For an affordable summer break, there’s nothing like a beach camp. From secret beach campsites to safari tents with a bit more luxury, we’ve rounded up the best beach camps in South Africa that offer splendid views of the coast. We hope this list entices you to experience sleeping to the music of rising tides and waves splashing on the shore.

Need more ideas and spots on camping? Here are some of our favourites:

• The very best camping gear we tested in 2016
• 23 enchanting and affordable tented camps
• The best Kruger campsites, north to south
• 37 of South Africa’s best campsites
• 8 of the best campsites in the Cederberg

1. Zinkwazi Forest Camps, Durban

Zinkwazi beach. Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

The camp is set in a lush riverine forest with many tropical palms and flowering trees, constantly ringing with a chorus of birdsong, creating a very special atmosphere close to nature. The terraced forest setting provides protection from the elements and surrounds a central recreational lawn with pool, playground, games hall, communal braais and dry pub. Ablution blocks, with scullery and laundry facilities, are conveniently scattered throughout the camp.
Price: From R160 per person.
Contact: 0324853344, zinkwazilagoonlodge.co.za

2. West Coast Luxury tents, Elands Bay

Tucked in sandveld behind dunes, a few hundred metres from an unspoilt beach, this tented camp ‒ comprising three double-sleepers and one group enclave ‒ demands nothing but relaxation. There’s not much to ‘do’ here ‒ no game, no spa, no boma and no fancy restaurant ‒ and because of that, one is forced to submit to extreme chilling: afternoon snoozing; walking along the beach (40 kilometres of it) accompanied by scurrying oystercatchers; clambering to the top of the dunes to watch sunsets; sitting around the star-lit braai. The en-suite tents are comfortable and spacious, each with a fully equipped kitchen and a shaded area at the back. Amiable owner Reinhard Uebel will go out of his way to ensure you’re happy ‒ and will even welcome your pooches.
Price: From R400 per person.
Contact: 0212018900, travelground.com

3. Platbos Forest, Gansbaai

It’s the most southern forest in Africa, a beautiful mixed milkwood and yellowwood forest owned by ecologists who live here, off-grid. Included in the price are two already-pitched tents with beds, plus extra mattresses, and space to put a few more tents. Marshall Rinquest suggests picking a spot under the milkwoods – some are 1 000 years old. Beneath them there’s usually a lot of leaves and mulch, so it’s soft and well-shaded says Marhsall. On offer are guided forest walks and horseback riding – and the milky-white beach is within walking distance.
Price: From R700 for two people, R900 for up to four people, thereafter R75 per person. Private bathroom, kitchen, no electricity.
Contact: 0824110448, platbos.co.za

4. Mabibi Beach Camp, Elephant Coast

You need a 4×4 to get there, and there’s no electricity or drinking water, but it’s in an incredible coastal forest up on a grassy dune above the most exquisite beach where loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest says Marianne Schwankhart. The campsite doesn’t have a view, but 100 metres through the forest, down 130-odd wooden steps and you’re on an unspoilt beach and there’s snorkelling in the shallow reefs. You’re also close to Lake Sibaya where you can see hippos and crocs. There are nine sites, all under big, ancient milkwoods, each with a braai area and tap – they’re all private and spread out, but number 3 is closest to the beach walkway.
Price: From R114 per person sharing. Hot showers.
Contact: 0354741504, mabibicampsite.co.za

5. Kwass se Baai campsite, Namaqua National Park

This is an awesome coastal camping site within an area that’s still very wild – proper, proper West Coast, right next to the ocean. You see antelope, ostriches and the Namaqua speckled padloper, the tiniest tortoise on Earth. There are walled long drops and fireplaces, but beyond that it’s pretty basic – not even drinking water. The camp has four spots (best to book the entire site for yourself), each with a wall to protect against the wind says Petro Kotze.
Price: From R125 per campsite, R34 per person daily conservation fee. No electricity or water.
Contact: 0276721948, sanparks.org

6.Sugarloaf, St Lucia

It’s right in the mouth of the estuary where you often have hippos wandering through camp and you’re in close to the crocs. So despite being in St Lucia village, it feels incredibly wild. The best spot is closest to the estuary – you look directly out onto the water. While on assignment here, Janet Frangs once stepped out of her tent and bumped noses with a hippo. ‘It was amazing and frightening, and such a privilege’ says Janet.
Price: From R300 per campsite. Electricity and ablutions.
Contact: 0338451000, kznwildlife.com

7. Sea Shack Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, Western Cape

This is beachfront glamping with a creative, hippy twist says our accommodation expert, Pippa de Bruyn. Designed by Paternoster-based artist Dianne Heesom-Green, with artworks by Theo Kleynhans, Sea Shack is a pooled expression of their considerable talents, replete with labyrinth and totem pole, and 10 dinky sleeping cabins, each just large enough for queen or twin beds. An additional three tents cater for overspill, so a maximum of 26 guests share a communal kitchen and boma area, four shower cubicles and composting toilets. You’re expected to clean up after yourself, but two on-site managers help ensure the 100 percent solar- and gas-powered camp is kept scrupulously clean.
Price: Shacks from R690 (sleeps two); tents R400 per night (sleeps two), including bedding.
Contact: 0798206824, seashack.co.za

8. Muisbosskerm, Eland’s Bay

Muisbosskerm in Elands Bay. Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

In this peaceful camping site you’ll experience the most relaxing summer weekend break and with only one family per campsite, you’ll have nothing but nature to entertain you. Noise levels are kept to a minimum, so you’ll enjoy a quiet weekend with your loved ones. The campsite is situated 5km south of Lambert’s Bay on the Malkoppan farm and you can enjoy diving, fishing and surfing as the campsite is a walking distance from the beach. It’s also situated right opposite the famous Muisbosskerm Restaurant and each site has electricity, water and a braai area.
Rates: R225 a night for a stand. Double stands are R480 a night.
Contact: muisbosskerm.co.za/accomodation

9. Vic Bay Campsite, Garden Route

Victoria Bay Caravan Park. Photo from victoriabaycaravanpark.co.za.

Vic Bay is, a popular surfing spot, frequented by sun-kissed board riders young and old. The wind-protected beach offers great views of the surfing action and there’s a tidal pool that’s safe for kids. The bay is small, framed by stratified rock on one side and a row of beachfront cottages on the other. A narrow promenade separates the cottages from the water and most who walk it carry a smile.
Price: From R205 for a site out of season.
Contact: 0448890081, victoriabaycaravanpark.co.za

10.Tietiesbaai, Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, West Coast

Tietiesbaai. Photo from Travel Snippets.

Despite the cold water, the West Coast will always be a popular destination for many South Africans in summer. Tietiesbaai is particularly special with its rocky coastline and incredible sunsets across the ocean. This is perfect for experienced campers who enjoy a more basic camping experience. Days here are easily filled hiking along the coastline or visiting the pretty fishermen’s town of Paternoster. You can also try your hand at fishing or dare the icy waters for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Bring your own gazebo as there is no shade. Shared ablutions facilities with warm showers (solar electricity).
Price: R116 a night for six people
Contact: Tel 0227522718, www.saldanhabay.co.za

11. Sodwana Bay Camps

Sodwana Bay. Photo from sodwana-bay.co.za

The Sodwana Bay camp features open space campsites that accommodate both caravans and tents, set into shady surroundings in the coastal forest. Campsites have shared cold water taps and braai facilities. A number of campsites feature electrical plug points. The ablution facilities provide hot and cold running water, flush toilets, showers, baths, dishwashing, and laundry facilities. A smaller, more modern camping area is available with 33 electrified campsites that can take caravans or tents, each with their own braai stand, electric lights, running water and modern communal ablution blocks. Freezer and refrigeration facilities are also available.
Price: From R75 per person for a site. Seeing as the site is within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, additional conservation fees apply.
Contact: 0355710051/2/3, kznwildlife.com

12. Storms River campsite

Storms River canoeing. Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. This, “the place of much water”, is the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.
Price: From R300 for a tent site that accommodates a maximum of 6 people.
Contact: 0422811607, sanparks.org

13. Nature’s Valley Rest Camp, Garden Route

Situated in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park, this rest camp is on the banks of the beautiful Groot River. Nature’s Valley is a secluded little village, with its incredible forests and close proximity to the sea, is ideal for a tranquil nature retreat. There are many day trails to choose from if you’re in the mood for a beautiful hike. The area also hosts prolific birdlife and you can spot the local inhabitants while you canoe from the rest camp to the Groot River mouth where you can relax beside the Indian Ocean. You’ll find communal ablution, washing up and laundry facilities. The campsites have no electricity.
Price: R15 per person park fees and R190 for two people camping. R68 extra per adult and R34 extra per child under 12.
Contact: Tel 0445316700, www.sanparks.org

14. Yellowwood Forest Campsite, Morgan Bay

Situated on the banks of the Inchara River, this peacefully shaded campsite is only 1km from the beach at Morgan Bay, known to many as the gateway to the beautiful Wild Coast. A bird watcher’s paradise, this campsite offers a quiet, intimate place for nature lovers. If you’re not relaxing beside the river, swimming in it or identifying the birds that stay in the area, you can make your way down to the beach or relax in the tea garden, letting the children play in the play area while you enjoy wood-fired pizzas, light meals and refreshments. Shared ablution blocks with toilets, showers and hot water as well as electricity points at the campsites.
Price: R100 per site per day, R15 per person (up to six per campsite). R60 per day for electricity. (In high season, R200 per site and R20 per person.)
Contact: Tel 0438411598, www.yellowwoodforest.co.za

15. Skulpieskraal, Hondeklipbaai

The Namakwa district is also renowned for its’ awe-inspiring succulent ecosystem. Of the 2700 plant species, 560 are found nowhere else in the world. The camp has a fully equipped kitchen (cutlery, crockery, pots, pans, kettles, etc.) and braai-lapa area should you wish to prepare your own meals. (Mouth watering West Coast meals are also available upon request). The campsite spotless ablution facilities include hot water showers, flush toilets, hand basins and laundry. (Please note that there are no plug points in the tents for hair dryers, etc. as the camp only has 12 volt lighting throughout).
Price: R400 per tent per night
Contact: 0820958218, hondeklip.co.za

16. Utshwayelo Lodge

This lodge is based in a community-owned initiative at the Kosi Mouth Reserve gate. It offers chalets, safari tents and camping (campsites 1, 2 and 5 were our picks). We stayed in a Sahara Tent, and the open-air shower was a treat.
Price: From R145 per adult camping, R270 per adult sharing for safari tents, R390 per adult sharing for chalets.
Contact: kosimouth.co.za

17. Richards Bay Caravan Park

A good alternative to Mapelane Nature Reserve and rated one of the best-maintained campsites by our Photo Editor Teagan Cunniffe (and she travels a lot!). It’s all glowing lights and green lawns, with beach access. Good coastlines and Mapelane are an easy day-trip away.
Price: From R110 per adult, R75 per child, R10 per dog.
Contact: richardsbaycaravanpark.co.za

18.Umlalazi Nature Reserve

The beaches of Umlalazi Nature Reserve

In the eco-driven coastal town of Mtunzini and is home to the famed palm-nut vulture, raphia palms, zebra and countless duiker. There are also troops of bothersome monkeys so guard your food. Low-lying sand dunes shoulder the long stretch of quiet beach and slow-moving lagoon, perfect for water sports and relaxing.
Price: Entry is R20 per adult and R10 per child. Camping from R100 per person and cabins from R367 per person.
Contact: kznwildlife.com

The City of Gold has revealed over the years that it presents more than just gold–mining. The city has become one of the fastest growing urban cities to reveal some unique restaurants and markets. Through various artistic endeavours, we are seeing more and more that nothing is as beautiful as telling a story on a canvas. Take Mama Esther Mahlangu for example, who recently partnered with the Belvedere luxury vodka brand and BMW to displays the Ndebele traditional print on Belvedere Vodka bottles and the interior of the BMW 7 series. We are seeing a variety of artists emerging from our local artistic landscape and are being embraced on an International scale which is all the more reason we should be going out to support and understand our local artists who are on the rise.

Here is a selection of galleries we have handpicked in Johannesburg for both visitors and locals alike to visit at least once (in a while) to catch on to the growing artistic wave in this buzzing city of gold.

1. Gallery Momo

The Gallery Momo is a renowned and contemporary art gallery, showcasing local and international artwork. Exhibitions are held on various occasions. Artists such as Dumeli Feni, Dillon Marsh, Martin Y Sicilia and Maurice Mbikayi have work on shown at the gallery. Gallery Momo opens Monday to Friday from 9:00 –17:00 and Saturdays at 9:00 – 16:00 is located in Parktown, north of Johannesburg.
Contact: 0113273247; gallerymomo.com

Contemporary art is on the rise in South Africa. Image from Gallery Momo

2. David Krut Projects

Through hosting collaborative installations and hosting various artists, the gallery’s mission is to encourage careers in the arts, literature and media. Here, one will find an alternative contemporary art culture. Local and International artists such as Aida Muluneh, Senzo Shabangu, Beth Armstrong and Deborah Bell, have work displayed at the gallery. The David Krut Projects opens Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 –17:00 and on Saturdays at 9:00 –16:00
Contact: Arts on Main, 0113341208; Parkwood, 0114470627. davidkrut.com

3. Absa Art Gallery

Situated in the north of Johannesburg on the main road, is the ABSA bank tower. The ABSA Art Gallery is inside the ABSA tower. The prestigious art competition that allows artists and architects to work together to create a space that accommodated the artworks perfectly, the Barclays L’Atelier is held at the Absa Towers North building in the Johannesburg CBD. The gallery opens Monday to Friday at 8:30 – 16:00 and is closed on weekends and public holidays.
Contact: 0113505139; absa.co.za

An urban animal exhibition by Ann-Marie Tully

4. Circa on Jellicoe Gallery

The Circa on Jellicoe Gallery is a celebration of art and architecture in Rosebank. The gallery is a hub that explores technology and contemporary artwork. Supported by Deutsche Bank, the architectural art gallery opens Monday to Friday at 9:00 – 17:00 and Saturday’s at 9:00 – 13:00. The Circa Gallery is closed on Sunday’s and Public holidays.
Contact: 0117884805; Circa on Jellicoe on their Facebook page

The hub of visual art in Rosebank. Image by Circa on Jellicoe

5. Everard Read

The Everard Read is the oldest commercial art gallery in South Africa. The unique art gallery showcases contemporary exhibitions with scientific installations and human technological development. Artists such as Percy Konqobe, Louis Maqhubela, Guy du Toit and Speelman Mahlangu have artwork at the gallery. Everard Read is alongside the Circa on Jellicoe in Rosebank and opens weekly from 9:00 – 17:00 and on Saturday’s at 9:00–13:00.
Contact: 0117884805; gallery@everard.co.za

6. Spaza Art Gallery

The Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville shows young and upcoming artists. The gallery hosts live music performances in the garden, a public artwork is displayed and workshops are held in the gallery for mosaic enthusiasts. The Spaza Art Gallery opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 – 19:00.
Contact: 0116149354; Spaza Art Gallery is available on their Facebook page.

7. Ngwenya Arts and Craft Gallery

The Ngwenya Arts and Craft Gallery is an Arts and Crafts Gallery in Sunridge Farm in Mulderdrift. The artwork at Ngwenya Arts and Craft Gallery is handcrafted and painted out of recycled glass. Margie Caufman, Debbie Joy Stragier and Tina Hepworth also creates original artworks. Opens every Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 – 16:30
Contact: 0845823209; Follow the Ngwenya Arts and Crafts Gallery on their Facebook page

The ladies behind the Ngwenya Arts and Craft Gallery. Image courtesy of Roodepoort North Insider

8. Museum of African Design

Museum of Africa Design is the first museum that is dedicated to Design on the African continent. The museum is a cultural hub that explores the African continent. The Museum of Africa hosts exhibitions, events and educational programmes is on Commissioner Street and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 – 17:00.
Contact: 0105002448; moadjhb.com

The cultural hub that explores Africa. Image by Museum of African Design

9. Afronova Art Gallery

Afronova Art Gallery is a modern and contemporary art gallery.Numerous screenings, exhibitions, book launches and fashion shows have taken place at the Afronova Art Gallery. The Afronova Art Gallery in Parkhurst displays artists such as Ricardo Rangel, Billie Zangewa, Jodi Bieber and Mauro Pinto. Contact: afronova.com; 0837265906

10. Purple Heart Gallery

Situated in the Honeydew Village Shopping Center, the Purple Heart Gallery is big on promoting local artists. The Purple Heart Gallery exhibits exquisite art, wall decor, canvas print services and gifts.
Contact: 0114757411; info@purpleheartgallery.co.za

Original artworks and framing of South African artists. Image courtesy of Purple Heart Gallery

11. Stevenson Gallery

Based in downtown Johannesburg in Braamfontein, the Stevenson Gallery has bought in International artworks to South Africa and has participated in International shows, such as the Art Basel, Frieze London and New York. Open Monday to Friday from 9:00-17:00 and Saturdays from 10:00-13:00. You can admire the work of local artists, such as Zanele Muholi, Nandipha Mntambo, Moshekwa Langa and Wim Botha.
Contact: 0114031055; info@stevenson.info

12. Goodman Gallery

Dating back to 1966, the Goodman Gallery is one of the longest standing contemporary art galleries in the country. Aiming to shift perspectives and create a social transformation, the Goodman Gallery is also where the Zuma spear painting and other provocative pieces were showcased. Opening Tuesdays to Friday from 9h30 to 17h30 and on Saturday at 9h30 to 16h00.
Contact: 0117881113; goodman-gallery.com

Goodman Gallery is on Jan Smuts Avenue in Parkwood, Johannesburg. Image from Goodman Gallery

On a trip to India, our columnist discovers in the Ganges that some experiences are better left imagined.

