escape to see WKH 1DPDTXD ȾRZHUV ZRUWK 5 ɋ What an absolutely wonderful surprise for a Friday! My partner and I are incredibly excited. This is GHȴQLWHO\ D EXFNHW OLVW LWHP and we are so happy to have won. – Marene Malan I am so excited to have won this getaway. I am accepting it with warm hands! – Kgomotso Matlhare

/* * VPDUWSKRQH ZRUWK 5 ɋ When you called me I was standing at an ATM (I hadn’t inserted my card yet). I was stunned when you informed me that I had won this amazing prize. After the call, I was so excited I forgot my PIN code! Thank you for running such great competitions. – Neil Jagger

SNAP OF THE MONTH

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WIN! Tag us in your images on Instagram @GetawayMagazine and stand a chance of winning a R400 Outdoor Warehouse gift voucher. outdoorwarehouse.co.za

Thank you Getaway! I’ve always loved the LG G-range and have been eyeing the incredible G6 for ages Ȃ GHȴQLWHO\ WLPH WR XSJUDGH from my G3. Really looking forward to testing out those wide-angle shots on my next hike. – Matthew Deacon

Visit getaway.co.za/ competition for 24 days of prizes this month

SPEAK TO US getaway.co.za | facebook.com/getawaymagazine | Twitter and Instagram: @getawaymagazine getaway.co.za 11

ESCAPE THE FIRST STEP TO YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

WISH YOU WERE HERE

By the time you read this, every last blade of golden grass in this picture will be a brilliant green. And that pinstripe of white water, the Maletsunyane Falls, will be a thundering cascade. This is a land of big mountains and long rivers. But most importantly, it is a land of seasons. Wet summers bring gushing ZDWHUV IURP LWV KHLJKWV DQG WXUQ WKH YDOOH\V LQWR HQGOHVV VWUHDPV Č´OOHG ZLWK WURXW DQG \HOORZČ´VK ΖF\ ZLQWHUV FRYHU LWV SHDNV LQ VQRZ FKDQJLQJ VRPH LQWR $OSLQH OLNH VORSHV :KDWHYHU WKH ZHDWKHU LWȇV D ODQGVFDSH SULPHG IRU DFWLRQ PRXQWDLQ ELNLQJ RÎ? URDG PRWRUF\FOLQJ KLNLQJ VNLLQJ Čľ\ Č´VKLQJ KRUVH ULGLQJ DQG DEVHLOLQJ WR QDPH D IHZ 7R PDNH WKH PRVW RI WKLV \RX QHHG D [ D OLWWOH ORFDO NQRZOHGJH DQG D VHQVH RI DGYHQWXUH )UHH ZLWK WKLV LVVXH \RXȇOO Č´QG MXVW WKDW WKH Getaway 4x4 Guide to Lesotho ΖW IHDWXUHV HLJKW URXWHV ZLWK *36 FRRUGLQDWHV LQFOXGHG WKDW ZLOO WDNH \RX WR WKLV FRXQWU\ȇV ELJJHVW KLJKOLJKWV DQG DW WKH VDPH WLPH JLYH \RX WKH RÎ? URDG H[SHULHQFH RI D OLIHWLPH

Tyson Jopson

MALETSUNYANE FALLS, LESOTHO

gest home to the world’s lon Maletsunyane Falls is for ds cen des It eil. l abs single-drop commercia onglodge.com 204 metres. semonk

getaway.co.za 13

ESCAPE ADVENTURE

READS FOR THE SUMMER HOLS From Barcelona and Sweden to Botswana and even space, these books will take you places

1 CULT MYSTERY (Bantam Press, R320) It’s been nearly 15 years since Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code hit the shelves and his newest work will certainly please fans. $JDLQ 3URI 5REHUW /DQJGRQ works his way through famous artworks, poetry, odd codes, symbols and religious texts to ȴQG WKH EDG JX\ 7KLV WLPH WKH setting is delightful Barcelona and there’s a rush to get a new VFLHQWLȴF GLVFRYHU\ RXW WR WKH world amid a murder. The VWRU\ GHOYHV LQWR $UWLȴFLDO Intelligence, taking the reader on a decent adventure combining history and science. It’s easy reading and the pace RI WKH VWRU\ ZLOO PDNH DQ\ ȾLJKW or journey whizz by. Plus, it’s sure to inspire a trip to Spain to see Gaudí’s works. – MELANIE VAN ZYL

2 SCI-FI THRILLER (Penguin Random House, R295) Anna Francis lives in a dystopian Stockholm, post-Second Cold War, 20 years from now. The totalitarian government has an apparent love for mind games, and it’s into one such challenge that the PTSD-riddled Anna is thrust. Her assignment: join a small group on the isolated island of Isola, fake her own death, observe the ensuing dynamics and report back on who would be the best person for the top-secret RAN project to hire. Plans unravel when D VWRUP FXWV RÎ? FRPPXQLFDWLRQ and the death toll starts rising. ΖWȇV D GLÎ?HUHQW UHDG WKDW ZRXOG appeal to those interested in the darker twists of the mind. But Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None it’s not. – TEAGAN CUNNIFFE

MORE PICKS 2WKHU JUHDW ERRNV WKDW FDPH RXW WKLV \HDU EVERY TIME I FIND THE MEANING OF LIFE, THEY CHANGE IT by Daniel Klein (Oneworld) Klein, a philosopher, has collected words of wisdom by great thinkers his whole life, originally in the hope that it would make 14 DECEMBER 2017

things easier. In this book, he considers their quotes about life’s biggest questions (one for each chapter) and adds his own unexpected insights as a 70-year-old. An easy-to-read ‘refreshingly spontaneous plunge into deep thought’.

3 QUIRKY TRIVIA

4 FAMILY DRAMA

(Tafelberg, R250) ‘Why do cats lie in the sun and why doesn’t a woodpecker VXÎ?HU EUDLQ GDPDJH DV D UHVXOW of the concussive force of it pecking?’ These are some of the questions that John Maytham provides fascinating and illuminating answers to in Rapid Fire. The book’s compiled from questions posed by listeners phoning in to his afternoon drive-time show on CapeTalk radio. Subjects range from animals and body parts to sport and science. This is a great book to whip out on holidays to spark entertaining and educational conversation with family and friends. It’s elegantly written but don’t EH SXW RÎ? E\ WKH VRPHWLPHV complex language. – MICHELLE HARDIE

(Century, R295) If you like this genre, the latest RÎ?HULQJ E\ 6XVDQ /HZLV LV bound to have you turning the pages late into the night. It’s the story of a family who, after losing their daughter Penny when she ran away as a teenager decades before, now have to deal with her suddenly deciding to reestablish contact. Penny is still very much a troubled soul; like a cat playing with its prey, she taunts family members through cryptic text messages and strange encounters. Now wealthy and successful, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. But what is it she wants? And why torment her family when they tried everything in WKHLU SRZHU WR Č´QG KHU" 2U did they? – LEIGH TAYLOR

TRAGIC SHORES by Thomas H. Cook (Quercus) Subtitled ‘A Memoir of Dark Travel’, it describes Cook’s visits to places around the world where ‘dark events’ in history have taken place. But the book is uplifting DQG LQVSLULQJ +H JRHV RÎ? WKH beaten path, has no planned itinerary and interacts with the locals. The way travel should be.

DEAD ZONE by Philip Lymbery (Bloomsbury) An alarming wake-up call, which looks at the HÎ?HFW RI LQGXVWULDO IDUPLQJ RQ the environment and highlights iconic species we stand to lose if we don’t change our mindset. ‘Through our food choices three times a day, we can support the best animal welfare and bring landscapes to life,’ he says.

5 ACTION ADVENTURE

6 AFRICAN DETECTIVES

7 TRUE LIFE STORY

8 ROMANTIC DRAMA

(Penguin Random House, R295) Join wealthy husband-and-wife duo Sam and Remi Fargo as they jet from country to country in dramatic chase of Russian Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna’s lost fortune. Years ago, Maria ransomed the royal inheritance for the safety of her kidnapped family – an exchange that did not go according to plan. The priceless ransom, including three jewelled Royal Danish Eggs, was subsequently stolen by the Nazis and disappeared into myth. Until now, that is, and it’s not just the Fargos on the trail. This book reads OLNH DQ DFWLRQ ȴOP ZLWK EDUHO\ a chapter passing unscathed E\ JXQȴUH DQG FRYHUV KDOI the globe in an intrepid search. It’s an entertaining, easy read (part James Bond, part Dan Brown historical mystery) that will probably leave you grateful for the calm of your beach chair. – TEAGAN CUNNIFFE

(Orenda Books, R195) Fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s Botswana-based books will devour this new murder mystery. Set against the backdrop of a wild Kalahari, it delivers the same endearing charm of the Tswana people but with more cloak-anddagger thrills thrown in. Fitting a new literary niche called ‘sunshine noir’ (a backlash to DOO WKDW FULPH Č´FWLRQ VHW LQ Scandinavia), in this novel, local police detectives Kubu and Sam try to solve the murders of a Bushman, a professor and a traditional healer who claimed to have the secret to eternal life. It’s topical, too, weaving rhino poaching and greedy corporations into the plot. What I loved most was the very human characters of the two lead detectives – they are loving people with happy family lives (a stark contrast to many other investigators in the crime genre). – MELANIE VAN ZYL

(Knopf, R340) Ever wondered what a year in space might be like? In his memoir, astronaut Scott Kelly holds your hand through the intriguing details of his record-breaking journey into space, recounting anecdotes from his life and the personal challenges he has overcome. It’s a captivating and informative story that doesn’t bog you down with astronautspeak. Kelly’s year in space was part of the largest long-term UHVHDUFK SURMHFW RQ WKH HÎ?HFWV of living there on the human mind and body. In the book, we learn how his reading of Tom Wolfe’s 7KH 5LJKW 6WXÎ? made him realise that he wanted to be an astronaut. He describes what the journey looked like, the sounds he heard, the smell of space and coming back to Earth, having to readjust to gravity. His journey will get you thinking about your own, more daringly. – WELCOME LISHIVHA

(Penguin Random House, R290) This story has all the snot en trane of a break-up when Amy’s husband of 17 years announces he wants time out from their marriage to go backpacking around South East Asia. There’ll be no contact between them but he still loves her and he’ll be back. Seriously? Amy is stunned by his decision but as the book progresses we learn about her own frustrations (and indiscretions) in the marriage. Keyes manages to keep up the suspense – with Amy having a bit of ‘fun’ herself. Various sub-plots run through the narrative exposing the dynamics between family members and friends when marriages turn rocky. Some scenes were skip-worthy but, overall, Keyes’ writing kept me entertained and asking, ‘Will he come back? Will she take him back?’ It’s no literary masterpiece but engaging enough for a beach read. – MICHELLE HARDIE

THE WHITE ROAD by Sarah Lotz (Hodder & Stoughton) A thrilling novel that combines extreme adventurers, fame and fortune on the internet, and an expedition to Everest to produce a ‘morality tale for modern life’. Various characters meet on the mountain, hauling their secrets and baggage to the summit with them.

ALMOST HUMAN by Lee Berger (Jonathan Ball) Prof Berger’s gripping tale of the discovery of Homo naledi in the Cradle of Humankind, the biggest haul of fossils yet in Africa. It especially details the pluck of the female scientists, the ‘Underground Astronauts’, recruited to squeeze their way into the Rising Star cave daily.

MOZART’S STARLING by Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Little Brown) In 1874, Mozart was inspired by a starling’s singing to write the Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major. In 2017, the author rears a baby starling, resulting in this book that mixes a Mozart biography with thoughts on music, birds, ecology and the meaning of life.

THE WEBER SERIES by Jamie Purviance (Struik Lifestyle) This American braai maestro’s three books – Mediterranean, Hot & Spicy and Classics – will ensure a bounty beyond tjops en wors emerging from the iconic domed grill. He reveals all about this appliance so that you can whip up anything from ȾDWEUHDGV WR GHVVHUWV getaway.co.za 15

ESCAPE ADVENTURE

TREEHOUSE

TRIE D & T E ST E D

7KHVH ȆOHYLWDWLQJȇ WHQWV DOORZ \RX WR FDPS LQ SODFHV ZLWK XQHYHQ JURXQG DQG HYDGH FUHHS\ FUDZOLHV 3OXV WKH\ ORRN UHDOO\ FRRO WHAT Tentsile Tree Tents WHERE To hire all over SA WHO Gear journalist Matthew Sterne

FUN FACTOR 8/10 VERDICT )LQGLQJ ZHOO VSDFHG WUHHV FDQ EH D FKDOOHQJH $V FDQ Č´QGLQJ WKH ULJKW VOHHSLQJ position: lie straight, over the VWLÎ?HVW SDUW WR DYRLG EXQGOLQJ 2QFH Č´JXUHG RXW LWȇV ORWV RI IXQ DETAILS +LUH D WHQW IURP 5 SHU GD\ H[FOXGLQJ GHOLYHU\ RU join Tentsile SA on a three-day &HGHUEHUJ HVFDSH ΖW LQFOXGHV transport, food, hikes and setting up and taking down RI WKH WHQWV IURP 5 É‹ SS 2U EX\ \RXU RZQ 7ZR SHUVRQ WHQWV IURP 5 É‹ tentsile.co.za

Tyson Jopson

Two of your favourite childhood hangouts, treehouses and WHQWV KDYH ȴQDOO\ PHW %ULWLVK DUFKLWHFW $OH[ 6KLUOH\ 6PLWK was inspired by the Ewok tree village in Return of the Jedi and created Tentsile, which he GXEEHG ȆWKH ZRUOGȇV PRVW LQQRYDWLYH SRUWDEOH WUHHKRXVHȇ :H WRRN WKHP WR WKH %HUJ 5LYHU 5HVRUW QHDU 3DDUO DQG DIWHU scouting for three well-spaced WUHHV YHU\ LPSRUWDQW JRW GRZQ WR JHWWLQJ WKHP XS $UUDQJLQJ WKHP LQWR WKH right position felt like a practical WULJRQRPHWU\ WHVW 2XU ȴUVW DWWHPSW ZRXOGȇYH GLVDSSRLQWHG P\ KLJK VFKRRO PDWKV WHDFKHU EXW DIWHU VKLPP\LQJ WKHP around a little, lining up the corners, and tightening the ratchet straps, we got the SHUIHFW VSUHDG )URP WKHUH

it was super easy: two tent poles slide in to create the roof and loops with carabiners keep \RXU EDJV RÎ? WKH JURXQG Spending the night inside IHOW OLNH VOHHSLQJ LQ D PDQ VL]HG FRFRRQ 7KH ȆȾRRUȇ LV OLNH D WUDPSROLQH VR Ζ ZDV LQLWLDOO\ drawn to the centre, but once ΖȇG Č´JXUHG RXW KRZ WR GLVWULEXWH P\ ZHLJKW LW ZDV H[WUHPHO\ FRPIRUWDEOH :H ZHUH EHVLGH D ULYHU DQG WKH FROG DLU FDPH LQ IURP EHORZ VR Ζ UHFRPPHQG extra insulation if you’re going WR EH LQ D VLPLODU SRVLWLRQ

16 DECEMBER 2017

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? The question, ‘what are you wearing?’ takes on a whole new meaning when you consider nextgeneration tech like the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear IconX, Gear VR and Gear 360. It’s no longer only about the smartphone. Now an integrated universe of smart иʪɇθɇɵ̷ʪϑ ̈ϑ ʀ˵ɇ͝˝̈͝˝ ˵ͱи иʪ ʪ͝˝ɇ˝ʪ ӥϩ˵ ʪЭʪθцϩ˵̈͝˝ ˙θͱ͔ ѣϩ͝ʪϑϑ ϩͱ ϩ˵ʪ world around us. For man-about-town, model, TV presenter and multitasking entrepreneur, Maps Maponyane, his hectic work and travel schedule means that staying in shape

is an absolute necessity in order to stay on top

3F.,;

of what needs to get accomplished in a day. The Gear Fit2 Pro sports band is the ideal tool for Maps as the embedded GPS and heart rate monitor give him accurate feedback, whether he’s pounding the treadmill or racking up the steps hustling around Hopetown or Helsinki. ϩ ϑͱ͔ʪ ϑϩɇ˝ʪࡡ ʪЭʪθцͱ͝ʪ ѣ ͝ʒϑ ϩ˵ʪ ˝ц͔ ɵͱθ̈͝˝ ɇ͝ʒ ɇ ʀ˵ͱθʪ ࣔ ɇ͝ʒ đɇΧϑ ̈ϑ ͝ͱ exception. However, pairing his Gear Fit2 Pro with the Gear IconX livens the ʪуΧʪθ̈ʪ͝ʀʪ ɇϑ ˵ʪ ˝ʪϩϑ ѣ ϩ ɇ͝ʒ ˵ʪ ʒͱʪϑ࣭͝ϩ ʪЭʪ͝ ˵ɇЭʪ ϩͱ ϩЇθ͝ ̈ϩ ͱ͝ࡡ ɵʪʀɇЇϑʪ ̈ϩ activates as soon as he inserts the earbuds. Maps can listen to music and tap the earbuds to change tracks without needing to have his phone nearby. He gets instant feedback on whether he is meeting his daily goals, and all his accumulated data from the Gear Fit2 Pro and IconX easily syncs with S Health.

The Gear Fit2 Pro is designed to track data all day long, and the sleek ergonomic design and interchangeable display don’t compromise his smartly tailored look. Staying in shape is non-negotiable for Maps, but it’s only a fraction of his day. Working in media and having a huge social media presence mean that his followers expect to see all the highlights of his day-to-day activities. The Gear 360 is the perfect tool for him to deliver amazing 360-degree visuals in both video and stills. Whether he’s busting a move on a Saturday night or taking a red carpet wide-angle, the Bright Lens F2.2 gives him fantastic high-resolution images, even in low light. It’s also small enough to slip into his jacket pocket, ready at a moment’s notice. The Gear 360 is also a great tool for those behindthe-scenes shots Maps loves to share. He can sync it with his Samsung Galaxy S8 and upload or share directly onto his social media channels, as well as preview content in real time while he’s recording. And of course, he can watch ˵̈ϑ ͱи͝ ʀͱ͝ϩʪ͝ϩ ϩ˵θͱЇ˝˵ ϩ˵ʪ ʪɇθǤŵ ࣔ

another wearable that’s part of his cohesive Samsung universe. It’s super simple for him to slot his Galaxy S8 into the headset and start enjoying his virtual reality content. Best of all, it’s light and comfortable. Ǯ̈ϩ˵ ɇ ϑʪ̷ʪʀϩ̈ͱ͝ ͱ˙ ˙ɇ͝ϩɇϑϩ̈ʀ ࣔ ͝ͱϩ ϩͱ ͔ʪ͝ϩ̈ͱ͝ ˙ɇϑ˵̈ͱ͝ɇɵ̷ʪ ࣔ ϩͱͱ̷ϑ ɇϩ ˵̈ϑ ʒ̈ϑΧͱϑɇ̷ࡡ it’s no wonder that Maps not only manages to always look effortlessly good despite a heavy work and travel schedule, but he’s able to document it, one cityscape at a time.

ESCAPE NEIGHBOURHOOD

South End, Port Elizabeth On the rise again, PE’s ‘District Six’ is taking advantage of its central location overlooking the harbour. ZOLEKA MAGINGXA gives us a local’s tour

local cuisine

COFFEE BREAK ‘There is Friendly Stranger, rustic and inviting (in an old harbourmaster’s house), perfect for meetings or after-work drinks.’ 1 Bridge Street, 076-437-6850 'DQLHO EHORZ DGGV Ȇ7KH FRÎ?HH and baristas are excellent, as is the food.’

OUT AND ABOUT

Bridge Street Brewery Manager Daniel Huddlestone ‘The brewery was started by Gary Erasmus and Lex Mitchell (of the famous .Q\VQD EUHZHU\ ΖW ZDV WKH Č´UVW FUDIW EUHZHU\ in PE and we could not be more proud of our beer! My father has lived in South End for most of his life, so I have seen it change quite a bit over the years. A lot of that change has happened recently – since Bridge Street Brewery opened, in fact. It’s amazing to see this DUHD VWDUWLQJ WR ČľRXULVK ZLWK QHZ EXVLQHVVHV and events popping up all the time. Our spot is nestled at the bottom of Brickmaker’s Kloof, in the heart of the Baakens Valley. The Inner City Enduro takes place here every year, and the Valley Bash is a new auto rally we were recently involved in. We have plans for it to be bigger LQ WKH IXWXUH ȇ %ULGJH 6WUHHW

‘South End Museum has a lot of history on the previous dwellers of the area who were forcibly removed.’ Tours are conducted by former residents. Corner Walmer Boulevard and Humewood Road, 041-582-3325

Explore the OUTDOORS ‘Victoria Park is a wonderful place to spend the afternoon. The park has water-lily ponds, a bird-watching site and a beautiful garden. Weddings, live music shows and summer picnics also take place here.’ Ernest Walter Road, 041-582-2575

The candle-lit Goodnight Market focuses more on dining. R20 pp entry. Every third Thursday at the Old Tramways Building. 18 DECEMBER 2017

Supplied, illustrations by Leo Abrahams

Marketing coordinator for Mandela Bay Development Agency Zoleka oversees the Old Tramways Building, a newly renovated events venue. It’s most famous for The Valley Market on the Č´UVW 6DWXUGD\ RI WKH PRQWK ȆZKLFK SXOOV LQ D GLYHUVH FURZG DQG a lot of feet to an area that was previously quiet’. (The R10 entry fee goes to charity.) ‘South End was once a cosmopolitan community. All races, religions and cultures were united here, but with the Group Areas Act in 1950 it was destroyed. Now it’s rising again. There is also Food Truck Fridays (every second Friday), where all things locally crafted get sold – food, clothing, hair products – plus local bands play. Why do I love PE? For the friendly people, the beaches and that the place bears Nelson Mandela’s name.’ 1 Valley Road, 079-444-5666

‘At the harbour there is Shisa Restaurant – a cool hang-out for drinks and when I am craving African cuisine. I love the ulusu (tripe) and dumplings.’ 2Î? 6WUDQG 6WUHHW

GETAWAY READERS’ COMPETITION

WIN

a six-night self-drive holiday to Namibia’s wild wonderlands

Will you be the one to take your family on a nature escape they’ll remember for the rest of their lives? Win this prize and four of you will spend six nights between three of Namibia Wildlife Resorts’ top destinations: Naukluft Camp, Halali Resort and Popa Falls Resort. At each, you’ll have a unique wildlife encounter, experience outstanding hospitality, and make memories you’ll never forget.

WORTH R43 600

PRIZE INCLUDES: • two nights for a family of four in D ULYHU FDELQ DW 3RSD )DOOV 5HVRUW on the banks of the Okavango 5LYHU LQFOXGLQJ EUHDNIDVW DQG a boat cruise; • two nights for a family of four in a bush chalet among the mopane WUHHV DW +DODOL 5HVRUW LQ (WRVKD National Park, including breakfast and a game drive; • two nights for a family of four in a family chalet at Naukluft Camp in the Namib-Naukluft National park, including breakfast and a hike on the Olive Trail.

PRIZE EXCLUDES:

For more information on great accommodation in Namibia, contact Namibia Wildlife Resorts. 021-422-3761, reservations@nwr.com.na, nwr.com.na

• transport to Namibia; • transfers between parks; • park entrance fees; • all lunches and dinners; • all drinks; • personal expenses; • any expenses not mentioned above.

HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win this six-night family holiday compliments of Namibia Wildlife Resorts, simply SMS the keywords Namibia Wildlife Resorts, followed by your name, surname, email address and region to 32697 or enter online at getaway.co.za/competition. TERMS AND CONDITIONS This competition ends on 31 December 2017. The winner will be drawn on 15 January 2018. The voucher is redeemable and valid for one year from date of issue only. The voucher is non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash. Bookings are subject to availability. Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis. Activities not mentioned above, as well DV SDUN HQWUDQFH IHHV DUH QRW LQFOXGHG 7KH MXGJHV GHFLVLRQ LV È´QDO DQG QR IXUWKHU FRUUHVSRQGHQFH ZLOO EH HQWHUHG LQWR )XUWKHU WHUPV DQG FRQGLWLRQV DSSO\ 6HH UXOHV DW getaway.co.za/competition.

