MZANZITRAVEL ISSUE 12

January 2019- ISSUE 12
Free Copy

DO KZN
BEACH
RIDE THE EAST COAST
WAVES OF EXCITEMENT
More than just sunshine and golden beaches, the
Zulu Kingdom is the ultimate traveller’s destination.
Explore KwaZulu-Natal and discover all of South
Africa in a single province.
To find out more about the exceptional
experiences you can enjoy in KZN, go to
WWW.ZULU.ORG.ZA
You don’t have to break the bank
Travel Local. Do KZN

ASSEGAI AND JAVELIN181012170

C O NTENTS
07
EDITOR’S NOTE
08
TRAVEL BITES ...
Tourism-related news and
information
12
UPCOMING FESTIVALS
16
JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE
EARTH…exploring SA’s caves
22
HIDDEN GEMS…delightful
experiences and places off the
beaten track
32
ISLAND ADVENTURES
44
RIVER LODGE…where elephants
wander
50
GET ON YOUR RUNNING SHOES
22
16
44

C O NTENTS
60
78
54
KLEIN KAROO…feather capital of the
world
60
DISCOVER SA’s FOSSIL ROUTE
65
FESTIVE GREETINGS FROM MZANZI’S
STAFF
68
IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE KNYSNA
ELEPHANT
78
THE HEALTHY HOLIDAY
88
BOTSWANA… from desert to delta,
San hunters to cities
96
GREAT ESCAPES
88
BOAT-BASED WHALE WATCHING
Hermanus New Harbour,
Westcliff road, Hermanus
Tel: +27 (0) 28 312 4957 | Cell: +27 (0 ) 82 931 8064
e-mail: bookings@whalewatchers.biz
www.hermanuswhalewatchers.co.za

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Summer2019
As you read this edition of Mzanzitravel, the festive season
is in full swing and most of us are probably enjoying a welldeserved
summer break. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish
all our readers, advertisers and friends a very joyous Festive
Season and a truly happy and prosperous New Year! It’s also
been a time of office parties and year-end functions – to see
how we at Mzanzitravel celebrated the end of our year, you can
view some pictures on Page 65.
Being on holiday is also a time when we usually let go and
perhaps don’t take as good care of ourselves as we should.
So, to help you stay in great shape during your summer break,
we have included some ‘healthy holiday’ tips in this edition.
And staying on this topic, we invite you to get on your running
shoes for any of the many upcoming marathons and other
running events. Sports tourism has become one of the biggest
and fastest-growing tourism sectors in the world, and South
Africa’s many running events that take place in some of the
most scenic settings on earth, draw many visitors and runners
from around the world each year.
We also went on several fabulous road trips, one on the trail of
those elusive Knysna elephants which allowed us to explore
the Wilderness Lakes District, the ancient Knysna Forest, and
the road across the Outeniqua Mountain to the Klein Karoo. For
our regular regional feature, another road trip took us through
the beautiful, timeless Klein Karoo where our feathered friend,
the ostrich, is king. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.
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Editor'S Note
For a relaxing inland holiday, our contributor Jared Ruttenberg,
spent some time at the fabulous River Lodge next to the Kruger
National Park, where he shared poolside cocktails with some
more inquisitive elephants.
We also take our readers on some amazing journeys to South
Africa’s many wonderful caves, to the many islands of South
Africa and further afield, and we travel millions of years back
in time exploring South Africa’s fossil route. South Africa is
blessed with some of the richest fossil sites in the world and
some of the most unique fossil finds, including the oldest
human footprint, dinosaur remains, some of the oldest human
and pre-human fossils, and more. We also went underground,
travelling to ‘the centre of the earth’ to explore South Africa’s
abundance of caves, from the famous Cango and Sudwala
caves, to some you have never heard of.
As usual, in Hidden Gems we take you to some really lovely
destinations off the beaten track, including the Owl House of
Nieu Bethesda, the heritage destinations of North West, and
a West Coast sanctuary where the culture of the San thrives,
and you can learn all about their skills and customs. These
original people of Southern Africa are simply fascinating. Then
there’s a list of upcoming music and cultural festivals, and for
our regular African feature we travel to Botswana.
Enjoy the articles and the rest of your summer break. And drive
safely home!
Stef
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News & Information
South Africa
New trade training
specialist joins SA Tourism
in UK
SA Tourism has gained a new trade training
specialist in the UK to strengthen its team there.
Steven Balderston brings a wealth of knowledge
and experience to the role from years of working
in the travel industry. Originally from Australia,
Balderston previously worked for Tourism
Northern Territory in the UK. He has experience
in training travel agents, running roadshows,
trade marketing campaigns and as a tour guide
in the Outback. Balderston will be developing a
training strategy, utilising South African Tourism’s
research and insights and ensuring the agents
are provided with all the tools and support to sell
South Africa. He will build on the use of South
African Tourism’s trade Facebook platform,
manage an agent programme at Indaba, Africa’s
largest travel show, host familiarisation trips in
South Africa and implement incentives.
Source: www.breakingtravelnews.com
Winners of the 2018
Lilizela Tourism Awards
The sixth annual Lilizela Tourism Awards took
place in November, with over 800 finalists
congregating in the ballroom of the Sandton
Convention Centre to celebrate the best of
the best within the tourism industry. The big
winners of the night included private game
lodge Tintswalo, Afrikaans associated ATKV-
Resorts and Limpopo based accommodation,
Traditional African Homestays South Africa
(TAHS-SA). Other winners of the night included
Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers, Tented Adventures,
The Oyster Box from KwaZulu Natal, Western
Cape’s Saltycrax Backpackers, Cape Town’s
International Convention Centre, Kokstad’s La
Teranga Accommodation and Conference group
for the Emerging Tourism Entrepreneurship
award (ETEA), Gauteng’s Valentino Meirotti and
Limpopo’s Daniel Mogale won the awards for
best tourist guides, and Tim Brown of Tim Brown
Tours won the award for best tourist guide in the
sub-category of nature.
Source: IOL Travel News
8 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Adrian Hancu, iStock
Hop On - Hop Off
South Africa
The BEST way to see Joburg & Soweto!
Tech savvy SA travellers increasingly
use smart phones for bookings
Travelport’s Global Digital Traveller Research 2018 shows South
African travellers are tech savvy, using their smart phones to do their
bookings. As many as 16 200 people who had taken at least one
return flight in 2017 were surveyed. Respondents were chosen from 25
countries. The research reveals that 46 percent of local respondents
research and book their trip entirely on a mobile device and 56 percent
say not being able to access booking information on their devices
is “very painful and frustrating”. Local travellers also love apps.
Travelport’s research reveals that South Africans use 11 different apps
while travelling which is higher than the international average of nine.
The days of travellers cheques and the like also appear to be drawing
to an end with 49 percent of respondents revealing they use a digital
wallet or payment app while travelling.
Source: Hypertext
The BEST way to see Cape Town
and Table Mountain!
MTN Bushfire 2019 tickets go on sale
MTN Bushfire 2019 tickets are already on sale with the campsite
opening on Thursday 23rd May 2019 from 11:00 am. MTN Bushfire is
more than a festival, it’s a living, breathing ecosystem deeply rooted
in African soil, yet inclusive and welcoming to guests from all over
the world. This uniquely African, and yet globally infused festival
experience welcomes thousands in an atmosphere of tolerance and
passionate commitment to music, the arts and the environment.
Every year, over 26,000 attendees hailing from 60 different countries
make the journey from near and far to the peaceful Malkerns Valley
of eSwatini for an energizing and uplifting weekend that celebrates
the music and arts of Africa and beyond. Winner of the African
Responsible Tourism Awards Most Sustainable Event Award in 2017,
MTN Bushfire was also hailed in 2016 by CNN as one of the “7 African
music festivals you really have to see” and listed by BBC as a “Top
African festival.”
Source: Press Release