‘Why’s it so dark?’ I grumbled, prodding around in front of me with my foot.
‘Hey, this is your wish list,’ said my partner behind me, giggling, and then giggling even more because she knew I was getting annoyed. She was laughing because she had several gins inside her. I also had several gins inside me but I was not laughing because I had just stepped into something not quite as liquid as water but wet enough to ooze up and into my shoe. 

Once when I was much younger I listened to a radio play set in India during colonial times, involving some sort of torrid love affair playing out against a dramatic backdrop of political unrest. In retrospect it must have been a pretty feeble radio play because one of the lines involved the main chap – no doubt crisply laundered and sporting a thin moustache – telling his beloved,
‘Look! Look at the moonlight on the Ganges! Have you ever seen a more beautiful sight?’
‘Oh Henry,’ she replied. ‘How lucky we are! I wish we could stay right here and never leave!’

I was an impressionable boy, perhaps a little romantic, and my head filled with the image of gauzy silver light and half shadows and banyan trees and the quiet rippling of the silver water. I scuttled off to my List Of Things To Do In My Life and wrote: ‘Number 16: See the Ganges by moonlight’. The idea of such a list is that it reminds you to add wonder to your life, to live it fully and even foolishly, to follow the prompts of your best younger self, and that’s all good – but sometimes your best younger self is a damn fool. 

We were in Kanpur and the Ganges was nearby and there was a cloudless night with a good moon. We enjoyed some gin and asked a rickshaw driver to take us to the river. He drove with great intent across town, dropped us off outside a derelict tanning factory and drove away before I’d finished looking around in confusion, scratching my head and wondering where the river was. We asked a passer-by and he pointed in a direction, so we set off through the grounds of the tanning factory.

India is in many respects a charming place, full of ancient wisdom and all that, but in other respects it is a place with not quite enough toilets, so people often tacitly agree to use secluded spots as communal surrogates: alleyways and underneath bridges, for instance, and also the grounds of derelict tanning factories. Here’s a tip from a wily old traveller: if ever you find yourself walking through the unlit grounds of a derelict tanning factory in India, be sure to wear a pair of shoes you don’t want to wear again. I wouldn’t have minded so much, if only my partner hadn’t been in such a good mood.
‘Did you know,’ she giggled behind me, ‘there are so many dead bodies in the Ganges, the authorities introduced carnivorous terrapins to eat the decomposing flesh?’ I gnashed my teeth.

In the course of navigating that unlit hellscape of human waste and broken bottles and rusted drums that catch you just at shin height, I lost my sense of humour. The more amused she became, the grumpier I became, which just amused her more. Finally, we broke through and stood on a cracked concrete slab overlooking the river. It wasn’t silver; it was kind of grey, like the water leaking from a dishwasher. Something floated by that was probably a dog. I stood there in a sulky silent rage, mentally cursing childhood and radios and art and my stupid romantic imagination. My partner took my arm.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I wish we could stay right here and never leave.’
And that did make me laugh.

Read more from this story in the February 2017 issue of Getaway magazine.

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Our February issue features a wild new way to traverse the Bavianskloof, the Okavango Delta’s most affordable safari, 6 local shores to explore and Italy’s 8 prettiest dips..

Our editor, Sonya Schoeman decides it’s time to make an unpopular point.

These days, you have to run a checklist as long as your arm when inviting people over for dinner. There’s the gluten-frees, koshers, Bantings, the sugar-frees, no-nuts and no-fats, the pollotarians, pescetarians, vegetarians, raw-food freaks and vegans. And don’t you just hate those ‘ethical eaters’?

That’s me. I keep it to myself, of course, because I know it makes other people feel awkward. I have a friend who recently became vegetarian/vegan and when being offered flesh, he has tormented internal debates, except out loud, about what constitutes suffering, while everyone else rolls their eyes and guiltily licks blood off their lips. Except me. I’m with him now. It used to be that my policy was I would eat what people cooked because not offending them was the most important thing to me. But these days I think it’s time to become that person. This is what convinced me.

A few months ago, we took a trip into the Whale Coast Hope Spot. It’s heaven out there for those who love the outdoors. There are ancient forests, clean long beaches, jagged mountains, and gorgeous expansive sea views of a coastline largely pristine. Within that spectacular sea view, close to shore, there were splashes so regular they aroused my curiosity: perlemoen poachers. They harvested during the middle of the day, in the afternoon, after sunset.

When I snorkelled to look at the marine life close to shore, the sea bed was paved with perlemoen shells, most of them small; the big ones were long gone. My partner shook his head at my calls to the police.
‘You simply have to let it go,’ he said.
‘This perlemoen bed is gone’. He is probably right. Here’s a sobering fact: we’ve eaten 90 percent of all big sea fish, says oceanographer and scientist Dr Sylvia Earle, who inspired the Hope Spot movement I write about on page 60. Dr Earle, on a matter of principle, insists that no fish is served where she presides. One of the theories behind being a vegetarian/ethical eater, is it’s disruptive to ordinary life. Regrettably, it also sounds awfully like the moral high ground, but is it not time to ditch feelings in favour of growing a more thoughtful movement about careful consumption?

I’m all for small movements, because they can build and cause change. Like the Hope Spot concept may start growing a love for the sea that leads to looking after it. Why is this important? The short answer is, we need it: scientists believe the phytoplankton in it contribute most of our oxygen, plus we still get plenty of food from it. Also, did you know that 85 percent of SA’s tourism is coast based?

I love getting a dinner invitation, by the way. Here’s what I eat: very little meat, but when I do it’s ethically sourced (runs free and is quickly and humanely dispatched), the occasional fish on the green list that’s been line-caught, but I’m most happy with vegetables. And do you know what that makes me (besides a pain in the arse and the dinner guest you don’t want)? A flexitarian. Now that doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

3 things to look out for in this February issue

Our no plastic picnic
Gear Editor Melanie van Zyl rooted out a picnic basket that has no plastic (page 52), while Food Editor Nikki Werner tells you how to fill it with super easy and yummy finger food (page 41).

 
2 Safaris you’ll love

Digital Content Manager Kati Auld and Photographer Teagan Cunniffe went on the first-ever hike and horse-ride in the Baviaanskloof, and it was divine (page 80), while Pippa de Bruyn braved Botswana with a gaggle of journalists – and found the most affordable safari in the Delta (page 70).

This month’s contributors

Crookes & Jackson – Perfect Links, page 54. David Crookes has been a contributing photographer to Condé Nast Traveller for over a decade. He collaborates with Nicola Jackson, his partner in work and life, and together they have travelled to more than 60 countries on assignment for The New York Times, National Geographic Traveller and Condé Nast worldwide. This month they share kindred images shot in Africa.

 
Naomi Roebert – Insider’s Guide to Kakamas, page 107. Freelance travel writer Naomi Roebert is searching South Africa because she wants to see all of it, every dusty outpost, every hidden backroad, every high-backed mountain hunched over secret rivers. This month she found herself in the red-sand reaches of the Northern Cape, where along the Quiver Tree Route she came to meet the hearty people of Kakamas… and took a memorable dip in the remote Riemvasmaak Hot Springs.

Alexia Beckerling – Salento’s Secret Swimming Spots, page 86. Photographer and writer Alexia Beckerling migrates regularly between Cape Town and southern Italy. Alexia’s ritual for greeting a new place is, if at all possible, to immerse herself in a body of water. Some of these that Alexia has dipped into, other than the Ionian and Adriatic seas, are The Serpentine in London, the River Nile, Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and Italy’s famous Lake Como.

 
Pippa de Bruyn – Invitation to Eden, page 70. Everyone should go to the Okavango Delta at least once, reckons Pippa de Bruyn, and this month she’s found a budget-friendly trip for those who don’t camp or have a 4×4. Pippa spent 15 years researching, travelling and writing for the US guide series Frommer’s and now writes for a variety of national and international publications and also creates bespoke itineraries to suit any particular budget and interest.

Read more from this story in the January 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

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Our February issue features a wild new way to traverse Bavianskloof, the Okavango Delta’s most affordable safari, 6 local shores to explore and Italy’s 8 prettiest dips.

From watching movies under the stars to picnics to extravagant dinners, here are a few romantic things to do for Valentine’s Day in the Cape Winelands.

Also read: 23 great picnic spots in the Cape Winelands

Please note: most of these venues will require you to book beforehand, and it’s always best to confirm prices with the specific wine farms concerned.

Romantic things to do for Valentine’s Day in the Cape Winelands

1. Delheim Estate, Stellenbosch

The Garden Restaurant at Delheim Estate, nestled on the idyllic slopes of the Simonsberg, is holding a sunset picnic for R460 per basket (serves 2 adults). In each picnic basket, you’ll find a selection of cheeses, marinated olives, chicken Caesar salad, roast beef bagels, homemade fudge and decadent nougat, to name a few. A wonderful ambience and beautiful surroundings will make for the most romantic day.

Bookings are essential.

Contact: 0218884607, email restaurant@delheim.com, delheim.com.

2. Dornier Bodega, Stellenbosch

A lovely dinner awaits both new lovers and old married couples at this restaurant housed in an 18th century Cape Dutch-style barn with views over the vineyards. You can have a look at the menu here – but suffice to say it’s pretty impressive, with options like oysters, pork belly, prawns and dark chocolate truffles for dessert. Guests get a complimentary gift. R900 per couple. They do have limited seating, so make reservations in advance.

Contact: 0218800557, dornier.co.za

3. Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day 2017, Spier will be screening the romantic drama, The Best of Me, under the stars on Saturday 11 February. Lovebirds can make up their own picnic from the Eight to Go deli, or pre-order a special basket crammed with delicious treats and a bottle of Spier Secret Sparkling. The movie tickets are R100 per adult and R70 per child.

Contact: 0218091100, email info@spier.co.za, spier.co.za.

4. Nooitgedacht Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

The Nooitgedacht Wine Estate will host a Galileo Open Air Cinema on Valentine’s Day. They will treat lovers and loved ones to an intimate evening of live music, delicious artisanal treats and a movie under the stars. Snuggle up with a blanket and backrest on the estate lawns, enjoy some live music and then settle back to watch the sunset over the surrounding mountains, before the screening of When Harry Met Sally – the 1989 iconic romantic comedy classic. For R190 per person, you will get a backrest, blanket, live music, movie and a welcome drink.

Contact: 0218652407, nooitgedachtestate.co.za

5. Waterkloof Wines, Somerset West

Waterkloof is hosting an a la carte lunch, but the six-course set menu for dinner is where things really get started. There are two options to choose from.

Option 1: From R1450 per person including a glass of bubbly on arrival. This option does not include wine and you can order at your table.
Option 2: From R1700 per person, which includes a glass of bubbly on arrival and wine pairing and gratuity. Booking in advance and full pre-payment is essential.

Contact: 0218581491, www.waterkloofwines.co.za

6. Glen Carlou Winery, Paarl

Photo from Glen Carlou website.

Fine food and wine with live music combine to ensure a romantic evening at this wine farm boasting beautiful views of the valley. Starting at 18h30, they will be serving a five-course meal (with a welcome drink upon arrival) included at R450 per person (you’ll have to pay for wine separately). Book soon, as their lunch sitting is already fully booked. A complimentary gift will be received per couple.

Contact: 0218755528, events@glencarlou.co.za, glencarlou.co.za

7. Grande Provence Wine Estate, Franschhoek

If you are really looking to splurge this Valentine’s Day, this is probably the most luxurious option. The Grand Provence Wine Estate is serving a seven-course dinner, exclusive to only five couples (based on first come, first served basis). The elegant dinner underneath the stars will be enjoyed in a private draped outdoor pavilion. Guests will be welcomed with a dinner that includes complimentary oysters and a bottle of wine. The cost for the dinner is R 3250 per couple. Bookings are essential.

Contact: 0218768600; reservations@grandprovence.co.za, grandprovence.co.za

8. Rhebokskloof Wine Estate, Paarl

Grab some blankets, cushions or chairs and join this wine estate for their Valentine’s Movie Night with a screening of Love Actually. Included in your ticket price of R675 per couple is a picnic basket and two complimentary wine glasses, a bottle of wine or grape juice. Gates open at 17h00, picnic collection is at 18:00 and the movie starts at 19h30. Bookings are essential. There will be a cash bar available.

Contact: 0218698386, email functions@rhebokskloof.co.za, rhebokskloof.co.za

9. Allée Bleue, Franschhoek

Allée Bleue is one of the loveliest spots in Franschhoek, and their Valentine’s Day offering is their speciality – a picnic. The picnic basket includes a five-course meal. Braised beef, smoked salmon terrine, a platter consisting of local meats and cheeses, a chocolate platter for dessert and a bottle of Rose. You’ll pay R850 per double basket. A vegetarian option is also available.

Contact: 0218741021, info@alleebleue.com, alleebleue.co.za

10. Boschendal, Franschhoek

Boschendal, being one of the larger wine farms in the area, is offering three different options for Valentine’s Day this year. You could enjoy the three-course set menu at the Werf Restaurant (which includes a welcome drink) for R595 per person. If you’d like something less formal, the Farm Shop and Deli will also be offering a set menu, for R395 per person. But if you’re really more keen on getting away from everyone else, there’s always the picnic option at the Rhone picnic site – R550 will get you a basket for two, excluding tip. There’s also an option for a basket for one, if you like being the most depressed person at the party.

Contact: 0218704200, reservations@boschendal.co.za, boschendal.co.za

There’s nothing quite like a 4×4 blunder in Botswana to get a man to revise the laws of scale.

Land Rover or Land Cruiser? It’s a question that’s divided the 4×4 community since the beginning of time. In this instance time begins somewhere around the middle of the 20th century; there was such an abundance of it then that folk were accidentally inventing things like silly putty and devices they claimed could tell if you were lying. Most notably, it’s when those two four-wheel-drive marques first began production. (Anything that happened before this point is inconsequential and of absolutely no use, like the snorkel on a school-run SUV).

 
I have driven both and as an impartial journalist, I don’t have a favourite, of course. Each has its merits. Each has its throng of acolytes, too. And how can thousands of people be wrong? I’m kidding. Thousands of people can be wrong. They’re called the Land Rover Club. Cruisers are obviously better. Now that I’ve totally upset the apple cart in one direction, I should tell you about one regrettable feature that Land Cruisers do have: they expand overnight. I discovered this while mapping out a route through the Khwai Community Concession just south of Chobe for the Getaway Guide to Botswana.

I was in a fully kitted 4.2-litre diesel and as the trip had progressed, ‘Bessie’ and I had developed a bond. We’d carved out sand tracks and created beautiful little bow waves in glistening Okavango puddles and parallel parked in the busy streets of Maun until it became a cinch – a holy matrimony of man and machine. Also, my driver’s arm tan was coming along nicely and I felt we’d reached the point where it was unnecessary to alight at every obstacle to assess conditions. And so, at a low bridge made from wooden poles bound together over a drying floodplain, I thought nothing of driving straight over it. There was a tremendous cracking sound as one of the wooden poles split, jolting Bessie’s right hindquarter off the bridge, leaving her left rear wheel in the gap between the tracks and her front wheels pawing the sky for solutions. There weren’t any. We were properly stuck, like a tortoise on a rock in the middle of an endless ocean. Stunned, I set about trying to get Bessie unstuck. Neither the bottle jack nor the air jack were helpful. But then something came along that was: a safari vehicle from a nearby lodge. In it were three men with six strong arms and two hi-lift jacks. They made light work of getting Bessie unstuck.

Crestfallen, I looked her over. She was undamaged, but this was her fault. I’d lined the bridge up perfectly. She must have gotten wider overnight. After everything we’d been through… you think you know someone, and then they change. One of the men then offered to drive her over the bridge.
‘Won’t go,’ I said.
‘She’s gotten too…’ And that’s when I thought of a better, slightly more probable, reason.
‘The bridge is too narrow. It must have been built by Land Rover owners. Typical.’ I grunted and kicked one of the poles.
‘Even out here they’ve found a way to create an exclusive club.’

‘Well, you can always go around, it’s dry enough now,’ one said. Then they all hopped into their vehicle and drove over the bridge. As they did the sun flashed across a silver badge on the driver’s door: Land Cruiser.
‘Must be one of those new skinny models,’ I grumbled.
‘I lined that bridge up perfectly. There’s no way it’s my fault.’

Then I thought about my friends and some of their 4×4 blunders. They’re all incredible drivers, not a single one was their fault either – they’d swear it on a lie-detector test… the same one that was invented around the time men started driving offroad where nobody could see them. It makes you wonder if maybe the only real difference between a Rover and a Cruiser is the bit that’s mounted between the seat and steering wheel.

Nah. It was definitely that bridge.

Read more from this story in the February 2017 issue of Getaway magazine.

Get this issue →

Our February issue features a wild new way to traverse the Baviaanskloof, the Okavango Delta’s most affordable safari, 6 local shores to explore and Italy’s 8 prettiest dips..

The time has arrived for you to reveal the romantic in you, even if only on this one day in the year. Here are 12 things to do for Valentine’s Day in Gauteng.

Also read: For the lovers and the haters: things to do for Valentine’s Day in 2016

Valentine’s Day in Gauteng

Please note: most of these venues will require you to book beforehand, and it’s always best to confirm details and prices with the specific establishments concerned.

1. Hot-air ballooning over the Cradle of Humankind

Take a hot air balloon ride with AirVentures over the Cradle of Humankind. These one-hour flights leave from Kloofzicht Lodge, coffee is served on arrival, and champagne after landing. Take a bottle of bubbly along if you feel like having some while enjoying the spectacular view of the heritage site below. Booking is essential.