20 DECEMBER 2017

ESCAPE CALENDAR

A new music festival

Supplied

4 X 4

Relay beach run

The Black Cat Bones will also play the Knysna Blues Festival, which has been extended to a second day in Plett. Tickets R250 pp a day. 16 - 17 December. bluesfestival.co.za

It started out as a challenge between DWKOHWLFV FOXE EXGGLHV Č´YH \HDUV DJR WR UXQ IURP -HÎ?UH\V %D\ WR 3( DORQJ WKH beach. It’s grown into the Dolphin Challenge DQG QRZ DOORZV UHOD\ WHDPV of two or three to share the 36km distance. Walkers and mountain bikers DUH ZHOFRPH WRR 7KH URXWH FRYHUV ZLOGHU UHPRWH SDUWV RI WKH FRDVWOLQH UDUHO\ VHHQ and includes a swim crossing of the *DPWRRV 5LYHU RU WKH RSWLRQ RI taking a boat for a 10-minute WLPH SHQDOW\ 7KH UHFRUG IRU WKH GLVWDQFH VHW E\ 0]XNLVL .ODDV ODVW \HDU LV KU 7KH HYHQW VXSSRUWV WKH $OJRD %D\ +RSH 6SRW and is a #RunClean OLWWHU IUHH HYHQW DQ\RQH ZKR GRHV OLWWHU LV DXWRPDWLFDOO\ GLVTXDOLČ´HG Entry R175 for individuals, R225 for relay teams. 17 December. dolphinchallenge.co.za

Soweto party

Beer on tap

(DFK \HDU WKH UHVLGHQWV RI D VWUHHW LQ 2UODQGR :HVW 6RZHWR RSHQ WKHLU KRPHV WR KRVW IRRG WUDGHUV PXVLFLDQV IDVKLRQ GHVLJQHUV DUWLVWV FUDIWHUV DQG WKH OLNH Č‚ DOO ORFDO EUDQGV Č‚ IRU WKH Makhelwane Festival LW PHDQV ȆQHLJKERXUKRRGȇ ([SHFW D YLEH\ IHVWLYH DWPRVSKHUH 7KHUH DUH DOVR GDQFH OHVVRQV \RJD VHVVLRQV FRRNLQJ GHPRV DQG 0RUDUD :LQH (PSRULXPȇV SRS XS SOXV QHZ WKLV \HDU LV OLYH FRFNWDLO PL[RORJ\ DQG D VWUHHW GLQQHU FDWHUHG E\ WZR FKHIV 6RZHWRȇV FXVWRP ELNH EXLOGHUV RÎ?HU VRFLDO ULGHV WKURXJK WKH VWUHHWV 6RZHWR 2XWGRRU $GYHQWXUHV ZLOO EH RQ KDQG DQG \RX FDQ FDPS DW /HERȇV %DFNSDFNHUV ZKHUH WKH ZHHNHQG SDUW\ VWDUWV with a night market. 7LFNHWV 5 SS D GD\ 5 SS IRU WKH ZHHNHQG 'HFHPEHU makhelwanefestival.co.za

'HFHPEHU NLFNV RÎ? ZLWK QRW RQH EXW WKUHH EHHU IHVWLYDOV BeerdCon LQ 3UHWRULD WKH Č´UVW RI LWV NLQG FHOHEUDWHV WKH ȆFUDIW FXOWXUHȇ LQ 6$ Č‚ DSDUW IURP EHHUV H[SHFW EHDUG RLOV JURRPLQJ SURGXFWV VWUHHW IRRG VXFK DV JRXUPHW EXUJHUV E\ 7KH )LOWK\ 0RXVWDFKH DQG 7KH %HDUGHG )HOODȇV SL]]DV PXVLF WDWWRRLVWV DQG PRUH 2Q WKH :HVW &RDVW the Darling Summer Beer Festival RÎ?HUV VWDQG XS FRPHG\ OLYH PXVLF D YLQ\O '- DQG IRRG WUXFNV ZKLOH the Cape Town Festival of Beer Č‚ ZKLFK LWȇV FODLPHG KDV WKH ELJJHVW FKRLFH RI EHHUV RI DQ\ IHVW LQ 6$ Č‚ will also embrace the emerging craft cider trend. BeerdCon, 'HFHPEHU IURP 5 É‹SS Darling Summer Beer Festival, 'HFHPEHU IURP 5 SS &DSH Town Festival of Beer, 1 – 3 December, IURP 5 SS webtickets.co.za

7KLV \HDU LQVWHDG RI JXQQLQJ LW WR \RXU KROLGD\ GHVWLQDWLRQ WDNH D EUHDN DW WKH inaugural Rocking the Karoo near %DUU\GDOH PLGZD\ EHWZHHQ &DSH 7RZQ DQG WKH *DUGHQ 5RXWH RQ 5RXWH 7KHUH ZLOO EH EDQGV SOD\LQJ RYHU WKUHH GD\V LQFOXGLQJ 7KH %ODFN &DW %RQHV $NNHGLV ULJKW 3HEEOHPDQ DQG 7KH *ULIWHUV 7KH YHQXH WKH UHFHQWO\ UHYDPSHG .DURR 6DORRQ 5 5RFN 5RDGKRXVH is on a 53-hectare farm that ERUGHUV 6DQERQD *DPH 5HVHUYH $SDUW IURP JUHDW PXVLF RQ DQ RXWGRRU VWDJH WKHUHȇV EUDDL DQG EDU IDFLOLWLHV D VZLPPLQJ SRRO KLNLQJ WUDLOV DQG WKH 6DORRQȇV OHJHQGDU\ IRRG ELNHUV KDYH EHHQ VWRSSLQJ KHUH IRU \HDUV IRU WKH EDFRQ DQG HJJ UROOV 5 SS GD\ SDVV 5 SS ZHHNHQG FDPSLQJ VLWHV 15 – 17 December. webtickets.co.za

This month’s most travel-worthy events

Spier wine estate's new outdoor entertainment this summer is Comedy in the Vines. R170 pp. spier.co.za getaway.co.za 21

ESCAPE BITES

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Here comes the

RUM ‘Why does South Africa, historically one of the top sugar-producing nations, not have a single shred of rum culture to boast of?’ This was the question in James Copeland’s mind after visiting a Mauritian rum distillery. He’s not the only one – most of our new batch of rum-makers ORRNHG DW RXU UROOLQJ VXJDU FDQH Č´HOGV DQG VDLG ‘Why not?’ There are now at least 10 local craft rum brands to try. Rum can be made in two ways: with freshly crushed sugar-cane juice (the Caribbean style, known as ‘rhum agricole’) or with molasses. Greg Hill, a farmer near Gingindlovu, wanted to be ‘more creative than selling sugar cane to the mill’. His single-estate Tapanga Rum (everything LV GRQH RQ VLWH ZDV WKH Č´UVW ȆUKXP DJULFROHȇ LQ SA, followed by Mpumalanga’s Mhoba Rum, made in the Crocodile River Valley. Andrew Rall of Durban’s Distillery 031 produces a Brazilianstyle cachaça (also made with fresh cane juice). James, of Deep South Distillery in Kommetjie, which has just opened its doors (in November), had ‘the idea that rum could have terroir’ and

r. Not only for cocktails looked into getting fresh cane juice down to the Cape without it spoiling. In the end, he had to go with molasses, but he’s seen ‘the magic potential of what can be unlocked from its deep dark GHSWKV 6XFK Č´QH QREOH ČľDYRXUV IURP ZKDW LV essentially a by-product of the sugar industry!’ The second level of rum-making comes with ageing it in barrels or adding additional taste SURČ´OHV Ȇ$JHG UXP LV LQVSLULQJ PL[RORJLVWV WR FUHDWH FRFNWDLOV WKDW DUH PRUH ELWWHU ZLWK FRÎ?HH and savoury tastes,’ says Lorna Scott of Inverroche Distillery in Stilbaai, which releases É‹ ERWWOHV RI LWV VHYHQ \HDU ROG UXP MXVW twice a year (next batch: ready this month!). Rhino Rum, launched earlier this year, is made E\ (XJHQH &RHUW]HQ DW 3RUW (OL]DEHWKȇV Č´UVW FUDIW distillery, Brickmakers, using his grandfather’s old still. This month he’s launching a spiced rum. ‘South Africans have not truly experienced rum yet,’ he says. ‘It’s not just for sailors any more!’ This spirit goes into some of the best cocktails, but our craft distillers say the way to enjoy a good rum is neat or with a dash of lime or ginger ale.

LOOK OUT FOR THESE RUMS • 7DSDQJD’s limited-edition ‘smokier, woodier’ dark rum. • ΖQYHUURFKH’s rare 10-yearold rum in early 2018. • &RSHODQG 5XP (white) – the newest local craft rum and already an award-winner.

Also a spiced rum coming soon, based on fynbos. • 7LPH $QFKRU 'LVWLOOHU\’s cocoa and vanilla rums, plus an aged rum next winter. • =XOX 5XP Ȃ RQH RI WKH ȴUVW SA craft rums and regular

international award winner. • 0KRED’s new Select range. • 'XUEDQYLOOH 'LVWLOOHU\’s new dark and spiced versions. • 'LVWLOOHU\ ’s spiced rum and long-awaited golden aged rum in 2018.

As a child, my dad would always give me something to eat that I thought I wouldn’t like, such as mussels, oysters or a bleu steak; once I tried it, I was hooked! The best meal I’ve ever had on holiday was in Bangkok. I was roaming the food stalls and I could smell something amazing. I had no idea what it was but ordered it anyway – it was a bowl of tom yum goong, a hot and sour soup with shrimp. Ζ VSHFLČ´FDOO\ WUDYHO WR &DSH 7RZQ when new menus are in place, whether it be at The Test Kitchen, Greenhouse or La Colombe. It’s good to see the new trends and you always leave the establishments in awe. Ζ UHFHQWO\ GLVFRYHUHG the Mojo Market in Sea Point. The food stalls there are amazing. I had low expectations of the market but was completely blown away. Ζ ORYH )UDQVFKKRHN – the town, the people, the vineyards and the food. The best thing to do is jump on the Wine Tram, which takes you to all the best the area KDV WR RÎ?HU DQG WKHQ HQG WKH day with a couple of cold ones at Tuk Tuk Microbrewery. %HLUD LQ 0R]DPELTXH is my favourite place in Africa. %HVW IUHVK Č´VK HYHU 2XU GD\V revolved around fresh produce and what we were going to do with it – one day we had clam chowder to start and braaied prawns for mains. It was epic. Farrel is the chef at View, the KRWHOȇV ČľDJVKLS UHVWDXUDQW DQG WKH PDQ EHKLQG 3UHYLHZ LWV QHZ EDU LQVSLUHG FDVXDO GLQLQJ H[SHULHQFH

the chenin-bration braai in bot river on 17 december includes sunday roast and desserts. R350 pp. gabrielskloof.co.za 22 DECEMBER 2017

Claire Gunn, supplied

Farrel Hirsch of The Westcliff, Joburg

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‌a two-night stay for two at Tintswalo Safari Lodge Enjoy a luxurious safari adventure in the pristine Manyeleti Game Reserve, which shares unfenced boundaries with the Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand and Timbavati game reserves. The sanctuary provides excellent game-viewing opportunities with an DEXQGDQFH RI JDPH PDPPDO VSHFLHV 7LQWVZDOR RÎ?HUV D WUXH bush experience: you’ll see the Big Five, and perhaps even wild dogs and cheetahs, on daily game drives, and can enjoy other activities such as stargazing, birding, photographic safaris and spa pampering. The lodge has just eight suites authentically designed to capture the luxury of a classic safari lodge. Inspired by the adventures of 19th century explorers, each beautifully decorated suite also boasts D GHFN ZRRG EXUQLQJ Č´UHSODFH DQG D SULYDWH SOXQJH SRRO ZLWK PDJQLČ´FHQW YLHZV RI WKH ZLOGHUQHVV ΖQ DGGLWLRQ WKH IXOO\ FDWHUHG exclusive-use Tintswalo Manor House accommodates up to 10 guests, making it a wonderful option for families or friends interested in a tailor-made experience. Here you can simply unwind, relax and focus on the important things in life. tintswalo.com/safari, 011-300-8888

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For your chance to win, enter our 24 Days of Prizes competition and stand a chance of winning this grand prize. Enter online at getaway.co.za/competition.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS 7KH FRPSHWLWLRQ FORVHV RQ 'HFHPEHU DQG WKH ZLQQHU ZLOO EH GUDZQ RQ -DQXDU\ 7KH MXGJHVȇ GHFLVLRQ LV ȴQDO DQG QR FRUUHVSRQGHQFH ZLOO EH HQWHUHG LQWR This prize is valid from 16 February to 30 November 2018, subject to availability and excluding public holidays or SA school holidays. Transport/transfers to and from the lodge are not included. The prize is not transferable and cannot be converted to cash. The prize includes two safari activities per day, two 15-minute back-and-shoulder massages, laundry and Wi-Fi. Reserve entrance fees, premium alcohol brands, gratuities and personal expenses are for the winner’s account. Other terms and conditions apply.

ESCAPE GEAR

Be the life and sole of summer These new vellies will add a dash of colour to your walking shoe collection, plus they’ll last. MELANIE VAN ZYL tested them out

24 DECEMBER 2017

and my favourite!), The Farmer (grey), The Bloem (orange, pictured above), The Uhambo (pink), The Pinotage (red), and Lowveld (green). The shoes have strong stitching, thick suede uppers and quality woven laces that fasten well (they didn’t come undone once). Surprisingly, they are slim for a unisex shoe, although I did have to order one size smaller than my regular shoe size. The reinforced heel has

good support and the rubber soles are soft and provide good cushioning (although nothing compared to today’s fancy high-tech hiking boots) without EHLQJ WRR ȾRSS\ 6WLOO WKH\ȇUH perfect for undemanding walks RQ ȾDWWHU WHUUDLQ HDV\ VWUROOV LQ the bush, and for driving in on long summer road trips. R790, veldskoen.shoes

Find more great new items in our year-end Gear Guide on page 97.

Sadiqah Assur-Ismail

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny the iconic veldskoen is a durable, straight-out-of-thebox-comfy piece of footwear. ΖȇP Č´UPO\ LQ WKH ORYH FDWHJRU\ and now even more so with this new range from Veldskoen Shoes. It takes the typical, unexciting, brown design (still great for bushwhacking as it doesn’t show up the dirt) and adds style and soul with colourful soles and laces. They come in seven South Africantthemed colours: J-Bay (blue), The Vilakazi (sunshine yellow, T

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ESCAPE INSIDE GETAWAY

Tyson Jopson

Some day my prints will come

7HDJDQ &XQQLÎ?H 7\VRQ -RSVRQ

Ever dreamed of being the one to make a ground-breaking discovery? ΖQ WKLV FDYH KRXVH LQ /HVRWKR Ζ WKRXJKW ΖȇG Č´QDOO\ JRWWHQ P\ FKDQFH Some months ago a group of researchers sauntering down an informal road outside of Maseru stumbled upon the footprint of a two-storey-high dinosaur. It’s rather a big deal. A megatheropodic deal, if you will. See, until recently it was believed the dinosaurs that roamed this region had been comparatively puny. Take the much-lauded Lesothosaurus, for example. It was knee-height and ate flowers. Hardly a picture of Jurassic ferocity. In fact, I reckon my neighbour’s cat could defeat it in a one-on-one. Mittens is vicious. Isn’t it interesting how such monumental discoveries, the kind that change what we know about entire eras, can sometimes sommer just be stumbled upon on a dirt road somewhere? That thought occurred to me as I was staring at the ceiling of an orange-brick house built into a cave south of Lesotho’s magnificent Blue Mountains. Outside, it was dry and dusty and the sun was beating the hills into frightful shades of beige. But inside, the house was cool and dim and not all that far from cosy. On its ceiling was the subject of my rapt attention: the unmistakeable footprint of a dinosaur. ‘What the...’ ‘Reverend David Ellenberger, a young Swiss printer-turned-missionary, built this house in 1866 after noticing a rock located on the premises of some huts that were generously given to him and his family by Chief Moorosi,’ said Phakisi Kori. He is the custodian of this cave house, and its tour guide. ‘You’ll notice the ceiling is very low,’ he continued, ‘but Ellenberger and his family of 12 lived here comfortably for much of their lives.’ For a moment I considered the dozen hunching Ellenbergers and their poor crooked spines. Then Phakisi continued to talk about them and I grew agitated. Surely this man has begun the history lesson a number of million years too late? When is he going to talk about the footprint on the ceiling? Phakisi carried on. We were now somewhere around 1875, expounding on the region’s turbulent history and, as tends to happen when one is being expounded to about turbulent history, my mind began to wander. What if he’s never noticed it before? What if, with all the hunching that’s been going on here, nobody has bothered to look up? What if I am the first? I could rewrite history! Here, above me, is evidence that some dinosaurs walked upside down. Phakisi was well into the 1900s, clearly ignoring the dinosaur in the room. I wasn’t listening. I was developing theories. Some were relatively cogent.

Could this have been a pterodactyl, hanging upside down like a bat? No, its claws were not clenched, and the rock was too flat to achieve significant purchase. Some theories were a little wilder (there is no wrong direction in the pursuit of truth): could the Ellenbergers have had one for a pet? Perhaps the reverend, to cure boredom, would hold it upside-down and march it along the ceiling like Homer Simpson, chanting, ‘Spider Dino, Spider Dino, does whatever a...’ No, that’s ridiculous. Everyone knows that dinosaurs don’t like to be held. I realised I might be a little underqualified for this sort of speculation. So I abandoned the pursuit of knowledge and began the pursuit of fame. There will be a dinosaur named after me! The Jopsonosaurus. No, I am too humble to impose my name on the annals of palaeontology. I shall call it the invertosaurus and the species will take its proud place in the dictionary beside invertebrates. They’ve been in the limelight far too long. Brates shmates. Anyone can invert a brate! Inverting a saurus, now that’s something. I was about to unveil my discovery when Phakisi pointed at the ceiling. ‘And this,’ he said, ‘is the footprint of a typical dinosaur found in this region, discovered after the cave was excavated. But it’s unique because the print is of the bottom of its foot. This happens when a layer of muddy sediment is trodden on and then filled with earth, which hardens and sets. When the soft layers beneath it erode, or are excavated, you get a perfect negative of its foot. It’s easy to notice because instead of being indented, the print is sticking out.’ ‘Ohhh...’ ‘Unique, don’t you think?’ he said. ‘Yes, yes, very unique’, I mused. ‘I noticed that right away.’

getaway.co.za 27

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERT TIPS TO CREATING BETTER PICTURES

MASTERCLASS

HOW TO TAKE BETTER HOLIDAY Capture those magical holiday moments with these tips from Getaway’s TEAGAN CUNNIFFE using photographer Bruce Geils’ image of his daughter

Bruce says… We moved to Swellendam in 2004 so that we could start a family and raise our children close to nature. We have two daughters now, and I’m always looking to capture their childhood naturally. We were walking in Marloth Nature Reserve when my eldest hopped across this little stream and lay down on the perfect mossy rocks, with the sun on the other side. I stayed put to fit the whole dreamy scene into the composition. For me, storytelling and waiting for the right moment are crucial. Find the best place to stand that will allow you to tell the story. facebook.com/flyinghorsephoto Equipment Settings Fujifilm X-T10, XF 18-55 f/2.8mm, f/4, ISO 640, 1/100 sec BRUCE’S TIP

Point out cool spots to your children, but let them be natural. You’ll lose the magic if you force a shot.

28 DECEMBER 2017

Take it yourself Posed group shots have their SODFH EXW FDQGLG SHUVRQDOLW\ ȴOOHG moments are more interesting. Here’s how to capture your own

Check out Bruce’s inspiring Instagr am SDJH #Ⱦ\LQJKR UVHSKRWR

EQUIPMENT DSLR Use a wide-angle lens (35mm and wider) to include environmental context. Compact A rugged, splashproof compact camera is my pick. It’s the perfect compromise between weight and quality, can be used by HYHU\RQH DQG Č´WV HDVLO\ LQWR D GD\SDFN Smartphone Protect your device with a shockproof casing and tempered glass screen before you head out. SETTINGS Play with aperture size – a narrow aperture (f/8 and smaller) will keep everything in focus, while a shallow aperture (f/4 and wider) will create ethereal bokeh (explained overleaf in Ȇ.QRZ \RXU 6WXÎ?ȇ $YRLG FDPHUD VKDNH ZLWK a fast shutter speed (1/200 sec and faster) and use spot-metering to expose perfectly for faces. PRACTICAL Capture your kids or friends engaged in an activity such as reading a book, scampering over rocks or sleeping in a hammock. They will be at their most natural and least aware of the camera. Give environmental context by keeping \RXU VXEMHFW OHVV WKDQ D Č´IWK RI WKH VL]H RI \RXU IUDPH 7KLV ZLOO EHWWHU VKRZ RÎ? WKH area around it. Make it personal by including the things that your family love and want to remember in years to come. Bring on the dogs! Capture interactions with parents, friends or loved ones by anticipating genuine moments of connection. Take advantage of the early morning light Č‚ LWȇV VRIWHU DQG PRUH ČľDWWHULQJ IRU \RXU SLFWXUHV )DLOLQJ WKDW Č´QG VKDGHG DUHDV OLNH Bruce has in this image. STARTER TIP Break the ice by letting your friends or family shoot, too. Bonus: you’ll be in some of the frames as well. AMATEUR TIP Keep enough space between your subject and the edge of the frame by placing them on an intersecting line of thirds. <RX GRQȇW ZDQW ȆFXW RÎ?ȇ OLPEV DQG OHJV disappearing out the frame. PRO TIP If you’re taking pictures of children, shoot from their perspective to show how they view the world from their own height.

PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS

led sunlight Shoot towards dapp J WKURXJK WKH VXFK DV OLJKW Č´OWHULQ maximise bokeh leaves of a tree) to

NARROW APERTURE

WIDE APERTURE

Know your stuff What is bokeh, how can one use it and, most importantly, how is it pronounced?

Things to note

Entries for the next Wildlife Photographer of the Year :3< close on 14 December. Enter now to join the ranks of South African photographers who have won in the past. nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy

30 DECEMBER 2017

to the atmosphere of an image. Prime lenses, portrait lenses (such as a 90mm f/2.8) and telephoto lenses produce good bokeh. Bad bokeh &LUFOHV RI OLJKW DSSHDU MDJJHG DQG LUUHJXODU 7KLV HÎ?HFW is caused by an inferior-quality lens. Practical use Bokeh adds depth and feeling to an image, while the shallow focus further separates your subject from the background and better draws the viewer’s eye.

The GoPro Hero6 has been released. This 4K camera has improved dynamic range, records super slow motion (240 fps at 1080p) and has built-in stabilisation that digitally crops and steadies your image. Better yet, it can be paired with the GoPro Karma Quadcopter Drone and GoPro Karma Grip 3-Axis Gimbal for the ultimate ODQG WR DLU SDFNDJH 5 É‹ ormsdirect.co.za

Download free desktop wallpaper from photographer Ross Couper. A new image is released each month on rosscouper.com.

iStockphoto.com, supplied

Bokeh (bow- keh) refers to the quality of the out-of-focus parts in a photograph. It’s a Japanese word that literally translates to ‘blur’ or ‘haziness’. It is achieved by shooting with a wide aperture (f/4 or wider), causing background elements to blur and light to appear as soft circles. The quality of these blurred circles depends on what lens you are using – you can get both good and bad bokeh. Good bokeh Circles of light appear smooth, creamy and soft, adding

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Getaway Gallery Africa’s premier photography competition

FINALIST

What are you doing at my waterhole? The scene developed very quickly at Cubitje Quap waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The secretary bird EHKLQG ČľHZ LQ WR WKLV VSRW RFFXSLHG E\ WKH MXYHQLOH EDWHOHXU HDJOH DQG ZDONHG XS WR LW LQ DQ LQTXLVLWLYH PDQQHU DV LI WR VD\ Ȇ:KDW DUH \RX GRLQJ KHUH"ȇ 7KH EDWHOHXU KDG WKH VDPH WKRXJKW DQG D VWDULQJ ERXW HQVXHG $IWHU D IHZ VHFRQGV WKH secretary bird chased the bateleur out of the waterhole – but QRW EHIRUH Ζ JRW WKH FKDQFH WR Č´UH RÎ? D IHZ SULFHOHVV VKRWV :KDW D ORYHO\ H[SHULHQFH – By Peter McIntyre, Athlone Park Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-400mm f/4, ISO 400, f/8, 1/600 sec

32 DECEMBER 2017

FINALIST

Kumasi Steed I had the privilege of witnessing the funeral of the TXHHQ PRWKHU RI WKH $VDQWH SHRSOH LQ .XPDVL *KDQD %HIRUH WKH IRUPDO FHUHPRQ\ YDULRXV FODQV KHDOHUV YRRGRR OHDGHUV 5DVWDIDULDQ SULHVWV FHOHEV SROLWLFLDQV DQG RWKHU LPSRUWDQW ȴJXUHV ZHUH XVKHUHG LQWR WKH grounds of the royal palace. This priest cleared the URDG LQ IURQW RI KLP JLYLQJ PH WKH FKDQFH WR NQHHO GRZQ LQ WKH PLGGOH RI LW DQG FDSWXUH KLP UDLVLQJ KLV steed towards the black and red bunting that was draped throughout the city for the funeral. – By Jason Daniel Baker, Johannesburg Nikon D90, Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G, ISO 250, f/5, 1/800 sec

PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY

FINALIST

Curious Babbler I have built a small (and very ugly) bird hide on a farm that I frequently visit in southern Limpopo, complete with a waterhole and branches for birds to perch on. I love sitting in it, waiting to see what appears, and one day I got lucky with this arrow-marked babbler. I say ‘lucky’ because they’re normally never interested in the water and I haven’t seen them before or since. – By Colin Thornton, Johannesburg Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec

34 DECEMBER 2017

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We p om me m w a p nd his s er wh w ile le itt ng g i abii s n h S b a am Rese e T le as le m ao h m rul ee wh w e b r lay y n a ran r nch ch. I h te ext es e f t e m rula t ee ee a ain a nst st the h p he h o . /XFNLO\ Ζ D QV QV HQ HQR R OW PH PH th h i a I s n d. – y st G an n n n k I, ano 1 mm L 1 00, / 50 sec e

FINALIST

Church on the Hill I had wanted to take images of star trails over this beautiful, derelict church in Barkly East, but the wind was so strong it kept moving my camera on the tripod. I decided to wait for sunrise – another two hours in the coldest conditions I have experienced in a long time. The morning glow was incredible, and it lit up the side of the church very nicely. It also proved, once again, that nature does not always give you what you want ‌ but sometimes it gives you something even better. Č‚ %\ 5RE +HÎ?HU (DVW /RQGRQ Nikon D610, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4, ISO 50, f/11, 2.5 sec

PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY

FINALIST

Fear I glanced at my watch as I waited next to the waterhole in Tembe Elephant Park, KwaZulu-Natal. It was 6am. The season had been extremely dry and the pools of water had turned to mud. Only small amounts of water could be drunk from the muddy surface. A lioness appeared and lay for hours, watching from a distance. She made two unsuccessful kill attempts, and the third happened nine hours later. At 3pm exactly, the lioness caught up with this nyala. Water spurted out of its mouth in fear as it tried to stay RXW RI UHDFK RI WKRVH GHDGO\ FODZV b – By Dries Fourie, Meyersdal &DQRQ ' &DQRQ PP I / Ζ62b I VHF

36 DECEMBER 2017

FINALIST

Leaf Snatcher We found sub-adult cheetahs resting in the open Ngamo Plains of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Soon the wind came up, causing leaves to blow along the ground. The cheetahs started to try to catch them, SURYLGLQJ XV ZLWK ZRQGHUIXO SKRWR RSSRUWXQLWLHV – By Liz Hart, Bryanston Nikon D4, Nikkor 500mm f/4 with 1.4 x teleconverter, ISO 360, f/5.6, 1/500 sec

getaway.co.za 37

PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY

FINALIST

The Spear It was an overcast morning in Barberspan Bird Sanctuary in North-West. I lay in the mud waiting for this black-winged stilt to come within photographic range while it was hunting for breakfast. Sometimes nature helps out, and in this shot the bird gave a great pose at a lucky angle. – By John Mullineux , Secunda Canon 7D Mark II, Canon 500 f/4L with 1.4 x teleconverter, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400 sec

38 DECEMBER 2017

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WORDS & STYLING BY FOOD EDITOR NIKKI WERNER PHOTOGRAPHS & WINE ADVICE BY BRANDON DE KOCK

Flavour boosters

Minimise kitchen time and max out leisure WLPH ZLWK WKHVH FOHYHU VKRUWFXWV WR ČľDYRXU

Seasoned butters Two options, same method.

CHILLI-CHIVE BUTTER

GARLIC-PARSLEY BUTTER

%HVW ZLWK PLHOLHV Č´VK • 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 small green chilli, minced (remove seeds) • 1 small lemon, zest and juice Č? 7 Č´QHO\ VOLFHG FKLYHV

Best with: steak/rib-eye, bread, mushrooms • 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature • 10 garlic cloves, peeled and minced Č? 7 PLQFHG SDUVOH\ OHDYHV

FOR BOTH BUTTERS: $GG WKH EXWWHU WR D ERZO DQG EHDW LQ WKH ČľDYRXULQJ LQJUHGLHQWV /D\ RQ D SLHFH RI EDNLQJ SDSHU DQG UROO XS WR IRUP D WXEH VKDSH )UHH]H XQWLO UHTXLUHG 'HIURVW DQG VOLFH LQWR GLVFV WR XVH

HOW TO USE 1. Slip into a baguette for homemade garlic bread. 2. Melt on mielies. 3. Top just-off-the-braai ďŹ sh or steaks. 4. Place on large brown mushrooms headed for the grill.

getaway.co.za 41

FOOD FLAVOUR

Slow-roasted Tomatoes 7KLV PHWKRG FRQFHQWUDWHV FRORXU DQG ȾDYRXU LQ ODFNOXVWUH VXSHUPDUNHW WRPDWRHV • 8 – 12 tomatoes, depending on size • extra-virgin olive oil • sea salt • pepper, freshly ground

HOW TO USE 1. Toss through pasta. 2. Top puff-pastry rounds to make mini tomato tarts for canapĂŠs. 3. Dice ďŹ ne and add to a garlic vinaigrette for dressing rocket. 4. Serve alongside fresh buffalo mozzarella as a starter. 5. Add to sandwiches or pizza. 6. Use as a base for roast tomato soup or sauce.

42 DECEMBER 2017

Using a sharp knife, score the bottom of each tomato with a cross. Place in a large bowl and cover with a kettle full of freshly boiled water. Leave for 12 seconds (less ripe tomatoes can take up to 30 seconds), then remove and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Peel the skins WKH\ VKRXOG FRPH RÎ? HDVLO\ VWDUWLQJ DW WKH cross score.

bowl (freeze the juice for making tomato soup or stews).

Place a sieve over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, removing the core and the pulp and seeds. Do this over the sieve to catch the pulp and seeds while any juices drain into the

Remove from the oven and cool.

Toss the tomato quarters with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange them on a foil-lined tray (cut side facing down). Place on the middle rack of the oven and URDVW DW Ĺ?& IRU KRXUV

Transfer to a sterilised airtight jar, cover with a little olive oil and store in the fridge for up to a week.

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Č? H[WUD YLUJLQ ROLYH RLO Peel away the outer skin holding the head of garlic together, but leave the skin on the LQGLYLGXDO FORYHV 6OLFH DERXW FP RÎ? WKH top of the head so the cloves are visible.

their shape – it will take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size (and number) of heads.

Place the head of garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle with oil.

When cool enough to handle but still warm, gently release the garlic cloves from the papery skin, retaining their shape.