News & Information
Africa
New Maputo Bridge linking
KZN cuts travel time
The president of Mozambique recently opened
the three-kilometre long Maputo-Katembe
bridge, officially the longest in Africa. It now
links KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa directly
with Maputo.Costing a massive R11.3 billion at
current exchange rates ($785 million) with a main
span measuring 680 metres, the bridge starts
in Maputo and ends in the town of Catembe.
The bridge – constructed by the China Road
and Bridge Corporation, a Chinese parastatal
– also creates a much shorter route between
Mozambique and South Africa. Previously,
it took South Africans up to six hours to drive
from Kosi Bay (SA’s east coast border post in
KwaZulu-Natal) to Maputo and surrounding
holiday destinations due to ridiculously bad roads
– the bridge now reduces this time to roughly 90
minutes, according to Africa Check.
Source: Business Insider
Botswana announces
introduction of tourist visas
on arrival
Botswana has become the latest country in the
continent to announce plans to start offering
tourist visas on arrival. The announcement was
made by President Mokgweetsi Masisi when
addressing the 45th meeting of the High-Level
Consultative Council (HLCC) in Gaborone
recently. According to Masisi, this is part of the
Botswana Government’s efforts to improve the
ease of doing business in the country. He added
that Botswana will offer tourist visa at the point
of entry effective 24 November 2018. Botswana
joins Ethiopia, which has since announced its
intention to implement visa-on-arrival service for
African travellers.
Source: The Southern Times
Shutterstock
IATA urges closer
cooperation with Africa to
maximise aviation safety
The International Air Transport Association (Iata)
has urged governments in Africa to maximise the
positive social and economic power of aviation
by working together to promote safe, sustainable
and efficient air connectivity. Speaking at the 50th
Annual General Assembly (AGA) meeting of the
African Airline Association (AFRAA) in Morocco,
Alexandre de Juniac, Iata’s director general
and CEO, said African aviation supports $55.8
billion of economic activity and 6.2 million jobs.
To enable aviation to be an even bigger driver of
prosperity across the continent, there must be
closer cooperation with governments, he said.
Safety was highlighted as a positive example of
progress through collaboration.
Source: Travel & Tourism News
UN advises East African
countries to utilise World
Bank tourism funds
A study conducted by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
urges African countries to develop their tourism
sector by utilizing readily available funds and
developing new tourist attractions. “Investment
follows tourism. Africa in general should utilize
the readily available $45 billion financing the
World Bank has allocated for Africa until 2020,
focusing on agriculture, housing and tourism,”
said Dr. Salifou Siddo, Chief Executive of SME
TradeLinks. He presented a paper at the 22nd
meeting of intergovernmental experts committee
in Kigali, Rwanda, which was discussing how
Eastern Africa countries benefit from the Africa
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The study
revealed that in 2017, Eastern African countries
attracted $3.11 billion investment, which is 11% of
the total investment Africa attracted $26.22 billion.
The study shows that of the total $3.22 billion
investment in the tourism sector of Eastern Africa
countries, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia had a
share of 66.4%.
Source: newbusinessethiopia.com
Shutterstock
Africa targeted by TUI
Group in 2019 hotel
expansion
The African continent is among regions targeted
by German travel and tourism company-
TUI Group, as it remains keen to expand its
international concept hotel next year. The group
plans to expand its portfolio with the addition
of 12 new TUI Sensimar hotels over the next
financial year. Among projects lined up is an
additional three TUI Family Life hotels to be put
in place in the 2019 financial year. Expansion in
Africa mainly targets Egypt and Tunisia. On the
European scope Tui is looking at Croatia and Italy
as markets of investment. Some of its 15 new
hotels are located in top markets and destinations
which include Spain, Turkey and Greece.
Source: The Exchange
Global
Airbnb revolutionises
tourism
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the
world, contributing more than 10 percent of the
world’s
Source: Zongile Nhlapo at HuffPost
10 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Luxury Accommodation • Five Star Conference Facilities
Eco-Education & Spa Facilities
Community Development
Central Reservations for
Convention & Individual bookings:
Tel: +27 (0) 11 466 8715
Fax: +27 (0) 86 685 8816
E-mail: taugame@mweb.co.za
www.taugamelodge.com
A dose of relaxation
& excitement...

…upcoming
Festivals&
Carnivals
Staff writer
South Africans are still basking in
the warm weather of our annual
summer holiday season, and
there’s plenty to do other than
lazing on the beach, hiking in our mountains
or forests, or exploring our shopping malls.
Here’s a list of forthcoming festivals and
carnivals that everyone can enjoy in some
really lovely locations, taking us up to
autumn and the end of March. Similar lists
will be published in forthcoming editions of
Mzanzitravel.
13-26
December 2018
Boer-e-Goete Christmas Market
Graaff-Reinet
Experience the culture and life of the Great Karoo in a
festive, farm-style atmosphere, with plenty of quality
and unique handcrafted home decor and gifts, fresh
farmer’s produce, fashion accessories, traditional
bakes, sweets and biltong, and more.
Go to www.plattelandevents.co.za.
16 December
Festival of Chariots
Sea Point
This 5,000-year old tradition offers plenty of fun with
a parade of colourful chariots, singing and dancing,
Hare Krishna foods, books and more. It also provides
a true taste of Indian culture seen through the
experience of the Hare Krishna movement.
22 December 2018
Suurbraak Summer Festival
Suurbraak (near Swellendam)
Enjoy plenty of music, food and fun at this daynight
event for family and friends. At the same
time discover the quaint, hidden-away village
of Suurbraak at the foot of the mountains. Call
Swellendam Tourism at + 27 (0) 28 514 2770.
23 December 2018
Shodoza Maskandi Festival
Pongola
This yearly event promotes traditional music and
creates a platform for families to come together and
celebrate the festive season in style.
Call +27 (0)861 915 8000.
29-30
December 2018
Unplugged62 Festival Barrydale
Taking its name from South Africa’s famous Route
62 and staged in the unofficial capital of this route
over the New Year’s weekend, the festival annually
brings together revellers, great food and drink, and
top-notch live acts. Phone +27 (0)82 304 9000.
31 December 2018
Soweto in Colours Countdown to 2019
Jabulani, Soweto
Join in the countdown to 2019 at the Soweto
Theatre’s annual New Year’s Eve party featuring
local live bands, dancers and DJs performing
throughout the evening, plus plenty of food and drink
stalls. Go to www.sowetotheatre.com.
31 December 2018
New Year’s Festival of Lights
Nieu-Bethesda
Expressing itself as a symbol of hope, beauty and
enlightenment, the annual New Year’s Eve Lantern
Parade in this lovely Karoo town is an inspiring
community event organised by the Bethesda Arts
Centre. While there, visit the world-famous Owl
House and the Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre
and Ganora Fossil Museum.
Call +27 (0)49 841-1731.
12 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Leisure
31 December 2018
Joburg Carnival & New Year’s
CountdownJohannesburg
Join thousands of people from midday on 31
December in Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown,
Johannesburg as they wait for midnight. Food stalls
and live music. Entrance is free.
31 December 2018
Unyaka Festival, Giba Gorge Mountain
Bike Park Pinetown
Projecting a strong tribal vibe, the Unyaka outdoor
festival with music stages, dance floors, art and
crafts and much more, is hugely popular. It takes
place in a forest near Weighbridge off the N3 just
outside Pinetown.
2 January 2019
Cape Town Minstrel Carnival
Cape Town CBD
Come join this world-famous parade of marchers,
bands and colourful costumes as it takes over the
centre of Cape Town. The Kaapse Klopse or Cape
Town Minstrel Carnival is one of the oldest traditions
of its kind in the country. Call +27 (0)21 761 5239.
26 January – 3
February 2019
International Mozart Festival
Johannesburg
The 10th Johannesburg International Mozart Festival
offer music-lovers of all ages, languages and cultures
a week of amazing concerts and cultural events that
combine world-class classical performances with an
innovative and creative programme. For details of
dates, artists and venues – to be released closer to
the time - go to www.join-mozart-festival.org/home.
2-3 February 2019
Magoebaskloof Berry Festival
Haenertsburg
This popular festival in the beautiful province of
Limpopo is a big annual hit amongst young and old
that brings the little village of Haenertsburg to life.
Close also to the Kruger National Park, mountains
and hills and more beautiful natural attractions.
7-10 February 2019
Up The Creek Music Festival
Swellendam
The Western Cape platteland’s most famous music
festival and biggest jol on the banks of the Breede
River where every year some 3,000 people gather
for 4 days of fun with 3 stages and over 50 bands
since 1990. Email them from their website at www.
upthecreek.co.za/contact-us.
22-23 February 2019
Clarens Craft Beer Festival
Clarens
Enjoy more than 50 different genuine craft beers
and ciders from across South Africa in a true and
fun-filled celebration of craft beer beneath the Maluti
mountains on the Lesotho border. Check it out at
www.clarenscraftbeerfest.com.
2 March 2019
Ultra South Africa
Nasrec, Johannesburg
Billed as one of the world’s biggest all-night dance
music events with three stages and attended by over
30,000 festival goers and a line-up of international
and local DJs. Go to www.ultrasouthafrica.com.
2-3 March 2019
Vintage Tractor & Engine Fair
Clocolan
This Vintage Tractor and Engine Fair, held in the
village of Clocolan, Eastern Free State since 1989,
brings together vintage tractors and machines from
all over, together with a street and carnival-like
atmosphere. Call +27 (0)83 338-5654.
8-10 March 2019
Knysna Literary Festival Knysna
Enjoy the varied delights of the written word, talks
and discussions, book sales, educational segments
and promoting eco-friendliness in the beautiful,
historic lakeside town of Knysna in the heart of the
Garden Route. Call +27 (0)82 571-2462.
16 March 2019
The Grand White Port Elizabeth 2019
Port Elizabeth
Hosted by The Grand White SA and Haute Cabrière
at a secret location to be announced, The Grand
White Dinner offers an impressive entertainment
program, coupled with one of its kind fashion show
- there are plenty of surprises in store for you. Come
dressed in all white. Contact plz@thegrandwhite.
com.
16 March 2019
Cape Town Carnival
Green Point
Join the crowds on Cape Town’s famous Fan Walk
(leading to Cape Town Stadium) when fantastic
floats, colourful processions, music and dancers and
much more will have you squealing with delight. Call
+27 (0)21 446 5297.
21-24 March 2019
Wakkerstroom Music Festival
Wakkerstroom
The Wakkerstroom Music Festival brings to this rural
community the magic of performing and visual arts,
while also raising money for a bursary competition
that takes place every two years, enabling music
students to study music further.
21-27 March 2019
KKNK (Klein Karoo National Arts
Festival)
Oudtshoorn
The KKNK has been a huge hit over the years as the
biggest predominantly Afrikaans cultural event in the
world. See plays and music performances, listen to
interesting discussions, view some great visual art,
browse around the arts and crafts market, sample the
food and visit other nearby attractions. Call +27 (0)44
203-8600.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 13