Price: R2300 per person for the classic flight, R 2500 per person for safari flights.
Venue: Cradle of Humankind, Muldersdrift, Johannesburg
Contact: Tel 083 356 2435, www.air-ventures.co.za

2. Visit the Pretoria National Botanical Garden

Pack a picnic basket and a blanket, and enjoy an evening in the open air surrounded by nature in one of the 9 national botanical gardens. This 76 ha urban oasis is a pristine getaway situated in the eastern suburbs of South Africa’s administrative capital. They are open 08h00-18h00.

Price: R30 entrance for adults and R18 for kids.
Venue: 2 Cussonia Ave, Brummeria, Pretoria
Contact:0128435071, sanbi.org/gardens/pretoria

3. Cook a romantic meal together

Wicked Food Cooking School offers a special cooking class for couples on Valentine’s Day (and earlier that week on Friday 13 February). Both classes start at 18:00 in the evening. Included in the price below are delectable foods (contact them for details about the menu), the cooking lesson, sparkling wine and drinks during the evening. The evening promises to be fun-filled and a great bonding experience for couples. Cooking classes are limited, so be sure to book in advance.

Price: R995 per couple
Venue: The Square Shopping Centre, c/o Rivonia and Naivasha Roads, Sunninghill, Johannesburg
Contact: Tel 076 236 2345, email sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za, www.wickedfood.co.za

4. Have a laugh at Parker’s Comedy and Jive

Laughing is known to be the best medicine. Spice up your Valentine’s Day with a live comedy show. Experience a sophisticated up-market venue whilst stretching back in your chair to the sounds of laughter with your loved one. Local and international comedians come in regularly. Keep an eye out for upcoming functions and events on the website. Shows are held at Montecasino and Silverstar. Doors open at 18:30 and bookings are essential.

Price: R150 per person
Venue: Montecasino, 1 Monte Casino Boulevard, Johannesburg; Silverstar, R28 Muldersdrift, Krugersdorp
Contact: Tel 011 511 0081/2, email info@parkerscomedy.com, www.parkerscomedy.com

5. Spend a day at Sparkling Waters Health Spa

Treat your partner and yourself to a relaxing day out of town at Sparkling Waters Health Spa. Ask for the Valentine’s Day offer (applicable for the entire month). The spa is an extension of the Sparkling Waters Hotel (3 star), and makes for a lovely treat, especially if you also plan to stay for the night. Sparkling Waters Hotel also has a dinner dance on the Saturday night of the weekend preceding Valentine’s Day.

Price: R5000 for 2 nights (includes welcome Cocktails, sparkling wine in the room, 50 Mins Swedish Massage for Him & her, romantic Dinner & breakfast, picnic on the second day for lunch, romantic Turndown).Rate applicable for a 2 night stay and is valid until 28th February 2017.
Venue: Rustenburg, roughly one-and-a-half hours’ drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria
Contact: Tel 014 535 0000/6 or 082 859 4036/7, email info@sparklingwater.co.za, www.sparklingwaters.co.za

6. An afternoon or evening at Tangaroa Strawberry Farm

Have a romantic picnic on the banks of a beautiful dam and watch ducks swim past while you enjoy the sunset at the Tangaroa Strawberry Farm. Tangaroa Strawberry Farm has various picnic basket specials to choose from (last orders are taken on 6 February) and also offers spa treatments. There are two picnic sessions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Booking is essential. Note that strawberries are not in season, but the outing still promises a farm feeling and escape from the city. Also note that visitors that bring their own picnic baskets require picnic bands for entry.

Price: Variable, according to the different picnic basket specials. The Mill Picnic basket costs R440 (for 2 people), the Magalies picnic basket costs R635 (for 2 people), and other options are also available. You also have choice of spa treatment specials.
Venue: The farm is near the south-west corner of the Hartebeespoort Dam, ± 50 km from the Dome at Northgate.
Contact: Tel 082 503 5996 or 012 207 1116, email info@tangaroa.co.za, www.tangaroa.co.za

7. Go to the Johannesburg Zoo

This is the classic outing romanticised by Hollywood and makes for a great day trip. Kids will also be entertained. Take a nice long stroll, have an ice cream, and learn about the animal world. The zoo is open from 08:30 to 17:30 weekdays and weekends, with last entries being at 16:00.

Price: R80 per adult (age 13 and above), R50 for senior citizens and kids (12 and younger)
Venue: Corner of Jan Smuts and Upper Park Drive in Parkview
Contact: Tel 011 646 2000, www.jhbzoo.org.za

8. Horse-riding, quad-biking and picnics

Get ready for the perfect combination of a 30 minute horse trail, 30 minute quad bike trail, 5 laps of Go Karting , 30 minutes of Archery and all this to be ended off with a delicious champagne picnic set up in the middle of untamed bush or sit at a private table at the ranch.

Price: R1000 per person (starts at 10.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm or 2.30pm)
Venue: Saddle Creek Ranch Farm, Hartebeesfontein Road, Hekpoort
Contact: Tel 079 467 9906/7, email valentines@saddlecreekadventures.co.za, www.saddlecreekadventures.co.za/valentines-day

9. Hedianga Beast

If candle-lit dinners aren’t your thing, hit the trail in this running event in Pretoria East. There are three distances to choose from – 5, 10 and 15 kilometres – along an undulating course of rocky climbs, single track, Jeep track and grassy stretches. There’ll be live music, food stands, craft beer and artisanal coffee. Warning: the 15-kilometre route requires a strong level of fitness (or a bloody-minded I’ll-show-you attitude).

Price: R90 (5km), R120 (10km), R150 (15km)
Venue: Hedianga Farm, Pretoria East
Contact: Wildtrail Tel 083 294 5260, website wildtrail.co.za

10. Go ice-skating at Festival Mall or Northgate

This is a fun option both for those in Kempton Park (Festival Mall) and in Johannesburg (Northgate Shopping Centre) – and with the high summer temperatures, a golden opportunity to cool down in style. Kids will also enjoy this outing. There are two ice-skating sessions, from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 19:30 to 22:30.

Price: R65 entrance fee, and R30 for skate hire, at both ice rinks (Northgate’s ice rink has a half-price Tuesday special, including skate hire. Both have a Sunday Night Madness special, when you pay R45 for the evening, including skate hire).
Venue: Festival Mall corner CR Swart Drive and Kelvin Street, Kempton Park and Northgate Mall, c/o Norththumberland Road and Olievenhout Avenue, Northriding, Johannesburg
Contact: Tel 011 394 6702 (Festival Mall) and 011 794 8706 (Northgate)

11. Couples photo shoot

Many photographers in Johannesburg do couple photographs, and it could be good fun and a generally inexpensive and memorable thing to do on Valentine’s Day. Because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, search for a photographer in your area and pick the one whose portfolio you like most.

Tip: remember that many Valentine’s Day specials become cheaper when done in groups, so check with the venue and consider involving your friends for double dates etc.

At these Hope Spots around South Africa, you can enjoy the marine world while contributing to its conservation.

Here’s an interesting fact: 85% of South Africa’s tourism is coast-based, according to tourism statistics. From this, I think we can safely assume that tourists love the sea. And what’s not to love? The sway and crash of the waves and the fun they give us, beautiful beaches and the life along them (and then there’s the small matter of the sea being our largest source of oxygen and a great source of food). But under the surface, there’s a survival crisis going on.

Photo by Chris Davies.

 
One of the ocean’s biggest crusaders is a very small, 80-year-old woman, Dr Sylvia Earle. While humanity continues harvesting from this resource it sees as infinitely bounteous, Dr Earle, who’s been diving since she was 16, witnessed over the years that it was categorically not, and has given a passionate voice to this. In 2009, via a TED award, she launched the Hope Spot movement to help preserve important marine areas. Across the world, there are in the region of 70. In South Africa, six were launched in 2010: Algoa Bay, Cape Whale Coast, Plett, Aliwal Shoal, False Bay and Knysna.

What are Hope Spots?

Hope Spots are marine areas of ecological and biodiversity significance, but in South Africa, they are also unique in that:

• they are the only community-based Hope Spots;
• they are where people live, and aim to involve those people in conservation;
• they aim to ignite human support through involvement and education;
• they aim to share information with people so that everyone can appreciate the  enormous value of the seas on their front doorstep and to then promote pride.

We featured the first three in our February issue of Getaway, where you can read what Hope Spots are all about (if you don’t already know). Here’s how you can engage with the Aliwal Shoal, False Bay and Knysna Hope Spots.

Things to do in the Knysna Hope Spot

Photo by Theresa Lozier.

1. Take a magical coastal walk under the moon

Garden Route Trails offers powerful and interactive trails through beautiful natural environments – coastal, riverine, afro-montane, wetland and dune – that educate on biodiversity and how all the elements interact and rely on each other. Around the new and full moons there’s the highly recommended Moonlight Meander and Starlight Stroll, in which Judy Dixon talks to hikers about the magic the rich intertidal zone hides. Costs from R150 per person.

2. See a whale from a boat

Ocean Odyssey is a Blue Flag credited whale-watching operator that’s permitted to take you to within 50 metres of these magnificent creatures (it’s Wessa credited so is very mindful of being eco-conscious). During whale season (1 June – 30 Nov), whale-watching tours are conducted over one-and-a-half to two hours with only 12 passengers. Costs R850 per person (kids under 12 cost R650).

During the summer (1 December – 31 May) there are eco-tours, which focus on all marine life along the coast from dolphins and sharks and Bryde whales to sea and coastal birds. Costs are R680 per person (kids R480). There’s another tour within the incredible and ecologically significant Knysna estuary, too, which takes only 45 minutes and costs R380 per person (kids R230).

3.Learn to surf

Trip Out is a surf school with a strong eco-conscious approach, and they are passionate about the sea, especially about not littering. It’s a great introduction to the ocean for young people (and educates about rip tides and safety). A two-hour lesson starts at R400 per person.

For more offerings in the area, visit the Knynsna tourism website.

Things to do at the False Bay Hope Spot

So much goes on in and around the southern peninsula, and there are plenty of ways to engage with the sea here:

Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

4. Learn about sharks and marine life

Save Our Seas Shark Centre is open to the public from 2pm to 4pm Mondays to Thursdays, and is also available for group bookings for school children (from Grade R) and adults, at no charge. You can participate in shark lessons and rocky shore explorations (which take you out onto the shores of Dalebrook in Kalk Bay). There are also holiday programmes, which costs from R50 per child per day. Save Our Seas Shark Centre’s Facebook page will keep you up to scratch with all events.

5. Learn to free dive

I Am Water Ocean Conservation Foundation offers free-diving courses in the kelp around the peninsula. Free diving is a remarkable way to engage with wildlife underwater as you enter the ocean silently and on one breath. Certified courses for adults cost from R2800 per person. It has also recently launched children’s summer camps where kids can learn about the sea in a fun and engaging way. All proceeds go to educating less privileged children about conservation and offering first time ocean experiences. Costs start at R3500 per child.

Photo by Teagan Cunniffe.

6. Snorkel with sharks and marine life

Pisces Divers, based in Simons Town, offers two exciting trips that can be done by non-divers: the pelagic shark dive, where you can snorkel (or dive) with blue and shortfin mako sharks 25 nautical miles off Cape Point (costs start at R2500 per person); the Cape Point ocean safari takes divers or snorkelers swimming with seals but also educates about the coast on the trip down to Roman Rock Lighthouse (costs R1400 per person). Pisces Divers’ main business is dive courses, and details for this can be found on the Pisces Divers website.

Also read: 10 things nobody tells you about learning to dive

For more offerings in the area, visit the Cape Town tourism website.

Things to do at the Aliwal Shoal Hope Spot

This Hope Spot is still at fledgling stage, but you can do the following here:

Ragged-tooth shark at Raggie Cave, Aliwal Shoal.

7. Dive with sharks and other sea life

Aliwal Shoal is rated one of the world’s top 10 diving sites, with warm water and abundant subtropical marine life from colourful reef fish and corals, to raggies and tiger sharks. Costs start at R600 per person with African Watersports.

8. Do uShaka Sea World’s ecology course

This runs every Thursday evening for five weeks and is linked to the SASSI programme, and covers everything from oceanography, biodiversity, marine creatures, plus nocturnal behaviours and biodiversity threats. And it only costs R805 per person. Find out more on the uShaka Sea World website.

Find out more about Dr Earle’s mission on her website, Mission Blue.

Read more from this story in the February 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

Get this issue →

Our February issue features a wild new way to traverse the Baviaanskloof, the Okavango Delta’s most affordable safari, 6 local shores to explore and Italy’s 8 prettiest dips.

From breathtaking views to spas and places that offer some of the most delicious food, we have just the ideal list on how to spoil your partner rotten this Valentine’s Day – or throughout the year. Here’s our list 21 of some of the most romantic getaways in South Africa – as rated by our accommodation expert Pippa de Bruyn (just so you know that they’re tried and tested). Although prices are quite steep, think of these as places as spots you would have to visit at least once-in-a-lifetime.

Limpopo

1. Umvangati house, Hoedspruit

Nothing can really prepare you for the view from this house, perched high above a carpet of dense vegetation rising steeply towards the pink cliffs, their rounded mounds dusted in green. It’s surreal, the 360-degree surrounds uninhabited and unmarred, and all perfectly framed by the monumental scale of the architecture. umVangati is a luxury purpose-built lodge reached via an increasingly steep road that winds deep within the Moholoholo reserve. It’s not cheap but this is a very special place, the kind where you propose, make amends, celebrate, or simply blow your partner away with a surprise weekend.
Cost: From R2950 for two sharing B&B for the King or Queen Luxury rooms which have private entrances.
Contact: umvangati.co.za

2. Bushriver Lodge, Hoedspruit

This is one of those places that makes your heart soar. There is the location at the end of a long track that takes you through a variety of gates and situated on the banks of the Olifants River, so the water lullaby is a constant soundtrack. Enquire into the bush dinners ‒ a very romantic set-up in a dry riverbed.
Cost: From R1090 if you self-cater in Main Lodge (sleeps two to four per room); add R100 per person for breakfast and from R220 per person for dinner. The two-bedroom cottages are from R1250 (sleep four); R1950 for Marula Camp (sleeps eight).
Contact: bushriver.co.za

Gauteng

Read also: Joburg weekend getaways: the very best of the Magaliesberg

3. Valley Lodge & Spa, Hekpoort Valley, Magaliesberg

Here you really have the best of both worlds: a serene view from your veranda, combined with the pleasures of being in a large hotel. These include an enormous resort-style pool, that fabulous spa (heated mineral pool, Jacuzzi, saunas, great treatment menu), a very convivial pub, tennis court, babysitting and a few dining options, including wood-fired pizzas delivered to your room.
Cost: Luxury rooms from R2360 for two sharing B&B, under 6s stay for free. Check online for specials that include spa treatments – it’s worth booking these in advance.
Contact: valleylodge.co.za

4. Quiet Mountain Country House, Hekpoort Valley, Magaliesberg

The pleasures are many at Quiet Mountain House, located in the Hartebeestfontein Conservancy. There’s the food, prepared with quality ingredients, including milk, cream and butter produced from resident cows, and eggs from their obliging hens; the rambling gardens; and the excellent service that John and his partner Terence have given guests for more than 22 years.
Cost: From R1300 per person sharing which includes an early morning tea/coffee service, breakfast and a four-course dinner. Minimum two-night stay on weekends. No children under 12.
Contact: quietmountain.co.za

5. Saamrus Guest Farm, Hekpoort Valley, Magaliesberg

The website does Saamrus no justice – this 500-hectare farm offers by far the most private and romantic collection of self-catering cottages in the area and the best views. The only drawback is the 4×4 required to reach hillside cottages, or you’ll have to brave it on foot: it’s a 200 – to 400-metre trudge uphill, but two strong men are always on duty to help carry for a tip.
Contact: From R780 to R1100 per cottage on weekends for singles or two sharing; R230 per extra guest/child in the lounge. Weekends minimum two-night stay. Midweek from R780 for two sharing and from R620 for a single person.
Contact: saamrus.co.za

6. African Pride Mount Grace Country House & Spa, Magaliesberg

Experience the luxury of time at African Pride Mount Grace Country House & Spa. Nestled amongst the ruggedly beautiful Magaliesburg Mountains, merely an hour’s drive from Johannesburg or Pretoria. Here you can indulge in a massage at their on-site spa, or dine in style at the acclaimed Rambling Vine Restaurant.
Cost: From R2800 a room a night.
Contact: Book online via booking.com

Western Cape

Also read: 22 lovely spots in Paternoster for a summer break
and 12 lovely places to stay in Stanford

7. The Boathouse, Vermaaklikheid

Here you will share the 20-hectare farm and 600 metres of river frontage with just three other houses. Stripping down and walking into the balmy water at night to float under an enormous star-spangled heaven will restore your faith if you’re that way inclined. At night it’s romantically lit with candles, paraffin lanterns and the Godin wood stove; the fridge and geyser are powered by gas.
Cost: From R800 per night; minimum two-night stay except in winter. Canoes are included.
Contact: capestay.co.za/oshoekriverfarm

8. Haesfarm, Stanford

The two spacious en-suite bedrooms on this40-hectare organic fynbos farm perched atop the rolling hills east of Stanford share a lounge/library/bar, warmed with underfloor heating, a combustion fireplace and a profusion of books and art, plus a covered terrace (with braai) from which to enjoy the sweeping valley views.
Cost: From R1500 double B&B.
Contact: haesfarm.com

