Sommaire pour February 2020 de go!

It might be your first, second, even your third visit to one of our national parks, but somehow it always ends up as a mad scramble to find the Big Five. Lion and leopard or bust! Followed by elephant, rhino and buffalo, to be ticked off on the game-viewing list. You rush from one traffic jam to the next, and in the process you miss out on the Small Five Thousand: a golden-tailed woodpecker picking at ants on a mopane tree; a flap-necked chameleon stalking a beetle; a family of warthogs having a dust bath. In order to appreciate the “lesser” things, you have to spend enough time in a place to get the “must-see” things out of your system. I realised this recently when I spent a few days…

DID YOU KNOW? RED DESERT NATURE RESERVE The Red Desert near Port Edward is apparently the world’s smallest natural desert. It’s only 11 ha in size, and just 200 m from one side to the other, surrounded by green subtropical vegetation. The way the desert came to be is a bit of a mystery. One theory is that the site was inhabited by a Zulu tribe in the 1800s. Overgrazing and wind erosion resulted in the desertification of the area. Next time you’re visiting the KZN South Coast, go see this “mini Arizona”. Where? Red Desert Nature Reserve, 10 km west of Port Edward. Contact: 083 631 9331; reddesertnr@telkomsa.net Cost: R20 per adult; R10 per child at quicket.co.za – Kyra Tarr SPOTTED An unexpected visitor A Ross’s turaco in Namibia?…

Kalahari Dreaming by David Hilton-Barber Southbound, R178 at loot.co.za David Hilton-Barber is an experienced journalist, researcher and author of several historical books. One of his recent books, Kalahari Dreaming – The Romance of the Desert, begins with a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” This inspiring message sets the tone for an unusual and interesting anthology. Most books about the Kalahari focus on the fauna and flora, or tend to be a guidebook of sorts, but David breaks the mould and looks at the people – poets, painters, writers and adventurers – who have been inspired by the desert. He also writes about early hunters and explorers like Henry Hartley – a “heavy club-footed man with blue-green…

Tales from Nowhere Edited by Don George Lonely Planet, R175 at takealot.com We’ve all been to Nowhere. It might have been in the middle of Mongolia or Manhattan. It might have been at a Zen monastery, a no-man’s-land border outpost, or a six-palm island in an endless sea. You may have found Nowhere on a sultry summer night in Paris when you’d spent your last euro and had no place to sleep; or on a midnight jeep safari in the Tanzanian bush after you’d blown your last spare tyre, with your campsite a distant pinprick of light; or in the comforting cocoon of an all-night train compartment, sharing soul-secrets with a total stranger. Nowhere is a setting, a situation and a state of mind. It’s not on any…

Francois Albertyn, Stellenbosch “The view over the Koo Valley from the overnight hut is special, but do some hill training before you hike so that you’re ready. When you reach the hut, you’re not at the top – there’s still a strenuous climb to the summit on the second day.” Wadda Louw, Cape Town “They say‘What goes up must come down’, but on Arangies, what goes up must go around, down, over, up and down!” Roland Truter, Cape Town “It was wonderful to do Arangieskop with friends, especially to stand on the summit and look back on the trail that we all hiked together. Take lots of snacks to keep your energy level up.” Gerrit van Deventer, Cape Town “You can’t just roll out of bed and pitch up at…

Creamy chicken with bacon and apple Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes Mop up this delicious, rich sauce with a slice of fresh bread. You need • 4 chicken breast portions, with skin and bone • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 8 strips of streaky bacon • 1 tablespoon each butter and oil • 6 small onions, peeled and halved • 2 small Pink Lady apples, cored and thinly sliced • 2 tablespoons sherry • ½ cup apple cider • 1 cup cream • 4 sprigs of thyme, or a pinch of dried thyme Here’s how 1 Make two cuts in the skin of each chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper and wrap two strips of bacon around each breast. 2 Heat the butter and oil in a pan and fry…

Arthur Jones, gear guy Deluxe Coffeeworks Deluxe was started in Cape Town in 2009. Their flavour-packed house blend of Brazilian, Guatemalan and Ethiopian beans is my favourite work and weekend fuel. They also offer coffee delivery subscriptions. deluxecoffeeworks.co.za Toast Coetzer, travel editor Utengule Riftvalley If you ever decide to drive to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, then you’ll likely stay over at a place called Utengule Coffee Lodge just outside Mbeya, not too far from the border with Zambia. They produce about five different coffees, but the 100 % Arabica Riftvalley is my favourite. It’s a single origin – the beans are grown on one farm, or in one region – and when I drink it, it transports me to far-off, wonderful…