Roast on the middle rack of the oven at Ĺ?& XQWLO WKH FORYHV DUH VRIW EXW KROGLQJ

Add to a sterilised airtight jar and cover with olive oil. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Shop Smart 3DFN WKHVH WRR IRU UHDG\ PDGH PDJLF

PRESERVED LEMONS 8VH LQ D TXLFN FKLFNHQ EDNH ZLWK FRQČ´W garlic, chicken thighs, thyme or rosemary and white wine. 2. Lay slivers on top of hummus drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil for mezze. 3. Use in grain salads. 4. Whip up a quick pasta by adding VORZ FRRNHG Č´QHO\ FKRSSHG JDUOLF dried chilli and baby spinach leaves. 0DNH D UHOLVK IRU Č´VK E\ DGGLQJ chives, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and paprika.

3. Use a teaspoonful in recipes that call for a chopped chilli to add even PRUH ČľDYRXU 4. Mix with olive oil to make a marinade for chicken.

CRISPY ONIONS 1. Sprinkle over salads. 2. Add to hotdogs made with frankfurters, sweet pickles, mustard mayo and chopped fresh onions (see August 2017 issue). 3. Substitute as a cheat for caramelised onions in a pilaf or when baking chicken breasts.

HARISSA PASTE 1. Spoon onto schnitzel sandwiches made with fresh white bread and dressed wild rocket. 2. Stir into crème fraÎche for a quick dip.

WHERE TO SHOP Harissa paste and crispy onions are available from Woolworths and preserved lemons can be found at delis and specialist food stores.

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Confit Garlic

HOW TO USE 1. Add to homemade mayonnaise for sweeter, less zesty aioli. 2. Use as a topping on pizzas with roasted red peppers and torn chard. 3. Spread on a fresh baguette and top with sliced goat’s cheese. 4. Turn it into a paste with butter, lemon zest and Parmesan, spread on baguette and grill to make open-faced cheesygarlicky breads. 5. Roast garlic is a great emulsiďŹ er – good for thickening as well as avouring gravy and vinaigrette.

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WHAT WINE? What is the wine equivalent of a ‘foodie WUDYHO KDFNȇ" 7R Č´QG WKH DQVZHU \RXȇOO QHHG WR EDFN DZD\ IURP WKH ZRUOG RI single varieties and head for the shelf PDUNHG ȆEOHQGVȇ 6RPHWLPHV WKH\ DUH VXEWOH OLNH D OLWWOH ELW RI 6HPLOORQ DGGHG WR 6DXYLJQRQ %ODQF WR GLDO GRZQ WKH DFLGLW\ 6RPHWLPHV LWȇV WR DGG D OLWWOH LQWHUHVW DQ H\H GURSSHU RI ČľRUDO VFHQWHG 9LRJQLHU IRU H[DPSOH ZRXOG DGG PRXWKIHHO LQWULJXH DQG FRPSOH[LW\ WR D ERWWOH RI SRQG ZDWHU %XW PRVW RI WKH WLPH EOHQGV DUH VLPSO\ JUHDW DOO URXQGHUV LI -DFTXHV .DOOLV ZHUH D ZLQH KHȇG EH D EOHQG $W ZRUVW WKH\ȇUH D VDIH EHW $W EHVW WKH\ DUH WKH PRVW LPSUHVVLYH ZLQHV ZH SURGXFH LQ WKLV FRXQWU\ Č‚ WKLQN 0HHUOXVW 5XELFRQ DQG VD\ QR PRUH 6R JR RQ PL[ WKLQJV XS D OLWWOH

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THE FINAL CUT PUTTING TRIPADVISOR TO THE TEST, WE RATE THE BEST BEDS

EXPERT REVIEWS BY PIPPA DE BRUYN PHOTOGRAPHS BY TEAGAN CUNNIFFE

30 12 SELECTED

INSPECTED

Simon’s Town STEEPED IN HISTORY AND NAUTICAL VIBES, THIS HARBOUR TOWN OFFERS THE BEST SEASIDE HOLIDAY IN CAPE TOWN, AT A FRACTION OF THE COST COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS HOW TripAdvisor lists accommodation rated by guests, but as much as ZH ORYH SHHU UHYLHZV WKH\ GRQȇW RÎ?HU D FRPSDUDWLYH YRLFH Č‚ VR KRZ GR we know Number 1 is really the best? Pippa de Bruyn, who has reviewed accommodation for 18 years for the likes of Frommer’s and The Telegraph, scours TripAdvisor and other online sites when researching a destination. For Simon’s Town, she created a longlist of 30 to inspect. The following made the cut.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

• An affordable large Victorian beauty (pg 46) • Something grand and glorious (pg 46) • A cute and romantic cottage (pg 47) • A hotel stay in town (pg 47) • Five-star luxury for a steal (pg 48) • Bed and breakfast, with a pool deck (pg 48) • An old-style family beach house (pg 49) • A historic seafront cabin (pg 49) WHAT I FOUND ABOUT ACCOMMODATION HERE

The main house at Fisherman’s Cove.

DON’T MISS THIS • The penguins, but go early before the tourist hordes arrive (entry to Boulders Beach is R75 adults, R40 kids). Or approach from the sea on a guided kayak trip. 082-501-8930 • A boat cruise from Town Pier, around the harbour, to Seal Island (to see great whites breaching) or to Cape Point along the cliffs. • Climbing on board a 1970s submarine, the SAS Assegaai, at the Naval Museum. 021-786-5243 • The Sweetest Thing patisserie shop (021-786-4200) and Salty Sea Dog’s ďŹ sh ’n chips takeaways (021-786-1918). • Heading to Red Hill (on the road to Scarborough) for a meal or Saturday afternoon concert at The Cape Farmhouse (021-780-1246).

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THE FINAL CUT SIMON’S TOWN BEST-VALUE LARGE HOUSE

Fisherman’s Cove TRIPADVISOR LISTED BUT UNRATED :RZ ZKDW D ȴQG ΖWȇV ZRUWK UDLVLQJ D WRDVW RI WKDQNV WR WKH RZQHU WKDW ZH FDQ RFFDVLRQDOO\ FODLP WKLV GRXEOH VWRUH\ 9LFWRULDQ EHDXW\ DV RXU YHU\ RZQ VHDVLGH KRPH )LVKHUPDQȇV &RYH LV EHDXWLIXOO\ PDLQWDLQHG HOHJDQWO\ IXUQLVKHG DQG Ȃ JLYHQ LWV ORFDWLRQ MXVW D IHZ PHWUHV IURP %RXOGHUV %HDFK Ȃ R΍HUV D GHFDGHQFH RI VSDFH 8S WR JXHVWV DUH DFFRPPRGDWHG LQ WKH PDLQ KRXVH DQG VHSDUDWH FRWWDJH RYHUORRNLQJ D JDUGHQ ZLWK SOXQJH SRRO 7KH PDLQ KRXVH LV ZRQGHUIXO ZLWK GRXEOH GRRUV DQG VDVK ZLQGRZV ȴOOHG ZLWK EOXH VHD DQG VN\ DQG D ORQJ VKDGHG YHUDQGD DQG EDOFRQ\ ZLWK XQREVWUXFWHG YLHZV RI WKH SHQJXLQ FRORQ\ 7KH VXEVWDQWLDO WKUHH URRPHG FRWWDJH WR WKH VLGH RI WKH PDLQ KRXVH LV VHOI VXɝFLHQW LQ WHUPV RI IDFLOLWLHV EXW LV RQO\ UHQWHG RXW ZLWK WKH PDLQ KRXVH *LYHQ WKH ORFDWLRQ YLHZV DQG VXSHULRU TXDOLW\ )LVKHUPDQȇV &RYH LV H[WUHPHO\ JRRG YDOXH ROOM TIP 7KH WKUHH EHGURRPV LQ WKH PDLQ KRXVH DUH WKH WRS SLFNV 1RWH WKDW (GHQ &RWWDJH VHH RSSRVLWH SDJH LV ULJKW QH[W GRRU DVVXPLQJ LWȇV DYDLODEOH \RX FRXOG H[WHQG WKH JDWKHULQJ IRU D VSHFLDO RFFDVLRQ COST )URP 5 D QLJKW IRU XS WR HLJKW SHRSOH 5 SS H[WUD 7ZR QLJKW PLQLPXP VWD\ CONTACT bouldersbeachholidays.co.za

BEST LUXURY HOUSE

Rocamar UNLISTED

46 DECEMBER 2017

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MOST ROMANTIC BOLTHOLE

Eden Cottage UNLISTED This dinky little corrugated-iron cottage was apparently shipped out from England in kit form and constructed on site in 1899 – since then it has had only three owners. How lucky we are, then, that Basia Swiel, who purchased it 25 years ago, is prepared to share it! Basia, a botanical artist, has decorated the cottage in appropriate style – very low-key and tasteful, sweetly old-fashioned but ZLWK IXUQLWXUH DQG ȴWWLQJV NHSW LQ SHUIHFW QLFN 7KH kitchen-living-dining area is open plan, with doors onto a little veranda-deck with lovely views of the sea – you’re a stone’s throw from Boulders Beach. The house VOHHSV ȴYH in three bedrooms – the two doubles are en-suite; the single room is ideal for a child who will share one of the bathrooms. This is a great choice for a family but equally ideal as a romantic getaway for two. Note that there is street parking only. Pet-friendly on request. ROOM TIP If Eden Cottage is unavailable, my next top romantic choice is Cottage A at Bosky Dell, which is a few metres down the road (see Worth a Look on page 49). COST From R1 500 a night for four, additional person R200. Minimum two-night stay. CONTACT bouldersbeachholidays.co.za

BEST HOTEL

Aha Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel TRIPADVISOR NO. 1 OF 1 HOTEL If you want to be located on Simon’s Town’s pretty high street, strolling distance from a choice of restaurants and bars yet still have great sea views, then this newly revamped hotel is hands-down a winning choice. It has always enjoyed the best location in the village, on Jubilee Square, and a good scale – just two storeys overlooking the working harbour – but now that it’s been FRPSOHWHO\ RYHUKDXOHG LW RɝFLDOO\ reopened in August), everything is brand new, including the bathrooms, and the decor is in very good taste. It’s a good rate, too – personally, I’d much rather

be overlooking this picturesque harbour than the more populous one in the city, and spend the consequent savings at the brilliant wine shop opposite the hotel. The only irritant is that Wi-Fi costs extra – rare these days, and a pity WR ȴQG VXFK SDUVLPRQ\ KHUH ROOM TIP ΖWȇV GHȴQLWHO\ ZRUWK the extra R150 for a sea-facing room; the ‘mountain-facing’ rooms actually face the street – though what a pretty street this is! COST Doubles from R920 pp sharing B&B. Get a 15% discount by booking directly with the hotel and quoting #Getaway. T&Cs apply. CONTACT aha.co.za/quayside getaway.co.za 47

THE FINAL CUT SIMON’S TOWN BEST-VALUE LUXURY

Residence William French TRIPADVISOR NO. 14 OF 31 B&BS/INNS William Fabre opened his guest house on the hillside in December 2016; 10 months later he had consistently scored 5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and 9.9 on Booking.com. I’m pleased WR FRQȴUP WKDW WKH UDYHV DUH much deserved. William spared QR H[SHQVH LQ ȴWWLQJ DQG furnishing the rooms, yet he’s kept the rate relatively low – for what you get, this is incredible value. Staying here is not just about getting a luxurious room DQG DFFHVV WR DQ LQȴQLW\ SRRO but being hosted in a way that UHDOO\ LV ȴYH VWDU ΖWȇV :LOOLDPȇV home but feels more like a little hotel – there’s always someone on duty (very unusual in a guest KRXVH ZLWK RQO\ ȴYH URRPV dinners are a tour de force

VHUYHG 7KXUVGD\V WR 6XQGD\V and the continental breakfast is the best I’ve had (eggs to order available too, but trust me, you ZRQȇW ERWKHU :LOOLDP LV WKH SHUIHFW KRVW Ȃ ODLG EDFN \HW attentive, gregarious and charming. As he puts it: ‘Running a guest house is not a job. It’s a vocation, a lifestyle and a philosophy.’ This is a man who walks the talk. ROOM TIP I like the new King Room with sundowner perch to enjoy the sea view. The Garden View Queen Room may not have a sea view but it’s gorgeous, has its own courtyard and is the bargain here. COST Doubles from R750 pp sharing B&B. CONTACT williamfrench.co.za

BEST B&B

Watercolours House TRIPADVISOR NO. 6 OF 31 B&BS/INNS 6SOHQGLG YLHZV È´OO HDFK JHQHURXVO\ SURSRUWLRQHG space with light and beauty; waking up in any one of the rooms, you’re tempted to just forego all arrangements for the day. There is a great pool with the same stunning view, and three communal decks shared by just 12 guests (these will not include FKLOGUHQ DV WKH % % GRHV QRW WDNH XQGHU V /RFDWHG in Murdoch Valley, above the road that winds its way WR &DSH 3RLQW WKH KRXVH KDV EHHQ SXUSRVH EXLOW E\ RZQHUV 6KDURQ DQG *DU\ /HLK WR PD[LPLVH YLHZV space and privacy, and is very tastefully furnished. Sharon is a great hostess, leaving guests to enjoy their SHDFH DQG SULYDF\ EXW YHU\ KDQGV RQ VKRXOG \RX require advice or bookings. Together with Residence :LOOLDP )UHQFK :DWHUFRORXUV VHWV WKH EDU IRU È´YH VWDU hospitality in Simon’s Town. ROOM TIP There are only six rooms here; not one GXG ΖI \RX OLNH WKH ȵH[LELOLW\ RI VHOI FDWHULQJ WKHQ book the garden room – it has a kitchenette and dining area, it’s own garden with private seating and sea view, and costs slightly less. COST Doubles from R1 000 pp sharing B&B. CONTACT watercolourshouse.com 48 DECEMBER 2017

BEST-VALUE SEAFRONT COTTAGE

The Milestone TRIPADVISOR LISTED BUT UNRATED

BEST FOR NOSTALGIA

Dunearn TRIPADVISOR LISTED BUT UNRATED 6WHS LQWR WKLV FKDUPLQJ HFOHFWLFDOO\ IXUQLVKHG GRXEOH VWRUH\ FODSERDUG KRXVH DQRWKHU Ζ KDYH ORQJ FRYHWHG DQG \RXȇUH QRW VXUH LI LWȇV RU Ȃ EL]DUUH WR ȴQG :L )L KHUH ΖWȇV D PXFK ORYHG UDPEOLQJ IDPLO\ KRPH WKDW KDV VHHQ YHU\ OLWWOH FKDQJH LQ WKH ODVW \HDUV LW ZDV VKLSSHG RYHU IURP 6ZHGHQ LQ VR LW GHȴQLWHO\ ZRQȇW VXLW WKRVH ZKR SUHIHU PRGHUQ NLWFKHQV DQG EDWKURRPV Ζ ORYHG WKH IDUPKRXVH VW\OH NLWFKHQ ZLWK LWV ZDON LQ SDQWU\ DQG WKH ZD\ LQ ZKLFK LW WUDQVSRUWV \RX WR DQRWKHU HUD 7KH KRXVH LV YHU\ ROG IDVKLRQHG EXW VFUXSXORXVO\ FOHDQ ΖWȇV DOVR YHU\ VHFOXGHG Ȃ VXUURXQGHG E\ D ZLOG JDUGHQ WKDW LV EDVLFDOO\ DQ H[WHQVLRQ RI %RXOGHUV %HDFK ZLWK D JDWH WKDW OHDGV GLUHFWO\ RQWR WKH ERDUGZDON DQG GDVVLHV DQG SHQJXLQV ZKR WUHDW LW DV WKHLU KRPH $OO IRXU EHGURRPV KDYH WKH PRVW SKHQRPHQDO VHD DQG PRXQWDLQ YLHZV IURP WKHLU ZLQGRZV ROOM TIP 7KH ȆQRUWKȇ DQG ȆVRXWKȇ EHGURRPV ERWK KDYH TXHHQ EHGV DQG WKH YHU\ EHVW YLHZV $GGLWLRQDO SXOO RXW PDWWUHVVHV FDQ EH PDGH DYDLODEOH IRU H[WUD FKLOGUHQ COST )URP 5 D QLJKW VOHHSV QLQH SOXV WZR FKLOGUHQ CONTACT dunearnonbouldersbeach.com

WORTH A LOOK Bosky Dell A rambling property just above Boulders Beach, its 1850s coach house and stables are converted into ȴYH VHOI FDWHULQJ FRWWDJHV %DVLF EXW FRPI\ LWȇV ZHOO PDQDJHG DQG LQ D JRRG ORFDWLRQ ΖGHDO LI \RXȇUH KDYLQJ D JURXS JDWKHULQJ WKHUH LV VSDFH IRU XS WR LI \RXȇUH MXVW WZR RU IRXU ΖȇG RSW IRU $ &RWWDJH DQG 7KH 6WDEOHV )URP 5 SS IRXU WR VL[ 5 SS WZR RU WKUHH

PDLQ KRXVH IURP 5 boskyonbouldersbeach.co.za Whale Song Very classy EHDFK FKLF 6DORPH *XQWHU LQWHULRUV ODUJH LQGLJHQRXV JDUGHQ ZLWK DURXQG UHVLGHQW SHQJXLQV ORFDWHG PHWUHV IURP %RXOGHUV 7KH KRXVH DQG FRWWDJH VKDUH ZRQGHUIXO OLYLQJ VSDFHV a games room and classic YHUDQGD )URP 5 VOHHSV HLJKW

:KDW MR\ WR ZDNH XS LQ WKLV V WLPEHU FRWWDJH DQG VWHS RQWR D ODZQ WKDW FX΍V ERXOGHUV dropping directly to the ocean, RU VLW RXWVLGH DQG ZDWFK WKH OLJKWV ȵLFNHU RQ DFURVV )DOVH %D\ <RXȇUH ȴYH PLQXWHVȇ GULYH IURP WKH FHQWUH RI 6LPRQȇV 7RZQ EXW RQFH \RXȇYH VWHSSHG through the garden gate, the tranquillity and seclusion is UHPDUNDEOH ΖWȇV FORVH HQRXJK WR WKH QDWXUH UHVHUYH WKDW \RXȇUH OLNHO\ WR HQFRXQWHU VRPH NLQG RI ZLOGOLIH RQ WHUUD ȴUPD JHQHWV PRQJRRVHV RU Ȃ LI \RXȇUH YHU\ OXFN\ Ȃ SRUFXSLQHV DQG FDUDFDO LQ WKH ZDWHU RWWHUV SHQJXLQV GROSKLQV DQG VHDOV 7KH FRWWDJH LV YHU\ FXWH VLPSO\ IXUQLVKHG DQG ZHOO HTXLSSHG WKH NLWFKHQ ORRNV EUDQG QHZ ZLWK D ZRQGHUIXO SURWHFWHG EUDDL DUHD

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getaway.co.za 49

R AD TRIP SOUTHERN AFRICAN ROUTES WORTH TAKING

Get your head in a ra ra ou e t o bu y for yo Try the B rberton n ge geol olog og e on Mpumalang a nga’s hi t roa s. MELAN E AN ZYL e plo ore red d itss im es it esssive e hei hts t

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recently took a disappointing trip to the Panorama Route. I had visions of frolicking in waterfalls, eating pancakes and soaking up tranquil vistas. In reality, I was jammed in among hordes of people who arrived in busloads for the public holiday and long weekend. Sure, it was beautiful, but I wanted something less, um, Instagrammed. And I found just that, south of the N4 – during school holidays, nogal. I planned a drive from Joburg to the Barberton Makhonjwa

Geotrail, a winding mountain route through some of the oldest mountains in the world to the Swaziland border. I threw in a couple more mountain passes for good measure and ended up with my own ‘panorama route’. )ROORZLQJ WKH 1 WKH Č´UVW sweeping mountain pass I found was Schoemanskloof, D ZHOO WDUUHG URDG ČľDQNHG E\ thornveld. After a hearty lunch at Milly’s restaurant, before the Machado Toll Plaza, I meandered my way towards Schoemanskloof Falls Retreat, where I had booked into the

Mountain Pondokkie. Most of the farms in the area are planted with citrus (and patrolled by mighty big baboons), but Schoemanskloof )DOOV 5HWUHDW Č‚ D ZRUNLQJ Č´VK farm – has preserved swathes RI ZLOG EXVK $W Č´UVW JODQFH WKH farm equipment and scraps lying about did little to justify the drive, but after climbing up a rugged road (you need a high-clearance car, but the RZQHUV DUH KDSS\ WR RÎ?HU a lift if needed), the secluded cottage was a dream. Previously an inn, the stone farmhouse was the perfect

Wild horses roam the gardens of Kaapsehoop. OPPOSITE 6XQVHW DW P\ ȴUVW stop on the Barberton Geotrail. Local runners tackle the steep incline at this time so it’s a great chance to meet the townsfolk.

getaway.co.za 51

ROAD TRIP BARBERTON

way to ease into a holiday. No Wi-Fi or TV was needed Č‚ MXVW D URDULQJ Č´UH DQG JRRG company. Evening brought sublime colours to the valley and baboon barks echoed down the slopes. In the morning I headed towards Barberton and the geology-focused drive that wends its way to the Bulembu Border Post. I wanted to

52 DECEMBER 2017

FROM LEFT Mountain Pondokkie is a relatively easy 20-minute walk from a waterfall where you can swim; Enos Zulu tells me about the strange stones at Adam’s Calendar. BELOW Painted stones outside the entrance to Barberton honouring local artist Nukain Mabuza.

include as many mountains as I could and chose to stay on the N4 to Nelspruit and slip down the appropriately named Hilltop Pass. Even though it was winter and the sweeping grasslands had turned dull, the GULYH RÎ?HUHG ZLGH YLHZV DQG

a sense of serenity. In summer it would be even better. I drove past the entrance to Barberton, which is decorated with painted rocks, and changed gears to tackle the LQFOLQH WR WKH Č´UVW RI VWRSV on the geotrail. Launched in

WKH DLP RI WKH GULYH LV to make the area’s worldfamous geology more accessible to non-geologists. Some of the stops have picnic sites and all have excellent views and information boards. To be honest, many of the

geological terms on the boards went completely over my head, but it was a fantastic way to spend a morning. There’s something about an immense view that puts life’s problems into perspective. The mountains on this drive are 3,2 billion years old and haven’t changed much since they played host to some of (DUWKȇV ȴUVW OLYLQJ WKLQJV Ζ VDZ HYLGHQFH RI WKLV ȴUVW OLIH LQ WKH form of grey-black grains in a piece of rock, believed to be fossilised micro organisms. This alone is worth the trip – even WKRXJK WR PH ȆȴUVW OLIHȇ MXVW looks like a bunch of freckles. The road is tarred for the entire drive on the R40 to Swaziland and twists past pine plantations and embraces wild pockets of indigenous forest releasing trickles of water onto the road. Once at the Bulembu Border 3RVW Ζ WXUQHG DURXQG DQG aimed the car back towards %DUEHUWRQ Ζ QHHGHG D KXQN RI

cake and some tea, and found both at Die Plaaskombuis next to the town’s museum. That DIWHUQRRQ Ζ FUXLVHG WKURXJK Barberton, admiring the neon bougainvillea draped along fences and the old zinc mining cottages, before retiring to

tour guide Enos Zulu and arranged a hike to Adam’s Calendar, South Africa’s own Ȇ6WRQHKHQJHȇ Ζ ZDV DGYLVHG to go on the three-hour walk with an open mind and was blown away by these stones strategically strewn across

‘I saw evidence of this ďŹ rst life, in the form of grey-black grains in a piece of rock’ Bushwhacked, a rustic cottage RQ D NRSSLH MXVW RXWVLGH WRZQ 7KH QH[W GD\ Ζ GURYH VORZO\ into the village of Kaapsehoop, hoping to spot some of the estimated 200 wild horses that roam these parts – even the WDUUHG SDVVHV Ζ ZDV LQ OXFN After a breakfast pancake at .RHN ȇQ 3DQ Ζ PHW XS ZLWK ORFDO

the mountaintop. Enos, a knowledgeable guide and excellent storyteller, told me about the conspiracies surrounding the stones, one of which posits that they have a link to Egypt’s pyramids and the Zimbabwe Ruins. Even if you’re not a history fan, the walk alone – in the Blue

Swallow Reserve – is a good enough reason to go. Although they haven’t been seen lately, these rare swallows commonly breed in the old mine shafts surrounding Kaapsehoop. Enos is also an exceptional bird guide and knows where WR ȴQG VSHFLDO VLJKWLQJV Back in Kaapsehoop, Ζ EURZVHG LWV IHZ VWRUHV devoured a pizza and found the famous feral KRUVHV JUD]LQJ MXVW RXWVLGH the village under a lonely windpump. This dorp is truly quaint and charming and the tin homes are reminiscent of Pilgrim’s Rest, but with a far more authentic feel. ΖW KDV SDQFDNHV DQG KLOO\ passes, peace and quiet, and a good dose of mystery DQG PDMHVWLF VWHHGV :LWK horse tails swinging from side to side like soft pendulums and a pink VXQVHW WR P\VHOI Ζ GHFODUHG my Mpumalanga mountain meander a success.

ROAD TRIP BARBERTON

Joburg to Kaapsehoop

MILLY’S RESTAURANT

DO IT DIFFERENTLY Stay at Kaapsehoop for the entire trip and do the various drives during the day. This town had the best accommodation variety, is close enough to the geotrail and under four hours from Gauteng. This route is also perfect for journeys to and from the southern gates of Kruger National Park. You can also add another mountain pass onto the trip – take the N4 past Middelburg. 10km after the Alzu Petroport, turn right at the R33 sign for Carolina. Take the R38 (Genesis Route) out of Carolina and stop for a break at the top of Nelshoogte Pass.

Day 1: Joburg to Schoemanskloof DISTANCE 300km ALLOW 5 hours From Joburg, drive on the N4 towards Middelburg, stopping for fuel and trout pie at Milly’s restaurant (1). Kids can feed the Č´VK LQ WKH GDP )URP KHUH LWȇV DQ HDV\ KRXUȇV GULYH RQ WKH 1 KLJKZD\ WR \RXU Č´UVW night’s accommodation at Schoemanskloof Falls Retreat. After the Machado Toll Plaza, keep left to drive the Schoemanskloof Pass. %HIRUH WXUQLQJ RÎ? WR \RXU DFFRPPRGDWLRQ 10km later, stop for freshly squeezed orange juice from Kumi Restaurant at the Viva Fuel Station (2). Spend the night at the retreat’s Mountain Pondokkie (3).

HALLS FARM STALL

Day 2: Schoemanskloof to Barberton DISTANCE 170km ALLOW 4 hours Carry on along the N4 towards Nelspruit and take the R104 to stop at Halls Farm Stall (4) for avos and other local produce. Drive through the town of Nelspruit (I always forget how big this city is – it even has an H&M store now – and turn right onto the twisting Hilltop Pass on the R40 towards Barberton. After 45km, pass the town and head towards the Geotrail (5) in the direction of Swaziland. Stop to read the info boards along the way, and once you hit the border, double back to Barberton. The town’s museum is full of mining information and there’s delicious carrot cake next door at Die Plaaskombuis (6). If you want to stay in Barberton, Bushwhacked is a decent budget stay (7).