9. Springfontein sleeps, Stanford

A few minutes out of town, off the gravel track that skirts the Klein River estuary, are three recently renovated cottages spread across Springfontein wine farm. Of them all, Milkwood is much larger and the most private, with a lounge centred on a big open fireplace and a patio with an outdoor fireplace. The farm restaurant, Springfield Eats, is rated No. 1 in Stanford on TripAdvisor.
Cost: R1000 for Fisherman’s Cottage, R1600 for Milkwood, R1200 for Riverside suites with a pool (all sleep two each); R3800 for the house (sleeps six).
Contact: springfontein.co.za

10. Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel, Paternoster

This hotel is tucked away on a prime Mosselbank location right at the northern edge of the village, and the owners also purchased a further three kilometres of the coast to protect the untrammelled views and halt further development. It’s listed as a B&B on TripAdvisor, but Strandloper is very much a boutique hotel, offering a full spectrum of pampering to guests
Cost: From R2050 for two sharing B&B. The Nature King Suites take kids aged 14 and up in the loft for R800 per child.
Contact: strandloperocean.com

11. The Oystercatcher’s Haven, Paternoster

Just four rooms ‒ each furnished in eclectic boho style and with a private entrance and veranda to enjoy those glorious sea views. Breakfast is served on your veranda if you prefer, and the intimacy and privacy enjoyed here are very conducive to romance. Located on the southern edge of the village, right on the quietest beach in Paternoster.
Cost: From R1850 for two sharing B&B.
Contact: oystercatchershaven.com

12. Gelukkie, Paternoster

Spacious and very private, each cottage has its own landscaped garden, both offer a complete escape from the world. On spring and autumn days you can while away lounging on the swinging al fresco double beds, but come the really hot months you will, however, need to take a drive to the beach.
Cost: From R850 for each cottage (both sleep two).
Contact: gelukkie.co.za

13. Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, Franschhoek

Tucked deep into the crook of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, the setting is fantastic, matched only by (far pricier) Mont Rochelle and La Petite Ferme when it comes to exceptional views.
Cost: From R2902 for two sharing B&B.
Contact: lefranschhoek.co.za

14. La Petite Dauphine, Franschhoek

La Petite Dauphine is a working farm, the gardens surrounded by plum orchards, olive groves and vineyards, but the atmosphere is more grand estate than agricultural. Café BonBon, the delightful on-site restaurant where breakfast and lunch are served every day and dinner on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights was also designed by owner/decorator Gert Gertzen.
Cost: From R4220 per night for two sharing B&B for two nights (rates inflate hugely for one-night stays).
Contact: lapetite.co.za

15. Angala Boutique Hotel, Franschhoek

It’s quite a surprise coming to the end of the bumpy dirt track that twists up through the vineyards behind Vrede en Lust to find this contemporary glass box with sweeping valley views and stylish furnishings. The modern design – comprising just 11 rooms dotted in terraced grounds – sits remarkably easy in this natural idyll.
Cost: From R3898 per person sharing for the river cottages; luxury suites are from R2995 per person sharing. Rates include breakfast and a complimentary minibar.
Contact: angala.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal

16 mountain cabins for getting far, far away in the Drakensburg

16. Montusi Mountain lodge, Bergville

Montusi Mountain Lodge opened in 2000 and offers luxuries such as a nightly turn-down with homemade chocolates and haute cuisine dinners that are a real highlight. Having rehabilitated the 1000-hectare farm to encourage the return of birdlife and antelope, the hosts are extremely hospitable. There is lots to do on the farm, plus All Out Adventure Centre is just down the drag.
Cost: From R1715 per person for a Garden Suite DBB, including a daily guided hike.
Contact: montusi.co.za

17. Morgan Bay Hotel

Apart from a handful of beach bungalows erected here during the First World War, the Morgan Bay Hotel was the first development in the bay. Yet when you sink into the white sheets and listen to the ocean beyond your balcony, you wouldn’t believe it’s almost a century old. The sound of crashing waves follows you to the Milkwood Spa, where the treatment rooms are built to face the ocean.
Cost: From R880 (no sea view rooms) and R1080 for the deluxe rooms per person sharing
Contact: morganbayhotel.co.za

Mpumalanga

18. Summerfields Rose retreat Spa

The luxury retreat is geared for romance and you can choose a king-size bed unit on the gurgling river or a quieter forest option that’s great for birding. The two on-site restaurants use only vegetables grown on the 1 000-hectare macadamia farm. Expect luxury details such as Charlotte Rhys toiletries, macadamia nut snacks and home-made shortbread, filter coffee and plush downy duvets.
Cost: R2490 per person sharing, including a two-course gourmet breakfast, complimentary welcome drinks and a 60-minute massage of your choice.
Contact: 0137376500, summerfields.co.za

North West

19. Mamagalie Mountain Lodge, Mooinooi

Roughly 100 kilometres from Joburg the landscape transforms from highveld to bushveld near Buffelspoort Dam. Here, five lodges, cleverly nestled in a secluded valley, make up the Mamagalie self-catering collection. Expect to find hornbills floating from the trees and hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra and gemsbok roaming the slopes. Walk in the bush and explore the rock pools in the protected Magaliesberg green belt.
Cost: From R800 per person sharing.
Contact: Tel 0845139480, mamagalie.co.za

Eastern Cape

Also read: 15 cherry-picked accommodation spots in Kenton-on-Sea

20. Sibuya River camp, Kenton on Sea

The adventure starts when you board the boat moored outside the reception on Eastbourne Road, and slowly head down the Kariega, stopping to identify birds en route. It’s a magical stretch of water, a deep turquoise-green ribbon twisting and turning its way through steep banks, the blue-sky horizon sculpted by euphorbias and aloes. Skimming across the river while watching the play of light on the water, you feel a million miles from civilisation.
Cost: Book the whole of River Camp for R18 801 all-inclusive (game activities, meals, drinks) for eight adults and eight children in four tents. It’s not only for exclusive use: guests booking fewer than four tents pay R2855 per adult sharing and R1 428 per child sharing with parents (all-inclusive).
Contact: sibuya.co.za

21. Umngazi River Bungalows & Spa, Port St Johns

Umngazi River Bungalows punctuate the peaceful banks and give the best of river and sea views. Civilisation is miles away and the surrounding hills are only sparsely dotted with colourful Xhosa huts. The resort is geared for family vacations so while you get your far-from-it- all holiday, the children won’t be complaining of boredom as the area offers plenty of outdoor activities.
Cost: From R1145 per person per night including all meals – in low season.
Contact: 0475641115, umngazi.co.za

The Bloukrans Bungy is awesome – really you have to do it at least once – but it isn’t the only adventurous, outdoor activity on the Garden Route. ‘Adventure’ doesn’t have to mean throwing yourself off a bridge or out of a plane either (although definitely do the skydiving too). You can also hike, raft, track lions, or just sit with a sandwich and watch a great white shark go hunting. There are loads of adventure activities to do on the Garden Route, but these 10 are my favourite.

Setting camera traps and tracking lions with radio-collar telemetry at Gondwana Game Reserve.

1. Spend five nights as a game ranger at Gondwana Nature Reserve

I’ve always wanted to be a game ranger, but I never thought I’d get my first taste of it on the Garden Route. Gondwana Nature Reserve is an 11000ha game park north of Mossel Bay, which as recently as 2003 was 100 percent commercial farmland. They park is new, and committed to rehabilitating the vegetation and wildlife that once occurred naturally in the area. Key to this is their public conservation programme, centred around a Tented Eco Camp in the north west corner of the reserve. Here, husband and wife team Brendan and Stevie Strydom, host guests in beautiful luxury tents and lead a variety of hands-on conservation activities: setting camera traps, clearing alien vegetation, recording game numbers and distribution, and keeping an eye on where the newly-introduced lions might be hiding.

Key to the conservation process is determining how many animals the reserve can support. There are currently 13 elephants, including this little guy, in Gondwana.

The communal area and luxury tents at Gondwana Eco Camp.

 
Cost: From R11550 per person for five nights, including all activities, meals and accommodation.
More info: gondwanagr.co.za

2. Jump out of a plane over Mossel Bay

The most comforting thing about my first tandem skydive was that presumably the guy strapped behind me also didn’t want to die. It’s something to think about as you sit with your feet dangling over three kilometres of fresh air, but happily not a thought you have to dwell on too long before you’re propelled out into the abyss, stomach in knots as you accelerate towards the distant coastline. And then you’re flying. 30 to 40 seconds of free fall doesn’t seem much from the ground, but adrenaline, apparently, has an elastic effect on time and the fall seems to last for minutes. If you’ve never done it before and have even the vaguest inkling to do so, then make a plan and make it happen. A skydive over one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world should be on any adventure seeker’s bucket list.

This is two activities for the price of one: a flight over the beautiful Garden Route coastline, and an adrenaline rush like never before as you plummet down towards it.

 
Cost: From R2550 for a 10000-foot tandem jump.
More info: skydivemosselbay.com

3. Stay at Ebb and Flow Campsite and canoe to the waterfall

Up the coast in Wilderness, SANParks’ Ebb and Flow Campsite is the base for a more relaxed adventure. The camp is divided in two, along the banks of the Touws River, which winds north through indigenous coastal forest and is ideal for canoeing. Crystal-clear water glides under the boat as you paddle easily upstream until, after 3km (about 45 minutes) a rocky beach marks the limit of navigable river. From there you can join the Giant Kingfisher Trail, which follows the eastern bank of the river to a beautiful waterfall and deep swimming pools.

After 3km of tranquil paddling, leave your canoe and take to the trail for a 3.5km hike to the waterfall.

The 3.5km hike is not strenuous, but give yourself 45 minutes to an hour for a leisurely stroll. Canoes can be hired from Ebb and Flow Campsite for three hours or the whole day, and although you can make it to the waterfall and back inside three hours if you push hard, it’s better to take your time and make a day of it.

The waterfall hike passes through beautiful indigenous forest and the pools at the end are great for a refreshing dip.

 
Cost: Camping from R95, two-sleeper rondavels from R200 and four-sleeper cottages from R342.50 per person, plus a daily conservation fee of R37 per adult and R18 per child per day (Wildcard holders free). Canoe hire at the campsite is R140 for three hours or R200 for the day
More info: sanparks.org

Also read: the South African hiking bucketlist

4. Go paragliding over Wilderness beach

If a headlong plummet from 10000 feet seems a little too intense, the more tranquil joys of paragliding might be for you. You don’t need any experience to take a tandem flight with Cloudbase Paragliding, but conditions do have to be just right so you will need good luck with the weather. From high above the waves you can spot whales and sometimes even the dark shadow of a patrolling shark. Paragliding is the closest humankind has managed to get to the eagles – not jumping out of planes or speeding past cliffs on wingsuits, but floating high on thermals, an effortless soaring that I didn’t want to stop.

Soaring over the Wilderness coastline with Cloudbase Paragliding. Photo credit: Scott Ramsay.

 
Cost: R750 for a 10-minute flight.
More info: cloudbase-paragliding.co.za

5. Hike Robberg Nature Reserve and spot a great white shark

We weren’t lucky with the weather for our overnight hike to Fountain Shack on Plettenberg Bay’s Robberg Nature Reserve. The rain started 10 minutes in so instead of the usual two-hour loop around the north of Robberg peninsular, we cut directly to the south-side exit trail and made it to the shack in about 30 minutes. We had a 3kg bag of compressed braai fuel given to us at reception, but sadly the outdoor braai is not protected from the elements and starting a fire was impossible. The shack itself is a basic hiking cabin, but decently equipped with mattresses, solar lighting and crockery. We soon had the gas stove going and were warming up with a good meal as the storm howled and waves thundered into the rocks just outside.

A late spring storm only served to make Robberg that much more wild and beautiful.

The next morning seemed brighter so we cut back around the northern side – a route I’d not recommend at high tide as the trail runs close to the sea and the rocky sections become very slippery when wet. Taking a break on the cliff edge, just above the seal breeding colony, we got a beautiful sighting of a great white shark stalking a small group of seals in the water below. By then the rain had started again and my camera was safely packed away, but shark spotting from Robberg is not uncommon as you can see from this video by William Ashurst below.

 
Cost: The Fountain Shack is R875 for four, then R220 for each additional person (sleeps up to eight). There’s also a daily conservation fee of R40 per adult and R20 per child (Wildcard members free).
More info: capenature.co.za

6. Commit to the void at Bloukrans Bungy

I’ll admit I was scared for this one. More scared than skydiving even: probably because at 216 metres you can quite clearly see the rocks and trees in the valley below. Also, with a tandem skydive, there’s that sense of comfort from the experienced instructor strapped securely to your back. When I booked Bloukrans Bungy I swore I’d do a swallow-dive, but when the time came I’m afraid I looked more like a Lindt Bunny falling off a shelf. It wasn’t flattering, but it was mind-blowing. Maybe one day I’ll even do it again.

A Face Adrenalin crew member shows how it’s done as rain pours down into the Bloukrans valley.

 
Cost: R900 for online bookings and R950 at the bridge.
More info: faceadrenalin.com

7. Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours

From the intense to the far more relaxed, Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours offers a beautiful and exhilarating alternative for those not keen on leaping off bridges.

Zipping through the trees with Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours.

Based out of Storms River village this friendly local crew will lead you through the beautiful Tsitsikamma treetops, securely strapped to steel cables strung high between the trees. There are 10 connected platforms and the tour takes two to three hours depending on the size of the group.

There are 10 platforms, connected by steel zip lines up to 100m long, suspended 30m above the forest floor.

 
Cost: R595 per person, including a light meal and soft drink at the end.
More info: canopytour.co.za
New: If you’re heading to the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, then check out the brand new Cango Caves Zipline’s 500-metre line in the mountains just south of the caves. (R295 per person, cangocavesestate.co.za)

8. Gorge yourself on Blackwater Tubing

You need to be reasonably fit to go tubing on Storms River, and although these aren’t serious rapids, you definitely have to be comfortable spending time in the water. There’s a half and full day outing, but only the full day gets you down into the gorge itself, with jumps and rapids depending on the water level. If it’s too high then the gorge section is completely off limits so best to pick a clear day, after just a little bit of rain, when medium to low water levels provide good flow and the most fun. This is medium adrenaline, but maximum beauty – especially the exit at Storms River Mouth, one of my favourite places in South Africa.

Black Water Tubing with Tube and Axe in Storms River. Photo credit: Teagan Cunniffe.

 
Cost: Full day R995 and half day (3.5 hours) R595 per person, plus SANPark conservations fees of R40 (half day) and R60 (full day).
More info: blackwatertubing.net

9. See the most beautiful stretches of Garden Route coastline on the five-day Otter Trail

Hiking the Otter Trail is not really a spontaneous trip. Bookings must be made about a year in advance, although if you’re just one or two people you may be able to tag onto an existing reservation. It’s worth the wait though. There’s just no other way to get access to this incredible, unspoilt coastline. The four-night trail crosses beautiful rivers (get the tides right or you’ll have to swim!) and climbs up and down and up again through vine-laden forest and across wind-swept cliffs. You’ll need to be moderately fit – there are a couple of pretty steep ascents – but the maximum elevation is only 156m and the distances per day are easily manageable, with plenty of time to swim and picnic and catch your breath. Book today. It’ll be the highlight of next year!

 
Also see: Photoblog: hiking the Otter Trail

The Andre Huts, on day 4 of the Otter Trail.

 
Cost: R1150 per person, plus a daily conservation fee of R49 per adult and R24 per child per day (Wildcard holders free)
More info: sanparks.org

10. Learn to surf at Jeffreys Bay

An uncontrollable shark phobia means I’ll never be the surf legend I dreamed of as a kid, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pretend for a day. And what better place to do it than South Africa’s premier surf destination, J-Bay? You won’t be out on the famous ‘Supertubes’ on day one though. There’s a more placid beach a bit further down from the tubes, so you won’t get run over by a pro. There’s a special kind of joy when you stand up on a surfboard for the first time and actually I think the fear of sharks was an incentive. It certainly focusses the mind on getting up and out of the water. Be aware that conditions vary and if deemed not suitable for beginners, you’ll need to be flexible to reschedule.

Well you won’t be doing this on your first day, but it’s the dream right?

 
Cost: R210 for a group lesson and R310 for a private lesson, board and wetsuit included
More info: learn2surf.co.za

No plans yet for Valentine’s Day? Or you are desperately hoping that you’ll get out of it by saying that all the places you called were fully booked? Why not try one of our options to help you rediscover how fun being a tourist in your own city can be – you might just win a night at a swanky hotel. Romantic or not, we rate you’re bound to have a great time in Cape Town this Valentine’s Day. So go on, make a booking and make someone feel extra-special.

Where to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Cape Town

1. Cape Point Vineyards, Noordhoek

Rolling lawns and a view of vineyards and the ocean is a picture-perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day. If a gourmet picnic sounds good to you, then sunset at the foot of Chapman’s Peak is the way to go. Feel the love of a basket brimming with delicious delicacies and nibbles for you and your significant other. Picnic baskets can be pre-ordered (24-hours in advance) and one blanket and two pillows are provided per basket.

Contact: 0217890900, picnics@cape-point.com, cpv.co.za

2. HQ Steakhouse, Heritage Square

The popular city centre grill sets the tone with a glass of Pierre Jourdan bubbly upon arrival and a three-course dinner that includes their famous salad, steak and dessert tasting platter. It will cost R595 and couples can enjoy a performance by Ricky Botsis from 7 to 10pm. HQ promises lots of dancing and prizes for the best-dressed couple. As your evening comes to an end, don’t forget to pair a cigar with a cocktail or two from their bar as you relax in their red leather seats. Full payment secures booking and two seatings are offered at 6pm. There will be limited tables from 7.30pm.