Where? Nthakeni Bush & River Camp is 4,5 km from the Pafuri gate in northern Limpopo. You turn off the R525 and follow a short dirt road to the camp. Rates: Camping R300 per night for 1 – 2 guests; R100 per extra person. There are two stands, each with its own bathroom, toilet and kitchen. More stands are in the pipeline. The tented camp has three units and must be booked as a whole: R1 650 per night for the entire camp, which sleeps six people. There are two chalets: One sleeps four (R1 850 per night) and the other sleeps two (R1 200 per night). The kitchen is fully equipped. There’s a swimming pool, a bar and a dining area. If you want meals, book beforehand. Contact: 078…

TEN TIPS FOR RAPTORS RAPTOR! The shout echoes across the mountainside in Zimbabwe, causing all of us to whip our heads just in time to see a large brown shape gliding over the forest. The excitement of spotting a bird of prey so close overhead caused my friend Jason Boyce to call out at an inappropriately loud volume. A second later, the eagle’s mate followed and Jason screamed again! Instead of training our binos on the birds, we all collapsed in laughter. Shouting “raptor” at the top of your voice has since become a running joke on our subsequent birding tours to Zimbabwe and Mozambique. We’re always met with odd looks, but one time we were also lectured by a policeman because we’d apparently disturbed the local residents while…

HONEY BADGER AND FRIENDS, KGALAGADI In June 2019, we watched an interesting interaction between honey badgers, black-backed jackals and a pale chanting goshawk. We were travelling on the Upper Dune Road in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which runs east-west through the dunes between the Nossob and Auob riverbeds. We were not far from the Vaalpan waterhole when we noticed two jackals moving through the scrub, apparently following something. We stopped to watch them and saw that they were following a honey badger 1 , which soon turned out to be two honey badgers 2 . The jackals were also accompanied by a juvenile pale chanting goshawk 3 . The honey badgers would stop and dig, while the jackals and pale chanting goshawk seemed to wait for anything that was disturbed…

“We only started visiting the Kgalagadi a few years ago. Now we try to go two or three times a year, staying for a week at a time. We regret not having visited the Kgalagadi before, but it’s one of those things – there are only so many days available in the year away from work. “Vastness, remoteness and quiet are some words that come to mind when I think of the Kgalagadi. The sky at night, with the Milky Way shining brightly, is difficult to beat. The early mornings are also spectacular – to be woken by the sound of a lion roaring or jackals yipping is very special. “There are photo opportunities everywhere. The landscape is stunning; raptors and other birds abound; seeing a big, black-maned lion will…

A flat tyre is like a fly in your beer glass, something that requires your immediate attention. The only thing worse than a flat tyre is a flat tyre in the heat of the day, on a long and lonely stretch of dirt road, in the middle of Namibia. At the end of last year, my grandfather and I travelled to north-western Namibia. He’s a geologist and studied rocks while I took photos. Namibia has some of the most scenic landscapes in the world, and I reckon the most scenic of them all are in the Kaokoland region. No one has ever gone there, then returned and said how awful it was and that they’re never going back. I haven’t been to Mars (yet), but I believe Kaokoland has more…

Where have you travelled to? Swaziland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and the USA. My favourite country so far has been Portugal, for the music, the people, the bookshops and the pasteis de nata, of course. How do you afford it? I save! I also try to spend as little as possible on accommodation when I travel, so I usually book into backpacker lodges. An added bonus is that many such establishments offer activities in the evenings, like a free walking tour of the city, for example. For inspiration, I often peruse the “experiences” tab on the Airbnb website, or I use an app called Culture Trip: For Curious Travelers. I work at the American International School of Johannesburg,…

Ol’ Blue Eyes Q LUCY STEPHENS from Edenvale writes: My husband Andrew and I came across a herd of zebras on the Albasini Road near the Kruger’s Phabeni gate. Quite a few of the adult animals, as well as the foals, had blue eyes. One or two had one brown eye and one blue eye. This did not seem to hinder the zebras in any way. Is this genetic or do the animals have a sort of deficiency? A Wildlife expert LD VAN ESSEN says: Zebras and other mammals with blue eyes have less melanin pigment in the eye, specifically the stroma layer of cells in the iris. When the eye has less pigment, it reflects light differently and appears blue. In other words, the colour is caused by the…

The KwaNzimakwe Multi-Trail Park is open and ready for visitors! KZN’s South Coast might not be as glam as the Garden Route or the Overberg, but there’s natural beauty in abundance and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up. CEO of Ugu South Coast Tourism, Phelisa Mangcu, touched on this topic when the park opened its gates in November 2019. “We are looking to create exposure for the area as a tourist attraction, and to increase visitor numbers,” she said. As a nature lover, you can hike, bike and drive some exciting 4x4 trails. The park boasts a diversity of landscapes, from coastline and hinterland to forests and rivers. If you’re looking for a culturally immersive experience, head to the WOWZulu welcome centre ( wowzulu.co.za), also in…