Explore
to
Journey
the
centre
of the earth
By A.B. Gondwe
Cave exploration - mihtiander

Going underground, we discover
South Africa’s fascinating
subterranean wonderworld of
spectacular caves, archaeological
excavations, deep abandoned
mines, sea caves, and more…
Most of us imagine our travels and adventures to be somewhere above
the ground, on the water or in the air. However, few of us realise what a
wondrous world of exploration and amazing experiences are to be found
underground, in the bowels of our planet.
While we cannot literally travel to the centre of the earth, going underground may at
times feel just like that. And it opens up an entirely new world of sights, sounds and
creatures that many have never experienced before, as well as lots of fascinating
history of humankind. South Africa is blessed with many access points and routes
to this subterranean wonder world, such as the world-famous Cango Caves of the
Southern Cape, or the equally famous Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga. Of course,
there’s also the Cradle of Humankind and the Sterkfontein Caves where some of the
most fascinating fossil discoveries have been made.
But there’s so much more to be explored, like cave systems off the beaten tourist
track, sea caves along our coast, diving down old water-filled mine shafts, or guided
explorations of lesser-known caves where the remains of ancient human habitats
have been unearthed. There are in excess of 30 well-documented, accessible
cave systems in South Africa, mostly open to the public, but some only by special
arrangement.
Cave Exploration
For the more adventurous who don’t mind physical and mental challenges, there is a
world of exploring caves on offer in South Africa. Caving or cave exploring involves
moving through caves that have been formed as acidic groundwater or underwater
rivers dissolve away the limestone and leave cavities that range from a few metres
to many kilometres in length and depth. Some of these limestone caves can takes
millions of years to form.
Exploring many of these caves may involve lowering yourself by rope, crawling
through narrow spaces with a headlamp to find your way in complete darkness,
wading through water and more. Many of these caves are inhabited by bats and
other shy creatures, while even monkeys, dassies, birds and the odd snake are
frequent visitors. Caving operators are active across the country, from the Cango
Caves of the Southern Cape, to the mysterious Sabie Caves of Mpumalanga,
Sudwala Caves also in Mpumalanga, and the Bat Cave in Gauteng, as well as in
lesser-known caves.
Of course, this is not for the fainthearted or novices, and requires special equipment
and the services of experienced guides. There are a number of cave exploration
operators across South Africa, whose details can all be found through a simple
Google search online.
Caves of the Cradle of
Humankind
South Africa’s renowned Cradle of Humankind region, a World Heritage Site, is
located approximately 90 minutes’ drive from Johannesburg, and includes two
magnificent subterranean attractions, the Maropeng and Sterkfontein caves. Here
you can learn all about prehistoric stone tools, fossils and the bones of our ancient
ancestors. Or you can engage in some adrenaline-pumping adventures.
Situated just an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and Tshwane, the Sterkfontein
Caves are best known for the world-famous fossil discoveries made there, most
notably those of Mrs Ples and Little Foot. In 2005 the site underwent an extensive
facelift, and visitors are now offered easy access along modern walkways. Above
ground there are restaurant and conference facilities. Daily guided educational tours
take place, starting above ground with guides taking visitors deep into the caves.
Maropeng is a world-class attraction where you will get to see incredible interactive
attractions about the history of the earth, its human inhabitants, stone-age tools,
complete with lifelike replicas of hominids. More fascinating fossils can be seen at
another visitor centre some 10km away.
Makapansgat
The series of caves at Makapansgat in the Makapan Valley World Heritage Site is
another archaeological wonderworld, northeast of Mokopane in Limpopo Province.
It is an important palaeontological site, with the local lime works of numerous caves
in the Makapansgat valley holding fossils that date back 3.3 million years. It is linked
directly to the history at the Cradle of Humankind. The whole Makapan Valley has
been declared a South African Heritage Site, and Makapansgat belongs to the
Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.
This series of caves are also the playground of baboons and vervet monkeys. The
hills surrounding the Makapansgat valley are literally dotted with caves. The rich
history of these caves was discovered during mining operations in the 1920s, but it
was not fully investigated until 1947, when it was confirmed that there were remains
of Australopithecus africanus or early man.
Cango Caves
Some 29km outside the town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo), just off
the R328 as you travel towards the Swartberg Pass, are the world-famous Cango
Caves. Situated in a limestone ridge alongside the Swartberg Mountains, it offers
a series of the finest dripstone caverns, with their vast chambers and towering
stalagmite and stalactite formations. Many of these are lit up in a spectacular
colourful display as visitors pass from chamber to chamber.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 17

Cango Caves - Anna Om, iStock
Legend goes that the caves were first explored by a local farmer named Jacobus van
Zyl (after whom the first chamber, Van Zyl’s Hall, was named), although research
has failed to reveal anybody by that name living in the Cango Caves area in the
1770s. But archaeological evidence shows that the caves have been visited by man
since the Early Stone Age.
With or without Van Zyl, the chamber named after him is dominated by the giant
Organ Pipes, a spectacular dripstone and flowstone combination. Centrepiece is a
tall, slender stalagmite which rises nearly 10 metres towards the ceiling - Cleopatra’s
Needle. Still active and growing, the Needle is estimated to be in excess of 150,000
years old! Near the base of the staircase stands an impressive formation known as
The Pulpit of a Great Cathedral, replete with angel’s wings, sculptured by nature.
And if you look carefully, you’ll note at its base the shape of The Kneeling Camel.
On its side is an unusual stain known as The Moses Figure, representing the biblical
Moses, dressed in a flowing, brown robe, his arms outstretched in blessing. From
here on visitors pass through a series of wonderful chambers, each with their own
impressive formations and stories. With the lights off, you are engulfed in total
darkness and total silence, perhaps hearing, if you listen very carefully, a faint
dripping sound…limestone and water forming the stalagmites and stalactites.
As you continue deeper into the caves, you’ll pass through chambers with names
like the Tunnel of Love, the Ice Chamber, the Coffin, the Devil’s Workshop and
his kitchen and chimney. Squeezing your body through the narrow confines of the
chimney is only for those not suffering from claustrophobia and who are not too much
overweight. People have become stuck there!
Adventure and heritage tours with guides are offered daily, but its best to make
reservations in advance. Tours are led by experienced, knowledgeable and
accredited guides and are offered in English but Afrikaans, German, French and
other language options may be available. Facilities include a restaurant, information
centre, interpretive centre and curios shop. Some tours are wheelchair friendly.
Sudwala Caves
These caves are situated some 30km from Mbombela (Nelspruit) in Mpumalanga
along the R539 going towards Sabie. The caves offer visitors an epic underground
adventure that takes one 2km into the heart of the cave system… the Crystal
Chamber with its amazing array of sparkling aragonite crystals.
A specialised guided tour, called the Crystal Tour, if offered for the more adventurous
and involves scrambling up and over rocks, picking your way through the dark by
torchlight, squeezing through tunnels, wading through water and will leave you wet
and dirty, but awestruck. But don’t fret, you only need average agility to complete it,
but it’s not recommended for very large people or those who suffer claustrophobia
or other related phobias. In fact, it is suggested that people who weigh over 115kg
should not attempt the tour. The duration of the tour is about 4 hours and it is
essential to book.
For the less adventurous there are a number of options and caves that can be
visited. The Sudwala cavern complex is dominated by the spectacular Amphitheatre
chamber, reached through a lofty 150m corridor. The Amphitheatre is 70 metres in
diameter, and 37 metres high to the peak of a dome-like feature in its roof and has
become a popular venue for music concerts and dramatic performances over the
years.
Apart from the Amphitheatre or PR Owen Hall as it is also known, some of the most
popular attractions for visitors are the Devil’s Workshop, the Map of Africa on the
ceiling of the caves, and a magical alcove called Fairyland. The Sudwala Caves are
part of the Malmani Dolomite Ridge, in turn part of the Drakensberg escarpment.
They are solutional caves, formed by natural acid in groundwater seeping through
faults and joints, and dissolving rock, most often occurring when the rock is dolomite
rock and/or limestone.
18 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Wonderwerk Cave
This cave, a National Heritage Site, is situated in the Northern Cape about 139km
from the town of Kuruman. It is an archaeological wonder with a rich history and
many legends attached to it, and a valuable geological resource. The cave, formed
in the dolomite rocks of the Kuruman Hills, takes visitors some 140 meters into the
earth. The cave is so big, it used to be boasted that a wagon and team of oxen could
turn around in the entrance. An information centre with colourful displays introduces
the rich history of Wonderwerk Cave.
Deposits and formations inside the cave have left fascinating traces of a prehistoric
world with evidence of the plant, animal and human life that existed here hundreds
of thousands of years ago. It is an important research site equally popular with
scientists and tourists. Ancient rock art can be viewed near the entrance. The cave
also plays a role in local African custom and tradition, used for rituals and to collect
healing water. The cave is open to the public and has an interpretive centre adjacent
to the cave. All the excavated material from Wonderwerk Cave is now housed at the
McGregor Museum in Kimberley.
Sudwala Caves - Jacques Kloppers, iStock
Seaside caves trail of the
Southern Cape
Located in some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in South Africa, are a
series of sea-cliff caves where scientists have only relatively recently started
unearthing the fascinating evidence of the people who lived in them up to 200,000
years ago. Many of these caves can be reached through some beautiful nature
reserves or along some awesome hiking trails, such as the St Blaize Hiking Trail
running all along the cliff face from the St Blaize Cave at Mossel Bay, past Pinnacle
Point and its cave to Dana Bay.
These caves contain Middle Stone Age deposits currently dated at between
100,000 and 70,000 years old. It is believed that modern man, involving modern
human behaviour, originated from this region from a small population of around
400 to 700 individuals, who survived an ice-age in the mild temperate climate of
this coastline, existing primarily on shell fish. Some of the most fascinating and
informative material recovered from the caves in this region include engraved ochre,
engraved bone ochre processing kits, marine shell beads, refined bone and stone
tools, and a broad range of terrestrial and marine faunal remains, including shellfish,
birds, tortoise and ostrich egg shell and mammals of various sizes.
Exploring caves - iStock
This “cave trail” starts more or less at the Blombos Cave, an important archaeological
site located in Blomboschfontein Nature Reserve, about 300km east of Cape Town
near Jongensfontein and Stillbaai on the Southern Cape coastline. It ends more
or less at the Klasies River Cave located to the east of the Klasies River mouth on
the Tsitsikamma coast in the Humansdorp district of the Eastern Cape. Travelling
east from Blombos you’ll find many more of these caves where archaeological
excavations are uncovering our natural history. They include Pinnacle Point near
Mossel Bay and Nelson’s Bay Cave on the Robberg Peninsula near Plettenberg
Bay.
Nelson’s Bay Cave, also known as Wagenaar’s Cave, is a Stone Age archaeological
site. This fascinating cave has yielded rich archaeological material covering its
intermittent Middle and Later Stone Age occupation by humans, dating from a few
Coastal cave - demarfa, iStock