Contact: 0214246373 or email matt@hqrestaurant.co.za, hqrestaurant.co.za

3. Richard’s Bistro and Supper Club, Sea Point

If you are hoping for a romantic evening with a twist, a classic musical performance is a great option. “Kaapse Stories from the Mother City” is an exuberant revue that takes an intimate look at the Cape’s colourful residents while guests enjoy lunch or dinner. They are offering a rate of R900 per couple for the dinner and show. There is also a “love is sweet” dessert surprise.

Copntact: 0214344497 or 0214331340, bookings@richardscapetown.co.za, richardscapetownsa.com.

4. Signal Hill Terrace at the Hilton Hotel

Dinner is served at the Signal Hill Terrace and Lounge where couples can have a glass of bubbly or a mocktail under a ceiling of stars on arrival. You can also chill poolside while admiring the irresistible views of the city. Their five-course dinner includes twice-cooked lamb with cilantro and chicken mousse as well as apple wood smoked and cured sea bass. Couples who are feeling lucky should bring a change of clothes as patrons stand a chance of winning an over night stay on the evening. The menu is R590 per person and it is essential to book beforehand due to limited space. Signal Hill Terrace is Halaal friendly.

Alternatively, couples who can’t get enough of a romantic evening can also opt for a bed and breakfast which includes a one-night stay in a King Guest Room. It will cost R1450 per person and this includes a five-course candle-lit dinner (twice-cooked lamb with cilantro and chicken mousse as well as apple wood smoked and cured sea bass). Guests will also be treated to a glass of bubbly or a mocktail. Booking beforehand is essential.

Contact: 0214813700, capetowncitycentre.hilton.com

5. Pigalle Green Point

One of Cape Town’s most stylish eateries is also joining in on the Valentine’s Day fun and their menu is not one to miss out on. The welcome drink on offer is a Veuve Clicquot and an impeccable four-course meal that will satisfy your hearts desires. A cost of R1430 per couple, covers an amuse-bouche (hors d’oeuvres) which includes sweet corn and basil veloute with a parmesan and olive twist. For a starter, patrons can choose between beef carpaccio, oysters, pan seared scallop, caramelised pear and toasted almond salad. The mains also include several choices between Norwegian salmon (shallot and parsley crushed potatoes, sauteed asparagus, roast red peppers etc.), herb marinated fillet (truffle mash, wilted spinach and sauteed wild mushroom) and a platter of king prawns (butterfly grilled, savoury rice and grilled vegetables). Dessert is also a choice between crème brulee, chocolate mousse or baked cheesecake and filter coffee or tea to round up the evening. There will be live performances to enjoy as well.

Contact: 0214214343, capetown@pigallerestaurants.co.za, pigallerestaurants.co.za

6. One & Only

For your one and only, book a table at this world-renowned restaurant with celebrated chef, Reuben Riffel. Guests can look forward to a six-course tasting menu priced at R950 per person where specially selected wines have been paired with heart-warming meals. For a more exclusive and intimate experience, book a table in the 5000 bottle wine loft. This is R3000 per couple and includes a bottle of sparkling wine and a dozen red roses.

Reuben’s Tasting Table is also an option for those who would like to celebrate with friends. This caters to parties of 12. One & Only is also home to Nobu Cape Town, an exquisite establishment that specialises in Japanese cuisine and a fusion of Asian and South American dishes. Orders can be made from an a la carte menu. Sweet and savoury treats can also be enjoyed at the Vista Bar & Lounge with magnificent views of Table Mountain. There is an offer of R295 per person for a Valentine’s Afternoon Tea Buffet which will last for the whole of Valentine’s weekend from 2.30-5.30pm.

Contact: 0214314511 or 0214325888, reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com, oneandonlyresorts.com

7. Radisson Blu Hotel, Waterfront

Soak up the Atlantic Ocean with your eyes as you and your loved one picnic on a bed of grass at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The basket has a mouth-watering selection of freshly baked baguette, marinated olives, summer berry salad, Asian-basted chicken sewers, local cheese and biscuits, peanut butter brownies and a bottle of wine. Each couple can cuddle up with a blanket and umbrella on the water’s edge. Celebrations begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday 14 February. The picnic costs R695 per couple.

Contact: 0214413000, capetown.foodandbeverage@radissonblu.com, radissonblu.com

8. The President Hotel

A classic romantic comedy could be the way to spend Valentine’s Day. Join the President Hotel for a screening of “Love Actually” at their open air silent cinema experience. With the stars above and the Atlantic Ocean in the background, it promises to be an atmospheric evening for celebrating couples, complete with a gourmet picnic basket. It will cost R425 per person and this includes the ticket, headphone rental and the picnic. It is advisable to book early due to limited tickets.

Contact 0214348111, email events@presidenthotel.co.za, presidenthotel.co.za

9. City Sightseeing Bus

Feel the love of the Mother City as you watch the sun set over it. For a R100 a ticket, you can hop on the Cape Town Red Bus or Sunset Bus that goes to Signal Hill. It departs from stop 1 outside the Two Oceans Aquarium (V&A Waterfront) between 5.30-6pm. You must ensure that you arrive 30 minutes before departure. The duration of the trip is two to three hours and it is advisable to bring warm clothing.

Contact: 0861733287, info@citysightseeing.co.za, citysightseeing.co.za

10. Table Mountain Sunset Special

Outdoor lovers can spend their evening appreciating the sunset atop one of the world’s 7 Wonders of Nature. Table Mountain Cableway has been running a sunset special that ends on 28 February and this is just in time for Valentine’s Day. During this special, the cable car will be half price after 6pm. Return tickets for adults are R127.50. Don’t forget to take a photo and share it using the hot spot in the Cableway Wi-Fi lounge located at Upper Cable Station.

Contact: 0214248181, info@tablemountain.net, tablemountain.net

Just a short ride from Joburg is a weekend escape that’ll take you back to the start of life as we know it. Welcome to the Cradle of Humankind.

‘Africa has given the world humanity – and that is no small thing.’ – Professor Phillip Tobias.

Replicas of San rock art at The Origins Centre at Wits.

School children crowd around a guide at the Sterkfontein Caves exhibit in the Cradle of Humankind. There’s a buzz of excitement at not being stuck in a classroom and they all take turns photographing each other in front of the ape-like reconstructions behind large glass cases. In between pulling peace signs and pouting, the guide manages to grab their attention and about 20 red hard-hatted heads swivel upwards to listen. ‘Welcome home,’ she says. They all look at her confused. ‘This is the Cradle of Humankind. This is where we all come from.’

I’ve come to the Cradle to get to grips with this statement – and do my utmost to avoid a cheesy read about how I found my roots here. But it’s not easy. The Cradle is a Unesco Heritage Site, a protected area north-west of Johannesburg that’s home to over 40 per cent of the entire planet’s treasury of human ancestor fossils.

Sunset at Roots Restaurant at the Forum Homini Hotel.

To get my head around this I start at the very beginning, before setting a foot there, with a visit to the Origins Centre at the University of Witwatersrand, where a lot of technical terms and big concepts about our origins are put into perspective at this superb museum. I realise why the Cradle is so important, as the information gathered here challenges the notion that modern culture began in Europe and tells the fascinating story about the emergence of human beings, and more importantly, I think, humanity in Southern Africa.

Did you know for example, that the oldest form of art comes from here? It’s not sitting in Paris in the Louvre. Africa has the oldest history on Earth, and even if you’re not into learning where you come from there’s so much more to the Cradle.

My first task is identifying where exactly the Cradle of Humankind is. Spread over 47000 hectares, I knew it was somewhere between Krugersdorp and Magaliesberg, closer to Joburg than Hekpoort and Skeerpoort, but definitely beyond Lanseria; and then there’s Muldersdrift, that’s where the Maropeng Boutique Hotel is listed on TripAdvisor. It takes me a Sunday morning to figure out the exact location – basically it’s where all the cycling lanes are.

Along with fossils, cycle lanes define the Cradle. I’m a complete cycling novice but I borrow a bike, source some padded shorts and join the weekend multitude that descends on the Kromdraai back roads. I forget my helmet and every passing rider reprimands me. And there are hundreds of them.

Riding the roads that define the Cradle of Humankind – there are about 45 kilometres of cycling lanes.

Along the way I stop at Bidon Bistro, a favourite haunt for these helmeted hordes – the car park is packed full of vehicles with bike and roof racks. I’m starving and devour poached eggs and pumpkin fritters, washed down with cold, freshly squeezed juice. Set in a garden, this country restaurant is affordable and worth the ride there. Apparently it serves over 400 people on weekends in winter, and my cycling buddies tell me this is nothing compared to the summer months leading up to the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge held annually (this year it’s on 19 November), when the roads truly belong to cyclists.

I decide along the way that my butt isn’t built for this stuff, and so I swap one saddle for another for a ride that’s more thrilling (and far less exerting). I’m grinning widely as the machine backfires.
‘Where did you find this road?’ I shout over the sounds of the engine. Danie is manoeuvring the vintage-style Ural motorbike on a gravel road, passing tractors, cows and farm gates, kicking up a cloud of dust behind us.
‘Martie, that guy riding behind us, owns a hot-air balloon company and he checked things out from the sky. He suggested we scope out this area for good back roads.’

The Ural sidecar trip explores back roads, stopping along the way for refreshments.

Seeing some of the oldest geological forms in the world from a sidecar attached to a Soviet machine is quite something. There’s a rug over my knees and my ‘chauffeur’ is wearing a pair of old-school goggles to protect his eyes from the wind and dust. You can tweak this countryside ride to add stops such as Maropeng or the Sterkfontein Caves to your tour.

I always love a visit to the caves and the small exhibit before the guided tour is one of my firm favourites. When was the last time you went underground? You’ll learn that the precursors to modern-day humans were discovered in time capsules buried throughout this cave system – fossil-rich deposits caused by debris falling through holes in the cave ceiling. My guide, who works at the nearby Malapa tour, calls the caves ‘bone collectors’. When you look up from inside the Sterkfontein Caves, you can spot various shafts of light and it’s easy to imagine how Little Foot lost his footing and fell into history.

Before you leave the caves, you’ll find a statue of Dr Robert Broom, the palaeontologist who dug up Mrs Ples. He’s now got a very shiny nose and hand for his efforts. Legend has it that if you rub the doctor’s hand, you’ll be granted wisdom, and his nose for good fortune. The catch is you can’t rub both, or you’ll be cursed with terrible luck. I figure with wisdom you make your own luck. We are overwhelmingly lucky to live in the place where humanity began – and I’m going to do my best to remind Gautengers ‘that is no small thing’.

Plan your trip

Getting there

From Fourways, the easiest way to get to the Cradle of Humankind is along either Malibongwe Drive (R512) or Cedar Road (R552) towards Lanseria. Then follow the R512 (also called the Pelindaba Road) until you hit a traffic circle and the dotted yellow cycle lane lines begin. Turn left onto the R540 and you’ve hit the birthplace of humanity.

Need to know

The Cradle is a cycling mecca on weekends, and you’ll often find motorbikes and classic cars cruising the back roads too. With so many cyclists on the road, motorists need to be very alert. If you prefer, drive the N14 and R563 straight to the Maropeng visitor centre, which has fewer cycle lanes so you’ll avoid most of the two-wheelers.

Do this

The Maropeng Visitor’s Centre is a fascinating outing for kids and adults alike – you’ll come away having learnt something new.

Visit The Origins Centre. Explore the history of humans in South Africa from fossils to incredible rock art found throughout the country. The audio guides are detailed and informative, and the exhibitions are well displayed. Adults R80 per person, kids R40. 0117174700, origins.org.za

Make your way to Maropeng and tour Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng’s visitor centre is aimed more at kids but very informative and worth a visit. Exploring the caves requires a bit of climbing, bending and crawling ‒ but nothing compared to what scientists had to do when they were recovering Homo naledi fossils ‒ so wear comfy shoes and practical clothing. Buy the combo ticket ‒ it’s much cheaper. Adults R190 per person and kids R125 per person. 0145779000 maropeng.co.za

Stay for stargazing. You can do this from the rooftop of the Maropeng Hotel. Once a month, there is a talk by local astronomer Vincent Nettmann (the next one is on 25 February 2017), and afterwards you can look at planets and deep-sky objects through a telescope. From R210 per person. 0145779100, webtickets.co.za

Take a ride in a Ural sidecar. This is a great way of seeing the countryside. The Cradle day tour takes about five hours and includes a buffet breakfast. R1650 per couple. 0794972416, uralsidecartours.co.za

Explore The Cradle Nature Reserve. This is your chance to see your ancestors in situ. The Malapa Fossil Tour starts with a game drive in the private reserve (home to giraffe, wildebeest, blesbok and more), then explores the Gladysvale Cave and the active Malapa fossil dig, which is currently being processed by Lee Berger (the palaeoanthropologist on Time magazine list of The 100 Most Influential People, and the name behind Homo naledi). R1985 per person. 0873533910, thecradle.co.za

Stay here

Views of the bushveld from the stoep at Cradle Boutique Hotel.

Cradle Boutique Hotel has brand new wooden cabin-like units with fresh, chic interiors and a great patio looking out into the reserve. Complimentary herbal teas, gorgeous John Moore prints along with yellow design splashes in cushions and back issues of National Geographic add to the rooms. From R3130 for two sharing B&B. 0873539599, thecradle.co.za

Cradle Valley Guest Lodge offers a farm-style stay with ducks in the garden and countryish decor that’s easy on the eye. There are 12 stylish and tastefully furnished bedrooms, all with patios. You can hear the horses neighing in paddocks nearby. From R750 per person B&B. 0796973039, cradlevalley.co.za

Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa is resort-like, with over 50 rooms set on sprawling grounds surrounded by fly-fishing dams and beneath the Zwartkops Mountains. The small reserve is also home to kudu, impala and eland, which you can see on the nature trails. From R1 410 per person B&B. 0861148866, kloofzicht.co.za

Forum Homini Hotel is designed to replicate the caves that humankind emerged from ‒ but in far superior style. The eco-friendly grass-covered rooms have colourful interiors, double showers, cosy fireplaces and stalactite-like lights hanging from the ceiling. However, this getaway is very much about the food (see Eat Here, below). From R4450 for two sharing DB&B. 0116687000, forumhomini.com

 

Eat here

Amazing food and plush interiors at the Forum Homini Hotel.

Roots Restaurant is based at the Forum Homini Hotel and is an unusual dining experience. Expect concoctions such as duck with vanilla and cauliflower, pickled beetroot confit, duck cannelloni, hibiscus flower macaroons and mushroom sponge ‒ all on one plate! To round it off, I highly recommend the wine pairing. From R370 pp for a six-course meal; from R95 per person for wine-teaser pairings. 0116687000, forumhomini.com

The Cradle Boutique Hotel Restaurant has the best view in the area. The deck over-looks bushveld, and an excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. Book a table before you go, as it gets popular in summer. 087-353-9599, thecradle.co.za

Bidon Bistro is one of the newest offerings in the Cradle and feeds gangs of cyclists over the weekend wanting coffee and brekkie after a good ride. Try its freshly squeezed juice and interesting breakfast options such as blackberry ginger parfait (R45) and breakfast pizza (R65). It’s a great value-for-money menu. 0760112612, bidonbistro.co.za

 

This story first appeared in the November 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

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Our November issue features the next adventure frontier of Madagascar, affordable breaks in Hogsback, and what to do in the Cradle of Humankind.

 

Hiking is addictive. Talk to anyone who’s done a multi-day hike or two and they will agree: there’s something about the formula of simple days, hard work and immersive natural beauty that resets your mind and floods you with joie de vivre. Subjectively speaking, the only thing better than this is a multi-day horse trail. Combine the two and you couldn’t make me happier. Luckily, that’s just what the Baviaans Camino is about.

The Baviaans Camino is a brand new 75km trail that can be done either on foot or on horseback, and when we heard about it we simply had to go. Kati Auld, our gung-ho online editor and talented writer to boot, was sent along with myself to get a media exclusive on this four-day trail.

These next images are a taster of what this trail entails.  Read Kati’s story in the February 2017 issue of Getaway magazine to find out more, or book a spot on the trail now: you won’t regret doing either.

For more information on the trail, visit baviaanscamino.com

Hercules, who brings in the horse element of the Camino with his well-behaved Boerperds, surveying the valley floor that we had just climbed up from.

A group shot after conquering the steep, steep climb that heralds the start of the trail.

Knackered! And that’s the riders and horses – the hikers proved their mettle by pushing on past us at our pitstop.

Nearly at our first overnight stop, a farmhouse where a hearty meal awaited.

The afternoon sun caught the dust kicked up by the support vehicle, turning it gold as Hercules and Diamant walked through.

The view from between a horse’s ears is said to be one of the best. Here you can see the hikers from my horse, Noodle.

Lunch breaks meant shade, food, and rest – and in Kati’s case, note-taking.

Lynda striking a dramatic pose against the charred mountains of day two.

If you look really closely in the image on the left, you’ll see riders along the road. The hikers are easier to spot, just ahead of us as they crested the rise.

Another night, another lovely farmhouse to stay in. Here we were surrounded by mountains with a choice between camping and rooms, horses picketed in front overnight. The horses added a unique edge to the trail for hikers and riders alike.

Downtime on the trail – drinking up and resting for all before hitting the road again.

The team behind the trail: Esti and Eric (left) of Chokka Trail fame, handling the support vehicle and walking side. Hercules (right), who organises riding trails in this area, and controls the horse component to the Camino.

Ominous clouds and patches of mist on day three lent themselves to silhouette shots.