Anmarie & Faan Fourie, Taita Falcon Lodge Faan: “We’re originally from Lydenburg in Mpumalanga – we started building this lodge in 1995. Taita Falcon Lodge overlooks Rapid 17 in the Zambezi, where people like to do white-water rafting. “I’ve learnt how to slow down here. Sometimes I’ll sit down on a rock somewhere and wait for something to happen.” Mercy Mulenga, Baobab Camp & Cottages “I used to work in Lusaka but it’s too congested there. I enjoy the mellow pace in Livingstone, and the cost of living is also lower – even taxis are cheaper. “For tourists, it’s good to know something about the climate here. Of course, summer is very hot, but it cools down immediately when it rains. In June and July, it can be really, really…

WHY? We publish a selection of reader pictures every month. Don’t be shy, haul out those shots you’ve been hoarding on your computer and send them to us! We like just about anything: wildlife, landscapes, portraits, holiday snaps or bugs in your garden. HOW? Send your best photos to takeyourpic@gomag.co.za Don’t send files bigger than 4 MB – if we need a bigger version, we’ll ask for it. Give the name, surname, home town and contact number of the photographer. Also include info about where and how the shot was taken, and what equipment was used. If you manipulated your photo in any way, tell us what you did. THE FINE PRINT We reserve the right to use your photos elsewhere in the magazine, on our digital platforms and marketing material.…

It’s true! Especially when it comes to wine pairing. The salty, smoky taste of the bacon is a perfect foil for all sorts of wine varieties. Here are three to try this month. White wine can be a great match for bacon, since the acidity will cut through the rich, fatty meat. The Journey’s End Haystack Chardonnay 2018 (R99) is part of the everyday drinking range from this Helderberg winery, offering value-for-money flavours in stylish new packaging. It’s a very drinkable chardonnay, with lemon-peach notes wrapped up in a fresh, zesty acidity and finished with just a hint of creamy oak. Perfect with bacon and eggs for a decadent brunch. The smoky notes in bacon are often picked up by sensitive oak treatment, as illustrated by the Survivor Pinotage 2017…

First things first, cold-brew coffee is not iced coffee. The latter is when you brew coffee normally, then cool it down and combine it with crushed ice or ice cubes. Real cold-brew coffee is brewed at fridge temperature and takes 8 – 24 hours. It tastes different to normal coffee – less acidic, but still with a potent flavour and kick. Drink it over ice, on its own, or with milk. Make your own. Buy a Hario cold-brew coffee bottle (R500 at capecoffeebeans.co.za). Fill the inside cup with ground coffee, then fill the outer container with water and place it in your fridge for at least eight hours. It will provide 650 ml of crisp, cold brew. Get it ready made. Try one of these: Soma Cold Brew Caffe Latte…

INCA TRAIL Experience Peruvian culture and walk the famous Inca Trail in the Andes to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The trail is short – about 45 km over four days – and the longest daily distance is only 16 km, but it’s at an altitude of more than 3 000 m and there are steep hills. The tour starts with a few days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, so you can acclimatise. go! says: This is a bucket-list hike – the trail is spectacular. Machu Picchu is the highlight, but you’ll see many other Inca sites along the way that you won’t have to share with crowds of tourists. Beginners are welcome, but are encouraged to do lots of hill training. You have…

SHEILAM CACTUS & SUCCULENT NURSERY, KLAASVOOGDS WEST Sheilam Nursery opened in 1954 and the Schwegmann family has been running it for the past 50-odd years. It’s more of a garden than a nursery: There aren’t containers full of seedlings, empty pots stacked in towers or any garden gnomes, but you will find established flowerbeds that have been nurtured over decades, full of slow-growing cacti, succulents and cycads that were grown from seed. They have an amazing number of indigenous species, but also attractive plants from other countries, like Mother-in-law’s Chair (Echinocactus grusonii, from Mexico), the hairy Old Man of Peru (Espostoa lanata), and the Madagascar ocotillo (Alluaudia procera), with its long stems full of leaves and thorns. Sheilam is not the kind of place where you can quickly run in…