Day 3: Barberton to Kaapsehoop DISTANCE 50km ALLOW 1 hour )URP %DUEHUWRQ WXUQ RÎ? WKH 5 DIWHU DERXW 11km – a sign points left to Kaapsehoop. It’s a long, bumpy dirt road past plantations to get to there, but scenic enough (alternatively, drive back to Nelspruit and around on the N4). Find great pancakes at Koek ’n Pan (8) and fuel up for the walk to see Adam’s Calendar on the Blue Swallow Reserve (9). The gypsy caravan cafĂŠ (10) is on the outskirts of town and the Bohemian Groove CafĂŠ (11) in town – I didn’t eat at these two spots, but have it on good authority that both are excellent for lunch or dinner. While away the afternoon looking for the feral horses and stay at the lovely self-catering historical home, Lambourns (12). There’s a big kitchen, ORYHO\ OLYLQJ DUHD DQG D ČľRZHU Č´OOHG JDUGHQ 54 DECEMBER 2017

LAMBOURNS

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Swaziland

Directory 1 Milly’s This stop is on the N4 and open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. It closes at 5pm. Try any of the trout specialties such as the smoked trout pie (R74 with chips). 013-256-0718 2 Kumi Farm Stall At the orange Viva Fuel Station, freshly squeezed orange juice from neighbouring farms is sold for R25 per litre. 3 Mountain Pondokkie This old stone cottage, originating from around 1900, KDV D ELJ VWRQH ȴUHSODFH farm kitchen and wrap-around stoep that looks into the garden. There are ruins on the property and guided walks; those from the cottage are best (plus they are further away from the main road). There are also two gorge walks. From R900 for two sharing. 079-885-3509

Note that many stores and restaurants are closed on Tuesdays and Wedne sdays 4 Halls Farm Stall An institution in Nelspruit, +DOOV LV WKH SODFH WR ȴQG local padkos such as creamy macadamia nut butter (R68), mango jam (R40) and avos (R60 for a box). 013-752-2142 5 The Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail It starts at the top of a hill on the R40 just outside of Barberton. The 37km self-drive route takes you more than three billion years into the past. 6 Die Plaaskombuis It’s unassuming from the outside but is set in a delightful nursery and has well-priced toasties, salads and plenty of Banting options. Meals from R30. 076-154-9629 7 Bushwhacked Set on a hill with good views, this accommodation is just outside of the town centre. The openplan, self-catering garden cottage is private and,

although basic, is clean and good value for money. R285 pp for two sharing. 073-691-5646 8 Koek ’n Pan Sweet and savoury pancakes with JHQHURXV Č´OOLQJV DUH VHUYHG here, and you’ll get a blanket to keep you warm when the mist rolls in. Meals from R40. 013-734-4580 9 Adam’s Calendar The series of rocks are believed by some (but this is controversial) to be the oldest man-made structures in the world. It’s also known by African elders as ‘The Birthplace of the Sun’. Do a tour with Enos Zulu to learn more. R285 pp. 084-674-2525 10 Saddle Up Eatery Here, you’ll be served delicious meals from a gypsy caravan

on a fabulous sunset stoep. From R75. You can also go horse riding as it’s on the property of Kaapsehoop Horse Trails. R315 pp for an hour. 079-934-1675 11 Bohemian Groove CafÊ A Sunday lunch hotspot for locals and sometimes there’s live music. Meals from R65. 013-734-4545 12 Lambourns SelfCatering Guest House This beautifully maintained, historical six-bed accommodation belongs in the gold-rush era. $WPRVSKHULF OLJKW ȴOOV WKH rooms and the sprawling rock garden is home to tall aloes, rock dassies and Gurney’s sugarbirds. )URP 5 ɋ IRU IRXU people. 083-417-8398

getaway.co.za 55

TRAVEL PORTFOLIO DISCO DANCER (Alberta, Canada) by Christopher Martin

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There’s serious, very important and very impressive wildlife photography. And then there’s these delights that will make your heart go pop and maybe even elicit a belly laugh COURTESY THE COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

THE LAUGHING DOORMOUSE (Monticelli Brusati, Italy) by Andrea Zampatti

TRAVEL PORTFOLIO

’ ! R E D I W , L I S A B , R ‘WIDE

MUDSKIPPER’S GOT TALENT (Krabi, Thailand) by Daniel Trim

SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE (Yamanouchi, Japan) by Linda Oliver 58 DECEMBER 2017

KUNG-FU TRAINING AUSTRALIAN STYLE (New South Wales, Australia) by Andrey Giljov

ch off an r b o t ed id ec d y l l a in f ver a

HELP! (Ópusztaszer, Hungary) by Tibor Kercz

TRAVEL PORTFOLIO

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SUPERHERO (Gothenburg, Sweden) by Johnny Kääpä

60 DECEMBER 2017

KNOCKOUT! (Suomussalmi, Finland) by Hannele Kaihola

ABOUT THE COMPETITION Paul Joynson-Hicks started this competition in 2015 to raise awareness about conservation issues around the world, using funny rather than sad or distressing images. What goes into taking the perfect funny photo is, he says, the anthropomorphising of wildlife. ‘We love to see animals looking or behaving like us, and of course when they make mistakes, fall over or off something! I think people find it connects them somehow with the wildlife... But spreading the fun about is also cathartic. We have had many emails over the years about how people have been made to feel better by looking at our entrants’ images.’ The winners will be announced on 13 December in London. comedywildlifephoto.com getaway.co.za 61

TRAVEL NAMIBIA

In the NamibRand Reserve, you can sleep under the open sky without a tent obscuring the view.

62 DECEMBER 2017

A BUCKET-LIST EXPERIENCE

The Tok Tokkie Trail is one of Namibia’s most wonderful DQG DÎ?RUGDEOH ZDONLQJ VDIDUL H[SHULHQFHV -XVW \RX ZLGH VDQGV ELJ VNLHV DQG VXSHUE VXQGRZQHUV

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS BY MELANIE VAN ZYL

getaway.co.za 63

TRAVEL NAMIBIA

Richardo Tjiho points out what looks like, to me, lizard tracks. A sprawling, spiralling track that retires to a grass mound. Luckily, my ace desert guide knows better. ‘This is the track of the horned adder’, Richardo says. We must tread carefully. There are just four of us walking through a special section of the Namib Desert. After a few steps, we spot the adder lying low beneath a shrub. It’s exquisite. The reptile’s colouring blends perfectly with the orange dune sand and the dried white desert grasses. The snake is surprisingly smaller than what I’d imagined from pictures I’d seen in books. Its eyes are sharp slits. The Tok Tokkie Trail is a two-night slackpacking, desert-walking safari in the exquisite NamibRand Nature Reserve – one of the largest private reserves in Southern Africa at 215 000 hectares. The reserve came about after 17 former livestock farms were rehabilitated into a single continuous natural habitat. The trail meanders through this captivating desert domain, which is exceptional in its variety – from ochre-orange dunes to crisp black mountain faces. Seeing the adder is just one of the incredible highlights. We also learn about toktokkie beetles, whose white waxy shells help to protect them from the sun. We hear translucent barking geckos 64 DECEMBER 2017

ABOVE We stopped beneath a camel-thorn tree for shade and to learn about the sociable weavers that, living up to their name, build huge communal nests. OPPOSITE +RUQHG DGGHUV KDYH SHUIHFW GHVHUW FDPRXȵDJH

echoing into the sunset and see the delicately webbed burrows of dancing spiders. The desert is not deserted at all. There’s also a very strong environmental aspect to this trail, which gives strength to the notion of ‘leave no trace’ and low-impact ecotourism. The trail begins with a visit to the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET), a non-profit, donor-sponsored organisation that aims to encourage the citizens of Namibia to be environmentally responsible. In essence, it’s a school camp that teaches students how to preserve natural resources and use them sustainably. The camp makes use of very little water (for example, the basins have no taps – only cups, which you need to fill from a central tank of water, which is then used for

brushing teeth or washing hands). This is also where we can clearly witness the responsible lighting policies that give NamibRand its International Dark Sky Reserve status. All lights in the reserve have a cover in order to direct the light downwards and prevent excess light pollution. And, boy, the night skies here are worth preserving. The trail is not difficult, but it can be challenging and requires some fitness. The first few steps I take are hot, despite the trail only beginning at 2pm. My skin stings in the sun and the dune sand is hot and loose, making it more of a chore to stroll over. Richardo leads us to our first camp. The walk is relatively short, less than two hours, but we pant and puff in the hot afternoon. I say ‘we’ but

TRAVEL NAMIBIA

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this excludes Richardo. The trail takes a maximum of eight guests and in peak season he walks these trails back to back with few rest days. We can just spot our camp from afar. The structures are subtle and merge into the desert surrounds. With glee we find cold beers and cool drinks on arrival at the ‘Ostrich Bar’. There are also G&Ts, which I make a beeline for. Once refreshed, we’re shown our desert suites. There’s a basin with an inventive tap (a tin with holes cut into it, so it sprays evenly with just enough pressure to wash your hands), a stretcher and canvas bedroll and metal benches serving as luggage racks. Solar lights and a small stool complete the setup – the stool is to place your shoes on, to prevent them becoming hermit shells for any nocturnal desert critters.

Dinner is a surprising threecourse feast and I can’t believe such culinary prowess exists out here in the desert. We start with a vegetable stack, followed by oryx roulade and cinnamon squash, and end with a caramel-crunch tart. Our Nama chef, Belinda Burtze, describes each plate in her mother tongue (as well as in English), so we can appreciate all the desert sounds. Fed and watered, we turn our gaze to the sky. It’s hard not to feel entirely engulfed by the diamond-studded dome above. Sleeping outside on a stretcher with the heavens as my ceiling is the perfect end to an extraordinary day. On day two I wake to a neon sky and coffee served to me in bed. Mercifully, there’s a bit of cloud cover and it’s a cool morning. Winds in the night have wiped the slate clean and the early

With glee we ďŹ nd cold beers and cool drinks on arrival

66 DECEMBER 2017

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The NamibRand is one of a handful of International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, and the closest to us in South Africa. Needless to say, the stars are incredible.

TRAVEL NAMIBIA

‘What I love most about the trail is that you get to feel the different aspects of the Namib’

ABOVE A lone oryx walks up a vegetated dune. OPPOSITE The ‘Ostrich Bar’ is set up each evening, where drinks are served with lashings of golden light.

light is perfect for spotting the tracks of creatures that crawled about at dawn. This is how we saw the horned adder tracks. After the exciting sighting and with our adrenaline spiked, we start the steady climb up Horseshoe Mountain, resting at the top and soaking up the views. What I love most about the trail is that you get to feel the different aspects of the Namib. From up here, it’s easy to see the purple hills of the luxurious Wolwedans Dune Lodge and to the right the low, sloping red dunes that lead the way to Sossusvlei, steadily growing in stature. 68 DECEMBER 2017

Below us, stones are strewn across the landscape and the vast plains are planted with ‘fairy circles’. No one knows why these circles exist. Why does nothing grow in the centre of these grass patches? Scientists blame gas bubbles, termites and more. Richardo tells us how ground from the centre of the circles has been dug up for growing plants elsewhere – and it spawned growth. But nothing planted into the actual circle ever survives. Studies continue, but I love that there is still some mystery left in Namibia. Some stories belong only to the sand.

Tok Tokkie Trail Farm road

Plan your trip GETTING THERE Tok Tokkie Trails is about 110km south of Sesriem (near the Sossuvlei dunes) and about 500km, or a six-hour drive, from Windhoek. I travelled to Namibia from Johannesburg via Upington as a two-day trip. The easiest route is on the N14 through Ventersdorp, Vryburg DQG .XUXPDQ DQG WKH Č´UVW GD\ takes about eight hours. From Upington, take the N10 to the Ariamsvlei border post. In Namibia take the B3 to Grunau. At the border you will need to pay a R260 road-usage fee. Keep this receipt in a safe place, as you will be asked to present it at any roadblocks.

THE TRAIL The three-day, two-night Tok Tokkie Trail is a real outdoor experience – you sleep under the stars on stretcher beds in a bedroll (tents are provided in unfavourable weather). Bathroom facilities comprise a long-drop toilet, hand basin and bucket shower. Drinking water is available at the lunch spot and overnight camps. You need to arrive by 2pm (1pm if you have booked lunch) for

the start of the trail. Your main luggage will be transported by a backup vehicle to the overnight camps). The SADC UDWH IRU WKH WUDLO LV 5 SS with a maximum of eight people per group. toktokkietrails.com

Night two NaDEET Centre Lunch spot on day two

WHEN TO GO Trails run from 15 February to 30 November. Richardo says the best time to do the trail is in June or July; August can get windy.

NEED TO KNOW The Namib is a surprisingly cool desert because coastal breezes keep temperatures down. Pack warm clothes for the evenings and mornings. Use a very small daypack with a hip belt for the walk. Take a camera, ample sun protection and water. A bladder or simple, lightweight hydration pack might also be useful. Check on the phase of the moon

Tok Tokkie base

Namibia Horseshoe Waterhole (start of trail)

WHAT’S INCLUDED The rate includes all meals, the services of a guide and backup crew, and a transfer WR WKH VWDUWLQJ SRLQW 7HD FRÎ?HH juice, beer, wine and soft drinks are available at the overnight camps, and included in the rate.

Entrance to NamibRand Reserve

Horseshoe Camp (night one)

before you book your dates – the trail is a real treat at new moon when the stars and dark skies are at their best.

STAY HERE NamibRand Family Hideout on the reserve has a self-catering farmhouse (sleeps 10) and two campsites (sleep eight each). 7KH KRXVH FRVWV IURP 5 (bedding is R100 pp extra), the campsite is R150 pp. Park fees 5 SS SHU QLJKW nrfhideout.com Sesriem Campsite is basic EXW YHU\ DÎ?RUGDEOH 3OXV \RX get to visit the Sossusvlei dunes earlier than other visitors as the camp is inside the NamibNaukluft National Park. R220pp. nwrnamibia.com

Namib Desert Lodge is about 60km from Sesriem, so it’s away from the tourist hubbub but still in an amazing desert setting. It’s part of the Gondwana Collection; buy their SADC discount card (R200 pp, which ODVWV ȴYH \HDUV DQG JHW PHDO and accommodation discounts. % % IURP 5 ɋ SS VKDULQJ gondwana-collection.com The Delight Swakopmund is chic, has free Wi-Fi and is centrally located, making it a good base. It’s also part of the Gondwana Collection. % % IURP 5 ɋ SS VKDULQJ gondwana-collection.com

*Prices and conversions correct at time of going to print

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BOOST YOUR

HOLIDAYS 22

We’ve combined our favourite things about summer – from swimming and ice creams to sundowners and outdoor adventures – with places guaranteed to provide this year’s holidays with many memorable moments

TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA

1 JOBURG, CAPE TOWN AND PORT ELIZABETH Not all summer days are outside days. Indoor climbing is the perfect antidote to bad-weather blues, and also just an exciting way to keep active. The bouldering sections (this is where you’ll want to hang out) of the gyms are covered in thick foam mats and the walls are speckled with multicoloured holds that cater for all different levels of climbing, including kids’ sections. Bloc11 in Cape Town from R60 pp, 021-510-2454; City Rock in Joburg from R150 pp, 010-007-2732; Valley Cragg in PE from R60 pp, 082-576-4623.

2 OVERBERG / ELGIN Cape Canopy Tour offers full-moon zipline adventures in summer, starting with a 4x4 drive up the mountain to The Rabbit Hole and an amazing perspective on sunset before flying through the dark on 11 slides (book now for 2 December or 3 February). Alternatively, there’s a R100 discount for our readers on normal midweek tours: R795 pp (use the code ‘Getaway’ when booking online). capecanopytour.co.za

3 DURBAN ‘Everyone is welcome,’ says Wolde Berhane (his name means ‘Son of Light)’. ‘Anyone who wants to learn about what we do, or who wants to visit this cave and see who we are.’ The cave near eNanda resonated with the Rastafarian community: close to nature, and therefore Jah, yet totally hidden from sight. It overlooks the expansive uMzinyathi gorge, where a waterfall cascades over the lip and forms a deep pool, visited as part of the two-hour ‘Rasta Caves’ tour. R220 pp. durbangreencorridor.co.za 72 DECEMBER 2017

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Thanks to the remote setting in the Eastern Cape highlands, Tsitsa Falls has that rare ‘undiscovered’ feeling, even though it’s easily accessible. On a PE– Durban road trip, detour off the N2 to Maclear, then Mt Fletcher; 20 kilometres later, take the turnoff to Tsitsa Falls Backpackers. The gate on the left (it may be closed but it’s not locked) leads to the water. Call Adriaan if you get lost, 073-020-8801.

The Bounce Trampoline Park at the new Cornubia Mall near Umhlanga has SA’s first-ever X-Park, an adventure-challenge course: a combination of obstacles, climbing, jumping and free-running, ending with a zipline. There’s also Supertramp, a massive five-by-fivemetre trampoline (imagine the leaps you can do here). R170 pp for unlimited jump time. bounceinc.co.za

Nina’s Real Food doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s the best kind of small-town surprise and the place to go for gelato in indulgent flavours like Oreo, KinderJoy and Ferrero Rocher. The ‘exotic shakes’ – think coconut, chai or cinnamon – are cool summer treats with a twist, and there are Banting- and diabetes-friendly ice creams too. The food menu is just as imaginative. 042-296-0281

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7 COUNTRYWIDE Secret Sunrise, a growing movement of people of all ages who gather for a wholesome silentdisco session at dawn, combines a guided workout and freestyle dancing to start the day on an upbeat note. Wireless headphones allow you to lose yourself in the same music everyone else is grooving to. Locations change constantly (natural beauty spots or urban landmarks) but there’s always lots of scenic open space to pull your moves. From R90 pp. Sign up at secretsunrise.com.

8 WEST COAST Near Yzerfontein, you’ll come across a welcoming new pitstop called Route 27 Roosterkoek, which specialises in South Africa’s traditional ďŹ re-grilled bread. Have it old-school with cheese and jam, or curry mince, biltong, boerie or even as a burger. The breakfast version comes with scrambled eggs, tomato and sausage. Open daily 9am to 5pm. 072-447-9344

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Lagoon dippers: watch the tides. An incredible 1 000 to 2 000 cubic metres of water flows in or out of the lagoon per second when the tides change, raising and lowering water levels by as much as 1,8 metres at spring tide. During a suitable high tide, clear water laps against inviting steps on the edge of Cearn Drive on Leisure Isle, close to the Eastern Head, forming a secret swim spot. Pop your towel on a nearby bench and step in to splash about. It’s not deep so it’s extremely child friendly. You can also get in at the Green Hole. Low tide? Try Bollards Bay or go explore Steenbok Nature Reserve.

Knowing what lurks below, the ‘FlyOver’ at Croc City (home to Nile crocodiles, alligators and caimans) is extra scary. The four-metre zipline passes over two enclosures and the eight-metre zipline goes over three; the ziplines are up to five metres high. Entry is R80 an adult, R60 a child and R100 pp to zipline. There’s also a guided tour (on land) every 30 minutes. croccity.co.za

9 CAPE TOWN A multi-million-rand revamp of the Planetarium has seen the old star projector replaced with digital tech that delivers ‘immersive multi-sensory edutainment’. Besides a quick chat about the night sky, the show’s main feature is a mini-documentary that wheels around the vast dome. It’s quite a ride. Space shows are staple fare (asteroids! cosmic collisions!), but you can also explore cells and seasons. ‘Everything we did before was an Earth-based experience,’ says manager Theo Ferreira. ‘Now you can travel through our solar system, galaxy and beyond. You can look back at the structure of the universe.’ PS: The new tech (run by Dark Matter software) is being used by researching astronomers to load data sets from telescopes such as the Southern African Large Telescope and ‘fly’ through them. R60 adults, R30 kids. iziko.org.za

12 The Newlands Sp prin ng Market is Cape Town’ss latest fo oodie e KRWVSRW RÎ?HULQ QJ an nythin ng fro om poke bowls and vegan eatss to o Cultu ure e Clu ub ch heese. Newla ands Sp prin ng Brewing Co has a bar there fo or cra aft beers, cocktailss and a ‘ccatch of the e day ’ win ne on tap. The next one is on 17 December at The Oval in New wla ands. Find itt on Facebook. 13 Maren Oppi-Pla aas at Haga-Haga willl have Chriistm mas liights, vissitts by Santa, braais, piccnics and a beer ten nt on weekends, plus markets all th hro ough th he holid days (k kids willl want the glo owsticcks). Fin nd itt on Facebook. 14 Tea in n the Trees in n Cin ntsa a has been re evamped. Lo ook fo orward to markets witth liive music all th hrough Dece ember plu us a night market on th he 9th. There is also a cirrcular forest tra ack (ffre ee to use) for bik kers, ru unners or walke erss. Fin nd itt on Facebook. y 15 A sliice of country bliiss in n Jo oburg, the eco o-frie endly y Fo ourways )D DUP PHUV 0 0DUNHW RÎ?HUV more th han n 100 great sttalls plu us lo ovely y en nvirons (iideal for piccnics)), liv ve music an nd a kid ds’’ play are ea. Petss welcome too. Su undays and d Frida ay nig ghts. Î?PDUNHW FR ]]D getaway.co.za 73

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Not much beats that feeling of happy exhaustion that comes from an active, healthy day at the beach. SurfSup Yoga harnesses just that: glittering ocean before you, city skyline at your back and sun salutations all around. The hour-long are held on the lawns at Snake Park Beach three times a week and cater to all skill levels. The Saturday class finishes at 8am, leaving you perfectly primed for a quick jump in the waves, a walk along the promenade or brekkie at nearby Circus Circus. No booking – just pitch up with a mat/towel. R50 pp. Sometimes yoga is combined with a SUP session, so check online. surfsupyoga.co.za

Can’t go on safari these holidays? Try an unusual sleepover at Pretoria Zoo. Everyone meets at 6.30pm, just in time to see the animals settling down at twilight, and once you’ve pitched your tent on a grassy spot there’s a short guided tour about the zoo’s clever nocturnal creatures. Back at the camp, braai fires are lit and you can settle in for the night. Bring all your own camping gear – tents, bedding, chairs, food and a kettle, which can be plugged into the electric point (and plan for summer rain). The zoo caters for 120 people per night. The next dates are 1, 2, 8, 9 and 15 December. R165 adults, R110 children. Book on 012-339-2844/2728.

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19 STELLENBOSCH Done Lion’s Head at night? Set off on the Delvera Vineyard Trail below the full moon. The trail is 9,75 kilometres and takes two-and-a-half hours to complete. Set off through sprawling vineyards and end with epic views from Klapmutskop in the heart of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy, just outside Stellenbosch. There’s a beautiful forest at the top of the koppie and the walk is timed so you can enjoy sunset at the top. You’ll need a torch to descend in the dark. Transport is also available for children to get to the start of the shorter, 4,5-kilometre route. The next dates are 2, 3 and 31 December 2017 and 2 January 2018. R100 adults, R50 children. dirtopia.co.za

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Delectable ice-cream sandwich combos are the perfect summer treat. Visit Crumbs and Cream in Sea Point or Illovo and get a DIY Crumbs Kit. Choose your ice-cream flavours (R185 for five), select your favourite freshly baked cookie and build them however you want. crumbsandcream.co.za (In the Cape Town area, you can get them delivered to your door with UberEats, OrderIn and Mr D; soon to come to Joburg too!)

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C H E E R S! 20 There e iss a waitter at Su urf Rid derss on Addin ngton Beach in n Durban n who can th hro ow a ball so fa ar into th he air, r, you can hardly see it.. So you get to re ela ax and ha ave a drin nk while someone else e th hro ows a ba all fo or your kidss. You Yo ca an le eav ve yourr seat, hav ve a dip p in n th he sea an nd nip p back k – no on ne min nds iff you’’re wet. You can n’tt get more re ela axed th han th hatt. 062--74 47--7037

EASTERN CAPE Lions have been introduced to Mountain Zebra National Park (near Cradock) and the five resident cheetahs are being monitored to assess their adjustment to the new arrivals. You can see these lithe creatures in the wild by tracking them. The drive begins at 8.30am and whenever the guide gets to an elevated, open space, he tries to get a bearing. Two of the cheetahs wear collarsbut radio tracking doesn’t guarantee sightings. To pinpoint the cheetah you’ve got to walk a particular pattern and use your senses. Participants get a game drive into private parts of the park too. R400pp. Booking essential (age 12 and up only). sanparks.org

21 Meande er Fine e Win nes in the K ZN Mid dla ands s has fre ee wine e tasttin ngs eve er y Satu urd day an nd Sun nday fro om 11am m to 2pm m, show wcasiing g abou ut Č´YH Z ZLQHV IIUR RP RQH esta ate e each h week kend. 033--23 3 4 -2 2913 22 The Frran nsch hhoek Win ne Tram m (a trram m and a tram m-lik ke bus) trun ndle es between n 22 wine e esta ate es an nd th he WR RZQ R RÎ?HULQJ J K KRS R RQ KRS RÎ? DFFFH HVV WWR D GD D\ of pairrin ngs, piccniccs,, gard den walk ks, bouless and more e (b book k ahe ead fo or the ese)). R220 0 pp. wine etrram.co o.zza 23 For some of th he cheap pes t drin nkss on th he Camps Ba ay strip p in Ca ape Town, with h the e s am e s ea an d sunsset vie ew s , Man ntrra CaffĂŠ by y Meliisssa’ss ha as halffpricce cock ktailss da ailly betw ween 3p p m an d 8pm (avera age R 30). 021-- 43 37-0 0206

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Immaculately clean, with grassy lawns and shaded concrete grandstands, the newly revamped Art Deco-style Zoo Lake swimming pool is the perfect summer sojourn in the city. Bring a picnic to while away an afternoon around the popular pool. 57 Lower Park Drive, at the northern end of the Zoo Lake Park. Open 10am to 5.45pm. Entry R9 pp. (For bad weather, the Linden pool is indoors and disabled-accessible. Corner 11th Street and 4th Avenue.)

There’s no child on Earth (and few adults) who will reject a downhill run on a fat-tyred scooter on the slopes of Table Mountain. The Deer Park leg from Tafelberg Road to Van Riebeeck Park trundles past hot fynbos and cool pines; a warm-up run on Signal Hill teaches the basics. Shuttles take you to a high point and it’s all downhill from there. R550 pp, R290 passengers (kids under nine). scootours.co.za

Pull off the N2 in Sedgefield for the best ďŹ sh ’n chips. Mr Kaai, on the corner of Kingfisher and Uil streets, is a spot locals have tried to keep secret – but you can’t keep such darn good battered hake under wraps for long. Clean and cosy, this tiny family-run, outdoor eatery has built its reputation on its fuss-free food: fresh fish and platters of grilled hake, prawns, mussels and calamari, all perfectly prepared and seriously affordable (a small hake and chips is around R59). If you hit a busy time, grab a takeaway. Note: it’s closed on Sundays. 074-756-8103 getaway.co.za 75

TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA

28 PRETORIA, JOBURG & CAPE TOWN A dream come true for some: #BrewFood by Beerhouse offers a fusion of beer and braai cuisine. ‘Beer can be used to season, pickle and even ferment food,’ says Ultimate Braai Master winner Piet Marais. Think beer-brined chicken, ribs and brisket, beer-fermented burger buns and flatbreads, ‘beerchos’ (nachos), beer cheese, BrewBQ sauce, ‘beeracha’ (chilli sauce) and ‘beer dust’ for a pop of flavour. And for dessert? A beer float of milk stout, chocolate ganache, salted caramel and bourbon ice-cream. beerhouse.co.za

30 EASTERN CAPE A Baviaanskloof canyon foray doesn’t have to be macho. From Willowmore, our ancient French hatchback braved the stony swirls of Thomas Bain’s R332 for a good 80 kilometres – more than far enough to find a secret slot canyon to cool down in. Bo-Kloof’s Waterkloof, for one, is a remarkable shadowy slice in the landscape, with smooth rock walls that loom dizzyingly above and in places almost meet overhead (beware: baboons dislodge rocks at these junctions). The thorny, dusty outside world is replaced by natural air-con, secret pools with pale frogs and, most surprisingly, forest and birds. Waterkloof is not the only keyhole to a hidden world – other canyons abound. R25 per day visitor. bokloof.co.za 76 DECEMBER 2017

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As cultural experiences go, tea can be one of the most fascinating. O’Ways Teacafe taps into this with its tea ceremony, which focuses on the Chinese preparation and drinking of tea using Taiwanese High Mountain tea, a quality oolong. It’s known as ‘tea art’ or cha-yi and goes into how the tea is grown and made. Mingwei Tsai, a master tea merchant and co-owner of Nigiro Tea, hosts the ceremony, which takes about an hour. R250 for three people. 021-671-2850

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35 KNYSNA Ocean Odyssey offers ‘SUP the Estuary’, exploring the Thesen Island waterways, inlets and coves. It costs R170 pp for the first hour, R120 per hour after that. Afterwards you can hop on one of their e-bikes to explore Knysna (R200 pp for the first hour, R100 per hour after that). The company also has the only Blue Flag-recognised whale-watching/ eco-tour boats in the area (trips from R380 pp). oceanodyssey.co.za

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‘The biggest challenge of hula-hooping is being open to picking one up again after, say, 20 years,’ say Basil and Sandra-Dee Scordilis of Hoop Flow Love, who offer classes for adults in Sea Point and Fish Hoek. They focus on the dance aspect (new moves are constantly being created in the US and Europe), although there’s room for a little philosophy too: mastering the ‘Escalator’ requires learning to let go at just the right moment. The ‘Weave’ and ‘Vortex’ will develop core strength, joint flexibility and hand-eye coordination. Drop-in class R100 pp. hoopflowlove.com

Gather a group and head out on a fun sunset photo walk. Choose a theme (black and white, macro, a focus colour) or come up with a checklist of things to snap – a view, a backlit flower, a silhouette, an insect… The gentle light at dusk helps amateurs take decent pics, but more than that, the expedition will have you noticing things you might have overlooked, and is a wonderful way to wind down a day. Later, have everyone upload their images to Instagram or Facebook (using the same hashtag for easy sharing), and relive the evening.