Mist and drizzle gave us relief from the clear skies of the previous days.

Cheerful Eric passing us in the support vehicle as we climbed the Moordenaarskloof.

The trail took us through mountainside into farmland, passing sheep and a few houses towards the end of day four.

Probably my favourite moment of the trip – reaching the viewpoint over the Kouga River and then swimming with the horses when we reached the sandy riverbanks, after their spontaneous rolling in the deep sand.

A last canter on the trail. Riding is generally done at a walking pace on the trail, but we couldn’t resist a last surge of speed.

One of my favourite campsites to date, alongside the Kouga river. We shared our best moments of the trail around the campfire that night, emotions swelling from the hikers at their sense of achievement in themselves.

Early morning calm on the last morning of the trail. From here we all went our separate ways – until next time.

Read more from this story in the February 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

Get this issue →

Our February issue features a wild new way to traverse the Baviaanskloof, the Okavango Delta’s most affordable safari, 6 local shores to explore and Italy’s 8 prettiest dips.

If you don’t have the time or the funds for a guided multi-day trail, here’s an alternative: a 85 kilometre trail over Table Mountain that you can do in three days, no camping required.

Here, Reuben stands overlooking the path to Silvermine.

 
Also read: the South African hiking bucketlist

 
A map, a few days off and an unexplored mountain. Those were the key ingredients for an epic microadventure, a joyful 3-day hike from the entrance of Cape Point to the Cape Town City Bowl.

British adventurer Alastair Humphreys pioneered the concept and coined the term ‘microadventure’, which has since gained a global following and earned him the National Geographic accolade of ‘Adventurer of the Year’ in 2012. Humphreys describes microadventures as, “an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.” (For some other suggestions, check out five ways to have a microadventure in South Africa.)

Trying to balance a normal working life with an adventurous one is a challenge many of us struggle with, so Humphrey’s thinking struck a nerve. If I couldn’t quit my job to do a six-month road trip across Africa, what could I do? As a Capetonian, what is a simple expedition close to home, affordable and easy to organise? I suppose all answers (and paths) lead to Table Mountain.

A few friends and I took a Friday off, got dropped off at the Smitswinkelbaai huts at Cape Point and set off for Kalk Bay, 30kms away, via the Kleinplaas Dam. Twelve hours later we arrived at the Kalk Bay Backpackers, slightly crippled yet exultant. The next morning we walked up Echo Valley to Silvermine Nature Reserve, past Elephant’s Eye, over Constantiaberg, and down Bokkemanskloof into Hout Bay, where we stayed for the night.

Our final leg on Sunday took us up Llandudno Ravine, along the 12 Apostles, down Kasteelspoort and along the Pipe Track. Three days and, according to our Smart Trackers, 85 km later we returned to the city exhilarated and refreshed. We plotted it all on Google Maps and spent only a portion of what we would have had we gone out to restaurants or events over the weekend. This was the best “short, perspective-shifting burst of travel closer to home,” we could have dreamed of. And it was free, accessible and spectacular.

(Ed’s note: though there was no signage, part of this route crosses private land. If you’re planning to recreate it, the landowner’s consent is required – alternatively, you can start the route from Simon’s Town. Read more on the SANParks website.)

Our first morning started with a climb up the teasingly-high peak of Swartskop (678m). Gale-force winds blowing off the ocean pinned us against the mountain and made it difficult to walk. Everything was wet to touch and we couldn’t hear ourselves talk over the winds. It was the perfect way to clear away any office malaise or cubicle funk we were mentally carrying with us. In those miserable conditions, we gleefully screamed into the winds and continued on.

The weather cleared and we found the naval base on top of Red Hill that we needed to bypass. Just before we had come across an old barracks from World War I. Here we refer to our printout of Google Maps to figure out how to get to our next landmark, the Kleinplaas Dam.

Our lunch spot on the first day was a different world to how our morning had started. Under a warm sun we dipped our feet in the water, had our tomato and cheese rolls and rested after the intense morning hike. We later marched over the hills towards Clovelly, Fish Hoek and finally Kalk Bay.

We started the second morning with a hike up Kalk Bay’s Echo Valley. Due to the fire from March 2015, burned bushes alongside blooming flowers was a common sight along the hike. After one particularly beautiful stretch, it felt like every touch of a stone and every brush of a leaf was a caress from Mother Nature.

At every major fork in the road there are helpful maps to point you in the right direction. In the Kalk Bay Amphitheatre our group figures out the route to the Silvermine Nature Reserve.

Despite being so close to the city, for the majority of the hike we saw very few other people. There were stretches where we felt like we had the entire mountain all to ourselves.

Our breakfast spot on day two was above a waterfall, looking towards Kommetjie and Noordhoek. One of the great joys of hiking long distances is that you need to constantly snack to keep your energy levels up. I know many people who would go on a hike like this purely for the pleasure of such an indulgence. Photo by Matthew Sterne

The view from the Elephant’s Eye cave above Tokai overlooking the Constantia Winelands, Southern Suburbs and False Bay. We encountered the most people here over the course of our three-day hike. The large groups of people unnerved us and we quickly moved on, eager to return to our quieter trails. Just one and a half days in and we were already calling it “our trail.”

This is a quick stop on our way up to Constantiaberg. At 927m high it is the third-highest peak (after Maclear’s Beacon and Devil’s Peak) in the Table Mountain range. Here we rest and look back on where we have come. In the far distance we can see Red Hill and the naval base where we were the previous morning.

The service road up to the Constantiaberg beacon appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It was eerie to walk along a deserted road and be able to look down on top of Table Mountain. It had its pros though, like having the freedom to take photos such as this one.

When you feel like a break, it’s time for another snack. Here we go for the triple soft gum catch in the mouth. Looks like they might have nailed this one.

Bokkemanskloof, the ravine to Hout Bay, and its steep descent lies just ahead of us. In the distance is the back of Table Mountain and a stunning forested section called Oranjekloof. Due to the environmentally sensitive nature of Oranjekloof, hikers are required to organise a permit for that section of the national park.

The climbing continues on day three, despite the blisters and sore muscles. Llandudno Ravine is one of the many recognised routes up to Table Mountain. In the background is Llandudno, Sandy Bay and Klein Leeukoppie.

This is just one of the 2,285 plant species found in the Table Mountain National Park. I’ve been aware of that statistic for a long time but only during this hike did I comprehend how startlingly diverse the plants and flowers really are. There were many stretches where every few steps a new plant appeared, and then another and another. Yellow pincushions accompanied us throughout the hike and white, yellow, pink, purple and even blue flowers popped up the entire length of the path, the world’s most beautiful chaperones. If you’d like to go on a similar hike, a good time to go is in spring, as we did, when nature is in its full glory.

A few more friends joined us for the Sunday leg of the hike. Once we were up Llandudno Ravine we were granted excellent views of Camps Bay, Lion’s Head and Robben Island.

The final hurdle. The white sandy path – a clue to the mountain’s geological history – led us over the ridges of the 12 Apostles, past the Old Cableway and Tranquillity Cracks, and down Table Mountain where we finished our microadventure, fatigued but wholeheartedly inspired.

You don’t have to go far these holidays to get your thrills. These super-fun and action-hero escapades are close to home and will get your heart thumping … and give you dinner-party bragging rights for years. If you were looking for that one thing that will make this your best summer yet, look no further.

Here is our list of 5 epic summer adventures under R3000, tried and tested by our journalists.

1. Kayak (& Lilo) Up The Storms River

This two-to-three-hour adventure starts with a paddle in a two-man kayak on the Indian Ocean, passing under the iconic Storms River suspension bridge – a popular picturesque stop on the Garden Route (an hour from Knysna or two from Port Elizabeth) – and heading into the river mouth.

The journey passes below the concrete arches of the Paul Sauer suspension bridge

Pretty soon our expedition is in the formidable Storms River gorge, which is over 100 metres high in some places. The river guides share the history of the woodcutters who used to inhabit the area and you’ll see the caves they often slept in – now home to a big Egyptian fruit bat colony. Chances are also good you’ll spot dark shadows in the water as you paddle.

The Storms River is a prime ‘nursery’ for ragged-tooth sharks and rays that shelter from sea predators until they’re mature. Otters and seals could also pop up at any moment. Once in safer water behind a boundary of big river rocks, the kayaks are stashed and the journey continues on heavy-duty lilos. It’s a lazy paddle upriver and the guides know the best rocks for jumping off.

In summer you don’t need a wetsuit and the sea is more likely to be calmer – when I visited in October, big waves meant we had to kayak from the river rather than the ocean and its famous marine-protected reefs full of fish. Locals reckon that February is the best time to visit. – Melanie Van Zyl

Do it: Pack a sun hat, smother on the sunscreen and leave any valuables in the car. Also bring a towel and change of clothes for after the excursion. Life jackets and a bottle of water are provided; aqua booties can be hired for R40. The kayak and lilo adventure costs R450 per person (anyone over five years old can do this activity), plus there’s a R45 per adult and R22 per child conservation fee to enter the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp. It’s best to book at least three days before to secure a spot as summertime is busy.
Contact: 0731300689, untouchedadventures.com

2. Coasteer on the Cape Peninsula

Windmill Beach, like its better-known neighbour Boulders, is well-protected from the wind that can whip across the Peninsula, but it has the additional benefit of a wider, more panoramic view across False Bay. This makes it the perfect setting for an activity known as coasteering. Developed in Wales, it’s a sort of marine kloofing – snorkelling, scrambling over rocks and jumping off them along the coast.

The kelp beds around this part of the coast are a playground for all kinds of creatures, both marine and terrestrial.

There are often penguins here, but they must have been performing their tiny-butler duties elsewhere on our visit. For most of the morning, your job is to explore the rich Atlantic waters like a kid. First is the snorkelling: red, pink and purple urchins line the rocks like pompoms, as well as massive starfish.

This water, usually fairly chilly, is perfectly friendly when wearing a wetsuit. Rounding the seaward face of one of the granite boulders, there’s a massive drop-off: you can use the sturdy necks of the kelp to jettison yourself down on one lungful of air, watching bigger fish flit about in the depths. (Not terrifyingly big, though – great whites tend to avoid kelp beds.) Then it’s time to swap your snorkel for a helmet and life vest, and play in the gully, which feels almost like a white-water rapid when the swell churns through it. (Fighting with the current was infinitely entertaining for the teenage boys among us.)

Then there is the jumping. Unlike kloofing, there isn’t a ‘route’ – so the jumps aren’t a necessary means of getting from A to B, but a glorious way to up your adrenalin for the thrill of it. After about two hours of being tugged around by the tide, and leaping eight metres into the glassy embrace of the Atlantic, I was out of breath, salty, and utterly satisfied to laze on the beach and take in some sun. – Kati Auld

Do it: It’s a 45-minute drive from Cape Town to Windmill Beach. The coasteering takes around two to three hours, and costs R450 per person, plus R85 per person if you’d like lunch provided. Minimum four people per trip, maximum 10.
Contact: 0216833698, gravity.co.za

3. Learn to drive a 4×4 like a pro

Not heading into the bush these holidays, to one of Southern Africa’s exciting 4×4 destinations? Neither am I, primarily because I don’t own a 4×4. But in my mind, that shouldn’t stop you from having an off-road adventure. So I looked for a way to do that … in the middle of Joburg, and found the full-day advanced 4×4-driving course at Land Rover Experience Kyalami.

The last section of the course inside the Jaguar Land Rover complex takes drivers along the Jukskei, where your ability to plot a good route is tested.

You can pick what vehicle you want for the day (I went for the Defender – I still like ‘em old school) and, after some intensive driving theory, are led through a series of obstacles, mostly natural, along the Jukskei River. Each is more challenging than the last, and the level of detail and instruction I got along the way was impressive.

When it comes to 4x4ing there’s a lot of misinformation out there, and throughout the day we picked this apart, testing our abilities to find the right lines, make the right decisions and use the full potential of our vehicles to get through tough terrain that’s close to a real adventure destination. Environmental consideration is a big priority too, as it should be with all 4x4ing.

Many 4×4 owners think that having an off-road vehicle means you have a licence to drive over everything. That’s not 4x4ing. Using your nut to figure out a route that doesn’t damage the terrain or your vehicle is infinitely more challenging (and ego boosting) – now that’s 4x4ing, and it’s hella exciting. – Tyson Jopson 

Do it: It costs R2934 for the full-day advanced course, with lunch and refreshments. At the end you receive an advanced driving certificate – some insurance companies will knock a chunk off your premiums on presentation of the certificate.
Contact: 0114651883, 4x4experience.co.za

4. Hike the ‘iron way’ in Magaliesberg

Ever heard the term via ferrata? Not many South Africans have. It’s hiking, with a radical twist – instead of gaining elevation along a walking trail, you strap on a harness and tackle parts of the route vertically by way of iron rungs and safety cables fastened to the mountainside. It originated in Europe as a way to connect low-lying villages to high pastures but became popular after World War I, when it was used to move troops over the Alps.

The rungs are large and easy to grab, making the climb more ‘fun’ than ‘fear’.

In SA, there are just a handful of rung-assisted ascents (most often used as part of an abseil adventure) but currently the only place where you can do an actual, guided via ferrata (Italian for ‘iron road’) hike is at Shelter Rock in the Magaliesberg. We started at 9am on a Saturday morning with a quick demonstration, before hiking 30 minutes to the base of the shimmering Magaliesberg range and the start of the ascent.

It takes a little time to get comfortable with the dynamics but once I found a rhythm it was exhilarating. With each rung you’re thrust further into the sky, and the horizon behind you (if you’re brave enough to turn around) spreads out like a dancing fan.

There are spots to stop and take in the view, and once at the top it’s a leisurely two-hour return walk around the back of the mountain. If you’re hiking in spring, keep an eye out for the colourful African bush grasshoppers at the top – they’re quite spectacular in flight. – Tyson Jopson

Do it: It’s safe and easy to learn (according to the organisers, 99% of clients are first-timers) but decent hiking fitness is required. Ascents are done with a guide and must be booked in advance (weekends and public holidays are best). It takes about four hours in total. From R300 per person (minimum eight).
Contact: 0714736298, shelterrock.co.za

5. Skydive over the West Coast

The 25-minute flight up was so scenic that I lost myself in the lusciously green patches of farm fields that make up Malmesbury, and the view stretching from the Cederberg, Table Mountain and Robben Island through to Cape Point.

Our first few seconds of free fall before the parachute opened.

While I was enjoying the spectacle, Fred strapped himself even closer to me, like ‘sit on my lap’ kind of close – I was happy that I wasn’t going down alone. Just as I got back to enjoying the view, suddenly the door opened and I could hear the sound of the heavy wind. Jean-Jacques leaped out first and held onto the wing of the plane, waiting for me to jump so he could capture the moment. Holy shit – it all just started happening.

And it was happening fast. ‘Get your feet out,’ said Fred over the roaring wind. Looking out way down, I wanted to say, ‘You mean I should physically put both my feet outside of an aeroplane in the sky?’ – except there was no time to contemplate backing out of what I had soberly signed up for. So I reluctantly put out one leg. ‘Let the other leg out,’ he shouted. All I knew at this point was to do exactly as I was told. So I put my other leg out into the sky, and we dived. We were spinning at first, falling into a stunning massive green patchwork, the ground moving closer to our faces.

Soaring through the wind at that speed made me feel like Superman, which to be honest, was the real reason I’ve always wanted to skydive. Then the parachute opened and there was silence. We were going down much slower now.

It was only when the wind and speed slowed that I could utter words, and I had my first moment to scream with pure excitement and joy. With the parachute open and knowing for sure that I was not going to die (at least not from this jump) and that I was going to be okay, I looked around and tried to take in the moment. It was all too good. And so I got back to screaming, ‘This is sooooooo good!’ – Welcome Lishivha

Do it: Mother City SkyDiving is based in Malmesbury, an hour’s drive from Cape Town. From R2300 per person for a tandem skydive, plus R650 to R950 for stills or a video of your jump. Transfers from the city can be arranged for R450 per person return.
Contact: 0793372443, mothercityskydiving.co.za.
• The Parachute Association of SA lists dropzones and operators around the country on its website. para.co.za
WATCH THE VIDEO: Welcome Lishivha Skydive with Mother City Sky Diving

 

This story first appeared in the November 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

Get this issue →

Our November issue features the next adventure frontier of Madagascar, affordable breaks in Hogsback, and what to do in the Cradle of Humankind.

Experienced bushwhacker and hiker, Melanie Van Zyl finally visits her fantasy cabin in Magoebaskloof on a pet-friendly two-day hike.

Heard of ‘cabin porn’? It refers to the ogling of gorgeous cabins in remote places – an urge for a simpler life in remote surroundings. For months, I had been lusting after one particular cabin in the Woodbush Forest near Magoebaskloof. Built on stilts three metres off the ground, it sits among rare samango monkeys and catches a chorus of woodland bird calls. And even though I hadn’t been there, I knew it intimately from pictures: an enamel kettle sits on a gas stove in the corner; a big Cadac gas bottle fitted with a lantern hangs from the wall, and a wooden ladder leads up to a platform with low beds.

 
Also read: slackpacking luxury on the Green Mountain Trail

LEFT: Home-made apple pie beside the fireplace at Kurisa Moya. RIGHT: A good night’s rest is assured in the cosy cabin at Kurisa Moyo.

 
On assignment to find great ecolodges in South Africa, I passed the entrance to this cabin on a dirt road heading towards a stylish new off-the-grid stay called Graceland Eco Retreat, just north of Polokwane. Then, over a few glasses of wine, Graceland co-owner Anders Ragnarsson told me about Limpopo’s newest slackpacking route – the Roots to Rivers Slackpacking Trail – and how it operates between Graceland and Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge … the home of my fantasy cabin. It was finally in reach. I signed up for the trail. 