Explore
hundred to more than 125,000 years ago. The cave is rectangular in shape
and roughly 18 metres wide by 35 metres deep and was formed in quartzsandstone
and quartzites. Its mouth is about 19–21 metres above sea level.
Nearby are other Stone Age caves, Hoffman’s or Robberg Cave and Matjes
River cave. Graves have been found near the mouth of the cave, the remains
being in a foetal position, and decorated with shells and ochre.
The Klasies River Caves are a series of caves consisting of three main caves
and two shelters at the base of a high cliff that have revealed evidence of
middle stone age-associated human habitation from approximately 125,000
years ago.
Most of these caves with their precious archaeological treasures are protected
and have been added or are planned to be added as National or World Heritage
Sites. They are therefore mostly closed to the general public, but special guided
tours can be arranged. However, in between Blombos and Klasies River, and
on either side of them, are many more similar coastal caves that can be freely
visited and can be included as part of some breath-taking hikes, cliff-face rock
climbs or even kayaking adventures.
Western Cape Caves
On the southwestern side of Johannesburg, at Gold Reef City with its
10-hectare theme park, you’ll find the historic Crown Mines No 14 shaft. Mining
started here in 1897, and the shaft once was the deepest goldmine shaft in
the world, producing 1.4 million kilograms of gold before closing in the 1970’s.
Today visitors can travel, just like the miners once did, in a metal cage lift down
the shaft to a level of 226 meters. From where the lift stops, you’ll walk along
tunnels with a hard hat and a torch in hand and gain a first-hand experience
of what the miners did on a daily basis, including drilling into those gold veins.
At Kimberley the famous Big Hole offers an above-ground view of one of the
biggest manmade holes in the world – now filled with water – where thousands
of fortune seekers dug down into the earth in search of diamonds in the late
1800s. But the Big Hole Diamond Museum, adjacent to the Big Hole, also
offers a fantastic underground tour. It provides a fascinating view of the inner
workings of one of the most famous diamond mines in the world. Of course,
touring the rest of the museum complex with its restored mining town is also
equally fascinating.
Another underground diamond mine tour is offered at the Cullinan Diamond
Mine east of Pretoria. Or you can do the underground goldmine tour at
Kromdraai Mine, one of the first goldmines opened in Gauteng and located 7km
from Sterkfontein in the centre of the Cradle of Humankind.
Among the more popular caves to be explored by modern-day cave dwellers
in and around Cape Town in the Western Cape, are Elephant’s Eye Cave,
Klipgat or Drupkelder Caves, Peers Cave and the caves in the mountain behind
Muizenberg and Kalk Bay.
Elephant’s Eye Cave is easily accessible as part of one of Cape Town’s favourite
hikes and is suitable for families as children can easily do the climb. It’s located
in the Constantiaberg area and from the cave you’ll have some spectacular
views. Peers Cave, also very easy to reach, is located along an easy hike up
Silvermine Nature Reserve near Fish Hoek and the Ou Kaapse Weg. The cave
is famous for the fourteen 12,000-year old Palaeolithic skeletons discovered
here by Victor Peers and his son, Bertie, in 1927. The cave is thought to be an
ancient burial site
Further afield from Cape Town is the Klipgat or Drupkelder Cave near De
Kelders, a short distance east from Hermanus. From within this cave, and
several others in the area, you’ll have a dramatic view of the ocean. These
caves were formed millions of years ago when underwater aquifers slowly
eroded these spaces beneath the coastal cliffs. They served as shelters for
early humans for thousands of years. Klipgat Cave is also the only freshwater
cave along the coast of Africa. The cave is protected within the Walker Bay
Nature Reserve and forms part of the 7km Klipgat Trail, a hike from the harbour
at Gansbaai that hugs the coastline.
Underground Mine Tours
While most caves or underground cavities are formed naturally, South Africa
of course also has many underground caves and tunnels that are manmade:
these are its extremely deep-level mines. Some can be visited for
truly fascinating tours of where our brave underground miners venture every
working day of their lives.
Underwater Caves & Mines
For some, the cave and other underground adventures described thus far,
may not be enough; there will always be those who may want to push their
subterranean curiosity to even more extreme limits. This is where underwater
cave diving, or diving down water-filled old mineshafts enter the picture.
For scuba diving enthusiasts the coast along KwaZulu-Natal is home to the
magical coral gardens of Seven Mile Reef at Sodwana Bay in the iSimangaliso
Wetland Park. Here you will encounter spectacular, multi-coloured coral
formations and breath-taking drop-offs, underwater cliffs so sheer and deep
that it provides an undersea cave-like experience where you will rub shoulders
with a variety of sharks. Further south on the Aliwal Shoal, you’ll find a spot
called Cathedral, a fascinating rock formation where the ancient sandstone
reef forms a large crater-like chamber – like a cave - that can be entered and
swam through via the front archway or through the roof. It is also home to many
ragged tooth sharks during the mating season.
Going inland a number of operators, mostly in Gauteng, offer diving tours of
waterfilled, abandoned mine shafts and open cast mines. But for all of these
underwater experiences you’ll be required to be in possession of a diver’s
course certificate from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors
(PADI).
Finally, if you are fascinated by the secrets and delights of the subterranean
world, you may also want to explore the underground tunnels of Johannesburg
and Cape Town. But that’s another story for another day.
20 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

park business class
Abandoned mine - Neil Lockhart, iStock
COME PARK
WITH US
Airport Valet Parking
offers a service that makes flying out
of Cape Town International Airport
convenient and hassle free. We are
conveniently located on the ground
floor of Parkade 2, clearly sign
posted “Valet Parking”.
Cederberg caves - Geoff Sperring, iStock
Simply drive into Parkade 2 where
one of our drivers will show you to
our dedicated, reserved bays. Whilst
you are away your vehicle is stored
with us and given a valet. You will
find your sparkling clean car
waiting for you on your
return. Talk about
convenience!
Make your travel
experience a lot less
stressful by allowing us
to take care of your car
while you’re away.
Cave diving - Mierzjewski Marcin, iStock

Our regular feature in which we visit some
unique, hidden-away and off-the-beatentrack
places and experiences you probably
didn’t know existed…but which are truly
worth a visit.
By Stef Terblanche