The Absinthe Experience at Distillery 031 in Durban celebrates this infamous bohemian spirit with a traditional ‘louching’ ritual (when it turns cloudy with the addition of water and sugar) from a hand-blown French glass absinthe fountain. This local absinthe is made with African wormwood and impepho for a minty touch. It’s an add-on (R50 pp) to the regular distillery tours on Saturdays, which include lunch and a cocktail and cost R270 for three spirits or R350 pp for the full range. Groups of six or more can book any day of the week. distillery031.com

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Get comfy in a recycled car seat and watch movies at The Bioscope cinema. It used to be a panel beaters in the 1970s and clings to its past with an industrial feel enhanced by mechanic’s lighting. Sunday Cinema (a series of free short films, mostly locally made) begins at 11am and runs until 2pm, so you can watch as many as you want. Two of them, The Place of Light and Made in Maboneng, document the origin of the precinct and tell the shop owners’ stories. There is a pizzeria/coffee shop on site (R135 for a movie, meal and drink ticket). In addition to its regular roster of fulllength feature films and doccies, look out for the outdoor screenings on a rooftop in Maboneng and witty themed nights (kung-fu, ‘ugly cry’ etc). thebioscope.co.za.

So it’s not quite Venice, but there is something magical about silently gliding on a gondola through the canals of the Point Waterfront as night sets in. Colours bleed from the sky as city lights flicker on like electric candles for your romantic outing. If you’re lucky you’ll have Bongani Xaba as your guide – he’s been with Zulumoon Gondolas from the start and can point out where the netted-off shark nursery is (ssshh, to those of you in the know). The 30-minute ride takes you into a section of the new precinct planned for Durban beachfront, and craning your head upwards at the buildings gives you an idea of what this luxe area is set to become. Night rides cost R220 per couple. gondolas.co.za

The Google Trekker imagery collected in South Africa’s national parks, reserves and heritage sites in 2016/2017 has resulted in 170 of our most incredible wilderness and hiking trails being accessible via Google Maps, Street View, phone apps etc. Visit discoverafrica.com/southafrica360 to enjoy the eye candy and choose your next adventure.

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On the Bushman’s River end of Kariega Beach you’ll find Mermaid’s Cove, a sandy bay surrounded by high rocks. This is where casual Eastern Cape thrill-seekers go to get a rock-jumping fix, leaping from the western arm into pools on the other side. It’s about a five-metre drop but, if you chicken out, the sheltered inlet is also a wonderfully quiet spot for snorkelling or a picnic. From the parking lot at the end of Westbourne Road, head up the dune, then slightly west in the direction of the river, towards the coast. When you get to the rocks, you should spot the distinct semi-circular cove below.

Fasten the laces and embrace a faster pace at Roll Egoli, an all-weather rollerskating rink in Bryanston. Pop on some old-school skates (the ones with two sets of wheels beside each other) and glide around the smooth concrete floors. Great for all ages, at night the mirror ball and lights at night create a funky ‘disco’ atmosphere. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, order a large wood-fired pizza (R110) and finish off with home-made gelato in the garden. Open 9am to 6pm, until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. R75 for three hours, R35 skate hire. rollegoli.co.za

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There’s Willy Wonka’s famed factory and now SA has it’s very own Chocolate Garden. Located at De Charmoy Estate near Umdloti, this themed garden is filled with chocolatecoloured, -scented or -flavoured plants, flowers and herbs. Plus the cafe menu delivers too, combining chocolate and botanicals. The chocolate and mascarpone toasted sandwich (R68) and milk-tart hot choc are already a hit; the gorgeous edible flower chocolate pennies (pictured) cost R12 each. Open daily except Mondays, 6.30am to 4pm. decharmoy.co.za

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Made from a unique combination of oats, bread, sugar, pineapple and yeast, Zulu beer traditionally has a low alcohol content – that is, until it’s left to stand and ferment for a while. This tour in eNanda is a double dose of history and tradition. After learning about the origins and craft of umqombothi, you’ll visit a sangoma for insight into their practice and calling. There’s the option of having a reading of your own, should you wish. (From personal experience, it can be chillingly accurate.) Regardless, you’ll leave a somewhat more expanded person, knowing more about South African culture. R150 pp. durbangreencorridor.co.za

Feastfox, a ‘spontaneous eating-out app’, has launched in Cape Town – where getting into restaurants without booking, especially in season, can test your patience. Now, as soon as you’ve decided you’d like a bite to eat, you can consult the line-up of more the 60 restaurants, cafes and bars – from sushi spots to seafood and vegan places, dotted around the CBD, City Bowl, Waterfront and Sea Point area – for last-minute availability. You’ll have 30 minutes to get there once you’ve confirmed your booking. Download it for free on iTunes or Google Play.

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The new Dassie Trail is an easy two-kilometre walk in the Nahoon Estuary Nature Reserve (free entry) – part of it on a 500-metre boardwalk made of recycled plastic. It passes through mangroves and a pristine estuary – with handy info boards and tree labels – and, on the way back, cool sand forest where you might spot buck and tortoises. Open weekdays 9am to 4pm. 043-748-1722 There is also a new MTB track and bush trail (perfect for trail runners), starting at Floradale Nursery in Beacon Bay – a sixkilometre ‘awesome loop’ through the valley, and suitable for beginners. Afterwards, reward yourself with some delicious treats at CafĂŠ du Jardin, also on site. 082-349-7523

Compiled by Getaway staff. Additional contributors: Janine Stephen, Lynn Cloete and Jess Nicholson getaway.co.za 79

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Think caves are unpleasant places to spend a night? They are, unless you know a few tricks. You’ll learn the skills to create cosy caverns like this – important if you’re caught in the cold.

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BACK TO

BASICS

WAS NEVER SO MUCH FUN! This customisable wilderness experience could save your life one day, but it’s the learning that’s the biggest delight anyway WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DAVIES

TRAVEL MCGREGOR

hen I was nine years old, my zoologist father secured a six-month secondment to research the then drought-stricken rivers of Kruger National Park. Looking back, I have only the vaguest memories of our drive from the Cape – a jam-packed VW Kombi, a stop in Grahamstown, a storm – but my first real memory is vivid: the frost-hard rugby field of LaĂŤrskool Skukuza, a madhouse of skinny, bronzed rangers’ kids who could ping a tennis ball off your head at 20 metres. Stingers was the game of choice that bright, crisp winter; we charged barefoot across the turf, pelting the hell out of each other, then walked home past hippos and giraffes to set scorpion traps or maybe chase some impala. For weeks at a time my family and I would join my dad, wild camping on some desiccated confluence. After a hateful morning’s maths tables, I’d be free to hunt bugs, build fires or shadow the adults, eavesdropping on their stories. I learnt a lot in those six months, scrabbling in the dirt and scabbing my knees. Animal spoor soon became easy to identify; edible and useful plants, too. There was so much to learn and I soaked it all in, especially all the many types of pooh. Rhyming things with pooh was pretty funny back then. As endless as they seemed, however, those six months soon passed, and you don’t hold onto detailed faecal knowledge back in the city. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. Still, I did retain a lasting love for the bush and a fascination for its many secrets. I return as often as I can but I’ve never quite regained that youthful proficiency. Nearly three decades on, I get a surprise birthday present from someone who clearly knows me well: a day-long ‘introduction to survival’ course on a smallholding near Nelspruit. Course leader Hunt Cheney strides out as I arrive, barefoot in his khaki kortbroek and light-green T-shirt. Giddy as a kid I throw myself into rope weaving and atlatl throwing (a tool for hurling spears) and we chat: aside from nominative determinism, how do you get involved in survival training anyway? Hunt, it turns out, is just a year or two my senior and grew up in Kruger, attending LaĂŤrskool Skukuza at about the same time I was dodging tennis balls – a few perhaps even hurled from his arm. The son of Cleve Cheney, a Kruger ranger for 28 years and author of volumes on

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conservation, hunting and tracking, Hunt began accompanying his father into the veld from the age of five. By eight he was spending nights out on his own, building shelters and foraging for food a short hike from their home. At 16, he spent two full months alone in the Kruger bush, surviving and thriving with nothing but his shorts and an old T-shirt. After working as a medic and outdoor instructor near Nelspruit, Hunt has now moved to the Cape and spends his time training anti-poaching units in tracking and teaching beginner- to advanced-level survival courses all over South Africa. The latter simulate real survival situations and must be completed incrementally. His introductory courses are far less severe – think entirely customisable wilderness experiences with your own private expert and a couple of cold beers around the braai each night. Good morale is, after all, the key to every survival situation. A few months go by and, unsatisfied by my single day’s adventure, I convince a group of family and friends to join me, and Hunt, on a two-night introductory course on a farm outside McGregor. After a short Q&A on what we’d most like to cover, we set off to our home for the weekend: a shallow cave in a narrow

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE As a general rule, scorpions with big pincers and small tails are less dangerous than vice versa; this shallow cave in a kloof outside McGregor was our comfortable home for the weekend; being DEOH WR PDNH D ȴUH LV NH\ WR DQ\ VXUYLYDO VLWXDWLRQ Ȃ WKLV FUXVKHG RLO\ WUHH EDUN PDGH IRU H[FHOOHQW NLQGOLQJ HDWLQJ JUXEV LV GHȴQLWHO\ QRW FRPSXOVRU\ EXW \RXȇUH ZHOFRPH WR JLYH WKHP D WU\ LI WKDWȇV \RXU WKLQJ

No matches? No problem. Try these 3 unusual tools to start a fire )LUVW PDNH D WLQGHU EXQGOH ZLWK SOHQW\ RI Č´QH GU\ JUDVV RQ WRS DQG WKLQ WZLJV EHQHDWK 3UHSDUH WKH PDLQ Č´UHSODFH ZLWK D VSDFH IRU WKH EXQGOH DQG VXUURXQG LW ZLWK SURJUHVVLYHO\ WKLFNHU VWLFNV 1 $ FOHDU JODVV PDUEOH This is a foolproof method if there’s sunlight. Hold the marble two or three centimetres above the bundle and focus the refracted light on the grass. Wait for consistent smoke and then blow gently until it catches. You can do the same with a condom Č´OOHG ZLWK ZDWHU DOWKRXJK IRFXVLQJ WKH VXQOLJKW LV PRUH GLÉ?FXOW 2 3DUDEROLF PLUURU Polish the base of a beer can with a piece of chocolate or toothpaste. Orient the base of the can towards the sun and hold a piece of tinder a few centimetres in front of the base VR WKH VXQȇV UHČľHFWLRQ FUHDWHV D EHDP :KHQ WKH SLHFH RI WLQGHU FDWFKHV WUDQVIHU LW WR WKH EXQGOH DQG IURP WKHUH WR WKH PDLQ Č´UHSODFH 3 Batteries 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ ZD\V WR VWDUW D Č´UH ZLWK D EDWWHU\ EXW D SLHFH RI PHWDOOLF JXP ZUDSSHU LV YHU\ HÎ?HFWLYH 7HDU D VWULS WKDW FDQ reach both ends and press the shiny side to each terminal (mind your Č´QJHUV 7KH IRLO ZLOO KHDW XS XQWLO WKH SDSHU SDUW RI WKH ZUDSSHU ignites. Transfer it carefully to the tinder bundle.

TRAVEL MCGREGOR

Water safety :KHWKHU LWȇV VWDJQDQW RU ČľRZLQJ QHYHU DVVXPH ZDWHU LV VDIH WR GULQN 3DWKRJHQV DUHQȇW YLVLEOH WR WKH QDNHG H\H DQG D ZDWHUERUQH LOOQHVV FDQ HQG DQ\ KRSH RI VXUYLYDO $OO ZDWHU VKRXOG EH Č´OWHUHG FKHPLFDOO\ WUHDWHG RU ERLOHG Did you know you can boil water in a plastic bag? • Dig a shallow hole and line it with the bag. • Line the bottom of the bag with a thick layer of green grass and add the untreated water. Č? &ROOHFW HLJKW Č´VW VL]HG VWRQHV DQG KHDW WKHP LQ WKH Č´UH • Once very hot, place them one by one onto the green grass. • Exchange the stones every 30 seconds, being careful not to touch the plastic. Č? 2QFH WKH ZDWHU ERLOV FRQWLQXH WR ERLO LW IRU Č´YH PLQXWHV WKHQ LWȇV VDIH WR GULQN 6DIH GRHVQȇW QHFHVVDULO\ PHDQ WDVW\ Č‚ D JRRG ZDWHU Č´OWHU ZLOO LPSURYH LW GUDPDWLFDOO\

kloof, icy mountain water gurgling through nearby reeds. Soon we’re cutting grass for our bedroll, learning knots and placing choke stones into cracks in the cave wall. A good night’s sleep is as good as a meal, Hunt declares, and by the time we’re done, our shelter is as snug as any tent I’ve ever had. All the while, Hunt, almost shyly, instructs. Did we see that tree with the leopard claw marks? What about the porcupine track on the path over there? We make char cloth and fire with flint and steel and fashion spring-loaded fishing traps from branches and twine. As our questions flow, the answers flow back, and around the fire that night, Hunt’s bush stories keep coming. ‘Yeah, I kind of had a pet lion once, while it was being rehabilitated ‌ he used to play-hunt me in the section ranger’s garden. Would beat me to the stoep even with my 50-metre head start; ankle tap me before I could reach the stairs.’ The flames cast dancing shadows across the cave wall as we sit rapt, one incredible story chasing the other. We sip our beers, eat our boerie and listen late into the night. In the early hours, I tiptoe out of the cave to rid my body of some beer. Katabatic mist rolls down the kloof and I take a moment to appreciate I’d just relearnt the word, then toss another log onto the dimly glowing fire. As a nine-year-old, I got first-degree burns across my right hand while baking mud balls on a fire to chuck at crocodiles in the Limpopo River. I’ve never forgotten that, and as I fall back to sleep I can’t help wishing I’d retained more interesting lessons other than ‘don’t pick up balls of kiln-hot mud’. On day two we’re up early, feeling refreshed. Considering the rocky discomfort our little cave first presented, nobody can quite believe we’ve had such a good night’s rest. There’s no rush as we stoke the fire and cook oats for breakfast. Hunt’s introductory courses are completely 84 DECEMBER 2017

flexible and it’s up to each group to decide what they’d like to cover. Tracking had come up the night before, so after coffee we gather around and listen attentively as Hunt goes over the basics. These are not skills you can learn in a morning, but they’re fascinating nonetheless. If ever you’re searching for a lost child, know that kids tend to head up to higher ground, as opposed to adults, who most often follow downward routes into gullies and gorges. Next comes an inventory of the survival kit Hunt keeps handy at all times. I look around at the group and realise I’d been a bit nervous about how they’d take to all of this. But watching them now is a relief – my sister has grabbed Hunt’s homemade throwing sling and we all line up to be shown how to use it. Soon rocks are pinging off the canyon walls, which echo with shouts and laughter. Tomorrow we’ll be back in the city, and fish traps and slings and shelters will soon be forgotten. But maybe not completely – and maybe one day they’ll even be of use. But whether practical or not, retained or forgotten, learning them again will always be a pleasure.

ABOVE Aloes have excellent healing properties and their sticky sap can be used to treat burns and help close up small wounds. RIGHT Don’t expect showers, but an icy stream is a great place WR FRRO RÎ? DQG FOHDQ up after a good day of bush school.

Four tips for finding water 1 Check clefts in tree branches and shady hollows for pockets of water. 2 *UDLQ IHHGLQJ ELUGV VXFK DV GRYHV GULQN UHJXODUO\ /RRN IRU ORZ GLUHFW ČľLJKW LQ the late afternoon; they’re on their way to water. Waterbirds are also good indicators, EXW LI WKH\ȇUH Čľ\LQJ KLJK WKH VRXUFH PD\ EH IDU DZD\ 5DSWRUV EDUHO\ GULQN DQG DUH not good indicators of water. 3 Even the driest environments can get morning dew. Wrap clothing around your legs and go for an early walk in long grass. You’ll be surprised how much water you can collect and wring out. 4 Trees are living water pumps and if you have clear plastic you can tap them. Wrap WKH SODVWLF DURXQG JUHHQ IROLDJH DQG WLH LW RÎ? VR QR DLU FDQ HVFDSH $V WKH OHDYHV photosynthesise, the released water condenses on the plastic and drips to the lowest point inside. You can harvest two to four cups of water a day in optimal conditions.

Plan your trip NEED TO KNOW Hunt’s introductory courses are available throughout South Africa. Prices vary according to length and location. The twonight introductory course near 0F*UHJRU ZDV 5 ɋ SS EDVHG RQ HLJKW SHRSOH )RRG DQG GULQNV DUH QRW LQFOXGHG VR WDNH \RXU RZQ VXSSOLHV LQFOXGLQJ ZRRG LI you want to braai. Dates for the next Beginner Survival course DUH VWLOO WR EH FRQȴUPHG 7KH FRVW LV 5 ɋ SS b2bsurvival@gmail.com

WHAT TO PACK • • • • • • • • • •

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TRAVEL PERU

A well-packed llama will gladly walk 25 kilometres a day OPPOSITE John Leivers approaches the town of Mollepata.

of the road

Everyone’s heard of the Inca Trail, but there’s a fresher adventure to be had – trekking unexplored parts of Peru’s ancient highway

Christian Declerq - kmCERO, Nick Dall

WORDS BY NICK DALL

TRAVEL PERU

FROM TOP Contemplating the path ahead at Escalerilla; Llama sunset at Lago Cushuro; all smiles on an easier day. Nick Stanziano is on the right. OPPOSITE Dancers at a welcoming ceremony in Huánuco Pampa. 88 DECEMBER 2017

kneel on the tarmac, in the shadow of the town’s 16th-century bell tower, as the shaman – wearing an animal pelt on his head and brandishing an enormous conch shell – marks my cheeks with stripes of ash. I put my cupped hands containing the coca to my lips, in a sort of Andean communion, and swirl the leaves around in my mouth. I was feeling a little queasy before the welcoming ceremony even began (Huamachuco is 3 200 metres above sea level) but now – as my saliva turns bitter and my ears ring with the shaman’s chanting – I suddenly find myself having to stand up. As I watch the contradanza (a regional dance) put on by kids from the local primary school, the blood gradually returns to my head and by the time the arrieros (porters) have retied the llamas’ loads I feel ready for anything the Andes can throw at me. We traipse out of the plaza and follow the Qhapaq Ñan south. Four hours later we’ll be making camp on the shores of Lago Cushuro – a magnificent snowmelt lake set against a backdrop of gnarled black cliffs – and fly-fishing for trout from a leaky turquoise rowing boat. The Inca are famous for making human sacrifices and building Machu Picchu, but arguably their greatest achievement was the incredible road network which held their vast empire together. At its peak, the Qhapaq Ñan (also known as the Great Inca Road, not to be confused with the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, which is only a 43-kilometre section of the network) stretched from Argentina to Colombia and incorporated a staggering 40 000 kilometres of roads and trails. My friend Nick Stanziano from California, who owns a tour company specialising in Peru, is passionate about preserving the road and supporting the communities that live along it. He believes the best way to do this is to raise awareness by leading treks along select sections of the route. Between April and August 2017, he and his 65-year-old Australian sidekick, John Leivers, supported by a rotating team of humans, mules, horses and llamas, hiked 3 000 kilometres of the road from Ingapirca in Ecuador to Cusco in Peru. When Nick invited me to join them for a week to help scout out possible trekking routes, I knew I had to clear my diary.

Christian Declerq - kmCERO, Kevin Floerke, Nick Dall

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TRAVEL PERU

After the first day of hiking, having slowly acclimatised to the thin air, Nick and I are bobbing around in the leaky boat on Lago Cushuro, trying to catch trout. We don’t catch anything (although I’m sure I feel a bump) and after taking turns to row and bail, we work up quite an appetite. We change into dry clothes and add a few layers (days are warm; nights are freezing) and head to the dining tent. Over a rough-and-ready interpretation of lomo saltado (the Asianinspired beef stir-fry that’s putting Peruvian cuisine on the world map), I get to know the others – I spent most of the day hiking at the back, so there wasn’t much time for chit-chat. While Kevin Floerke (the resident archaeologist, drone pilot and photographer) and Nick banter about the ongoing NBA finals, John eats in silence: when you’ve spent much of the last 30 years solo trekking in the Andes, a hot meal prepared by someone else is worth shutting up for. After dinner, as we drink camomile tea and pore over the map, we talk about the day ahead. The Escalerilla (Spanish for ladder or gangway) is meant to be one of the best-preserved sections of the Qhapaq Ñan in all of Peru.

‘My head is spinning and my legs are a bit sore, but I’m feeling pretty good about life when we crest the first pass’

Some of the widest sections of Qhapaq Ñan are near Huánuco Pampa.

90 DECEMBER 2017

Rodrigo Cabrera - kmCERO

‘Inca roads go high and straight,’ says Kevin. ‘And we’ve got some serious mountains between us and the next camp.’ ‘I hiked this section three years ago and it wasn’t easy,’ says John, nodding. ‘But the weather was foul and I was carrying 30 kilos.’ It’s only 7.30pm but I excuse myself and retreat to the relative warmth of my tent. By the sound of things I’m going to need all the rest I can get. After breakfast we pose for photos next to a battered sign which proclaims, somewhat scarily, that the Escalerilla section includes more than 2 000 stone steps and crosses three passes of at least 4 200 masl (metres above sea level). I stick at the back with John, who’s all about ‘slow and steady wins the race’, and try to draw succour from the incredible views of the lake and the town of Huamachuco way down below. Granted, my head is spinning and my legs are a bit sore, but I’m feeling pretty good about life when we crest the first pass.

e uish at hom get to lang Lady llamas llamas are male – all pack

‘I look up to see a male llama – laden with two bright blue wooden kists – running straight towards me’

FROM TOP Freshly squeezed orange juice in Mollebamba; the Cordillera Blanca has a permanent snowcap; Lonche (a mid-afternoon snack) next to Lago Cushuro. OPPOSITE Note how the road is supported by a retaining wall.

And then I see what lies ahead. A narrow path follows the contours of a vast, sinuous valley before disappearing into the scrabbly confusion of scree and sheer rock faces at the valley’s head. If I can’t even see where the path goes, I wonder to myself, how the hell am I going to hike on it? My concerns are entirely justified. After a detour (uphill, nogal) to see some recently discovered rock art we start trying to make sense of the ‘gangway’. As I plod up the near-vertical staircase I focus on the yellow soles of John’s gumboots. How can he hike in those? Doesn’t he get blisters? It’s not even remotely muddy. And there’s a massive crack right through the left heel. I look up to see a male llama – laden with two bright blue wooden kists – running straight towards me, followed closely by a desperate arriero. The llama loses its footing and rolls – thud by deafening thud – down the slope. Miraculously he is unscathed, but when the arrieros try to readjust his load he spits at them and sits steadfastly on his haunches. I can empathise with this llama but somehow I make it to the top of the pass, and the one after that. While the others feast on a lunch of cheese, chickpeas and tuna I struggle to keep down an apple. My body may have (just) survived the hike but my appetite has not. After that baptism of fire I find another gear and start to enjoy the hike. The third day features swathes of boulevard-wide Qhapaq Ñan and glimpses of vicuñas – a more delicate wild relative of the llama. Sometime after lunch it starts to rain and we make camp early on a nice grassy spot next to a raging river. As we hike out of the canyon the next morning – a Sunday – we start to see signs of civilisation: a well-dressed guy on horseback off to pay his respects to a dead uncle; a few homesteads surrounded by fields of purple quinoa; a soccer field hemmed in by an ugly concrete wall and a primary school with a wonderful rose garden. Because the Qhapaq Ñan is an ancient trade route it passes through towns, big and small. In a little place called Tulpo we chew the fat with dudes in impressive cowboy hats and, a couple of hours later, in the bigger town of Mollebamba, we drink fresh orange juice in a dingy cafe with cow-dung walls. After one last uphill I glimpse Mollepata and its handsome white church perched precariously on the edge of a gawping canyon. We zigzag down towards the town on an earthen track that’s been in use for at least 600 years, passing mud-brick houses emblazoned with garish political graffiti. It must have something to do with how I got here, but – as I sit on a wooden bench in the plaza drinking warm, over-carbonated beer with the guys while the local kids play soccer in the square – Mollepata feels like the centre of the universe.