We set off at 7am from my cabin in the woods. It was everything I had dreamed of, and I woke with a smile on my face. Deep in the Woodbush Forest – South Africa’s second-biggest indigenous forest after Knysna – there was a chill in the air, which felt damp as I breathed in. The sun was up, but it was still moody below the forest canopy as the light took its time reaching down.

Kudu’s Valley slackpacking forest accessed from Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge.

 
Kurisa Moya’s Paul Nkhumane, one of South Africa’s top BirdLife- accredited guides, provided a fascinating insight into the area, and to do this trail without him would be a mistake. Perfectly tuned to this heaving habitat, he pinpointed the birdcalls of bush shrikes, twinspots, robins and the (sprightly) sombre greenbul. The mulchy floor gives rise to stinkwoods, chestnuts and small girth yellow-woods because all the big ones were chopped down before laws were passed to protect them. We ducked under old man’s beard draped from branches and Paul pointed to big holes where saw pits used to function before we stopped beneath the largest known cabbage tree or kiepersol, estimated to be about 200000 years old.

Clambering up koppies.

 
We then emerged from the emerald valley, suddenly stepping into the sunshine. The landscape morphed from soft to hard, and it was an easy climb up a rugged koppie into bushveld. I recognised stamvrug trees, which occur in the Waterberg too, except here they’re covered in old man’s beard – a pale-green reminder of the forest in the valley below. The throaty trumpets of the Knysna turaco were replaced by the varying calls of a scrub robin, and we caught the first glimpse of our destination in the sprawling Kudu’s River Valley below.

The endless views down the Kudu Rivers Valley.

 
We were welcomed to Graceland by three curious giraffes named Lisa Marie, Elvis and Priscilla. I can’t think of another place in the country where you could walk below a cool forest canopy in the morning and stumble across giraffe less than three kilometres away. I was bowled over by the variety of habitat and wildlife I saw in just one day on the trail, and followed the impala tracks to the lodge at Graceland where fresh lemonade and warm cheese scones were waiting. I found my longed-for simpler life in gorgeous surroundings, but I’m certainly not cured. Now the picture in my mind is accompanied by sounds and smells that drive the urge to return.

The giraffes at Graceland are super-relaxed.

Getting there

From Joburg on the N1, just before Polokwane take the Tzaneen off- ramp and follow the R71 for 20 kilometres. Just before the traffic lights, take the slipway to the left to the University of Limpopo. Stay on University Road for another 26 kilometres until it becomes dirt. Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge is on the right; a kilometre, further along, Graceland Eco Retreat is on the left.

How it works

The Roots to Rivers Slackpacking experience is a set of trails near Magoebaskloof, between Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge and Graceland Eco Retreat. The lodges differ slightly: Kurisa Moya is more rustic, with two forest cabins, a large farmhouse for groups and a mountain cottage. 0716586980, krm.co.za

Graceland is more chic and has a house linked to a cottage which sleeps six in total (no kids under 16). 0832775553, gracelandeco.co.za.

Both are off the grid and pet-friendly. For the full experience, I’d recommend booking three nights so you have two full days to explore and walk between the two. You can pack your own grub or ask to be catered for, as we did – meals at both properties were wholesome, generous and very tasty. Packed breakfasts and lunches are also done.

Need to know

Spring offers wildflowers, December is green (although there might be rain) and winter has mild daytime temperatures. The route is very flexible and can be tailored to your interests and fitness – we did roughly seven kilometres on the first day and 10 kilometres on the second, but it was easy going. Book a hiking guide, even if it’s just for a morning, to bring the area’s history alive and to find out about the fauna and flora. At the end of our stay, we also added on a cultural tour to a village outside Polokwane.

What to bring

Binoculars are vital for taking in the incredible birdlife. Wear a hat and carry water and snacks. Be sure to use good walking shoes – you’ll be scrambling up rocky koppies, walking gravel roads and trudging along damp forest floors.

Cost

We paid R1000 for a guide for a full day. There is a R300 luggage transport fee for two days per group. Graceland’s Kudu Cottage is from R750 per person self-catering or R1100 per person DBB. Kurisa Moya is from R550 per person sharing self- catering; meals cost R100 to R280 per person.

*Kurisa Moya is offering a 20 percent discount for readers in low season until 1 May 2017.

This story first appeared in the November 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

Get this issue →

Our November issue features the next adventure frontier of Madagascar, affordable breaks in Hogsback, and what to do in the Cradle of Humankind.

I had never gone multi-day hiking before – so when I joined Getaway, my first assignment was tackling the plush 57-kilometre Green Mountain Trail on the Groeneland Nature Reserve. Turns out it’s a luxury combination of amazing views, hard work, and delicious wines. What’s not to like? Photographs by Teagan Cunniffe.

Andreas Groenewald pointing where the hike will end on day one.

‘I’m surprised by how relaxed you guys are, and not a word to enquire about the hike tomorrow,’ said guide Andreas Groenewald at dinner. The nerves kicked in. I’ve only ever walked over a hill in Grahamstown. This was an entirely different story: 57 kilometres over three days (the standard itinerary spreads the distance over four days but time constraints meant we had one fewer in which to do it), and lots of mountains. Real mountains. What made me do it? The promise of wine, a proper bed every night and some new gear from Cape Union Mart that included hiking socks (I didn’t even know there was such a thing).

LEFT: The view from my room at the Porcupine Hills Guest RIGHT: The bedroom that leads onto a veranda with a view of the surrounding hills.

After a short transfer to the starting point on a private farm, we set off to cross the Groenlandberg Nature Reserve at the decent hour of 9am. Andreas and assistant guide Evan Kortje were like kids in a candy store, their enthusiasm ignited by the sight of a mountain covered in fynbos. Andreas looked at the carpet of erica flowers in front of us as if seeing them for the first time and cried out,‘Look at all this pink! You’d swear the mountain was blushing.’ The flowers were tiny and growing at ankle height. Evan said they refer to a hike in winter as a humble visitation. ‘You have to get on your knees to truly appreciate and see the flowers,’ he said, kneeling down over a patch of proteas that looked like baby cabbages.

About five kilometres later, Andreas pointed at the mountain ahead, ‘We will walk across that path’ – a trail of white sand – ‘but before that, we will go to the top of the mountain and from there on it’s just downhill. It will be a great reward for this hard part of the climb.’ The 360-degree view of the orchards and vineyards of Elgin and Grabouw, Theewaterskloof Dam, Kleinmond right to Hermanus in the distance and the path we’d already covered – all the way back to Porcupine Hills – was a breathtaking reward for the uphill slog.

Having lunch at to a view that stretches over the surrounding vineyards, Theewaterskloof Dam, Kleinmond through to Hermanus.

I couldn’t help but feel on top of the world in more ways than one – the indulgent lunch: a juicy spinach and mushroom quiche packed for us earlier and good filter coffee, savoured with a spectacular view from 1130 metres above sea level (higher than Table Mountain, Andreas pointed out). Soon it was time to soldier on. The energy required going up earlier was so much more within my control than the energy I now needed to keep my body from slipping and rolling downhill.

We came across a mountain spring flowing out of rock on the side of the trail, but some of us (read me) were less excited about drinking this ‘natural water’ because of its brown colour. I held back but Andreas wasted no time, scooping it up with both hands and drinking thirstily.‘This is what water should taste like!’ he said. Registering my doubt, Evan told me that minerals in the fynbos enter the water through its roots, so it’s known as ‘fynbos tea’. Upon closer inspection, it did look like tea, and I drank water from a spring for the first time in my life!

LEFT: On the hiking trail with the alien wood walking stick, carved by a local eco project. RIGHT: Chips of stones used historically used by the Khoi San to make weaponry that we stumbled upon the trail.

We exited the trail via Viljoen’s Pass and the small Nuweberg cemetery that day. I couldn’t help but wonder if that graveyard was home to individuals who hadn’t been able to make it all the way… Only then, after covering 18 kilometres, the first and longest stretch of the hike, did I look back with pride at having made it, alive. Over the next two days we walked through more of this beautiful region that makes up part of the Kogelberg Biosphere. More than 1500 plant species grow here, and more than 20 of them are proteas alone. We even came across impepho – a tumeric-scented herb used by traditional healers to chase away evil spirits.

Every day was rich in visual artistry, accompanied by an incredible orchestra of frog serenades, splashing waterfalls, chirping birds and leaves dancing in the wind. At the end of each walk we ate delicious food and tasted wine, and each night we sank into comfortable beds. It’s perfect for beginners and I realised that though I may walk sluggishly and roll myself over like a ball of dough being kneaded, I can also walk over mountains.

LEFT: Day one of the hike, covering 18 kilometers,  the longest stretch of the hike and to date, the longest I’ve hiked in one day. RIGHT: Beehives right next to the Nuweberg cemetery where the first day’s hike ended.

Plan your trip

Getting there
Take the N2 from Cape Town through Somerset West, over Sir Lowry’s Pass and past Grabouw and Elgin. After the Houw Hoek Pass, head for Bot River. Drive through town, past the hotel, go over the level crossing and turn right onto the Van der Stel Pass (to Villiersdorp). It is 16km on gravel to Porcupine Hills (signposted on the right). Transfers from Cape Town airport can be arranged.

How it works
The Green Mountain Trail covers 57 km over four days, traversing the Groenlandberg section of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, and visiting farms (Oak Valley, Paul Cluver and Beaumont) that are all members of the world’s first biodiversity wine route. Nights are spent at luxury guest houses, which provide breakfast and dinner, and hikers are transported to and from the trail each day. 0282849827, greenmountaintrail.co.za

Need to know
Spring has masses of flowers and flowing streams (lots of frogs); summer offers migratory birds, harvest action, orchids and proteas (plus Elgin Open Gardens in late October and early November); the bulbs bloom in autumn, which is also cooler; winter is cold. It’s a moderate walking trail, no technical skill needed, and distances range from 11 to 18km, which means you’re often only walking for half the day and can spend the rest at leisure, including wine tasting.

What to bring
Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, snacks and water, as well as something warm and waterproof to wear in case the weather changes (probable in the Overberg).

Cost
R8795 per person sharing (minimum six people) for four days. Solo walkers and smaller groups can join other groups. The rate includes all meals, wine tastings, guides, luggage transfers and three nights’ accommodation at Porcupine Hills, an olive farm, and historic Wildekrans Country House.

Gear

Jacket
K-Way Torrential Rain Jacket, R899
Made of polyester micro-fibre, it was light and easy to carry. The inside seams are sealed and kept cold air out and warmth in. It also kept out the drizzle on day three, although its name implies it could deal with far worse.

Pants
K-Way Men’s Explorer Kloof Trousers, R899
They’re made from water- repellent nylon with a UV-protective finish. The leg bottoms can be zipped off to convert them into shorts ‒ due to the weather on my hike, there was no need for that, but in summer this will be very handy.

Day pack
K-Way Kilimanjaro ’12 Daypack, R1099
The shoulder straps hug you tightly but comfortably, so it feels like you’re carrying hardly any luggage. Chest straps allow you to tighten up and adjust the hug of the bag. You won’t want to let go of this one!

Boots
Hi-Tec V-Lite Flash Hike, R2599
These waterproof leather boots were comfortable and strong. The high tops offered ankle support ‒ handy in the rocky environment and on the downhills. They’re rather ‘macho’, which inspired me to crunch through vegetation and climb rocks to take pictures and enjoy the views.

Read our ‘battle test’ review of the Hi-Tec boots here.

This story first appeared in the November 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

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Our November issue features the next adventure frontier of Madagascar, affordable breaks in Hogsback, and what to do in the Cradle of Humankind.

Tapas are sweeping the Cape Town food scene – and plate by tiny plate, the indulgence of eating out can add up quite quickly. I was challenged to find the most delicious tapas in Cape Town for around R150 per person – and although sometimes we went slightly over budget when drinks were included, we left every one of these establishments feeling happy and satisfied.

There are many stories about the origins of tapas. My favourites involve a king who was stricken with an illness which only allowed him to take in small portions of food with small amounts of wine; the other being that tapas bars used to be standing-only affairs so people who ordered a snack had nowhere to put their plate but on top of their glass, so it needed to be a rather small plate. What is for certain is that tapas originated in Spain – but the rest of the world has taken that idea, and run with it.

So, I went looking for the best places that serve awesome, delicious, and wallet-friendly tapas and happily that’s what I found – 11 affordable places to snack to your heart’s content (as well as one “treat-yourself” option).

1. Pure at Hout Bay Manor, Hout Bay

 
Hout Bay Manor is a charming historical building (built in 1871) and within the hotel is Pure Restaurant, a stylish spot where you can tuck into two-for-one tapas in the garden or on the patio from 17:00 to 19:00 on Monday to Friday. We had the bruschetta (comes with three different toppings – the salmon and cream cheese was our favourite); the pork belly pops; and the potato and mozzarella croquettes (which were also delicious). The bill came to R235 for a platter that could’ve fed four people. They also have two-for-one on local beers and house wine (think R20 for a glass of wine) so it makes for a fairly posh, yet affordable place to meet friends for an after-work wind-down.

Contact: Tel 0217919393, houtbaymanor.com

2. Stella Café & Bar, Cullinan Hotel, City Bowl

 
If you think tapas by the poolside in the swanky courtyard of the Cullinan Hotel is only affordable to some, think again! The tapas at their Stella Café & Bar is very affordable and beautifully presented in an array of copper dishes. We had the Bo Kaap bobotie spring rolls, cured barbecue salmon (highly recommended); salt & pepper squid with squid-ink rice, venison with red cabbage, and a fresh crispy cos, peas and avocado salad. The bill came to R310 and we rolled out of there feeling very satisfied! On Fridays they have their Stella Sessions, where you can quaff bottomless Graham Beck bubbly between 17:00 to 19:00 for R195. It really is bottomless as your glass is constantly topped up by attentive waitrons who seem to appear from nowhere! Plus, they give everyone having a drink a selection of snacks (even if you aren’t having bubbly) – it’s a fabulous way to start a weekend.

Contact: Tel 0214154000, tsogosun.com/stella-cafe-and-bar

3. Sotano, Mouille Point

 
Finding space at Sotano for breakfast over the weekend can be tricky, as it is super popular. Possibly because it is also pet-friendly (complete with doggy water bowls) which is always a bonus. Besides great breakfasts, they also have a fairly wide selection of tapas and platters (which are also good for sharing). We had the deep-fried stuffed squid, French-style steamed mussels in white wine (very generous and delicious portion), rosemary-grilled baby aubergine with a hummus dip, and the gambas al Ajillo (Spanish grilled garlic-chilli prawns with toasted bagette) for R306.

While we had mostly seafood, there are plenty of other tasty options including truffle parmesan potato chips, Shiraz-braised beef short ribs, smoky pork belly, and chorizo croquettes, to name a few. On Sundays you can wind down the weekend with the popular reggae band, The Rivertones, between 16:00-19:00.

Contact: Tel 0214331757, sotano.co.za

4. Gastao’s Tapas & Craft Beer Restaurant, Bellville

 
If you are looking for an affordable lunch outing on a Sunday, then head to Gastao’s at the Tyger Waterfront for their tapas special where you can choose a selection of five Portuguese-style tapas with a bottle of Leopard’s Leap wine for R285 from 12:00. The tapas menu includes delicious offerings like paprika poppers filled with cream cheese and bacon jam topped with smoked mozzarella; slow-cooked pork belly served with Jonkers Weiss and sage jus with crispy pinwheel scratchings; and smoked snoek fishcakes drizzled with apricot butter and an apricot pistachio salsa. The peri-peri king prawns served with fresh lemon and a Portuguese roll come highly recommended, along with the garlic roasted mushrooms topped with parmesan shavings and white truffle oil. The portions are generous, the service impeccable and it’s a fun casual spot to enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Contact: Tel 0219141728, gastaos.capetown

5. Loco Lounge, Harfield Village

 
Loco Lounge in Second Avenue is known for their freshly-made-from-local-ingredients dishes and they are also not fans of sugar, so you won’t find that added to your meal. They may be healthy, but doesn’t mean it’s not tasty and their tapas is no exception. The menu is divided up into four sections – Meaty Madness, Fishy Business, Veggie Love (you have to have the camembert-stuffed crumbed mushrooms with cranberry drizzle and truffle oil from this section) and Desserts. Being solo for this one, I had the already-mentioned mushrooms, the mussels in white wine (the sauce was so good I took it home with me), the Thai beef medallions served with grapes and crispy rice noodles and the squidlettes – flash-fried Patagonian baby calamari served with a trio of sauces. The bill came to R336 and could have easily fed two people – I had to have take-aways. Speaking of doggy-bags, they are also pet-friendly!

Contact: Tel 0216716054 or visit their Facebook page

6. The Piano Bar, De Waterkant

 
Looking for somewhere that’s affordable, but classy for a date night? The Piano Bar is just the place with its balcony overlooking the city and warm, romantic interior (think mood lighting and candles on tables). They also have a very convenient date night tapas special: for R280 you get to select four tapas dishes from the menu along with a bottle of their house red or white wine. We had the bobotie tapas, the baked 3-cheese arancini, the falafel balls, and the salmon tartare served in a crispy phyllo pastry cone. They also have other tasty options including curried Zeppoli’s (vetkoek and mince), oriental pork balls in an Asian broth and pulled lamb tacos where the lamb has been seasoned with Deluxe coffee. The prices in general are very reasonable, but they also have two-for-one tapas on every evening between 16:00 and 18:00. There’s also live music every night of the week (we had the charming Grace de la Hunt that evening) and happy hour every day between 16:00 to 18:00, which combines well with two-for-one tapas!