The Owl House - Grobler du Preez, iStock

Discover
Helen Martins Camels and pilgrims - Grobler du Preez, iStock Inside the Owl House
The Owl House…reclusive treasure of
light and magic
For thousands of people around the world the name Nieu Bethesda has become
synonymous with The Owl House. Yet, if you’ve never been in those parts you
probably wouldn’t even know where to go look for this tiny village where owls,
camels, glass creations and a host of other weird and wonderful figures found a
home in the house and backyard of an eccentric, reclusive but very creative woman.
Nieu Bethesda is not reached by any main road. The village lies in the Karoo. It’s in
the Eastern Cape. It’s in a fertile valley surrounded by inhospitable mountains and
Karoo koppies. It’s somewhere in South Africa. You could even say it’s in the middle
of nowhere. It doesn’t have credit card facilities, ATMs or a petrol station. It only has
about 1,000 permanent residents. Yet it has a dozen or more thriving guest houses,
restaurants, a fossil museum, and other businesses. And thousands of people flock
to this village each year. Most of it is thanks to the late Helen Martins and her now
world-famous Owl House.
To reach Nieu Bethesda and The Owl House you have to drive north from Graaff-
Reinet for about 27km along the N9 before turning off onto a secondary road and
driving another 19km to get there.
You might even miss the Owl House with its shutters and stoep, despite its
understated signage in front, for it looks like many of the other Karoo cottages in
the village. What sets it apart however, is a cement arch on the side, with a cement
owl with shiny glass eyes sitting on top. The arch leads into what is known as the
Camel Yard. It is there where you’ll enter a fantasy world of figures made of cement,
dominated by many owls with glass eyes made of the bottoms of bottles.
The sculptures include mermaids, a little church, skirted female figures, figures
taken from Biblical tales, camels and pilgrims, a collection of giraffe heads on
necks without their bodies, lambs and shepherds, a nativity scene, suns, fish, a lion,
peacocks, snakes, cranes, dogs, a cat, a singing bird, Buddha, Mona Lisa reliefs
against the walls, Adam and Eve, and sphinxes. And of course owls.
The house and the yard containing this creative treasure are a testament to a
woman many considered having been an outsider, a recluse, an eccentric, some
even claimed mad, but that has been debunked. Although she did have friends in the
village, she kept to herself, and more so as she grew older. Between 1945 and 1976,
living alone in this house, she created her art. Helping her were a few labourers,
chief among them Koos Malgas, who probably was the person who knew her best.
Both the tragedy and dullness of her life were probably the inspiration for her
creativity. Although it seems no-one really knows. According to research published
on The Owl House website, Miss Helen was born in Nieu Bethesda on December
23, 1897, the youngest of six children. After completing her education with a teaching
diploma in nearby Graaff-Reinet, she married fellow teacher and villager Johannes
Pienaar. Together they travelled the country as part of a touring theatre group, but
the marriage was an unhappy one, and six years later they divorced.
She returned to her frail parents’ home to care for them. In 1941 her mother passed
away. Her father, with whom she had a troubled relationship, passed away in 1945.
A reflection of her relationship with her father was the fact that in his last years she
moved him into an outside room, later named the Lion’s Den, of which she painted
the walls black. He too was said to be an eccentric man who acted strangely at times.
By now she was alone in the house in which she had lived most of her life, and her
creativity started filling the void. She transformed the house and gradually the yard
filled up with sculptures.
At the age of 54, in 1952, she married again, to a widower named Johannes Machiel
Niemand, but it lasted less than a year. As she grew older, she suffered badly from
arthritis and started losing her eyesight, her eyes possibly having been damaged by
years of working with ground glass. By now she seldom ventured outside her house.
At the age of 78 she committed suicide rather than being separated from her beloved
Owl House and her art.
During her creative years Miss Helen, as she was known in the village, created some
300 odd of these sculptures. Many are inlaid with bits of colourful glass and mirrors,
and she frequently used the bottoms of glass bottles as eyes. She painted the inside
walls of her house in bright colours overlaid with layers of crushed glass and placed
many mirrors around. It is thought she sought to transform her dreary, isolated life
into one of light and magic. During the day sunlight reflected off the bright colours,
glass and mirrors, and at night candles and lamps brought it glitteringly alive. And
thus, she brought light and magic into her life…and later into the lives of thousands
of visitors. It is unlikely that she ever foresaw what an effect she, her creations and
her house would one day have on so many people.
Not only does her Owl House inspire thousands of people from all over the world –
up to 15,000 people visit it each year – but she is said to have inspired the famous
playwright Athol Fugard to write his equally famous play, The Road to Mecca, which
was later made into a film.
Today The Owl House belongs to the Camdeboo Municipality (Graaff-Reinet),
while the Owl House Foundation maintains her legacy. The house is maintained as
she left it, as is the art, and part of her story and legacy can also be viewed in the
Helen Martins Museum in the village. The Owl House is open from 09h00 to 16h45,
Monday to Sunday, and during the December school holidays, from 08h00 to 17h45.
24 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Discover
The village offers plenty of excellent accommodation for visitors, ranging from
backpackers to B&Bs and self-catering cottages. While in Nieu Bethesda a visit to
the fascinating Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre is also a must. The exhibitions
here depict the area around Nieu Bethesda some 253-million years ago during the
Permian Period. The centre showcases fossils found in the surrounding Karoo and
elsewhere in South Africa and some date to a time 50-million years before the age
of dinosaurs when the continents were merged in a supercontinent called Pangea.
Nearby Graaff-Reinet also has an abundance of activities and attractions, making a
visit to the area a wonderful experience.
Contact / more info: Nieu Bethesda Tourism Tel +27 (0)49 841 1733 or
website www.nieu-bethesda.com.
in the varied, yet also overlapping cultures of all the people who made North West
their home. Over the centuries each culture maintained its core, but also borrowed
from the others.
Of course, when we’re talking heritage, North West is also home to the Taung
Heritage Site and Route, where the famous lime encrusted skull of a child was
unearthed by Prof Raymond Dart. He named it “Australopithecus africanus”
meaning the “southern ape of Africa”. A monument to the discovery is at the site and
an old mine tunnel has been opened for exploration. North West is also adjacent
to the Cradle of Humankind with all its human fossil discoveries. Together these
discoveries support the theory that all our planet’s modern-day people and cultures
originated here in Africa.
Unless otherwise stated, information & images supplied by
www.theowlhouse.co.za
Heritage destination North West …keepers
of tradition
North West, that land-locked province tucked away in the central northern part
of South Africa may, in the opinion of some, lack the dramatic coastal scenery or
beautiful forests and mountains of some other provinces. But for what it may lack
in this regard, it more than trumps all the others with the most abundant, varied and
fascinating cultural and heritage offerings. The province is truly a heritage treasure
trove, and it certainly also boasts an arrestingly diverse landscape, plus much else.
At the centre of its allure as a cultural and heritage destination, is its varied and
vibrant peoples who all share a strong sense of tradition. The dominant group found
here are the BaTswana who speak SeTswana. Their origins and history cut a trail
across the province and beyond, through many centuries of turbulence, war and
migration, before settling down in what is today North West. Other groups strongly
represented in the province are the Ndebele and Sotho, as well as Afrikaners, with
sprinklings of other language and ethnic groups also found across the province.
Giving real-life expression to this cultural heritage in the province are a number of
cultural villages and other cultural centres where visitors can immerse themselves
Of the cultural villages in this province, probably the best known one – locally
and internationally – is the Lesedi Cultural Village. Less than an hour’s drive from
Johannesburg, it is located on the border between Gauteng and North West within
the World Heritage Site area of the Cradle of Humankind. Set in bushveld and rocky
hill it is a slice of real Africa. At Lesedi, seSotho for “light”, five different homesteads
or villages were created, one of each representing the culture of the Pedi, Zulu,
Xhosa, Basotho and Ndebele. In each, families live permanently in the traditional
way, looking after livestock, preparing meals, dressed in traditional attire, and
producing traditional arts and crafts.
Visitors can stay overnight and are looked after by the head of each house. Day
visitors are also welcome and will be given guided tours. Another option is staying
in the luxurious aha Lesedi Lodge, which is built and decorated in traditional African
style. Guests will be treated to much traditional singing and dancing. At the Nyama
Choma restaurant guests can enjoy true African cuisine, before gathering around a
fire to enjoy traditional drinks, storytelling, singing and dancing.
At the Mphebatho Cultural Museum visitors can experience or actively participate
in the unique culture and history of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela community who live
around the Pilanesberg mountains. This vibrant community centre provides an
authentic experience of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela heritage, culture and tradition. The
local museum is managed by a community-based organization located in Moruleng
village. Nearby is the popular Sun City casino and entertainment resort as well as
Ndebele huts - Daleen Loest, iStock
Traditional craft - pulpitis, iStock

Whale watching with whale watchers gives one the
opportunity to experience the southern right whale up
close. A trip on the registered whale watching boat almost
guarantees an unforgettable encounter with these
awesome creatures.
Hermanus is less than a 2-hour drive from
Cape Town.
Over 120 Southern Right Whales come to
Hermanus in South Africa each year
between June and December to breed,
calf, mate and frolic.
The vessel used, UNATHI, takes 36
passengers, ensuring good viewing from
both the lower and the upper deck.
The vessel is equipped with bathroom
facilities.
BOAT-BASED WHALE WATCHING
Hermanus New Harbour, Westcliff road, Hermanus
Tel: +27 (0) 28 312 4957 | Cell: +27 (0 ) 82 931 8064
e-mail: bookings@whalewatchers.biz | www.hermanuswhalewatchers.co.za
Hotel Deutsches Haus
Restaurant and Bar | Sat-TV | High speed Internet
13 Lüderitz Street, Swakopmund
Tel: +264 (0)64 404 896 | E-mail: info@hotel.na | www.hotel.na