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WHEN TO GO

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Huamachuco Lago Cushuro Tulpo Mollepata

Peru Castillo Tambo de Soledad Quenajirca Tambo Grande Isko Huánuco Pampa

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Great Inca Road Nick’s hike Five-day hike

Christian Declerq - kmCERO, Kevin Floerke, Nick Dall

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ĵ±ĜĹ ŞųåƼſ ±Ÿ ƵåĬĬ ±Ÿ ųåƴĜåƵĜĹč ŸÏ±Ƌ ÏŅĬĬåÏƋĜŅĹŸ ƋŅ Ÿåå Ÿå±ŸŅűĬ ÚĜåƋ ÏʱĹčåŸţ kƚų ŅÆŸåųƴ±ƋĜŅĹŸ ųåƴå±ĬåÚ ƋʱƋ ƋĘå Ş±ųĩ Ƶ±Ÿ ±ĬŸŅ ĘŅŸƋ ƋŅ ± ĹƚĵÆåų Ņü ŅƋĘåų ĜĹÚĜčåĹŅƚŸ ŸŞåÏĜåŸ ŸƚÏĘ ±Ÿ ÆųŅƵĹ ĘƼåű ŠParahyaena brunneašØ ϱų±Ï±Ĭ ŠCaracal caracalšØ ĘŅĹåƼ ƱÚčåų ŠMellivora capensisšØ eüųĜÏ±Ĺ ÏĬ±ƵĬ域 ŅƋƋåų ŠAonyx capensisšØ Ƶ±Ƌåų ĵŅĹčŅŅŸå ŠAtilax paludinosusšØ ŸŞŅƋƋåÚ å±čĬåěŅƵĬ ŠBubo africanusšØ ±ĹÚ eüųĜÏ±Ĺ ĀŸĘ å±čĬå ŠHaliaeetus vociferšţ åÏåĹƋĬƼØ Ƶå åƴåĹ ŸŞŅƋƋåÚ ± ĵĜčų±ĹƋ ĬåŅޱųÚú VULTURE MONITORING 屟ŅűĬ ƴƚĬƋƚųå ŸĜčĘƋĜĹčŸ Ƶåųå ÏŅĵĵŅĹ ĜĹ ƋĘå ±ųå± ŸŅ Ƶå ŸåƋ ƚŞ ± ƴƚĬƋƚųå ųåŸƋ±ƚų±ĹƋ ±ĹÚ Æåč±Ĺ ĵŅĹĜƋŅųĜĹč ƋĘå ŸƚųųŅƚĹÚĜĹč ŞŅŞƚĬ±ƋĜŅĹŸţ FƋ ĜŸ ƴĜŸĜƋåÚ Ĭ±ųčåĬƼ ÆƼ ƋĘå ±Şå ƴƚĬƋƚųå ŠGyps coprotheresš ÆƚƋ ±ĬŸŅØ ĵŅųå ųåÏåĹƋĬƼØ ÆƼ ƋĘå Ĭ±ŞŞåƋěü±ÏåÚ ƴƚĬƋƚųå (Torgos tracheliotosšţ ŅƋĘ Ņü ƋĘåŸå ŸŞåÏĜåŸ ±ųå åĹÚ±ĹčåųåÚ ±ĹÚ Ƶå ĹŅƵ ƵŅųĩ ĜĹ ÏĬŅŸå ÏŅŅŞåų±ƋĜŅĹ ƵĜƋĘ ƚĬ{ųŅ Švulpro.comšØ ƋŅ ƵĘŅĵ Ƶå ųåŞŅųƋ Ņƚų ŅÆŸåųƴ±ƋĜŅĹŸţ NILE MONITOR LIZARD CHIPPING FĹ ƗljŏƆ ƋĘå U±Ĝc±ƴ ŅĹŸåųƴ±ƋĜŅĹ 8ŅƚĹÚ±ƋĜŅĹűŸ eüųĜÏ±Ĺ %ų±čŅĹ {ųŅģåÏƋ

Škainavconservation.orgš Ƶ±Ÿ ĜĹĜƋĜ±ƋåÚ ĜĹ ƋĘå Ş±ųĩţ Ęå ±Ĝĵ Ƶ±Ÿ ƋŅ čåĹåų±Ƌå Ú±Ƌ± ŅĹ ƋĘå ŞåųĜěƚųÆ±Ĺ ŞŅŞƚĬ±ƋĜŅĹ Ņü ƋĘå cĜĬå ĵŅĹĜƋŅų ĬĜDŽ±ųÚ ŠVaranus niloticusšţ Ņ Ú±Ƌå ƋĘåƼ ʱƴå ϱŞƋƚųåÚ ±ĹÚ ÏĘĜŞŞåÚ ŏƆ ĬĜDŽ±ųÚŸØ ŸŅĵå Ņü ƵĘĜÏĘ ƵåĜčĘ ĵŅųå ƋʱŠŏlj ĩĜĬŅŸú Ęå Ú±Ƌ± ƵĜĬĬ ±ŸŸĜŸƋ ƵĜƋĘ ƋĘåĜų ÏŅĹŸåųƴ±ƋĜŅĹ ÆƼ ƚĹÚåųŸƋ±ĹÚĜĹč ĘŅƵ ƋĘåƼ ĵŅƴå ĜĹ ƚųÆ±Ĺ ±ĹÚ ŞåųĜěƚųÆ±Ĺ Ę±ÆĜƋ±ƋŸţ EDUCATING SCHOLARS XĜŅĹ ±ĹÚ ±ü±ųĜ {±ųĩ ĜŸ ÏŅĵĵĜƋƋåÚ ƋŅ åÚƚϱƋĜĹč üƚƋƚųå čåĹåų±ƋĜŅĹŸţ å ŸƚÆŸĜÚĜŸå ĵŅųå ƋʱŠƗlj ljljlj ƴĜŸĜƋŸ åƴåųƼ Ƽå±ų üŅų ŸÏĘŅŅĬ ÏĘĜĬÚųåĹ üųŅĵ ŸƚųųŅƚĹÚĜĹč ÏŅĵĵƚĹĜƋĜåŸØ ĵŅŸƋ Ņü ƵĘŅĵ ƵŅƚĬÚ ĹŅƋ ʱƴå ƋĘå ŅŞŞŅųƋƚĹĜƋƼ ƋŅ ƴĜŸĜƋ ŸƚÏĘ ± ŞĬ±Ïåţ VISITING LION AND SAFARI PARK cŅƵ ƋʱƋ ƼŅƚ ĩĹŅƵ ± ÆĜƋ ĵŅųå ±ÆŅƚƋ XĜŅĹ ±ĹÚ ±ü±ųĜ {±ųĩØ Æå Ÿƚųå ƋŅ ±Ÿĩ ƚŸ ±ÆŅƚƋ Ņƚų ƴ±ųĜŅƚŸ ŞųŅģåÏƋŸ ±ĹÚ ĜĹĜƋĜ±ƋĜƴåŸ ŅĹ ƼŅƚų ĹåƻƋ ƴĜŸĜƋţ )ĹƋų±ĹÏå ƋŅ ƋĘå ųåŸƋ±ƚų±ĹƋŸØ ÏƚųĜŅ ŸĘŅŞŸ ±ĹÚ ĩĜÚŸű ŞĬ±ƼčųŅƚĹÚ ĜŸ üųååţ e ŸåĬüěÚųĜƴå ƋŅƚų ĜŸ ŏƆă ŞŞ üŅų ±ÚƚĬƋŸ ±ĹÚ Ɔlj üŅų ÏĘĜĬÚųåĹ Š±čåŸ Ċ ě ŏƗšţ :ƚĜÚåÚ ƋŅƚųŸ ±ųå üųŅĵ ŏŀă ŞŞ üŅų ±ÚƚĬƋŸ ±ĹÚ ŏljlj ŞŞ üŅų ÏĘĜĬÚųåĹ Š±čåŸ Ċ ě ŏƗšţ Ęå Ş±ųĩ ĜŸ ŅŞåĹ üųŅĵ î±ĵ ƋŅ îŞĵ åƴåųƼ Ú±Ƽţ lionandsafaripark.com

27

NEW PRODUC TS TESTED BY US

ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE THE GETAWAY TEAM PUT SOME OF THIS YEAR’S COOLEST TRAVEL GEAR THROUGH THE MILL. THESE 27 ITEMS GOT OUR STAMP OF APPROVAL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

K-WAY LITE 40 HIKING PACK R999, capeunionmart.co.za The best feature of this backpack is that it’s extremely comfortable. The padded back support LV SDUWLFXODUO\ H΍HFWLYH ZKHQ FDUU\LQJ D KHDY\ ORDG DQG LW IHOW OLNH Ζ ZDV FDUU\LQJ PXFK OHVV WKDQ Ζ ZDV 7KH ]LS WKDW JRHV DURXQG WKH WRS RI WKH EDJ DOORZV HDV\ DFFHVV WR \RXU NLW LQ WKH VSDFLRXV PDLQ FRPSDUWPHQW DQG WKH RWKHU ]LSSHG VLGH SRFNHWV DUH FRQYHQLHQW IRU VQDFNV DQG D ZDWHU ERWWOH DOWKRXJK \RXȇOO KDYH WR WDNH WKH EDJ R΍ WR UHDFK WKHP $GGLWLRQDO IHDWXUHV LQFOXGH D EXQJHH FRUG RQ WKH OLG RI WKH SDFN IRU DGGLWLRQDO VWRUDJH FRPSUHVVLRQ VWUDSV RQ WKH VLGH D KLS EHOW DQG VWHUQXP VWUDS DQG EXQJHH ORRSV WR DWWDFK WUHNNLQJ SROHV 0DGH IURP ZDWHU UHVLVWDQW IDEULF WKLV EDFNSDFN LV LGHDO IRU KLNLQJ DQG LI \RXȇUH WDNLQJ D SODQH LW FDQ EH XVHG DV FDUU\ RQ OXJJDJH – MATTHEW STERNE

HAVAIANAS POWER R575, havaianas-store.com The new design from %UD]LOȇV RULJLQDO ČľLS ČľRS maker is sturdier and steadier than before. There’s comfortable cushioning on the foot’s SUHVVXUH SRLQWV ZKLFK makes them a good choice for those who want to wear them as summer walking shoes. The look of the soles didn’t win many fans DURXQG WKH RÉ?FH EXW RQFH \RX SXW WKHVH

ȾLS ȾRSV RQ \RX FDQȇW see the contours. 7KH SHUIRUDWHG VWUDSV KHOS JHW ULG RI H[FHVV water so they’re ideal WR ZHDU DURXQG WKH SRRO DQG VLPSOH WR VOLS RQ after gym. The best IHDWXUH LV WKH SDGGHG VROH ZKLFK SXWV WKHVH +DYDLDQDV D FXW DERYH others on the market when it comes to comfort. – MATTHEW STERNE

JINGER JACK DISCOVERY CAMERA BAG R 3 090, jingerjack.co.za This unisex camera bag LV VR VW\OLVK WKDW Ζ ȴUVW thought of using it as a handbag. It can carry a 10-inch lens, camera body, D ȾDVK SKRQH EDWWHULHV and other accessories. Made from 100% leather (you can smell it’s genuine), the exterior walls and ERWWRP DUH SDGGHG WR cushion and safeguard \RXU HTXLSPHQW 7KHUH DUH ȴYH SDGGHG 9HOFUR GLYLGHUV that can be adjusted

according to what you want WR FDUU\ 7KH ODUJH ]LS IRU WKH PDLQ FRPSDUWPHQW DQG magnetic buttons holding GRZQ WKH ȾDS VHFXUH \RXU SRVVHVVLRQV IURP SLFNSRFNHWHUV 7KHUHȇV DOVR

added storage in the H[WHULRU IURQW SRFNHW The bag comes in chestnut, tan and black ZLWK DQ DGMXVWDEOH VWUDS ONDELA MLANDU

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE K-WAY MEN’S EXPLORER CRAG TECH DENIM R999, capeunionmart.co.za 0\ È´UVW WKRXJKW ZKHQ JLYHQ WKHVH MHDQV WR WHVW RXW ZDV Ȇ:KR KLNHV LQ GHQLP"ȇ 5HJDUGOHVV RI P\ VFHSWLFLVP Ζ VOLSSHG WKHP RQ DQG KLW WKH WUDLO IXOO\ SUHSDUHG IRU DQ XQFRPIRUWDEOH H[SHULHQFH Ζ ZDV ZURQJ 7KH\ ZHUH VXUSULVLQJO\ OLJKW DQG ȵH[HG HDVLO\ DV Ζ VFUDPEOHG RYHU URFNV 7KH &RROPD[ ZLFNLQJ IDEULF DOVR NHSW P\ OHJV GU\ :RXOG Ζ ZHDU WKHP DJDLQ IRU D GD\ RXW KLNLQJ" 3UREDEO\

IFROGZ CODA WIRELESS HEADPHONES R699, takealot.co.za *LYLQJ \RX VHYHQ KRXUV RI SOD\LQJ WLPH WKHVH KHDGSKRQHV FRQQHFWHG WR \RXU WXQHV WKURXJK %OXHWRRWK SURGXFH VXFK JRRG VRXQG \RXȇOO WKLQN WKHUH DUH WLQ\ PXVLFLDQV LQVLGH WKH HDUSLHFHV SOD\LQJ MXVW IRU \RX 1RW WRR KHDY\ WR ZHDU WKH\ VLW VQXJJO\ RQ \RXU KHDG DQG FDQ EH HDVLO\ DGMXVWHG $OWHULQJ WKH YROXPH LV HDV\ WKDQNV WR FRQWUROV RQ WKH ULJKW HDU FXS DQG WKHUHȇV DOVR D MDFN WR FRQQHFW WR \RXU FRPSXWHU WKH ROG VFKRRO ZD\ ZLWK ZLUHV 0\ RQO\ UHDO TXDOP LV WKH VL]H RI WKH HDUSLHFHV WKH\ȇUH D OLWWOH VPDOO DQG VLW RQ WKH HDU DV RSSRVHG WR RYHU LW %XW FRQVLGHULQJ WKH VRXQG TXDOLW\ DQG SULFH L)URJ] DUH D JRRG EX\ ZKHWKHU \RXȇUH KHDG EDQJLQJ WR %ODFN 6DEEDWK RU %ODFN (\HG 3HDV – MATTHEW STERNE

QRW (YHQ WKRXJK WKH\ WLFNHG DOO WKH ER[HV Ζ VWLOO SUHIHU D VLPSOH SDLU RI OLJKWZHLJKW SDQWV 7KH\ GR ORRN JRRG WKRXJK DQG FRXOG EH D JUHDW FURVVRYHU RSWLRQ IRU KLNHUV ZKR ZDQW WR KLW WKH WRZQ DIWHUZDUGV ZLWKRXW VNLSSLQJ D EHDW – LEO ABRAHAMS

HI-TEC WILD-LIFE LUX

Your feet swell throughout the day –especially if you’ve been walking for hours – so try on new shoes in the afternoon when your feet will be at their biggest size.

)URP 5 ɋ hi-tec.co.za These boots are comfortable – and not just on the hiking-boot scale of comfort. They are sneaker comfortable. It is, in parts, due to the recovery-foam sockliner and ultra-soft midsole, but largely down to the supple premium leather which moulds to your foot DQG ȾH[HV OLNH D VSRUWV shoe. In fact, from the top it looks like a sports shoe: it has sleek, contoured uppers, a depressed vamp

and a slim tongue, which solves the one gripe I have about hiking boots: large, SXÎ?\ WRQJXHV WKDW SXVK over the bottoms of your trousers. The obvious VDFULČ´FH WKLV KDV RQ IRUHIRRW protection is made up in the mid and rear of the shoe with a padded collar and moulded heel chassis. In all, it’s actually the kind of hybrid walking shoe I’ve been waiting for: tough enough for a big day on the mountain, but stylish and subtle enough to settle in beneath a pair of jeans at a dinner party like a chestnut tabby. My only suggestion: ditch the orange laces. – TYSON JOPSON

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

ECOZOOM VERSA STOVE R999, seagullindustries.co.za 7KLV VWRYH LV LGHDO IRU FRRNLQJ TXLFN PHDOV RXWGRRUV LW VKRXOG QHYHU EH XVHG LQVLGH O WHVWHG LW RXW RQ WKH Getaway WHDP ZLWK D EUHDNIDVW RI IULHG HJJV EDFRQ DQG FDUDPHOLVHG RQLRQV DQG Ζ ERLOHG ZDWHU IRU RXU PRUQLQJ FR΍HH ZKLFK WRRN DERXW Ȃ PLQXWHV &KDUFRDO RU ZRRG FDQ EH XVHG Ζ FKRVH WKH ODWWHU VPDOO GU\ SLHFHV Ζ IRXQG DURXQG RXU FDPS EXW Ζ KDG WR FRQVWDQWO\

DGG PRUH WR WKH ȴUH VR Ζ WKLQN charcoal would be a better RSWLRQ 7KH ELJJHVW SOXV ZLWK WKH (FR=RRP LV LWȇV HɝFLHQF\ Ȃ WKH ȴUH JHWV KRW TXLFNO\ VR FRRNLQJ IRRG LV IDVWHU LWȇV IXHO HɝFLHQW DQG LW SURGXFHV OHVV VPRNH WKDQ DQ RSHQ FDPSȴUH :LWK LWV FP [ FP GLPHQVLRQV DQG ZHLJKW RI NJ LWȇV HDV\ WR FDUU\ QRW DQ RSWLRQ IRU D ORQJ KLNH WKRXJK DQG \RX GRQȇW QHHG DQ\ EUDDLLQJ H[SHULHQFH RU DFFRODGHV WR XVH LW – WELCOME LISHIVHA

HYBRIDLIGHT SOLAR HEADLAMP R295,outdoorwarehouse.co.za With this little number you’ll never have to worry about batteries. It provides 30 hours of light from one full charge, which you can get from 10 hours of solar charging or just one and a half hours via 86% ΖW DOVR WXUQV LWVHOI RÎ? LI \RX accidentally leave it on. The light is not too bright, just 75 lumens, but I found it perfect for a campsite or braai (it won’t blind everyone else). The adjustable strap is comfortable and the angle of the light can be changed. If there’s light rain, no problem, it’s water resistant. And if you’re only an occasional outdoorsman, no problem either – the manufacturer’s claim that it keeps its charge for a year. – MATTHEW STERNE

This solar panel can be recharged using any light source, not just the sun!

ECO-FIRELIGHTERS R20 (pack of four), braaiprop.co.za These eco-friendly, cupcake-size BraaiProps are made from the Akavia plant family. I tested them on the EcoZoom Versa Stove (see opposite). They light easily and burn ZLWK D YHU\ ODUJH ČľDPH (larger than regular Č´UHOLJKWHUV ZKLFK means the chances RI \RXU Č´UH FDWFKLQJ

are increased. One BraaiPop and some kindling was all it took WR JHW D UREXVW ȴUH going. But you’ll need to use two or three to get DQ RSHQ ȴUH JRLQJ 7KH\ come in a reusable and biodegradable zip-seal package. – WELCOME LISHIVHA

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

FIRST ASCENT FLINT 25L BACKPACK 5 ɋ outdoorwarehouse.co.za %HIRUH WHVWLQJ WKLV EDFNSDFN Ζ ȴUVW DVNHG P\VHOI ZKDW IHDWXUHV LW KDG WR KDYH WR PDNH PH WDNH XS KLNLQJ PRUH VHULRXVO\" 6HFXUH VLGH SRFNHWV WR NHHS P\ ZDWHU ERWWOH RU SKRQH IURP IDOOLQJ RXW YHQWLODWLRQ VR WKDW P\ EDFN GRHVQȇW IHHO OLNH LWȇV LQVLGH D VDXQD DQG VSDFH WR FDUU\ H[WUD FORWKLQJ VXFK DV D UDLQ MDFNHW DQG RWKHU QHFHVVLWLHV ΖȇG WDNH RQ D GD\ KLNH 7KH )OLQW KDV DOO RI WKHVH DQG PRUH DQG LW GRHVQȇW KXUW WKDW LW ORRNV JRRG WRR 7KH IURQW SRFNHW KROGV VPDOOHU LWHPV Ȃ Ζ IHOW UHDVVXUHG NQRZLQJ WKDW Ζ ZRXOGQȇW KDYH WR VFUDWFK DURXQG IRU P\ KRXVH NH\V DQG ZDOOHW DW WKH ERWWRP RI WKH EDJ DIWHU D ORQJ KLNH 7KH VWHUQXP VWUDS DQG KLS EHOW KHOSHG PH WR IHHO PRUH ȆFHQWUHGȇ ZKLOH Ζ ZDONHG XS DQG GRZQ KLOOV DQG WKH SDFN GLGQȇW VODP DJDLQVW P\ EDFN SOXV Ζ FRXOG DGMXVW WKH SDGGHG VKRXOGHU VWUDSV 7KLV EDJ LV DOVR K\GUDWLRQ EODGGHU FRPSDWLEOH Ȃ 1$1'Ζ 0$-2/$

OOMPH PORTABLE COFFEE MAKER AND TRAVEL MUG 5 ɋ PRUHȵDYRXU FR ]D ΖI \RX DUH QHZ WR PDNLQJ ȴOWHU FR΍HH RU XVH D ȴOWHU FR΍HH PDFKLQH WKLV ZLOO EH WKH HDVLHVW FXS RI FR΍HH \RXȇOO HYHU PDNH 7KHUH DUH MXVW WZR SDUWV WR LW Ȃ QR IDQF\ GLDOV WR ZRUN RXW &RQYHQLHQW DQG FRPSDFW DUH WKH ZRUGV WKDW VWDQG RXW WKH PRVW DIWHU Ζ WHVWHG WKH 2RPSK RXWGRRUV Ȃ LWȇV VPDOO HQRXJK WR SXW LQ \RXU EDFNSDFN IRU D KLNH DQG FDQ DOVR EH XVHG DV D WUDYHO PXJ ZKHQ \RXȇUH RQ WKH JR DV LWȇV LQVXODWHG DQG ZRQȇW EXUQ \RX ΖW FRPHV ZLWK HDV\ WR IROORZ LOOXVWUDWHG LQVWUXFWLRQV VLPSO\ DGG WKH JURXQG FR΍HH WR WKH FOHDU ȵDVN DGG WKH ERLOLQJ ZDWHU DQG WKHQ XVH WKH EODFN DWWDFKPHQW DV WKH SOXQJHU <RXȇOO JHW IRXU WR ȴYH

VPDOO FXSV RI VWURQJ GHOLFLRXV SUHVVXUH EUHZHG FR΍HH ZLWKLQ PLQXWHV 7KHUHȇV DQ LQWHUQDO VHDO that traps heat to retain the WHPSHUDWXUH Ȃ Ζ OHIW LW VWDQGLQJ IRU DERXW VHYHQ PLQXWHV IRU D VWURQJHU ȵDYRXU DQG WKH FR΍HH ZDV VWLOO KRW ΖW ZDV D ELW RI D PLVVLRQ WR FOHDQ DV VRPH RI WKH FR΍HH JURXQGV ZHUH WULFN\ WR JHW RXW ΖI \RX DUH FDPSLQJ \RX FDQ JLYH LW D TXLFN ULQVH EXW PDNH VXUH WR FOHDQ LW ZHOO ZKHQ \RX JHW KRPH Ȃ 21'(/$ 0/$1'8

FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE SQ10 HYBRID INSTANT DIGITAL CAMERA 5 É‹ SOXV 5 IRU D SDFN RI LQVWDQW Č´OP ormsdirect.co.za Is this camera a necessity? No. But it’s an exciting way of creating tactile visual memories with a nineties Polaroid-picture feel. There’s even an in-camera edit function, which means you can choose how you want them to look. I’m not great with technology and don’t like manuals but it didn’t take me long to start snapping away. The ELJ GLÎ?HUHQFH EHWZHHQ LW and its predecessors, is WKDW WKH )XMLČ´OP ΖQVWD[ records your images digitally too – which means you can save them to post to Instagram. Neither the camera nor WKH LQVWDQW Č´OP FRPH cheap – this means you’ll have to choose your memories very carefully. All in all it’s still a cool tool to keep a physical record of your travels. Č‚ 1$1'Ζ 0$-2/$

Dual shutter buttons on the left and right is the good news for lefties and makes it easier to take selďŹ es with either hand.

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE 16 CAN HARDBODY COOLER R399, campmaster.co.za This cooler bag can carry a total of 16 cans. The expandable insulated front pocket has space for four cans while the inside accommodates two six packs (eight upright in the hardbody and four lying down on top of it). If you don’t pack the latter, use the space between the hardcover lid and the main soft cover to store anything from ice to fruit and cutlery. The internal

COLEMAN FASTPITCH INSTANT CABIN 4 5 ɋ takealot.com This tent is so simple to erect it almost feels like cheating and it’s satisfying when you’re on your second glass of wine watching the other campers still setting up. Using a similar mechanism to a fast-pitch gazebo, the built-in tent poles click quickly into place, the Ⱦ\VKHHW DWWDFKHV HDVLO\ WR WKH RXWVLGH of the spider-like frame and you’re good to go. It’s labelled a four-man WHQW EXW UHDOO\ LW ȴWV WKUHH DGXOWV without bags and is ideal for two adults with bags. A handy feature is the adjustable ventilation panels, which allow you to manage the DLUȾRZ WKURXJK WKH WHQW ΖWȇV easy to pack up too, but it folds down into something slightly heavier and larger than similar tents (7,5kg) due to the nature of the poles. – MATTHEW STERNE

hardbody is well insulated – I left frozen milk in it for the day and it was still 70% frozen at the end, despite the bag being in the sun. The hardbody can also be removed so it’s easy to clean. The cooler bag comes with an adjustable shoulder strap and a shoulder pad. I found it ideal to carry on the short walk for our team picnic. – WELCOME LISHIVHA

MANFROTTO PRO LIGHT CAMERA BACKPACK 3N1-36 PL 5 takealot.com The sturdy camera backpack is built for versatility and designed to meet current landscape and travel photographers’ UHTXLUHPHQWV 7KLQN tripod, drone, a range of lenses, camera body, and 15-inch laptop, all easily accessed from various areas in the bag. It has numerous zipped pouches and velcroed customisable compartments. The lightweight fabric is

durable and waterrepellent, with a cover included for heavier downpours. The padded straps are comfortable and can be rearranged to give you more support or turn the bag into a sling. :KDW Ζ ȴQG PRVW appealing is its strong air-travel focus. The bag is compliant with carry-on luggage restrictions, and can be attached to the telescopic handles of your luggage which means you don’t have to lug the bag on your back between terminals. I’m sold. Ȃ 7($*$1 &811Ζ))(

Malkin 10x42 Premium Waterproof Binoculars 5 É‹ capeuniomart.co.za These entry-level binoculars from China are light, easy to hold and balanced. The focus knob is smooth, easily accessible, and the hinge is easy to manipulate. I thought the colour was bright and well graded and true, and WKH YLHZ QLFH DQG FULVS Č‚ QR UHČľHFWLRQ around the edge of the object being focused on. According to the specs, the binocs DUH QLWURJHQ Č´OOHG ZKLFK SUHYHQWV IRJJLQJ The Malkin range (this particular set is the highest of their range of six) is exclusive to Cape Union Mart, which has brought the brand into the SA market because, according WR WKH EX\HU WKH\ RÎ?HU WKH VDPH TXDOLW\ DV National Geographic, Tasco, Bushnell and Nikon binocs. I compared the Malkins to my HQWU\ OHYHO 1LNRQV DQG WKH\ GLG VHHP HTXDO However, a binocular expert I consulted raised

DQ H\HEURZ DW WKH TXDOLW\ RI &KLQHVH JODVV VD\LQJ LWV TXDOLW\ FRQWURO LV QRW DV VWULFW DV elsewhere. I put it to the buyer and he responded saying China also produces many high-grade products (including Bushnell and Nikon), but CUM guarantees all its products under its fair wear-and-tear guarantee: should the binocs break or malfunction due to a manufacturing fault, it will replace it or refund irrespective of time. – 621<$ 6&+2(0$1

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

THULE VEA BACKPACK 21L 5 É‹ thule.com This beauty had me with its many compartments. There are places galore to store smaller items (a powerbank, car keys and your passport) and enough space WR Č´W LQ ODUJHU WHFK LWHPV VXFK DV D ODSWRS or camera, all of which are protected with padding. I took it to Silvermine Nature Reserve for the day and it was comfortable to wear – the shoulder and back straps have soft cushioning, but it felt more like a work backpack than hiking one – it’s smart and not waterproof. The standout feature for me is its versatility – it can be used as D GXÎ?HO EDJ D VOLQJ EDJ DQG D EDFNSDFN There is an expanding pocket in the front that can be used for anything and cinched down when not in use. I stored my dirty tackies here after a walk. I’m always thrilled when I can separate clean clothes and shoes from dirty ones. Č‚ 21'(/$ 0/$1'8

FIRST ASCENT LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLE HAMMOCK 5 ȴUVWDVFHQW FR ]D Made of strong parachute fabric, this light camping accessory easily packs away into its compression bag, which is roughly the size of a small loaf of bread. The hammock holds two people up to 200kg in total, but beware, you’ll be wedged in like two Melrose cheeses, so it’s only really comfortable for couples. It comes with rope and

aluminium carabiners so setting it up is pretty easy if you remember how to tie your knots. With just one person in the hammock the extra material makes a nice blanket, especially useful when lazing turns to napping. Č‚ 0$77+(: 67(51(

LEATHERMAN TREAD LT 5 É‹ awesometools.co.za 7KLV LV MHZHOOHU\ ZLWK D SXUSRVH È‚ D KDUGHQHG VWDLQOHVV VWHHO ZULVW EDQG with 29 tools on it. The new /HDWKHUPDQ 7UHDG /7 LV D OLJKWHU DQG WKLQQHU YHUVLRQ RI WKH RULJLQDO DQG TXLFNO\ LPSUHVVHG D IHZ RI WKH ER\V

DURXQG WKH EUDDL %OLQJ WKDWȇV UHDG\ IRU DQ\WKLQJ WKH WRROV LQFOXGH $OOHQ ZUHQFKHV VFUHZGULYHUV ER[ ZUHQFKHV DQG D ERWWOH RSHQHU 7KHUHȇV HYHQ D VPDOO SLFN WKDW FDQ SRS WKH VLP FDUG RXW RI \RXU SKRQH 'HVSLWH LWV XVHIXOQHVV LWȇV QRW FORVH

WR KDYLQJ WKH IXQFWLRQDOLW\ RI DQ DFWXDO /HDWKHUPDQ EXW Ζ IRXQG LW ZDV SHUIHFW IRU WKH RGG TXLFN MRE DQG LW KDV EHHQ GHVLJQHG WR meet regulations for DLUOLQH FDUU\ RQ Ȃ 0$77+(: 67(51(

HIGHLANDER DOUBLE SELF-INFLATING MATTRESS 5 É‹ campandclimb.co.za This mattress lives up to its name. Within a minute of opening the nozzle, it was LQȵDWHG DQG Ζ FRXOG OLH GRZQ OLNH Ζ ZRXOG RQ P\ EHG DW KRPH 7KLV ODUJH DQG soft mattress is almost FRPIRUWDEOH HQRXJK WR GHVHUYH WKDW NLQG RI FRPSDULVRQ ZLWK FXVKLRQLQJ VR JRRG LWȇV HYHQ SRVVLEOH WR VOHHS RQ \RXU VLGH 7KH FKDOOHQJH FDPH ZKHQ SDFNLQJ LW XS DV LW ZDV D UHDO VWUXJJOH WR JHW LW EDFN LQWR