Contact: Tel 0214181096, thepianobar.co.za

7. Manga, Mouille Point

 
If you like tapas, sushi and manga comics, then you are in for a real treat at the recently opened Manga on Beach Road in Mouille Point. When we arrived, sushi platters were being prepared for a party and they looked amazing! But we were there for tapas, so for R310 we enjoyed the miso-roasted aubergine (a winner); Vietnamese duck spring rolls, the crispy calamari with garlic chips, and eight crazy salmon rolls (because we couldn’t let the sushi go). It was all beautifully presented and whilst filling it wasn’t overbearing. There are plenty of vegetarian options, including citrus-dressed red cabbage with with bean sprouts, spring onion and orange; steamed broccoli and sugar snap peas with Shitake mushrooms; Guacamole wonton crackers; and the aforementioned miso-roasted aubergine which was a firm favourite. Gin-lovers will be delighted to know that Manga also has a gin bar serving Woodstock Gin.

Contact: Tel 0212022720, manga-capetown.co.za

8. El Burro Taqueria, City Bowl

 
Taqueria was one of my favourite finds on the tapas route simply because it’s cheerful, colourful and so affordable. It was tacos for one here, so I had a beef taco with chimichurri salsa, a roast butternut with caramelised onion, goats cheese and rocket quesadilla, and a crispy duck with Pasilla salsa taco (was on the specials board for R40). That plateful came to R109 and it was more than enough for me with my rather large appetite! They have daily specials and from Monday to Friday between 12:00 and 17:00 you can get a three-for-two special where you order three food items and the cheapest will be free! Pork-lovers should try the chicharrons (crispy pork scratchings) while tequila-lovers will love the wide selection of tequila and tequila cocktails available.

Contact: Tel 0214223554, elburro.co.za

9. Massimo’s, Hout Bay

 
I took a good friend with me for this one and even though she’s a regular customer, she had no idea they did tapas! The selection of ‘spuntini’ (Italian for starters) at this homely family-owned restaurant is quite impressive and makes for a nice change from pizza or pasta that you usually order at Italian restaurants. We had the caprese (fior di latte mozzarella, tomato, avocado, basil oil); belladonna (yummy grilled aubergines with basil, mint, garlic, marinated and preserved with olive oil); seared beef carpaccio with rocket, extra virgin olive oil and parmesan shavings; a fagiolo (borlotti beans with wild mushrooms, onions & herbs marinated in olive oil – also delicious); ; pepite (fried polenta bites, topped with parmesan, dusted with truffle salt); flamenco (Spanish cauliflower fritters with paprika); and a seafood fritto misto (traditional Italian fried seafood served with dill and spring onion aioli). It was all far too much food, but it was very good food!

The owners, Massimo and Tracy, only use authentic Italian ingredients which are mostly locally sourced, but a few items are imported from Italy (like the parmesan and Parma ham). You also won’t find chicken anywhere on the pizza menu as Italians do not traditionally serve chicken on pizza (Massimo was brought up on a chicken farm – look out for the fabulous photo by the pizza oven). In addition to all the good food on offer, Massimo’s also do good in the local community by donating a portion of your bill to local charities.

Tip: Do ask for one of their sugar cubes that’s been soaked in alcohol with a citrus infusion. I won’t give too much away about the experience, but it’s worth it!

Contact: Tel 0217905648, www.pizzaclub.co.za

10. Fork, City Bowl

 
This Long Street favourite serves Spanish pinchos with a South African twist and the presentation of their dishes is beautiful. The pinchos come in fours, so you can have two of each if you are sharing. That said, we ordered seven ample dishes between three people, and the bill came to R375, which makes Fork one of the most wallet-friendly tapas options. Menu items include aubergine, sweet potato and chickpea coconut curry (served in tiny bowls and totally delicious); risotto tart with parmesan, truffle mushrooms and rocket; smoked salmon rolls with cream cheese, dill and salmon caviar on crostini; roast pork belly with a mustard and parsley crust; grilled tiger prawns wrapped with pancetta (another delicious option); mini kudu fillets with potato gratin, garlic spinach and a citrus reduction (melt-in-your-mouth stuff) and Moroccan meatballs. Dishes start at R30 and there are also specials of the day. You can sit downstairs near the rather nice bar, or upstairs and on the balcony with a view of Long Street happenings below.

Note: You need to book and if you are running late you should let them know otherwise they could give your table away.

Contact: Tel 0214246334, fork-restaurants.co.za

11. Foodbarn Deli and Tapas Bar, Noordhoek

 
The Foodbarn came highly recommended – and with good reason. The deli becomes a tapas bar at night (from 18:00 Tuesdays to Saturdays) and there are 32 dishes on the menu to choose from. The choices were all a bit overwhelming, but we settled on the panko crumbed brie (heavenly); steamed mussels; bunny chow (delicious and so cute); field mushroom and asparagus gratinated with parmesan hollandaise; spicy baby calamari with harissa mayo, crunchy chickpeas and coriander; and the chicken satay. It was an enormous amount of food for R326 and we ended up taking some of it home! We also took home some books as they have a lovely library of books for sale from R40. The deli is such a cosy and comfortable spot – you could easily spend the whole day there.

Contact: Tel 0217891966, thefoodbarn.co.za

And, for a treat…

12. Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia, Constantia Valley

 
This is most certainly not within our stated budget – but for a special occasion, the newly-opened Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia is a culinary journey and taste experience you will never forget. Their signature contemporary tapas for two costs R650, and is comprised of eight dishes served in three courses. That is a lot of food coming to the table and it is probably the most beautiful food you will ever lay your eyes on. (If you are an Instagram fan, you are going to be spending a lot of time taking photos!)

The menu sees two items being replaced each week to keep things fresh. It also depends on seasonal availability and the time of the year (nobody wants salad in winter). Our experience saw us savouring dishes like barbecued Franschhoek trout with a garden vichyssoise, lemon roe dressing, charred and pickled alliums; pea risotto with Belnori goats cheese, fried pea and coppa salsa (oh, to make a risotto like that!); wood-fired pork loin with sherry caramel glazed apricots, almond puree and a thyme jus; and Moroccan lamb rib with homemade ricotta and a Hawaji Spice (the chef’s favourite).

Dessert was not an option for us at the end of eight dishes, but you’ll find bon bons, lemon posset, chocolate pot and a honeycomb and smoked cassia bark ice cream in the dessert section. To be honest, half of the ingredients I had never even heard of, but my tastebuds nodded fervently in approval! And then when you are done, lick your lips, sit back and enjoy the view – they are famous for it.

Note: Bookings are essential and if you are more than 30 minutes late they may give your table to someone else.

Contact: Tel 0217948632, www.beauconstantia.com

Do you have a favourite place to go for tapas? Let us know in the comments below.

Harare is like a rebel child of the family – unpredictable, a little unkempt, edgy… and exciting to hang out with. After some time away, Zimbabwean Michelle Hardie soaks up the energy and joie de vivre of Zimbabwe’s capital city. Photographs by Melanie Van Zyl.

Climbing up giant rocks at Dombashawa.

I climb the stairs wide-eyed and eager. I hear the clip-clip of my shoes hitting the steps, sheeny from decades of swirling crowds browsing, feeling, flicking tags, choosing, deciding. The mirrors are tall and shiny. The banister is still strong. I look up. I have a long way to go, all the way to the top of the world. There are milkshakes and anchovy toast up there. The room is big and still. A man looks up; he sits waiting for his breakfast. News Kademi approaches me. He’s still here after 32 years of polishing cutlery and gently laying menus in front of guests. He smiles. ‘I’m sorry, we don’t serve anchovy toast any more,’ he apologises. ‘Yes, times are very quiet … people don’t come here much. You know, the economic downturn.’

The sun setting on top of the giant rocks at Domboshawa.

I am back in what used to be the Harrods of Harare, on the third floor of Barbours Departmental Store in First Street, the heart of downtown Harare. But like a mother experiencing an empty nest, the CBD has gone the way of many cities worldwide – buildings that once housed vibrant businesses stand empty as the suburbs have unfurled their green lawns and spacious grounds to beckon trade. I take the lift down. There are three in a row. Only the middle one works. With a flourish, the lift attendant spins the worn brass lever to take us down. ‘I am the pilot,’ he grins.

The contradictions of this landlocked country are so inimitable and misunderstood that I desire to show you why the capital is worth a visit. A tourist once said to me that for the first time in his life he felt African when he came to Harare – he felt he belonged to the continent. He’s right. Despite its challenges, this is a city that draws you in, that jumbles you up with its present conditions but has you wanting more. The people are as warm and open as the landscape is wide and vivid, alive with fabulous vegetation, magnificent trees and breathtaking rock formations.

The sculptures at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe have made the country famous for its African artworks.

I’m thinking about this as I stroll the length of First Street. I feel the abandonment, the pavements buckled by the gnarled roots of old trees, but it doesn’t matter. I have a spring in my step and there’s so much to see in this beautiful city with its flame trees spread across the sky and carpets of jacaranda blooms in springtime. This city is the place where I kissed boys, danced the night away and felt excited. I pass empty shop windows. Ah, but Edgars is still there. And there’s Ratanje Heel Bar. I’ve always loved that name.

I see an endless chain of people zigzagging the street. They are waiting patiently outside Cabs Bank to draw cash. There’s a shortage of this and the government plans to introduce bond notes. Finding humour in dire stories is what Zimbabweans excel at. ‘Bondage notes will not be good for us,’ laughs a teller in a local supermarket. I look past the filthy notes in my purse that have swapped thousands of hands and give her a nice crisp one. I am buying Ndepi, a local publication crammed with things to do, from walks in Mukuvisi Woodlands to shows at Reps Theatre.

Roasted mealies are sold on roadsides all over the city.

Talk of money is a central theme in Harare – the Chinese whisper of large suitcases packed with US dollars bound for eastern banks. In this way nothing has changed – it’s a familiar song played to a new generation. I am reminded of my mother … the smuggler. Pound notes hidden in a Molico milk tin on a flight to the UK in the days of sanctions. The country had severe foreign-exchange restrictions, which resulted in all sorts of shenanigans. While she had no fear, I was terrified we’d get caught.

I find myself standing at the end of First Street next to a woman sitting on a crate who is not afraid – she has an iPad, an iPhone and big wads of cash balancing on her knees. This is bureau de change Zimbabwean style. And it’s safe. ‘No one here will try to pinch my money,’ she smiles. Residents of Harare are heaped with entrepreneurial skills and the energy to work. Services all over the city are mobile, from airtime sellers on most street corners to independent pothole fixers supported by locals.

Vegetables at the Maasdorp market.

I can’t leave the CBD without visiting historical Meikles Hotel, a landmark in the city centre that’s over 100 years old. I take the lift to the pool deck on the 13th floor, which has a view over African Unity Square, the famous flower sellers (disappointingly, more silk than fresh) and the Parliament Buildings. I’m welcomed into a staff training session and the subject is cocktails – it’s 10am and I’m sipping a delicious gin-based cracker called Soho Ginger.

An hour later, feeling warm and content, I saunter through Unity Square and past the Anglican Cathedral to my car. The sun is high and it’s time to hit the suburbs. ‘How was your time in town?’ asks the parking ticket collector. ‘Hundreds,’ I laugh, imitating a prevailing Zimbo word expressing ‘things are good’. I am driving along busy Enterprise Road and am looking out for road blocks. There are women sitting too close to the verge, selling sweets and mountains of tomatoes. I dodge jaywalkers through the belch of smoke blown out by the ancient bus ahead.

Interior decor at the Kingsmead Guesthouse.

Road blocks are a daily routine and massive irritation. Spot fines range from $5 to $20 depending on who’s giving them. I’m assured that I will be stopped and the car checked for a radio licence and a fire extinguisher. I might also be pulled over for other reasons, such as not stopping at a stop sign when I really have stopped but just not for long enough… ‘Don’t worry,’ my sister says, ‘and stay calm.’ I sail past two road blocks and feel triumphant. Hah! And my luck lasts throughout my visit.

The road starts to dip when I reach the vlei area and I look out for the lamp post used by a black-crested eagle as a perch to survey the wetland for prey. Sadly, he’s not there today. I motor on to the suburb of Avondale to meet a young actor. I’ve known Musa Saruro since he was a baby. His expressive eyes are his biggest asset. They are huge and shiny as he enthuses about acting in The Impro Show at Hifa (Harare International Festival of Arts) that attracts international performers.

It’s impossible for me to miss the irony – while it appears that Harare is yearning for stability, her citizens carry on pursuing their passions and creating an environment that’s welcoming, inspired and uplifting. Harare scores ‘hundreds’ in my book.

LEFT: Hand washing after a meal at Gava’s. RIGHT: African cuisine from Gava;s that’s prepared on an open fire.

Plan your trip

Getting there

I flew from Cape Town via Windhoek on Air Namibia for R5976. There are direct flights from Joburg from R4270 with Fastjet. If you are driving, Joburg is about 540 kilometres from the Beit Bridge border and then 600 kilometres to Harare. airnamibia.com, fastjet.com

When to go

Visit Harare at any time of year. The winters are beautiful with blue skies and sunny days and chilly nights. A really special time is when the jacarandas and flamboyants bloom around September and October ‒ the city is a mass of colour.

Need to know

I took US dollars because of the cash shortage. Don’t bother with rands. Hire a car with a driver as driving is stressful ‒ road blocks, poor signage, potholes and few street lights at night are just some of the hazards. Your accommodation will usually organise transport, from around R885 a day for a car with a driver.

Do this

Take a historical and architectural tour of Harare with Explore Zimbabwe, which includes a visit to the National Gallery and famous Mbare Musika Market. Ask for Ellridge Chimutengo ‒ a knowledgeable guide and skilled at moving through heavy traffic safely. From R590 per person for a half day. +263776270499, mavrossafaris.com

Walk through bush and beautiful msasa and acacia trees at Mukuvisi Woodlands Nature Reserve in the heart of Harare. There are trails of three, five, eight and 10 kilometres through woodlands. From R30 per person. +2634747111, mukuvisiwoodland.co.zw

Browse Amanzi and Maasdorp markets buzzing with locals selling fresh food and Zimbabwean craft. Amanzi is on Friday mornings at 153 Enterprise Road, Lewisam; the other market is in Belgravia’s Maasdorp Avenue on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.

Climb Domboshawa for a spectacular sunset. It’s about a 10-minute walk to the top of the huge granite boulders, with rock paintings along the way. From R75 per person. +2634774208, nmmz.co.zw

Wild is Life is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife in Zim and relies on donations ‒ the ellie orphanage is impressive. Staff go all out to give visitors a memorable experience and while pricey it’s worth it for the work they do. R1384 per person includes a sumptuous high tea, bubbly and canapés at sunset. +263779949821, wildislife.com

Stay here

Kingsmead Guesthouse in leafy Borrowdale is beautifully appointed and has an Internet connection faster than the speed of light! R1615 per person B&B. +263772185415, kingsmeadguesthouse.com

York Lodge oozes charm and comfort and is in amazing, verdant grounds. R1467 per person B&B. +2634776239, yorklodge.com

Sunbird Guest House in Greendale is great for families. There are two houses; book the one with the pool. R726 per person sharing B&B. +263771566715, sunbirdguesthouse.net

Sunshine Guest House in Highlands is managed by charming Rose Mbidzo, who runs a sparkling establishment. R734 per person B&B. +263772353394, sunshineguesthouse.net

Small World Backpackers welcomed me to look around like a long-lost friend. This is clean, very colourful, budget accommodation with shared bathrooms. From R220 per person sharing. +263776986381, smallworldlodge.com

Shop here

Kiki’s gallery in Umwinsidale stocks quality Zimbabwean artefacts and ceramics. +263774125-363, kikisgallery.com

Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale has loads of shops. Buy local Farfell coffee to take home from Bon Marché or Spar. Coffee connoisseurs, don’t miss out ‒ it’s among the best in the world. samlevysvillage.com

Eat here

Brontë The Garden Hotel in Bains Avenue is pleasant for a coffee in its gorgeous garden. R59 for a cappuccino. +2634707522, brontehotel.com

Sabai Thai is a local favourite in Ballantyne Park, set in the glorious surrounds of a nursery. R135 for a green curry. +263776743775, find it on Facebook.

Pistachio at Sam Levy’s village is a fresh-faced eatery with excellent fare. Meals from R133. +263774280507, Find it on Facebook.

The Village Greek, also at Sam Levy’s Village, has great takeaways. Try the halloumi kebabs for R59. +263772156667, find it on Facebook.

Gava’s in Belgravia serves generous portions of African cuisine cooked on an open fire. From R44 for a meal. +263772381863, find it on Facebook.

This story first appeared in the August 2016 issue of Getaway magazine.

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Our August issue features Mana Pools, great North West parks, and best trips for women. On shelves from 25 July.

Well, this is beautiful.

 
This video, featuring ice diver Johanna Norblad, is an intimate look into an extreme environment. It was shot in the Finnish winter, in -14 degree weather, by British film maker Ian Derry – under conditions so cold, in fact, that the cameras kept freezing up during shooting.

 
Johanna holds the world record for a 50-metre swim under ice. A normal person would be terrified by this idea – what if you get lost, and can’t find the tiny opening in the cold pane of death separating you from the world above? She doesn’t seem bothered though, and the film is shot so beautifully, with stark, clean lines and graceful movements, that you feel more soothed than claustrophobic by the end.

 
Watch it here (do yourself a favour, and watch it in HD).

Johanna from Ian Derry on Vimeo.