Discover
San guides
the Pilanesberg National Park.
Then there is the Lost City of Mogale, which was the home of Chief Mogale between
1810 and 1869, after whom the Magaliesberg was named, and his Po people.
Here you will find remains of well-preserved late Iron Age settlements. Highlights
include a visit to the chiefs’ courtyard, the chief’s private place of worship and his
cattle kraal, ceremonial cairns, ancestral centre of worship including the symbolical
entrance, the remains of the slaughtering kraal, a unique granite rock pool believed
to have healing capabilities, and monoliths.
The Zulu nation is represented in the province by the Buya Zulu Cultural Kraal
headed by Jo Mbogwazi. He and his group originate from Hluhluwe in Northern
Zululand. The Kraal consists of six Zulu huts, one decorated to be a show hut, while
the others are used to live in. Here you will experience traditional huts filled with
traditional Zulu utensils and décor. The villagers wear traditional Zulu attire and
visitors can watch how Zulu shields and spears are made, as well as beadwork and
traditional pottery. Or you can taste a sip of Zulu beer, consult the sangoma and
enjoy real Zulu dancing. Camping facilities are available here.
At Mapoch Ndebele Village you will be delighted by the distinctive colourfully painted
dwellings and kraal of the Ndebele villagers. It’s also a treasure trove for curios
collectors where you will find some truly sensational handcrafted bead work made
by the local Ndebele women. This village is located near the town of Brits. Close
to Hebron, is the Gaabo Motho Cultural Village, a scenic mountain-top village that
offers the best African traditional fare and educational demonstrations of many
ancient traditions and practices. In the Groot Marico Bosveld region you can visit
Kortkloof Cultural, dedicated to the Tswana tribe.
Then its on to “mampoer country” in the Groot Marico Bosveld made famous by the
globally popular author Herman Charles Bosman. Visitors can get a front seat view
of traditional Afrikaner life on the farms and sample some traditional mampoer, a
home-brewed liquor that will have you gasping for breath, at Marico Valley Mampoer
and the M&M Mampoer Farm. Mampoer tasting is also offered further afield at
Schoemanati near Potchefstroom in a house with Anglo Boer War history. There
are also many historical Anglo Boer War sites across the province, with the town of
Mahikeng of course having been the site of the famous Mafikeng Siege.
Contact / more info: North West Tourism Tel +27 (0)86 111 1866 or web
www.tourismnorthwest.co.za; Tel Lesedi Cultural Village +27 (0)12 205 1394;
Mapoch Village Tel +27(0)84 753 8439; and Marico Valley Mampoer
Cell +27 (0)83 700 8538.
!Khwa ttu…where the spirit of the San
is shared
Today they are scattered in small communities across Southern Africa, a place where
they once roamed freely and plentiful: the San, or Bushmen as they are also known.
They were the original people to live here, but today they are a vanishing culture,
some would lament. Not so, say the people of !Khwa ttu, a place just an hour’s drive
north of Cape Town where their culture is being preserved and thriving. !Khwa ttu
is a unique travel destination that combines culture and heritage, adventure and
relaxation with education, giving new meaning to the phrase “San spirit shared”.
Located on an 850 hectare nature reserve on the West Coast, here you can visit
the new Heritage Centre, the crown jewel of !Khwa ttu launched in September
2018 and the culmination of a twenty-year dream to restore the San’s culture to its
28 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Namibia Wildlife Resorts
Still conserving Namibia’s natural heritage!
Namibia Wildlife Resorts has become part and parcel of
the Namibian experience, even for those as far afield as
America or China. As a state-owned enterprise, we manage
resorts and camps in Namibia’s vast and diverse protected
areas so you can explore and relax at your own pace.
With more than 20 different destinations across Namibia,
we have a smorgasbord of experiences for you, so
whether you are a traveller that demands luxury at
your fingertips or you are looking for an adventure,
we have a spot where you can get your groove back.
From sunrise and sunset game drives in Etosha
National Park, to hiking in the 500-metre deep
ancient Fish River Canyon, rejuvenating in natural
hot springs at /Ais-/Ais or Gross Barmen, cruising
on Hardap Dam or fishing at Terrace Bay where the
desert meets the sea, your options are limitless.
Your holiday, breakaway or business trip will also
contribute to community development and the sustainable
use of Namibia’s natural resources. With your exclusive
NamLeisure card, you are not only assured of great
discounts for your Namibian adventure, but you also know
that you are contributing to the Enviro-Kidz programme.
Whatever your needs are, whether it is a weekend
to unwind and explore nature, or you are planning a
conference or incentive package, Namibia Wildlife
Resorts is ready to cater to your every need with
a diverse range of destinations and products.
Log on to www.nwr.com.na and unlock your Namibian
adventure… you have no idea what’s waiting for you.
BOOK ONLINE OR CONTACT US!
☎ +264 61 285 7200
reservations@nwr.com.na
www.nwr.com.na

Discover Mzanzi
Petrus Vaalbooi with founder Irene Staehelin share a moment
rightful place. Or you can join San guides on a fascinating tour of the veld and the
centre to gain first-hand insight into their culture, heritage, knowledge, skills and
contemporary life. There are many other activities to be enjoyed as well, such as
cycling or walking the hiking trails, watching birds and other wildlife, or just relaxing.
Excellent accommodation is available too in cosy, luxurious guest houses or tented
camps, tucked away in the West Coast countryside, while sumptuous meals are
prepared in a rustic farmhouse restaurant.
But the main attraction is most certainly the cultural experience – to see, engage,
experience and learn. The new !Khwa ttu Heritage Centre is a truly unique a place
of learning and sharing, owned and run for and by the San. The centre addresses
the hopes and dreams of San all over Southern Africa. It’s a place where they can
tell their story as and how they choose to. The location is easily accessible, making
it convenient for locals and tourists alike to engage with the San and their culture,
as not everyone has the time, means or inclination to travel to San communities that
remain in remote parts of places such as the Kalahari or Namibia.
As South Africans we have all heard about and briefly learnt about the San at school,
yet few of us have ever met any of them, let alone been exposed to their culture. And
yet they are original people of our country. Foreigners visiting here have also almost
always heard or read about the San, but during their visits here hardly ever get to
meet any of them. And as Irene Staehelin, founder of !Khwa ttu points out: “There is
no human group that has been written about more than the San. But these books are
all in libraries and universities, not available to the people.” Now the centre aims to
give their voice back to the San; let them decide which stories are authentic, which
ones they want to accept and share as reflecting their history, heritage and culture.
“!Khwa ttu is a place of dignity where their voices can be heard,” adds Leana Snyders,
Director of the South African San Council. “Here the past can be remembered for a
better future. It’s a place to tell you who the San are. The San here welcome visitors
and their pride in sharing their culture is inspiring and poignant.”
!Khwa ttu is, however, much more than a tourist attraction. When Staehelin first
arrived here, San communities expressed a desire to learn more about their history
and traditions, and to promote their culture and languages. They wish to give their
children the chance to revitalise their traditional life while also accessing the modern
workforce and live in dignity. To do this, they view tourism as a viable means to
achieve this. And that is exactly the role !Khwa ttu plays. !Khwa ttu provides the
infrastructure and tourism the necessary support. And it also allows the San to
share their culture with a wider audience. The focus is on heritage conservation and
providing training and adult education, including skills in tourism, entrepreneurship
and community-based development for rotating groups of San youth from outlying
communities.
In 1998, Staehlin, a Swiss anthropologist, agreed to work with the Working Group
for Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) which sought assistance for
the San in training their own people to deal with tourism and how to showcase San
culture to the world. So she bought the West Coast farm where !Khwa ttu is located.
Today the project is run by the !Khwa ttu Non-Profit Company, jointly directed by
the Ubuntu Foundation Switzerland and the San, represented by WIMSA. The farm
is held in perpetuity by the Meerkat Non-Profit Company for the sole use of the
!Khwa ttu project, and can only be used as a San Culture and Education Centre.
The location was once part of the vast territory of the !Xam Bushmen who were
systematically exterminated in the late 18th century.
A visit to the centre and the exhibition spaces is a must. So too is a tour with a San
guide. You’ll be treated to a wonderful tea ceremony, hear lots of click-punctuated
story-telling and discover the way of the San, including how to track animals. You can
visit for the day or stay over as long as you want.
Contact / more info: Tel +27 (022) 492 2998; email info@khwattu.org; or website
www.khwattu.org.
Information & Images supplied by !Khwa ttu
30 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

For information
www.explorersgardenroute.co.za
Tel +27 (0) 28 71 7829 or download the app:
http://visitgardenrouteandkleinkaroo.com/touriSm

Island
Adventures
By Stef Terblanche
Few people will associate the idea of island destinations for holidays
or adventurous excursions with the South African coastline. But did
you know that South Africa has upwards of 30 islands, some of which
make for some unusual and fascinating outings, and some of which are
thousands of kilometres away in the southern Oceans? Some are just a few meters
offshore, while some are in the middle of rivers and estuaries.
Of course, for most people the most famous South African island that will come
to mind is Robben Island…where Nelson Mandela and other political leaders were
incarcerated for many years.
But when thinking ‘island holiday’, most of us think of tropical palm-fringed islands,
with white sandy beaches surrounded by turquoise water, such as the islands of
Mauritius, Madagascar or Seychelles. These are of course very popular with South
Africans and within easy reach, although not within everyone’s budget. Nonetheless,
many tour operators offer excellent package deals to these islands.
Inhaca Island
Much closer to home and far more affordable are the islands of Mozambique, the
nearest one being beautiful Inhaca Island, just 30km across the bay from Maputo,
capital of Mozambique and just a couple of hours away from the nearest South
African border post. The island is a true paradise of tropical beaches, forests,
including a sea forest, coral reefs, popular diving spots such as at Santa Maria or the
lighthouse, lagoons and more.
There is ample good accommodation, ranging from camping to self-catering, lodges
and a top-class hotel. Plenty of bars and eateries are to be found in the village, the
people are friendly and the island largely crime-free. The island retains its beauty
as it is a protected area and the southern part is a nature reserve. At low tide one
can almost walk to neighbouring Portuguese Island, a bird sanctuary, across the
exposed sand bars. At low tide elephants used to cross over from the mainland
peninsula to the southern part of the island, but it’s doubtful whether any of the
elephants are still left.
Some years ago, at the height of the Mozambican civil war, I met a grey-haired local
man at the Inhaca Marine Biology Research Station on the island, which belonged
to the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. This self-educated man had worked
as a helper for the Portuguese marine biologists from the university, assisting them
with collecting, labelling and exhibiting various marine species…and learning from
them. With the revolution and the subsequent civil war, all the scientists left. He was
left behind alone and without funding or other resources. Yet every day he would
faithfully go to the sea and collect specimens, research their details, label them and
place them in the glass cases, keeping the research station going. The research
station has since become fully functional again, but I doubt my grey-haired friend
is still there.
Numerous excellent fly-in package deals are available from South Africa to Inhaca.
For the do-it-yourself kind of tourist, the island is also now within easy reach. Driving
from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Maputo across the brand new three-kilometre long
Maputo-Katembe suspension bridge, has cut travelling time from South Africa from