WKH EDJ %HLQJ D GRXEOH PDWWUHVV LWȇV EXON\ WR KLNH ZLWK VR LWȇV EHWWHU WR WKURZ LW LQ WKH EDFN RI WKH FDU IRU D TXLFN RYHUQLJKW RU FDPSLQJ DGYHQWXUH Ȃ 0$77+(: 67(51(

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

SEA TO SUMMIT SLEEP RANGE 6LQJOH KDPPRFN 5 ɋ Bug net R959 Gear sling R399 8OWUDOLJKW WDUS 5 ɋ Suspension straps R299 adventureinc.co.za ΖWȇV QHYHU RFFXUUHG WR PH WKDW D KDPPRFN FRXOG EH PRUH WKDQ MXVW D QLFH DGGLWLRQ WR D JURXQG EDVHG FDPSLQJ VHW XS 7KHQ Ζ WHVWHG WKH 6HD WR 6XPPLW 6OHHS 6\VWHP 7KH IXOO VHW LV ȴYH SLHFHV D VLQJOH VOHHSHU KDPPRFN WDUS EXJ QHW JHDU VOLQJ DQG VXVSHQVLRQ VWUDSV (DFK FRPHV LQ LWV RZQ VPDOO SRXFK WKH EXJ QHW DERXW WKH VL]H RI D PO ZDWHU ERWWOH LV WKH ODUJHVW DQG WRJHWKHU WKH VHW ZHLJKV NJ 7KDWȇV VLJQLȴFDQWO\ OLJKWHU WKDQ D WHQW DQG PXFK HDVLHU WR SDFN 6HWWLQJ XS IRU WKH ȴUVW WLPH WDNHV D ELW RI ȴJXULQJ RXW EXW RQFH \RX JHW WKH ȆKDQJȇ RI LW LWȇV D GRGGOH (VSHFLDOO\ QLIW\ LV WKH JHDU VOLQJ IRU

NHHSLQJ \RXU SDFN R΍ WKH JURXQG DQG WKH EXJ QHW ZKLFK GRHVQȇW IHHO FODXVWURSKRELF +RZ SUDFWLFDO LW LV DV DQ DOO RXW UHSODFHPHQW IRU D WHQW GHSHQGV RQ KRZ \RX IHHO DERXW VOHHSLQJ LQ D KDPPRFN IRU H[WHQGHG SHULRGV \RXQJHU IRON PLJKW ȴQG LW PRUH DSSHDOLQJ 7KH ULSVWRS Q\ORQ LV FRPIRUWDEOH DQG WKH WDUS FDQ EH DGDSWHG WR NHHS RXW UDLQ ZLQG DQG KDUVK VXQOLJKW )RU VKRUW WHUP FDPSLQJ RU DQ RYHUQLJKW KLNH LQ ZRRGHG DUHDV RU RQ XQHYHQ WHUUDLQ LWȇV DQ LPSUHVVLYH VROXWLRQ – TYSON JOPSON

CAPE STORM SCOUT MATTRESS R499, outdoorwarehouse.co.za 6LPSOH \HW H΍HFWLYH WKLV QR IXVV HQWU\ OHYHO KLNLQJ PDWWUHVV SURYLGHV WKH FXVKLRQLQJ \RXU WLUHG ERG\ QHHGV DIWHU D ORQJ GD\ KLNLQJ EXW GRQȇW H[SHFW PXFK HOVH ΖWȇV VOLP DQG QDUURZ FP [ FP VR LWȇV OLJKW WR FDUU\ EXW WKDW DOVR PHDQV ODUJHU SHRSOH ZLOO VOHHS ZLWK WKHLU HOERZV DQG KHHOV RQ WKH ȵRRU Ȃ WKHVH DUH WKH VDFULȴFHV ZH VRPHWLPHV QHHG WR PDNH ZKHQ SDFNLQJ HɝFLHQWO\ DQG D΍RUGDEO\ 7KH PDWWUHVV UROOV XS HDVLO\ LQWR D OLJKW DQG VPDOO SDFNDJH URXJKO\ WKH VL]H RI D VPDOO VOHHSLQJ EDJ ΖI \RXȇUH MXVW VWDUWLQJ RXW RU ZLOO RQO\ XVH LW VHOGRPO\ WKHQ Ζ WKLQN WKLV LV D GHFHQW RSWLRQ – MATTHEW STERNE

Lie at an angle diagonally across a hammock to keep your spine straight for a comfortable sleep.

GARMIN INREACH EXPLORER+ )URP 5 ɋ garmin.co.za This is a GPS with a GL΍HUHQFH ΖQVWHDG RI XVLQJ FRQYHQWLRQDO SRVLWLRQLQJ V\VWHPV WKH ΖQ5HDFK LV OLQNHG WR ΖULGLXP Ȃ WKH ZRUOGȇV ODUJHVW FRPPHUFLDO VDWHOOLWH FRQVWHOODWLRQ 7KLV PHDQV LWȇV DOVR D VDWSKRQH DQG D VPDUW RQH DW WKDW <RX FDQ VHQG DQG UHFHLYH WH[W PHVVDJHV IURP DQ\ZKHUH LQ WKH ZRUOG VKDUH \RXU ORFDWLRQ ZLWK IULHQGV DQG IDPLO\ DQG VHQG WKHP D OLQN VR WKH\ FDQ WUDFN \RX RQOLQH DQG HYHQ SRVW RQ VRFLDO PHGLD QR PRELOH VLJQDO UHTXLUHG ΖW DOVR FRQQHFWV WR *(26 D FHQWUDOLVHG HPHUJHQF\ PRQLWRULQJ QHWZRUN WKDW ZLOO JHW KHOS WR \RX ZKHUHYHU \RX DUH LQ WKH ZRUOG )RU DGYHQWXURXV

W\SHV DQG WUDYHOOHUV KHDGLQJ WR UHPRWH ORFDWLRQV Ζ UHFHQWO\ XVHG LW RQ D [ WULS LQ /HVRWKR LW FRXOG YHU\ ZHOO EH D OLIHVDYHU )RU URXWH SODQQLQJ DQG QDYLJDWLRQ LW FRQQHFWV WR WKH (DUWKPDWH $SS ODSWRS DQG PRELOH VR \RX FDQ XSORDG ZD\SRLQWV RQ WKH JR DQG FUHDWH DQG GRZQORDG URXWHV IURP WKH ΖQ5HDFK ZHEVLWH GHYRXW

%DVHFDPS XVHUV Ȃ RI ZKLFK Ζ DP RQH Ȃ FDQ VWLOO GRZQ ORDG DQG XSORDG JS[ ȴOHV WRR ΖWȇV Ζ3; ZDWHUSURRI VXSHU UXJJHG FRPHV ZLWK D FOLS RQ FDUDELQHU DQG KDV DQ LQFUHGLEOH FODLPHG KRXU EDWWHU\ OLIH ZKHQ WUDFNLQJ LV VHW DW PLQXWH LQWHUYDOV – TYSON JOPSON

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GETAWAY ULTIMATE GEAR GUIDE

SUUNTO TRAVERSE ALPHA CONCRETE 5 ɋ ultimo.co.za As a lover of watches, I was really keen to test this bad boy out, so I made plans to hike up Lion’s Head on D FRRO DIWHUQRRQ 0\ ȴUVW impression was how good it felt and looked on my wrist. It’s hefty but not overly bulky like other brands on the market. This watch has a wide variety of functions that will make any outdoorsy person go wild including GPS and Glosnass (global navigation satellite system), an altimeter, barometer, digital compass and three customisable sport modes, for hiking, ȴVKLQJ DQG KXQWLQJ 2QFH the GPS feature is enabled it monitors sunrise and sunset times, which comes in handy if you’re planning an HDUO\ PRUQLQJ ȴVKLQJ WULS or a sunset hike. When set to a GPS point, the watch automatically saves the starting point of your recording, and with the Breadcrumb Trail function allows you to save points of interest on the way – very useful if you need to retrace your steps. There’s a QLIW\ ȾDVKOLJKW DQG WKH UHG backlight is handy for night use as your eyes don’t need to readjust to the dark. My only gripe is that the instruction manual is thin on detail and I spent D ZKLOH ȴJXULQJ RXW KRZ WR use some of the functions. Ȃ /(2 $%5$+$06

LOWEPRO FLIPSIDE 400 AW II BACKPACK 5 ormsdirect.co.za 7KLV EDJ LV D JRRG ȴW IRU the capable amateur photographer who needs a pared-down bag for urban use. It’s 500g lighter than the 2kg Manfrotto 3N1-36 PL (see page 107), and fewer zippered pouches means an uncomplicated overall impression. Gear can be accessed while you are wearing the backpack by slipping the shoulder

VWUDSV RÎ? EXW NHHSLQJ the hip strap attached and swinging the pack to your front where the back zip can be RSHQHG 7KH VWUDSV Č´W comfortably on your shoulders and are kept secure by the chest strap (missing in the 3N1-36 PL). The bag’s Velcro compartments can be moved around to accommodate up to six lenses, a compact GURQH RU ČľDVK LQFK laptop and tripod, although I’d personally hesitate to max this bag out to capacity due to the thinner padding on the straps. Č‚ 7($*$1 &811Ζ))(

OZTRAIL CLASSIC SKYGAZER 4 DOME TENT 5 É‹ seagullindustries.co.za 7KH H[WHQW RI P\ WHQW SLWFKLQJ H[SHULHQFH LV ZDWFKLQJ someone doing it on an American sitcom and it’s always a fail. So when my colleague Leo and I were tasked with setting up the Skygazer to see how easy it is for novices, ZH GLOLJHQWO\ VWXGLHG WKH PDQXDO DQG WULHG WR È´JXUH RXW where each piece went. The instructions were clear but we still put the rods in the wrong position and the tent wouldn’t stay up! We eventually got it right, though. The coolest thing about this tent is that there is a ‘special window’ that you can create to be able to lie in bed and look up at the stars in the night sky – the back KDOI RI WKH ȵ\VKHHW UROOV XS DQG WKH PHVK NHHSV WKH EXJV RXW 7KH ȵ\VKHHW VLOYHU FRDWHG 89 7H[ UHȵHFWV KHDW and protects you from the elements, ensuring the tent keeps out the rain and doesn’t get too hot. The tent is comfortable for two people but if you don’t mind VOHHSLQJ VWUDLJKW OLNH D ORJ WKHQ WKUHH FDQ È´W DW D SXVK – NANDI MAJOLA

STALLION SOFT ROOFRACKS R695, outdoorwarehouse.co.za Best for the occasional kayaker or surfer, these padded roof UDFNV ȴW DQ\ FDU DQG WDNH XS OHVV VSDFH WKDQ WUDGLWLRQDO ȴ[HG roof racks when packed away. Made from foam, they’re as light as an afternoon nap, and can be easily attached in just a few minutes. Raised well above the roof of the car these racks are best for lighter loads such

as kayaks and surfboards. Bicycles, however, are not an option. The harnesses pass through the car under the roof so it’s best to position the front one as far forward as possible so it doesn’t irritate the driver’s KHDG %HLQJ H[FHSWLRQDOO\ lightweight, they’re not as durable as hard roof racks and shouldn’t be left on the car. – MATTHEW STERNE

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PROMOTION

2017 BRAND CATALOGUE

CAMPMASTER

SAFARI DOME 505 The 3m x 3m Safari Dome 505 tent features 300g-ripstop-canvas roof ventilation to allow in air from an early morning or afternoon breeze to help keep the tent cool throughout the day. It also has a pocket socket for power cable access which ensures that charging phones or cameras are within easy reach. The Safari Dome 505 weighs 19kg, comes with a one-year warranty and is available at Makro. )URP 5 É‹ campmaster.co.za

MARKETEERS

MAXELL, JAPAN Maxell, Japan has developed an LED lamp that requires just salt and water to function. That’s right: you no longer need batteries or solar panels to light up your campsite, home, or any outdoor area, which makes this product ideal for long FDPSLQJ WULSV WR RÎ? WKH JULG GHVWLQDWLRQV caravanning, and general outdoor use where power is not readily available. Maxell’s Mizusion lamp (Mizusion is Japanese for salt and water) contains a magnesium cell which creates an electrical

current when it comes into contact with salt and water. Even sea water will generate HOHFWULFLW\ $ SRZHU EDU SURYLGHV É‹ OX[ of light for about 80 hours. The magnesium cell power bars can be replaced at a nominal cost and the lamp has a lifespan of approximately 10 years. The Mizusion LED salt-water-powered lamps will soon be available throughout South Africa at most outdoor equipment retailers. )URP 5 marketeers-sa.com

CAMPMASTER

UTILITY BOX With a 46-litre capacity, this utility box is just what you need to keep things neat and tidy around the campsite on your next outdoor adventure with friends or family. They’re also stackable, so you can transport them easily or stack them on top of each other to create a surface. They have a one-year warranty. Available at Makro, Game and Builders Warehouse. )URP 5 campmaster.co.za

114 DECEMBER 2017

PROMOTION

2017 BRAND CATALOGUE

CAMPMASTER

SAFARI DOME 505 The 3m x 3m Safari Dome 505 tent features 300g-ripstop-canvas roof ventilation to allow in air from an early morning or afternoon breeze to help keep the tent cool throughout the day. It also has a pocket socket for power cable access which ensures that charging phones or cameras are within easy reach. The Safari Dome 505 weighs 19kg, comes with a one-year warranty and is available at Makro. )URP 5 É‹ campmaster.co.za

MARKETEERS

MAXELL, JAPAN Maxell, Japan has developed an LED lamp that requires just salt and water to function. That’s right: you no longer need batteries or solar panels to light up your campsite, home, or any outdoor area, which makes this product ideal for long FDPSLQJ WULSV WR RÎ? WKH JULG GHVWLQDWLRQV caravanning, and general outdoor use where power is not readily available. Maxell’s Mizusion lamp (Mizusion is Japanese for salt and water) contains a magnesium cell which creates an electrical

current when it comes into contact with salt and water. Even sea water will generate HOHFWULFLW\ $ SRZHU EDU SURYLGHV É‹ OX[ of light for about 80 hours. The magnesium cell power bars can be replaced at a nominal cost and the lamp has a lifespan of approximately 10 years. The Mizusion LED salt-water-powered lamps will soon be available throughout South Africa at most outdoor equipment retailers. )URP 5 marketeers-sa.com

CAMPMASTER

UTILITY BOX With a 46-litre capacity, this utility box is just what you need to keep things neat and tidy around the campsite on your next outdoor adventure with friends or family. They’re also stackable, so you can transport them easily or stack them on top of each other to create a surface. They have a one-year warranty. Available at Makro, Game and Builders Warehouse. )URP 5 campmaster.co.za

114 DECEMBER 2017

2017 BRAND CATALOGUE

MARKETEERS

STIKKAN Making kindling for your braai just got a whole lot easier! Manufactured in Sweden since 1982, this robust, cast-iron kindling maker, which is already sold in more than 20 countries around the world, is now available in South Africa. Stikkan is not a log splitter but rather a kindling maker that allows you to easily split larger pieces of wood into smaller, combustible fragments to get your braai or potjie going easily, with no fuss. It can be attached to a wall or pillar next to your EXLOW LQ EUDDL Č´UHSODFH RU LQ \RXU JDUDJH RU JDUGHQ ZLWK IRXU EROWV and also features a steel safety ring to prevent small children from injuring themselves. )URP 5 OLPLWHG LQWURGXFWRU\ VSHFLDO RÎ?HU RI 5

marketeers-sa com marketeers-sa.com

EKHAYA

SUNKING BOOM Light up your adventure with this remarkable solarpowered lamp with FM Radio, MP3 player and handy USB charger for your mobile devices. The digital FM Radio has internal memory to save favourite radio stations and can play music directly from an SD card or USB drive for up to 10 hours. The SunKing Boom also comes with two-year warranty. Available from Ekhaya Brands (view entire product range on website). )URP 5 tony@ekhayabrands.com, ekhayabrands.com

HI-TEC

CRATER (BLACK & GREY) When the weather’s warm, it’s time to get your feet into an outdoor classic that will keep you comfortable while you explore. So, where to next? Hit the beach or city streets; as long as you’re having fun these sandals will keep your feet comfy. The cool and breezy design features neoprene lining with three adjustable hook-and-loop fastening straps. The EVA footbed adds cushioning and the light, durable carbonrubber gives superior traction and comfort. Available at major footwear retailers nationwide. From R599, hi-tec.co.za

116 DECEMBER 2017

CAMPMASTER

SAFARI COOLERS 45L AND 60L These fully insulated and impact-resistant VDIDUL FRROHUV FDQ KROG LFH IRU XS WR ȴYH GD\V ZKLFK PHDQV WKRVH ORQJ DGYHQWXUHV LQ WKH African sun just became a little bit easier. :KHWKHU LWȇV D WULS XS WKH 2UDQJH 5LYHU RU LQWR WKH .UXJHU VWD\ FKLOOHG ZLWK WKHVH UV 50+ protected coolers that keep the GULQNV FRRO DQG IRRG IUHVK 7KH\ KDYH D RQH \HDU ZDUUDQW\ $YDLODEOH DW 0DNUR )URP 5 ɋ / DQG 5 ɋ / campmaster.co.za

THULE

CROSSOVER 32L BACKPACK :KHWKHU \RXȇUH WUDYHOOLQJ RQ WKH ZD\ WR ZRUN RU RQ DQ HSLF RXWGRRU DGYHQWXUH WKLV EDFNSDFN has enough space for all of your requirements and more. There’s a padded laptop compartment ȴWV XS WR D ȋ 0DF%RRN 3UR RU 3& D WDEOHW KROGHU D FUXVKSURRI VDIH]RQH IRU IUDJLOH JHDU DQG a dedicated phone pocket. 7KHUHȇV DOVR D VKRYH LW SRFNHW with compression straps which

is ideal for a jacket or magazine. There are two side mesh pockets for water bottles and accessories and an internal compartment for cords and smaller items. ΖW IHDWXUHV SHUIRUDWHG (9$ shoulder straps with mesh FRYHULQJ DQG D SDGGHG EDFN SDQHO ZLWK DLU ȵRZ FKDQQHOV which make it both breathable and comfortable. )URP 5 É‹ thule.com

CAMPMASTER

12-IN-1 HATCHET TOOL Complete almost any task with this multitool. The precision-built hatchet comes with a range of tools for anyone looking to help out around the house. 7KH WRRO LQFOXGHV DQ D[H KHDG PXOWLSOH VL]H KH[ NH\ ZUHQFK VSLNH KDPPHU ERWWOH RSHQHU 3KLOOLSV KHDG VFUHZGULYHU NQLIH ZRRG VDZ KRRN UHPRYHU VORWWHG VFUHZGULYHU ȴVK VFDOHU UXOHU DQG VRIW ȴOH ΖW FRPHV ZLWK D RQH \HDU ZDUUDQW\ $YDLODEOH IURP 0DNUR )URP 5 campmaster.com

getaway.co.za 117

2017 BRAND CATALOGUE

CAMPMASTER

SAVANNAH DIRECTOR CHAIR <RXȇOO IHHO OLNH WKH NLQJ RI WKH bushveld in the ultra-padded &DPSPDVWHU 6DYDQQDK 'LUHFWRU &KDLU ΖW FDQ VXSSRUW XS WR NJ DQG FRPHV with some nifty armrest FRQYHQLHQFHV WRR 7KHUHȇV a handy side table for plates, PDJD]LQHV RU ELQRFXODUV D FXS KROGHU IRU \RXU IDYRXULWH beverage and there’s even a smartphone holder so you

don’t lose it. The highlight of WKH 'LUHFWRU &KDLU KRZHYHU LV WKH EXLOW LQ FRROHU ER[ 6WRUH \RXU FROG GULQNV RU EHHUV LQ WKHUH IRU HDV\ DFFHVV DQG enjoy a lazy afternoon at the FDPSVLWH RU VWD\ FRPIRUWDEOH around the braai at home. 7KH 6DYDQQDK 'LUHFWRUȇV &KDLU DOVR FRPHV ZLWK D RQH \HDU ZDUUDQW\ $YDLODEOH DW 0DNUR )URP 5 campmaster.com

AWESOME TOOLS

LEATHERMAN TREAD Whether you’re on the job, around the house or on a plane (yes, this multi-tool is airline friendly), the Leatherman Tread goes ZKHUHYHU \RX JR ΖW Č´WV RQWR \RXU ZULVW DQG KDV D VOHHN PRGHUQ ORRN WKDW PDNHV LW ERWK VW\OLVK DQG IXQFWLRQDO ΖWȇV DOVR DGMXVWDEOH WR Č´W DQ\ VL]H ZULVW \RX VLPSO\ DGG RU UHPRYH OLQNV 7KH /HDWKHUPDQ Q 7UHDG JLYHV \RX GLÎ?HUHQW WRROV WR VROYH DQ\ SUREOHP WKDW DULVVHV ΖW DOVR FRPHV ZLWK D QR TXHVWLRQV DVNHG \HDU /HDWKHUPDQ JXDUDQWHH $YDLODEOH LQ EODFN RU VWDLQOHVV VWHHO 5 É‹ awesometools.co.za

2017 AUTOMECHANIKA MOTOR SHOW INNOVATION AWARD WINNER

118 DECEMBER 2017

JACKHUB

ELECTRONIC VEHICLE JACK Whether you’re planning a trip deep into $IULFD RU MXVW GULYLQJ \RXU YHKLFOH WR ZRUN -DFNKXE HOHFWURQLF K\GUDXOLF YROW MDFNV ZLOO VDYH \RX WLPH DQG HÎ?RUW VR WKDW \RX FDQ HQMR\ WKH MRXUQH\ 6DIHW\ LV D KLJK SULRULW\ ZKLOH WUDYHOOLQJ -DFNKXE -DFN 7RUTXH :UHQFK ZLOO DVVLVW LQ JHWWLQJ

\RXU ZKHHO FKDQJHG LQ WKH EOLQN RI DQ H\H 7KH UDQJH RI MDFNV DYDLODEOH DUH HDV\ WR XVH DQG VXSHU GXUDEOH VR \RX FDQ WDNH them anywhere. &XUUHQW PRGHOV LQFOXGH D 7RQ LQ .LW PP OLIWLQJ UDQJH OSP LQČľDWRU SXPS IRU 5 É‹ D 7RQ LQ .LW PP OLIWLQJ UDQJH OSP GLJLWDO LQČľDWRU SXPS IRU 5 É‹ DQG D 7RQ -DFN PP OLIWLQJ UDQJH P SRZHU FDEOH DQG /(' OLJKW IRU 5 É‹ info@jackhub.co.za jackhub.co.za

COLEMAN ÂŽ ÂŽ

70QT XTREME TRICOLOR FOREST GREEN The new ColemanŽ 70QT XtremeŽ Tricolor Forest Green cooler box is designed with premium insulation technology DQG FDQ UHWDLQ LFH IRU XS WR ȴYH GD\V ΖW IHDWXUHV LQFUHDVHG insulation in the lid and base (tests show that this is where the majority of cooling in regular cooler boxes is lost) and reduced insulation on the sides, resulting in smaller exterior dimensions yet retaining interior capacity and performance. With a storage capacity of 66 litres, it is perfect for long road trips, days spent at a campsite or sporting events with the family or a large group of friends. As an added feature, the robust lids are strong enough to be used as a seat for up to 113kg! Available from Makro. )URP 5 ɋ coleman.eu/co.za

XTREME LIVING

OUTDOOR CUPS Wh th you are camping, Whether i travelling, at the beach, on a picnic, or just a little bit clumsy with glassware, these silicone drinking cups are the solution. They’re easy to clean, environmentally friendly, and made of 100 per cent silicone mould raw materials used in food-grade products. They’re simple, practical, healthy, naturally anti-

bacterial, b t i l and d resistant i t t to cracking and extreme temperatures. They are also dishwasher-friendly and suitable for home freezing (so they can do double duty as ice blocks to keep in your cooler while on a trip). The cups come in sets of two and are available in four great colours (neutral, lime, fuschia, lilac). R199 for a set, lgtools.co.za

THULE

VELOCOMPACT 927 You can take the whole family cycling with the Thule VeloCompact, our most compact and lightweight platform bicycle rack to date. It mounts to any tow bar and a smart foot pedal tilt enables easy boot access (even with the bikes mounted). It can carry three bikes and an adaptor can be

Č´WWHG IRU D IRXUWK 7KH UDFN locks to the vehicle and all the bikes lock to the rack to ensure maximum security. The arms that attach the bikes to the carrier are also detachable which makes mounting of the bikes simple. Each rack comes ZLWK D Č´YH \HDU ZDUUDQW\ )URP 5 É‹ thule.com

getaway.co.za 119

2017 BRAND CATALOGUE

SKYLANTERNS

CCTV DIRECT Staying one step ahead of the bad guys is now quick, HDV\ DQG DÎ?RUGDEOH WKDQNV to this range of DIY CCTV systems. Aside from being budget-friendly, these systems are also capable of do-it-yourself installation and connect to your smartphone to provide convenient viewing from anywhere in the world via internet and 3G.

