Getaway

The mountain gods were angry. We stood in the mouth of a cave and watched the approaching storm. The light turned an eerie purple, the sun disappeared and soon the basalt spires were shrouded in grey. Lightning split the gloom. Thunderclaps echoed be

On a dream trip to India, our managing editor walked for miles in the Himalayan foothills and slept in a trekker’s hut at the top of a mountain. And she didn’t mind queueing to sit in ‘Lady Di’s Chair’ at the Taj Mahal, the famous Temple of Love in A

No one can say I’m not romantic. On Valentine’s Day last year I took my partner away on a surprise weekend to a mysterious and exotic destination, a place of wonder and surprise. ‘Moscow?’ she said at the airport as I presented her ticket. ‘In Februa

and work, picking grapes and stomping on them, then settle in with good food, wine and music afterwards at these harvest festivals: Delheim on 26 January in Stellenbosch. quicket.co.za Nederburg at dusk on 8 February in Paarl. webtickets.co.za Gra

mbling along the boardwalk on the Heron Trail, a rustle from below revealed a tortoise peering at our party of three. We had meant to tackle one of the reserve’s longer hikes (Rooikat, Boesmanskloof, Genadendal) or the MTB trail, but the November hea

For 30 years, kitesurfers, windsurfers and dinghies raced from Langebaan’s Main Beach to Saldanha’s Dial Rock in the annual Langebaan Downwind Dash. But in 2019, the event was cancelled. The Dash’s Facebook page cited a lack of sponsorship, but owner

As one of only two guests on uninhabited Chumbe Island, off Zanzibar’s west coast, with nothing but a mosquito net separating me from the tropical outdoors, this was as close as I’ve been to voluntary island desertion. As night fell, it dawned on me

My love of travel came from my grandfather, who was a sailor on the largest French cruise ship at that time. He would always tell us stories about his trips around the world. Also, my uncle was a chef who worked on the French Caribbean islands, so as

R399, sportsmanswarehouse.co.za This magic little Luci Color Solar Light inflates to the size of a small paint-tin and can produce eight different colours (choose from red, green, blue, purple, yellow, cyan, orange and white, or set it to change a

Photographed in False Bay, the Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia utriculus) is normally a sailor of pelagic waters. As with any sailing vessel, if caught in the wrong wind it may end up in the wrong place. For this bluebottle that means the inshore wat

This is the classic if you’re on the coast, served with fresh crusty bread and an ice-cold beer or glass of vinho . Adding the butter gives it a richness and extra zing (you can use less chilli if you don’t like it too hot). Of course, the prawns can

Anton says, ‘It was a typical Joburg summer afternoon – sunny one minute and then it started raining. I was in Ghandi Square on a city walk with a large group of other photographers. The rain cleared and the setting sun turned the smoggy, cloudy skyl

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to campsites in the Drakensberg. There are 24 across its main section, from Bushman’s Nek in the south to the Amphitheatre in the north. As the crow flies, it’s about 160 kilometres of ‘clear mountain streams and

Standing on the railway tracks at the dilapidated Bityi Station, deep in the rural landscape of the old Transkei, it wasn’t hard to imagine the apprehension two young rebels felt when they boarded a train for the distant city of gold, eGoli or Johann

1 A West Coast endurance walk 2 A Garden Route slackpacking trail DURATION: 2–3 DAYS (1 DAY HIKING) FITNESS LEVEL: HIGH Salt-white sand lines the shore of one of South Africa’s longest uninterrupted beaches, an endless sliver that disappears in

Most people driving along the R72 towards East London ignore the tatty sign directing them down an uninviting dirt road. A pity. The road’s not at all bad and at its end lies the little enclave of Hamburg, nestling at the mouth of the Keiskamma estua

‘I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills...’ writes Karen Blixen in the opening of Out of Africa. Her farmhouse is still there, but now it’s in Nairobi, at the foot of an electric fence. But I’m getting ahead of my story. So let’s star

Ethiopian Airlines is the most cost-effective option, flying from Cape Town or Joburg via Addis Ababa, from R4 500. ethiopianairlines.com SA passport holders don’t need a visa for Kenya. Nairobi has had several terrorist attacks and the military is r

My yearning to visit India began a long time ago. I was nine when I received my first ‘love letter’ from the young son of Indian shopkeepers in our village in Zimbabwe. Dilip’s dark eyes and slanty blue writing set my heart aflutter. In his family’s

I flew to Delhi with Ethiopian Airlines (about R8000 return). From there, I flew Air India to Bagdogra International Airport (R1 520 return). ethiopianairlines.com , airindia.in The event is held annually in early November. Online visas for South Afr