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6 hours to just 90 minutes, depending on the traffic. From Maputo you can hop on
a light plane to the island or take the ferry across. But be warned, the ferry can be
overcrowded and stops a few hundred meters offshore, so you may have to wade
the last stretch through the water with your luggage on your head, unless you have
pre-arranged to be fetched by smaller boat.
Saint Helena
Another island that is becoming more popular with South Africans, is the British
island of Saint Helena, 2,000km northwest of Cape Town in the Atlantic Ocean.
Previously one could only reach the island by weekly mail ship from Cape Town, but
now it can be reached by air since a brand-new airport was built a few years ago.
Robben Island
A ferry trip from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island and a tour of the
prison where Nelson Mandela and many other famous people were held over the
past three centuries, remains high on the to-do list of many people. This island is
worth a visit, not for its palm trees or beaches, but for its rich but sad history. Other
famous island prisoners over the centuries included Robert Sobukwe, leader of the
Pan-Africanist Congress, and the Xhosa leader Makanda Nxele who was imprisoned
for leading an uprising against the British in 1819 that led to the 5th Xhosa War in the
Eastern Cape. One of the first prisoners was Autshumato, also known as Herry die
Strandloper (beach walker), who was a leader of the Gorinhaikonas Khoikhoi clan
at Cape Town, and who worked at one time as an interpreter for Jan van Riebeeck,
first Dutch commander at the Cape.
The island has a fascinating history that includes the internment of thousands of
South African Boer prisoners during the Anglo-Boer War. It is also the place where
Napoleon was held captive until his death. His favourite wine was a Constantia red,
regularly shipped to him from Cape Town. The island has some very interesting
flora and bird life, all of which can be experienced along some really beautiful hiking
routes. Most of the island’s inhabitants live in Jamestown, a quaint old-worldly
village sandwiched in a narrow gorge between two high cliffs. From the air the
village looks like a colourful glacier about to slide into the sea.
Also imprisoned here was Imam Abdullah ibn Kadi Abdus Salaam, known as Tuan
Guru, a Prince from Tidore in the Ternate Islands of Indonesia who was imprisoned
on the island by the Dutch. While imprisoned, Tuan Guru wrote several copies of the
holy Qur’an from memory, one of which is preserved and on display in Cape Town’s
Dorp Street mosque. In 1969 the Moturu Kramat, now a sacred site for Muslim
pilgrimage, was built on the island to commemorate another Muslim prisoner of the
island, Sayed Abdurahman Moturu, the Prince of Madura.
Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the island was used variously as a prison,
including for political prisoners, a place of banishment, a leper colony, and as a
military base. The island has probably also produced more national presidents than
Robben Island with Cape Town in the distance - Andrea Willmore, iStock

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any other similar-sized island in the world: no less than three of the island prison’s
former inmates went on to become president of South Africa, namely Nelson
Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.
Located on the island is also South Africa’s oldest lighthouse… in the sense that the
first ‘lighthouse’ was a bonfire lit up each night in the 1600s on the same spot where
the built lighthouse now stands. The island was once part of the mainland before
the sea surrounded it and is actually a peak of the Table Mountain-linked series of
mountains. From the island one has magnificent views of Cape Town, the Peninsula,
West Coast and all of Table Bay.
There are roughly 132 species of bird, including a colony of African penguins,
crowned cormorants and black crowned night herons on the island, while Cape fur
seals, southern right whales and great white sharks are frequent marine visitors.
A variety of buck – including springbok and eland – and three different species of
tortoises also live on the island.
The Robben Island ferry departs three times daily – weather permitting – from the
old Clock Tower precinct of the V&A docks. After docking at the island, busses take
visitors to all the historic sites such as the leper graveyard, the lime quarry where
political prisoners were forced to work, army and navy bunkers, the maximumsecurity
prison and museum complex, with the tour ending with a visit to Nelson
Mandela’s cell. Your tour guide, like all the others, was once also a prisoner on the
island. Robben Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Algoa Bay islands
Few visitors to Nelson Mandela Bay know that just a couple of kilometres off the
coast of Port Elizabeth and the Coega harbour complex, in Algoa Bay, there are two
island groups of three islands each. They are extremely important for birds, as they
are the only islands along a very long stretch of coast and are home to large breeding
colonies. Hence the main island of the one group is called Bird Island, and its two
smaller cousins are called Seal and Stag Islands. The St Croix group of islands
consist of St Croix, Jahleel and Brenton Islands. The closest island to land is Jahleel
Island, just one kilometre away, while tat 7km the Bird Island group is furthest away.
At 19 hectares Bird Island is the largest. After a series of shipwrecks around the
islands, a lighthouse was erected on Bird Island in 1898. In 1755, the East Indiaman
Doddington was wrecked here while underway from Dover to India carrying a
treasure in gold and silver. A few survivors lived on the island for months before
making it to the mainland in a makeshift boat. In recent years some of the treasure
was salvaged secretly, and probably illegally, and found its way to auction houses
abroad.
All six islands and the waters around them are nature reserves and form part of the
Addo Elephant National Park. The islands are closed to the public. However, on
fine-weather days they are ideal for visits – without going ashore – by kayak or small
motorboat to fish or dive on the reefs in the surrounding waters.
Three Seal Islands
There are no less than three islands – possibly more - along the South African coast
named Seal Island. As their names suggest, they are home to colonies of Cape fur
seals. The one is part of the Bird Island group off Port Elizabeth. The other is located
in the centre of False Bay between Simon’s Town and Gordons Bay. It forms part
of a marine reserve and is equally popular with local fishermen and roaming great
white sharks.
Some of the biggest great whites ever were caught here before catching them was
banned. In one incident some years ago, the well-known sports fisherman Danie
Schoeman and a friend had a narrow escape when a great white unexpectedly
breached the water and landed on their boat. He was so big that his jaws covered the
front of the boat while his wildly slapping tail protruded over the stern. After getting
the shark off and making it back to land, the men had to receive medical treatment.
The area around the island is also known for freak waves that have on occasion
appeared without warning, overturning any unfortunate boat in its way. However, on
a nice day the island is the perfect spot for a leisurely cruise to observe the seals and
birdlife, and to take in the absolutely awesome views from there of the entire False
Bay coast. During the whale season it is also an excellent spot to view these gigantic
ocean mammals up close.
Seals sunbathing on island off Mossel Bay - nomis_g, iStock
Seals on Duiker Island - Image Source, iStock

Jamestown, St Helena Island - rosn123, iStock
The rusty, twisted metal remains of a radar mast built on the island during World War
II, can still be seen lying where it was blown over by a winter storm in 1970. The crew
that built it lived in prefabricated huts for the duration of the construction. The ruins
of a few huts and other structures from the days when sealing and guano-collection
flourished on the island, can still be seen, with some rock inscriptions made by
sealers in the 1930s also still visible.
The third Seal Island, also known in Afrikaans as Robeiland, is located in the bay
of Mossel Bay, just off Diaz Beach. With over 4,000 of these furry inhabitants, the
tiny island is a writhing, squealing, snorting, smelly mass of seals. And patrolling the
waters around the island are of course always our friends, the great white sharks,
ever on the hunt for a furry meal. Boats take visitors on daily scenic and informative
cruises from Mossel Bay harbour around the island.
The oldest and best known of these cruises is on a vessel named the Romonza,
a ferro-cement yacht home-built some 40 years ago by a Dutch engineer, Wim
Klapwijk who settled in Mossel Bay. He originally built the yacht with the idea of
taking his family on a world cruise. The occasional Seal Island cruises he started all
those years ago became so popular that it became a fulltime business, and the world
cruise had to take a backseat. Today the Romonza still makes the trip around Seal
Island, every hour, every day, all year round. If one were to add up all those cruises
around the island over the years it would probably equal a dozen world cruises!
Antarctic Indian Ocean. But unless you’re an authorised meteorologist or biologist
the only way you can view these two islands is by flying over them or passing by on a
sailing yacht on one of the most treacherous sailing routes in the world.
The only people living there are the annually rotated scientists manning the South
African research station on Marion Island. The islands have been declared Special
Nature Reserves under the South African environmental management laws and
activities on the islands are therefore restricted to research and conservation
management. In 2013 the 180,000 km2 sea area around the islands was declared
a Marine Protected Area, thereby creating one of the world’s largest environmental
protection areas.
More Islands
There are many more South African island waiting to be explored. A favourite family
outing is on one of the many cruise boats that daily take groups of people from Hout
Bay harbour, near Cape Town, to the nearby Duiker Island, also known as Seal
Island (yes, that’s number four). Departing almost hourly from Mariner’s Wharf with
families, tourists and photographers on board, these vessels steam out across the
bay with the majestic Chapman’s Peak as dramatic backdrop, slip around the West
Battery and Sentinel Peak, before reaching the tiny island.
South Indian Ocean Islands
Few people are probably aware that South Africa also owns two of the remotest
islands in the world: Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, collectively known
as the Prince Edward Islands, almost 1,800km south of Port Elizabeth in the sub-
On the way, below Sentinel Peak, the boat crosses what is known by surfers as
Dungeons, scene of the annual Red Bull Big Wave Africa Contest, with the world’s
top big wave surfers surfing by invitation only the gigantic waves that come up
in winter from the South Pole. At the island the boats slow down, and the crews
manoeuvre the vessels gingerly as close as they can to the island for up-close
photographic shots of the rich seal and bird life. From there the cruise takes you
36 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