The cameras work during the day and at night, are ZDWHUSURRI DQG Č´WWHG ZLWK motion detection systems and there is the option of a wired or wireless system. Installation is quick and easy and the systems come with a one-year guarantee and free courier shipping nationwide. )URP 5 É‹ IRU D IRXU FKDQQHO V\VWHP cctv-direct.co.za

CAMPMASTER

INSTANT 200 TENT This lightweight two-sleeper instant tent is a dream on short weekend breaks because it sets up in a snap. It weighs just 2,6kg and is easy to carry too. There are WDSHG VHDPV RQ WKH Čľ\VKHHW IRU improved water resistance, a water column of 2000mm and a built-in groundsheet. It also has a Ventech cooling system. It comes with a one-year warranty and is available at Game and Makro. From R699, campmaster.co.za

MARKETEERS

BAROCOOK FLAMELESS COOKING SYSTEMS With the Barocook Flameless Cooking Systems it is now possible to enjoy hot food and beverages wherever you are! The system even makes it safe enough to cook food inside your tent during inclement weather. Simply add a small amount of water to the single-use heating pack and you have heat within minutes without any toxic

120 DECEMBER 2017

fumes. The extensive range also includes a pressure cooker, 400ml cafe mug with leak-proof ČľLS WRS FDS DQG HYHQ D EDE\ bottle warmer. Cold packs are also available for certain systems DQG Č´W VQXJO\ EHWZHHQ WKH RXWHU container and inner pot to keep food cold until you are ready to cook. From R399, 083-7852244, marketeers-sa.com

XTREME LIVING

MINI SOS KIT This Mini SOS Kit is the ideal companion for the adventure enthusiast and travellers heading outdoors. It’s equipped with essential tools that help in unplanned scenarios and could make all WKH GLÎ?HUHQFH LQ JHWWLQJ \RX VDIHO\ KRPH 7KH 0LQL 626 Kit features tools such as a pair of adaptable pliers that FRPH ZLWK DQ /(' ČľDVKOLJKW and a lightweight tool card

that incorporates three GLÎ?HUHQW ZUHQFKHV ΖW DOVR KDV D ČľLQW VWUDLJKW VFUHZGULYHU PXOWL WRRO IUHWVDZ FRPSDVV DQG survival whistle and packs DZD\ HDVLO\ VR \RX FDQ WDNH LW DQ\ZKHUH ΖWȇV WKH SHUIHFW Christmas gift for an adventurous friend or IDPLO\ PHPEHU RU HYHQ IRU \RXUVHOI R299, lgtools.co.za

HI-TEC

ALTITUDE VI i WATERPROOF DARK CHOCOLATE ([SHULHQFH WKH EHVW RI 6RXWK $IULFDȇV VFHQHU\ VXQQ\ FOLPDWH DQG RXWGRRU FXOWXUH LQ +L 7HFȇV latest performance outdoor boot: The Altitude VI i Waterproof. It’s constructed for the ultimate hiker with design features that include a waterproof OHDWKHU XSSHU DQG 'UL 7HF ZDWHUSURRI EUHDWKDEOH PHPEUDQH WR NHHS \RXU IHHW GU\ $GGHG WR WKDW WKH 2UWKR/LWH ΖPSUHVVLRQV VRFN OLQHU ZLWK VORZ UHFRYHU\ IRDP ZLOO NHHS \RX FRPIRUWDEOH RQ PXOWL GD\ KLNHV The Michelin outsole adds the final elements of GXUDELOLW\ VWDELOLW\ DQG WUDFWLRQ \RX QHHG WR PDNH WKLV WKH LGHDO RXWGRRU VKRH IRU \RX ([FOXVLYHO\ available at Cape Union Mart Stores nationwide. )URP 5 ɋ capeunionmart.co.za/hi-tec

COLEMAN ÂŽ

EVENT SHELTER PRO With its wide dimensions the ColemanÂŽ (YHQW 6KHOWHU 3UR LV LGHDO IRU DQ\ RXWGRRU event. It features taped seams and UVGuard™ protection fabrics with an SPF50 that provide excellent protection against WKH VXQȇV UD\V 7KH PDWHULDO LV Č´UH UHWDUGDQW DQG ZLOO VHOI H[WLQJXLVK ZKLOH WKH VWHHO SROHV DUH YHU\ VWXUG\ DQG KDUG ZHDULQJ RÎ?HULQJ LQFUHDVHG VWUHQJWK IRU ODUJH structures. The shelter provides shade of 20m² and a headroom of 228cm at the centre. Available from Makro and Takealot. From R3 299, coleman.eu/co.za

getaway.co.za 121

AUDI

AUDI DOUBLE TABLET MEDIA PLAYERS Meet the ultimate in rear-seat entertainment. With a 10,1-inch touch display and a 16:10 format, these tablet players provide excellent picture quality, even in poor light conditions. They feature a host of interfaces for connecting modern storage media. Using a ‘Mirror screen’ function the players can play the same content on both

screens at the same time. They meet all global crash regulations and can also be used outside the vehicle and independently of one another. The double player package includes two 10,1-inch tablet players; a quick-start guide; wire-connected headphones; a one-metre USB cable (type A to micro B) and storage bags. )URP 5 É‹ audi.co.za

AUDI

AUDI SPORT CHRONOGRAPH Take time out for adventure with the super stylish Audi Sport Chronograph PreciDrive watch. Sporty and precise, this chronograph watch features ETA G10.212 Swiss-made PreciDrive movements inside a 44-millimetrediameter case made from high-quality stainless steel DLC coating and K1-resistant mineral glass. Among its stand-out features are illuminated hands and hour markers; a

chronograph, tachymeter and date display. It is also water resistant to 100 metres or 10ATM (atmospheres). The wristband features a 22-millimetre nylon sport buckle. This stunning precision timepiece, as well as all other genuine Audi collection merchandise, can be purchased at an accredited Audi dealership nationwide. )URP 5 É‹ audi.co.za

AUDI

AUDI BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES These headphones will bring a new level of all-round comfort to \RXU URDG WULS ČľLJKW RU FRPPXWH They are optimally designed for the human anatomy and are ultra comfortable, even for extended periods of time. They also feature outstanding acoustic shielding, which prevents disruption to others in the vehicle.

The Bluetooth headphones can also be used in combination with the Audi Entertainment mobile; rear-seat entertainment system; and all Apple products. The full package includes the headphones, a storage bag with the Audi logo, rechargeable batteries and operating instructions. )URP 5 É‹ audi.co.za

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Michael Parr +27 (0)11 449 1089 michaelp@ramsaymedia.co.za

www.getaway.co.za 124 DECEMBER 2017

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

GETAWAY GEAR

getaway.co.za 125

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

CAMPING GUY ROPE / STRAP SHOCK ABSORBER

MADE IN SA

126 DECEMBER 2017

MICHAEL PARR

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GETAWAY GEAR

getaway.co.za 127

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

TO ADVERTISE

CONTACT Michael Parr +27 (0)11 449 1089 michaelp@ramsaymedia.co.za

www.getaway.co.za www.challengertrailers.co.za

082 551 0797 014 743 1151 011 397 8170

“Biggest trailer manufacturer in Africa” 128 DECEMBER 2017

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

GETAWAY GEAR

getaway.co.za 129

MICHAEL PARR

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

Email: info@bushlapa.com 130 DECEMBER 2017

Paarl: 021 870 1277 Pretoria: 076 020 5481 Pretoria North: 012 543 2907 Port Elizabeth: 041 364 2070 KZN: 031 331 0061

MICHAEL PARR

®

011-449-1089

mikep@ramsaymedia.co.za

GETAWAY GEAR

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Guide To advertise contact Erika Pienaar | 021 530 3114 | erika.pienaar@ramsaymedia.co.za www.getaway.co.za

This space could be yours for

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EASTERN CAPE

(excl VAT)

HOTEL HIKING TRAILS ALONG SOUTH AFRICA’S LEGENDARY WILD COAST t "DDPNNPEBUJPO 3FTFSWBUJPOT t $POGFSFODF 7FOVFT t "EWFOUVSF &YDVSTJPOT t 5SBOTQPSU t 5BJMPSFE 1BDLBHFT Tel: +27 (0)43 743 6181 Fax: +27 (0)43 743 6188 meross@iafrica.com www.wildcoastholidays.co.za

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EASTERN CAPE

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FAMILY HOLIDAYS WITH

travel For more packages visit getaway.co.za/travel Contact Claudia on 021-530-3380 or travel@getaway.co.za getaway.co.za 133

GAUTENG

KWAZULU NATAL

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Erika Pienaar +27 (0)21 530 3114 erikap@ramsaymedia.co.za

www.getaway.co.za

ROMANTIC GETAWAYS WITH

travel For more packages visit getaway.co.za/travel Contact Claudia on 021-530-3380 or travel@getaway.co.za

TEL (011) 705-3201 FAX (011) 705-3203 MOBILE 083 379-5296 WEB www.balloon.co.za EMAIL m.getaway@balloon.co.za

GAUTENG

WINNER: SOUTH AFRICAN

BEST TOUR TOURISM WELCOME OPERATOR AWARDS 2006

3ITUATED IN THE .ORTH 7EST 0ROVINCE

Luxury self- catering Homestead and cottages.

Luxury full-service lodge in superb mountain

Extensive sports and recreational facilities.

setting. Indigenous forest, mountain hikes, game

Great for small groups and family getaways.

and bush. Great food and romantic getaway.

Hassle free self-catering Beachfront apartments

KWAZULU NATAL

Tel: (032) 946 2140

Tel: 058 713 6361/1 or 073 228 7391 info@witsieshoek.co.za

www.witsieshoek.co.za with online bookings

www.parsonsletting.co.za

UMHLANGA ROCKS

BREAK ERS s BEDROOM BATHROOM GROUNDmOOR UNIT s &ULLY EQUIPPED KITCHEN s 5SE OF ALL HOTEL FACILITIES s "EACHFRONT s 5NDERCOVER PARKING s HOUR SECURITY s &ROM 2 PER DAY ,OW SEASON Call Ina 082 572 9463 e.mail: wburgoog@mweb.co.za website: www.breakers210.co.za

Self-catering Holiday Accommodation

Zinkwazi Beach North Coast of Natal Engela Wium Driftwood Estates ewium@mweb.co.za 082 378 3546 www.driftwoodestates.co.za 134 DECEMBER 2017

KWAZULU NATAL

SOUTHPORT / PORT SHEPSTONE

NDULULA ALUXURY H TSelf Catering Safari Tents

Self Catering Holiday Accommodation Shelly Beach, St Michaels, Uvongo Manaba, Margate & Ramsgate, The KwaZulu Natal South Coast

Tel: 039 315 6334 Email: relax@happyholidays.co.za VIEW OUR ACCOMMODATION ON OUR WEBSITE

www.happyholidays.co.za

Relax in nature without sacriямБcing comfort or safety!

RAMSGATE HOLIDAY COTTAGES SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION ON THE BEACH OR WALKING DISTANCE IN TRANQUIL RAMSGATE.

www.thandulula.com info@thandulula.com 039 681 3755 / 082 430 3334

PH: 039 314 4308 / 317 9173 FAX: 039 314 4761 EMAIL: ramshol@telkomsa.net WEB: www.rhcottages.co.za

LIMPOPO

MPUMALANGA

GETAWAY GUIDE

COTTAGE, RAMSGATE

WALK TO THE BEACH AND LAGOON

Sleeps ямБve, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Self catering, All mod cons, TV, Braai, Garden, Pool, Birdlife. Tel: +27 (0) 11-887-8311 Fax: 086-273-3343 Cell: +27 (0) 82-417-5717 mstaffordmayer@gmail.com

ST LUCIA

holiday accommodation

Self catering, Air-conditioned, Pool, Covered parking, DSTV

LIMPOPO

Tel/Fax: +27 (0)35 590 1645 +27 (0)73 608 4367 enquiries@fisheaglesl.co.za www.fisheaglesl.co.za

Forest Camp s !CCOMODATION AND FULL CATERING FOR PEOPLE AT THE FOOT OF THE $RAKENSBERG s "IRDING AND GUIDED GAME WALKS

Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre s $AILY TOURS s 3UCCESSFUL BREEDING PROGRAMMES s -ANAGEMENT COURSE FOR GAME FARMING

-OUNTAIN 6IEW s !CCOMODATION FOR PLUS PEOPL s " " FULL CATERING s 'UIDED BIRD AND WILDLIFE BUSH WALKS

NIGHT DRIVES

Ya Mati s X LUXURIOUS CHALETS ON THE BANK OF THE "LYDE 2IVER s 3ELF CATERING OR FULL CATERING s 7EDDING FACILI TIES FOR UP TO PEOPLE

For more info and bookings: Forest Camp & Rehabilitation Centre: Tel: +27 (0)15 795-5236 Fax: +27 (0)15 795-5333 Mountain view: Cell: 082 907 5983 Ya Mati: Cell: 072 191 2024 / 084 511 3000 Fax: +27 (0)12 348 4926 E-mail: moholo@worldonline.co.za

www.moholoholo.co.za

Djuma Game Reserve

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Erika Pienaar +27 (0)21 530 3114 erikap@ramsaymedia.co.za

www.getaway.co.za

MPUMALANGA Enjoy ямБve-star luxury, self-catering, freedom to plan your own schedule and to savour the bush at your own pace. Like owning your own game farm without the hassle. E-mail: reservations@djuma.co.za 4EL s WWW DJUMA COM

getaway.co.za 135

MPUMALANGA

Tranquil Nest AFFORDABLE LUXURY

YOU DESERVE IT !

HAZYVIEW Chalets with Private Jacuzzi’s or Heated Splash Pools 10km from the KNP and central to the Panorama Route Excellent Security, Back up Water and Electricity Exciting Activities, and lovely restaurants in close proximity. RELAX and have FUN!!

Ellen 0825569383 info@tranquilnest.co.za

THULAMELA Hazyview www.thulamela.co.za

136 DECEMBER 2017

CONTACT US DIRECT FOR SPECIALS

BUSH BREAKS WITH

travel For more packages visit getaway.co.za/travel Contact Claudia on 021-530-3380 or travel@getaway.co.za

NORTH WEST

WESTERN CAPE

GETAWAY GUIDE

WITH

travel For more packages visit getaway.co.za/travel Contact Claudia on 021-530-3380 or travel@getaway.co.za

NORTH WEST

Set in the Magaliesberg Mountains, this is a haven for campers, hikers, birders, budding botonists or anyone seeking peace and quiet in natural, unspoilt surroundings. No radios or noise allowed. The reserve has crystal clear mountain pools and some of the finest scenery. Log cabins, chalets, cosy huts and camping facilities are available. Day visits welcome. Booking is essential.

www.mountain-sanctuary.co.za 4EL FAX s #ELL s OWEN MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY CO ZA GREEN POINT

WESTERN CAPE

40 WINKS GUEST HOUSE Luxury at its best. All bedrooms en suite. Air-conditioned, DSTV, bar fridge, swimming pool, close to V&A Waterfront and all amenities. Tel: +27 (0)21 434 7936

TENIQUA TREETOPS

Hike the magical Tsitsikamma Coast in luxury!

Imagine a shorter version of the famous Otter Trail; with luxury overnight accommodation, informative guides & without the heavy backpacks!

info@dolphintrail.co.za Tel: (042) 280 3588 www.dolphintrail.co.za

BRENTON ON SEA COTTAGES

40winks@ct.stormnet.co.za www.40winksguesthouse.co.za

BEFORE

KNYSNA queries@teniquatreetops.co.za Tel: 044 356 2868 Â www.teniquatreetops.co.za

BRENTON ON SEA COTTAGES

4HE "RENTON ON 3EA #OTTAGES a well known and very popular self catering beach resort in the heart of Brenton on Sea, (16km from Knysna) suffered severely under the recent devastating firestorm on the 7th of June which destroyed 51 houses in Brenton on Sea alone and more than a thousand homes in adjoining Knysna. The owners of the resort have a tremendous passion for Knysna. Upon hearing of the disaster, they immediately cut short their long awaited retirement holiday in Africa and arrived five days later in Knysna to assist and to plan the new beginning with their workforce.

Self-catering Beachfront Resort - 16km from Knysna. Enjoy magnificent view and 7km of unspoilt beach. Accommodation varies from fully equipped S/C log chalets ideal fro family vacations to cosy woodenlog cabins for couples. Daily house-keeping services. Restaurant. Convenience Shop. DSTV.

Tel: 044 381 0082/3 Â Fax: 044 381 0026 reservations@brentononsea.co.za www.brentononsea.co.za

KNYSNA

Tel: 044 381 0082/3 Â Fax: 044 381 0026 reservations@brentononsea.co.za www.brentononsea.co.za

They have committed to reopening the six chalets and seven cabins that were destroyed by no later than November, and have already opened the remaining 7 undamaged chalets to guests. This will ensure that Brenton on Sea will be able to cater to the tourist trade in November, December and January which is so important for the local economy. They have taken the opportunity to make sure that the units that are being rebuilt have been upgraded and no expense has been spared to ensure that guests will enjoy their well earned stay.

ARNISTON

3\_\YPV\Z ZLSM JH[LYPUN [OH[JOLK JV[[HNLZ M\SS` LX\PWWLK HUK ZLY]PJLK

(YUPZ[VU :LHZPKL *V[[HNLZ ^^^ HYUPZ[VU VUSPUL JV aH

9LZLY]H[PVUZ

,THPS! JV[[HNLZ'HYUPZ[VU VUSPUL JV aH

getaway.co.za 137

MOZAMBIQUE

BOTSWANA

ZAMBIA

NAMIBIA

TOURS, ACTIVITIES & HIRE

PONTA MALONGANE

Making your travels to Mozambique a pleasure...

MOZAMBIQUE, BOTSWANA, ZAMBIA & NAMIBIA SELF-CATERING AND CAMPING www.wakene.co.za 082 494 1047

THE BEST OF MOZAMBIQUE:

5FM SFT!NP[DPO DPN t XXX NP[DPO DPN

GATEWAY TO BOTSWANA Ideally situated on the Limpopo River at the Martins Drift Border Post, Botswana. Luxury, self catering or budget accommodation and camping available. Pool, Restaurant & Pub! Visit Kwa Nokeng Butchery for top quality meat products.

AVOID MARTINS DRIFT BORDER POST DELAYS: WE ARRANGE VEHICLE ENTRY PERMITS

Treehouses ‡ Campsites ‡ Guided Walks Boat Cruises ‡ Game Drives ‡ Fishing Restaurant ‡ Bush Pub

XXX LXBOPLFOH DPN t DMJOUPO!CPUTOFU CX 5FM t 'BY t $FMM

TOURS, ACTIVITIES & HIRE

Tel: +264 (0)66 259 903 Email: bookings@ngepicamp.com

www.ngepicamp.com

Safari Guide Courses

072 625 4709 or 014 007 0621 info@limpopotraining.co.za www.limpopotraining.co.za

MAURITIUS 4* RESORT 7 NIGHTS FROM R14 990 PPS

travel 138 DECEMBER 2017

For more packages visit getaway.co.za/travel Contact Claudia on 021-530-3380 or travel@getaway.co.za

INSIDER’S GUIDE

PLACES YOU CAN GET TO IN A LONG WEEKEND

Albertina Sisulu Road in the CBD. The streets of Joburg draw artists and music lovers from all over the world.

Melanie van Zyl, Kabelo Mohlohlo

THE INSIDER Getaway’s Welcome Lishivha lived in Braamfontein as a student for four years until 2013. Even then it was a colourful and vibrant place to be.

A jazz guide to Joburg Braamfontein is the centre of a creative revival, and at its heart is renowned jazz club The Orbit. WELCOME LISHIVHA meets with jazz musician Thandi Ntuli to tell us where to go to access the energy

INSIDER’S GUIDE JOBURG

the 2018 Thandi Ntuli has just won rd for Jazz Awa st Arti ng You k Ban d Standar

was fresh out of high school and a liberal arts student at Wits University’s Braamfontein Campus East. It was the first time I’d left home to face the world on my own as a young adult. ‘Braam’ was my ’hood for four years and, although I remember those days as socially vibrant, they were also filled with naïveté. So I’m apprehensive about going back there on assignment and reliving the memories of stumbling my way into adulthood, of trying to find my place in the big world. I’m not one to revel in nostalgia and how things once were. But it’s 2017 now and hopefully Braam has forgotten. It’s also changed significantly in four years, and I don’t even know where to start. What I do know is I want a slice of its music and art community, which has taken hold since The Orbit jazz club opened in 2014, a year after I left. My jazz habit has grown with the rise of artists like Nduduzo Makhathini, Thandi Ntuli and Nomfundo Xaluva, all regular performers there. 140 DECEMBER 2017

As a young black person finding my place in South Africa today, I feel an affinity with their creative endeavours, dedicated to making sense of and commenting on our post-apartheid land. Plus, they’re young like me and also searching for their place in the world. I have the best possible access to their world: Thandi Ntuli herself. Like me, Thandi comes from Soshanguve, Pretoria’s biggest township. She’s lived in Joburg for five years now, and is making waves in the local jazz scene with her unique and soothing melodies and well-received debut album, The Offering. (She’s also just been named 2018 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz.) We meet at Unisa’s ZK Matthews Hall, where Thandi is in rehearsal. In person, she’s calm and so softly spoken that you know every word she says has been thoroughly thought through. ‘The beauty about the jazz scene in Joburg, compared to other parts of the country, is that there are venues where artists can play their music and experiment with various themes and techniques with an appreciative audience,’ she says,

and then mentions she’s performing in a three-piece band, The Rebirth of Cool (a twist on Miles Davis’s famous jazz album, Birth of the Cool), at The Orbit that very night. Talk about cosmic alignment! And just like that I’m elated to be back in my old stomping ground. Braamfontein is a cultural hub that’s gaining momentum by the day. It’s home to new coffee shops and restaurants and a variety of activities that are surfing the wave of urban regeneration in the city centre. It’s also home to legendary bar Great Dane and its neighbour, Kitchener’s, one of Joburg’s oldest nightspots. Despite the flutter of new places opening around them, they seem to have hung onto their authentic vibe. This is where to head if you want to meet hipster locals. But I’m looking for something different tonight, so I head to The Orbit. I fall in love the moment I walk in. The Orbit is where my expectation of a classic jazz club meets dreamy reality. The house lights on the ground floor are a bit dim, and seating is at tables. The lights are focused on the stage. Upstairs looks more chic but the ambience is relaxed. Here,

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too, the lights are low, and the tables are full of glamour and buzz. The crowd is young, some engaged in deep conversations while others are leaning over the bar. Then there’s an announcement to respect the artists by giving the music full attention, and people turn to the stage. The Rebirth of Cool starts to play. Thandi is ablaze with passion. She moves effortlessly between vocals and piano riffs, in communion with the band and audience. It feels like she’s in conversation with us, introducing her songs, making a joke here and there. She has us eating out of her hands, and when it’s all over the house rises as one to a standing ovation. But it isn’t over. Band members Tha_Muzik and DJ Kenzhero take to the decks and send the place into a frenzy with oldschool and contemporary music, and I dance the night away with artists and music lovers until 4am. The next day I finally cave in to the nostalgia of ‘the good old days’. I head to

the Neighbourgoods Market for lunch with an old varsity friend, and after that amble through the Wits Art Museum to see an exhibition of the works by the American iconoclast, Andy Warhol. The museum opened in 2012 and now holds more than 10 000 works, both historical and contemporary. At dinnertime I head over Nelson Mandela Bridge to Newtown, Braam’s neighbouring district, to my favourite restaurant, The Potato Shed. But I’m still hunting jazz so on Sunday morning I head to Westdene, near historic Sophiatown, once the home of South African jazz. ‘If you’re looking for an intimate setup of live performances, poetry and a community of artists, photographers, writers, musicians and poets, this is the place,’ Thandi had told me. That place is the Afrikan Freedom Station. Its purpose is to keep the important memories and melodies of Sophiatown alive. I arrive in time for an open poetry reading, which starts with introductions getaway.co.za 141

INSIDER’S GUIDE JOBURG

Where do the locals go? Ntsutle Motaung 0DȴVD, lecturer

‘I love the Joburg Theatre! There’s so much music and poetry. I also like the restaurant and that it’s very central.’ (see details on opposite page) Forez Ndarane, photographer and musician

‘I absolutely love Kitchener’s, especially their music events on Wednesdays and Thursdays. ΖWV ZRRGHQ ȵRRU DQG FDUSHW PDNH for a whole-body experience ... a space to lose yourself in the music.’ (see details on opposite page) Michelle Gumede, journalist

‘Constitutional Hill has to be one of my favourite venues in Joburg. It has great events and festivals where I get to hear contemporary, Afropolitan music.’ 011-381-3100. (It’s the venue for the Afropunk festival on 30-31 December, webtickets.co.za)

around the room. Sitting right next to me is the award-winning poet, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, who has published four poetry anthologies. Her most recent is Ice Cream Headache in My Bone and she reads from it. It feels a lot like sharing poetry with your circle of friends in a lounge. After each reading or performance, there is silence, allowing people to share feelings and thoughts evoked by the poems. That evening, I find myself back at The Orbit for its Window Session, an open-mic jam. I’m told that jazz and whisky go hand in hand, but I opt for a Pinot Noir. I’d hate to be made bold by hard liquor and take to the stage, mistaking quality art for a karaoke bar. Instead, I sit and listen to jazz being expertly fused with a variety of genres, from Afro-fusion to hip-hop. 142 DECEMBER 2017

It’s all about improvisation and I watch talented musicians – guitarists from as far away as Ghana, pianists and vocalists from South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho – who’ve never played together sit down and create something special. It’s the furthest thing from karaoke and while taking in the varied musical offerings, I feel a profound communion between the audience and the musicians. It transcends the (very few) words that are sung between the improvised harmonies of the instruments. Surrounded by a predominantly young and racially diverse crowd, I suddenly feel my soul welling with hope, leaving me teary with delight. It strikes me that we’re all trying to find our place in the world, and that in music and its appreciation there’s a great sense of belonging and community. Thinking about the politically volatile days of Sophiatown and postapartheid South Africa and its challenges, we’ve always found a way to gather joyously around music. It is music that has consistently proven itself as the voice that truly speaks to the soul, beyond warped social categories.

FROM TOP The Potato Shed’s lovely interior and relaxed atmosphere make it great for hanging with friends (one of mine, Khutso Tsikane is pictured here); try the classic lemon and herb chicken on coals while you’re there.

Plan your trip

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The Orbit has performances nightly and shows cost R150. Don’t miss the Free Window sessions on Sundays. You can also order food at the venue. Book a table at least three days ahead of time. 011-339-6645, theorbit.co.za Niki’s Oasis in Newtown has a chilled, old-school vibe, which is part of the charm. It features artists across various musical genres (Thandi played here ZKHQ VKH Č´UVW DUULYHG LQ -R]L ΖW also serves food. 011-492-1134, Č´QG LW RQ )DFHERRN Katzy’s Live in Rosebank hosts EDQGV Č´YH QLJKWV D ZHHN DQG KDV a ‘Grillhouse Menu’. Mondays to Wednesdays entry is free; the rest of the week, it’s from R150. 011-880-3945, katzys.co.za Winnie’s Soul & Jazz Restaurant in Wendywood is D FRV\ VHWXS WKDW RÎ?HUV OLYH MD]] and hosts poetry and comedy nights. Entry from R100. 011 Č´QG LW RQ )DFHERRN

Love Food Kit

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GO HERE FOR JAZZ

Afrikan Freedom Station, Sophiatown The Mix, Katzy’s Live, Winnie’s Soul & Jazz Restaurant

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Visit the Wits Arts Museum. Entrance is free and it’s open from Wednesday to Sunday DP WR SP 3KRWRJUDSKHU Gideon Mendel’s ‘Drowning World’ exhibition is on until 25 February. wits.ac.za/wam Shop at the Neighbourgoods Market. It’s a good vibe to start a Saturday. 081-416-2605 See a show at the Joburg Theatre. There’s everything from music to dance to drama. The Pinocchio pantomime is on throughout December. joburgtheatre.com Learn how to salsa with Ahora Si! at The Bannister Hotel. Lessons are free on the last Sunday of each month. 073-506-1858 Go to a poetry reading or other live performance at the Afrikan Freedom Station in nearby Westdene. The venue is intimate, sessions encourage discussion and it’s for free. 083-949-2136 Go on a Sophiatown tour with Sophiatown The Mix. 3URFHHGV JR WRZDUGV LPSURYLQJ the area. They also have poetry sessions, book launches, music and exhibits on their premises. sophiatownthemix.com

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From OR Tambo Airport, take the R24 until you connect with Albertina Sisulu Road. Turn left on Bertrams Road and curve with the road past Hillbrow.

JA N MU T

GETTING THERE

Great Dane & Kitchener’s

The Potato Shed, i Oasis, r t & Ja apu gubwe Hotel

EAT HERE 86 Public is in the heart of the %UDDP EX]] DQG VHUYHV JUHDW SL]]D ΖWȇV D ORYHO\ VSRW WR KDQJ out. 011-403-3055 Love Food Kitchen is an DÎ?RUGDEOH RSWLRQ ZLWK JRRG IUHVK PHDOV IURP 5 *HW there before 2pm, though – they do a limited number of meals which get snapped up quickly. 083-602-6511 Kitchener’s LV RQH RI -REXUJȇV oldest bars, dating back to 1906. It’s a great spot to meet colourful Braamies. It hosts live PXVLF '- QLJKWV FRPHG\ DQG other events. Entry from R20. 011-403-0166 Great Dane has a good vibe and is especially ideal for drinks after visiting the Neighbourgoods Market. The queue outside can be long, though. Open Thursdays to Saturdays. 011-403-1136 The Potato Shed is in nearby Newtown. It has stunning decor and is known for serving potatoes in unconventional ways. Try the Fries Four Ways 5 DQG WKH /DPE 3RNHU 5 FRRNHG LQ D FRDO SLW 010-590-6133

THE BANNISTER

STAY HERE Once in Joburg is close to Braam’s nightlife. There are GRUPV LI \RX MXVW ZDQW D SODFH WR FUDVK SOXV D UHVWDXUDQW RQ site. From R200 for a dorm bed, from R850 for a room (sleeps WKUHH onceincapetown.co.za/joburg Mapungubwe Hotel is in Newtown so you can move between Braamfontein and Maboneng easily. Rooms are modern and simple (some are VHOI FDWHULQJ DQG LW KDV D SRRO deck. Double room from R850. 011-429-2600, faircity.co.za *Prices correct at time of going to print

getaway.co.za 143

WHERE NEXT A DESTINATION TO INSPIRE YOU IN JANUARY’S GETAWAY

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This is the number of months our expert reviewer Pippa de Bruyn has been ferreting RXW WKH DEVROXWH EHVW DFFRPPRGDWLRQ LQ WRZQV DURXQG WKH FRXQWU\ 6R ZH SXW D GLÉ?FXOW proposition to her: choose your absolute top 10 since January 2015. This was incredibly KDUG WR GR EXW VKH GLG LW DQG RQH RI WKHP LV KHUH LQ WKH PDJQLČ´FHQW 'UDNHQVEHUJ UDQJH Find out who made the Top Ten list in next month’s Getaway.

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