I’ve overshot the town. Zipping along the R45 with wheat fields going past my windows in a golden frenzy, I barely notice Hopefield hunkered in its shallow basin. Before I know it, I’ve missed the next turn-off, too. In the space of less than a minute, my short glimpse of the town (a blur of low-roofed houses) is replaced by more open fields, scrubby bush and white-barked eucalyptus trees. Thanks Hopefield, nice knowing you. Residents will confirm that it’s easy to miss. (“The R45 doesn’t run through like main roads through other towns. It’s an issue, but it’s not – it’s why we like the town so much,” says John Smuts.) But the town’s invisible existence isn’t only a consequence of geography. The journey from Cape Town to the West…

Similar interactions between these three species have been documented before. The bigger predator – the honey badger in this case – flushes small prey from their hiding places as it rummages through the veld. This gives the goshawk and the jackals an opportunity to pounce. The honey badger is a good digger, so it will also expose underground prey like termites that can be gobbled up. It’s opportunistic behaviour, and something the goshawk and jackals might have accidentally learnt earlier in life. Now they know that it’s a good tactic to follow a badger through the veld because it might lead to an easy meal!…

Many of the snakes found in South Africa are ambush hunters, which means they lie in wait for their prey. This includes most adders, and bulkier snakes like the southern African python. Contrary to the popular belief that snakes must eat all the time, they can actually survive on very little food. The average for an ambush-hunting snake is 6 – 30 meals per year, but it’s not uncommon for a large snake like a python to sustain itself on just one meal in a year. Ambush hunters will establish a likely area where their prey will move around. A snake does this by using a cluster of sensory cells on the roof of its mouth (called a Jacobson’s organ) that can detect odour particles, and its tongue, which also…

Varsam Court by Atelier R49 from Google Play Store Electronic music can seem “cold” (some like it that way), but Cape Town duo Atelier – now making waves in Europe – create music infused with a warmth and intimacy that’s easy to enjoy whether you’re hanging at the bar or cruising up the West Coast, Eland’s Bay bound, with one arm hanging out of the window. Singer Jaś Miszewski’s voice is usually barely a whisper, but it gives the songs an organic feel. It’s not all robot; there’s plenty of heart. Imagine walking out of a crowded room where strobe lights flash, into a dark backyard where a campfire is burning and a circle of people who welcome you into their conversation. All the while, the soundtrack in your head…

Fire Maple Fire Flair Camp Kettle This hardy anodised aluminium kettle offers 900 ml of boiling capacity, but the slim, flat profile means it doesn’t take up too much packing space – and it only weighs 182 g. It’s relatively cheap, too, so it won’t break your budget (or your back). Pair it with a Jetboil Flash Stove for the best results. R350 at Cape Union Mart Stanley Classic Vacuum Travel Press Disclaimer: We’re big fans of the classic Stanley flask. Their first insulated bottle was invented in 1913 by William Stanley Jr – the first time that stainless steel had been used in vacuum insulation. The flask was even used by bomber pilots on long missions in World War II! Right from the start, Stanley’s reputation for die-hard reliability…

VIA FRANCIGENA (FINAL 100 KM) The Via Francigena is Italy’s version of the Camino de Santiago. The entire route is more than 2 000 km long, but this eight-day tour starts in Viterbo and follows the final 112 km – far enough to earn a Testimonium (certificate) from the Vatican in Rome. Dates: Any time in August 2020. Cost: R27500* per person sharing. What’s included? Return flights from Johannesburg to Rome, all accommodation before and on the Via Francigena in en suite hotel rooms, plus breakfast and the transport of your luggage to the next overnight stop. VIA FRANCIGENA (SAN MINIATO TO SIENA) On this section of the Via Francigena, you don’t end your hike in Rome, but you get to see the most beautiful parts of Tuscany. The eight-day…

Open your map book and run your finger up the N1, past Polokwane, over the Soutpansberg and through the Baobab toll gate. Then, at a place called Bokmakierie, turn right onto the R525. Readers who have soaked their feet at Tshipise will know this road, but you’re not going there today. Continue past the hot springs, in the direction of the Kruger Park’s Pafuri gate. But you’re not going to the Kruger either – you’re going to heaven. A few kilometres before the Pafuri gate, you’ll see the sign for Nthakeni Bush & River Camp. It’s in the bush and next to the Mutale River. This is where you’ll meet Annelize and Kobus Venter. They don’t have a TV or a living room because at night they sit outside in…

Anestia Killian, waitress at Chef and Farmer “When I want something sweet, I always stop at Die Spens bakery on Voortrekker Road for a slice of chocolate cake.” Nicola Viljoen, Hopefield Animal Care “For a real beer with real people, head to the Commercial Hotel.” Richard Banda, gardener “Everyone here is growing beautiful plants. If you want something to remember Hopefield by, you must take a nice protea, fynbos or succulent home with you. It’s what we’re known for.”…