The hidden
‘Jewel of the Garden Route’
Visit www.kingswood.co.za
for more information
or contact us on: 0861 72 71 70
or email: golf@kingswood.co.za
to book your next round of golf!
The Kingswood Golf Estate is perfectly placed between
the Fancourt Links and George Golf Course at the very
heart of the Garden Route’s golf hub.
From its perfect blend of design and
scenery, to its temperate weather,
you’re certain to find Kingswood’s
Championship Golf Course a unique
challenge, and one you’ll want to take
up again and again.
If you ask the locals, they will tell you
that Kingswood has the best greens on
the Garden Route and this is one of the
main reasons why it is often frequented
by the Sunshine Tour Players when
they are not on tour.
The design is inspired by the Home
of Golf, St Andrews (the Old Course),
in Scotland with its links style open
fairways, undulating greens and
traditional pot bunkers. There is no
other course in South Africa like it,
which makes it a must-play if you are
travelling in the area.
On the first nine you should be off to a
good start as the course follows the
spectacular topography of the
landscape. The tee boxes have recently
been redone and the course is in mint
condition. The greens are consistently
fast, so soft hands and finesse are the
key to making your putts.
Your scores should be good on the
front nine, as the back nine is a
challenge that’s ‘better than most’.
From the tenth, the views turn to the
Outeniqua Mountains and they are
breathtakingly beautiful. Your golf
experience builds as each hole is
different with its own nuances, trickery
and challenges.
The last four holes known as
‘Humblers Corner’ are a challenge
second to none; and if you can make
it through here by parring all four
holes on a competition day with no
‘gives’, then introduce yourself to the
management team and collect a free
round voucher.
Either way, this ultimate golf challenge
will keep you coming back for more.
This course is truly the Jewel of the
Garden Route and should not be
missed on any golfing tour.
| Kingswood Golf Estate, 1 Kingswood
Boulevard, George, 6529 South Africa |

around a cliff to the site of a giant steel ship wrecked on the rocks for more picturetaking,
before making the journey back to Hout Bay. There are also cocktail and
sunset cruises to the island.
Another favourite with adrenaline-seeking adventure tourists is Dyer Island some
8.5km offshore from Kapteinsbaai near Gansbaai on the southwestern Cape
coast. On the adjacent Geyser Rock island lives a colony of 60,000 Cape fur seals,
attracting one of the densest great white shark populations in the world. Hence it is
popular with tourists for shark cage-diving. Dyer Island is a 20ha nature reserve, and
the easternmost of the chain of seabird islands of the Western Cape.
Island on Vaal River, Parys - Grant Hayward, iStock
It has been recognised as one of the global Important Bird Areas (IBA), and as such
is one of the hundred most important bird sites in the country. African penguins,
Cape cormorant, the endangered bank cormorant and roseate tern are some of the
birds that breed there. The area around the islands is also an important calving area
for southern right whales. The island is managed by CapeNature. While visitors are
not allowed onto the island, boat trips around the island bring visitors to see the
seals and birds.
Up along the West Coast north of Cape Town and 10km offshore from the seaside
village of Yzerfontein, lies Dassen Island, named after the colonies of hyraxes –
dassies in Dutch/Afrikaans - early mariners found there. After numerous shipwrecks
a lighthouse was built on the island and at one time the island was also regularly
visited by guano collectors. Penguins and a variety of birds also populate the island
and it is a protected area closed to the general public, but visits by special permit are
allowed. However, like many of the other islands, it makes for a scenic cruise and the
area is also popular with fishermen and divers.
Eastern Cape islands
Geyser Rock, Gansbaai - Anna Phillips, iStock
Going east along the coast to the Eastern Cape, two more ‘islands’ are well worth
a visit. The first, Robberg, is not really an island, but an island-like peninsula that
juts out to sea and is still joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. Robberg,
situated 8km south of Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, is a nature reserve, a
national monument and a World Heritage Site. It is managed by Cape Nature and is
popular with hikers.
Rocks around here date back 120 million years to the break-up of Gondwanaland,
while much evidence has been found here of human settlements from the middle and
later Stone Age in caves along the peninsula. Visitors can learn more at the Nelson
Bay Cave interpretive centre. The peninsula and adjacent part of the nature reserve
are home to the rare blue duiker, the Western Cape’s smallest antelope, vulnerable
fish species, dolphins, whales and a variety of bird species.
The other Eastern Cape ‘island’ is one of the best-known landmarks along the
dramatically beautiful Wild Coast, known as Hole in the Wall. It is a tall, vegetated
landmass that has become separated from the mainland, but can be reached on foot
by wading through the water at low tide.
The most intriguing feature of this massive tidal island is a giant hole, forming an
arch, that runs through the base at its centre, causing the sea to heave and burst
through it in a thundering rush of white water. It is located at the mouth of the Mpako
River, about 8km south of Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast. The local Xhosa inhabitants
Leisure Island, Knysna Lagoon - Daniele Codegoni, iStock

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call it esiKhaleni or ‘Place of Noise’, and it is the subject of a beautiful Xhosa legend
of love and revenge. There are good lodges in the area and much else to see and do.
Inland islands
Finally, our list would not be complete without mentioning a few inland, freshwater
islands. Kayakers on the mighty Orange River will be familiar with the numerous
islands found along the course of the river, all covered in reeds and plant life and
teeming with birds. Similar islands are found in Lake St Lucia in the iSimangaliso
Wetland Park along the northern KwaZulu-Natal coast, and in the giant Gariep Dam
in the Karoo between the towns of Colesberg and Bethulie.
On Lake St Lucia these islands, teeming with bird life in pristine natural environments,
can be visited by kayak, while those of the Gariep Dam are visited by people in all
sorts of boats. There are more islands on the Orange River at the town of Upington
in the Northern Cape, with a holiday resort on one that is connected by bridge to
the town. On the Vaal River too, at the northern Free State town of Parys, are three
islands, one being home to the Vaal de Grace golf estate and holiday resort. This
beautiful river island is situated just an hour’s drive from Johannesburg.
The last islands on our list are Thesen’s Island and Leisure Island, both located in
the beautiful Knysna Lagoon of the Southern Cape Garden Route. Both have been
developed as sought-after places to live, and both are connected to the mainland
and Knysna by bridge. They also have excellent accommodation and restaurants,
while Thesen’s Island has been developed into a marina. From these two islands
you can watch the sun set over the lagoon while sipping cocktails or enjoying a good
meal, with the forested Outeniqua Mountains towering behind on the inland side,
and the formidable The Heads opening up a path to the sea on the other side. True
island life.
40 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Tropical island, Mozambique - iStock

AT THE END OF THE N3 IS PEACE,
PERFECT PEACE.
Every day we work hard to maintain and improve our country’s highways and bridges, so
you can connect to what matters to you most. So, get on the road and leave your worries
behind. SANRAL. Beyond Roads.
KIDS LEARN EVERYTHING FROM YOU.
SET A GOOD EXAMPLE.
Kids love emulating their parents. They copy the good and the bad. It’s part of their
learning process. While they may do as you say, they’re also likely to eventually do
as you do.
If you drive without putting on your seat belt, what do you think they’ll do
when they grow up? Don’t take for granted what you do whilst driving. Exercise
responsible behaviour on our roads. Buckle up, for your sake and theirs.
Cheki-coast, save our kids, our future generation.
A SANRAL INITIATIVE.
www.sanral.co.za
Reg. No. 1998/009584/30 An agency of the Department of Transport.

The
River Lodge
…where elephants wander
Words and pictures by Jared Ruttenberg
44 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Wildlife
It had only been a day and already I’d become accustomed
to the sight of animals passing by the river bed in front of my
suite. For a Capetonian accustomed to years of drought, the
best place to watch this unfold was from the raised bathtub,
indulging in both the luxury of bath and view. My attention was
suddenly piqued as I noticed a herd of elephants move in the
direction of the main lodge.
These sagacious creatures often visited the main pool, even
drinking from it provided they didn’t feel threatened. Finishing
my bath, I walked over to the lodge and my jaw dropped seeing
them around the pool which is safely elevated two meters above
their level. I slowly climbed into the pool and as the pachyderms
became accustomed to my presence, several returned to drink.
I’d had a rather tumultuous few weeks preceding my visit, and
strange as it may sound, one of the elephants held my gaze in
a manner in which I could only interpret as her somehow seeing
right through me. Some of the pain and anxiety that had made a
home in my heart began to melt. Somehow, it seemed as if she
wanted to both settle and reassure me. She wouldn’t leave until
I’d actually said out loud, ‘yes it will be okay’.
Only once they’d all left did it feel like I could begin to breathe
again. A bucket list experience, fully natural, and fully wild.
These kinds of wild encounters are hardly ever a mere visual
spectacle. They have a more profound and deeper effect that
is difficult to express.
I was visiting the Kruger National Park for the first time as an
adult – my one previous visit as a child was brief, and we hadn’t
seen much game, so as I boarded my CemAir flight from Cape
Town to Hoedspruit the expectations were running high. A short
flight and I found myself landing in Hoedspruit, only minutes
away from some wild experiences at The River Lodge.
The River Lodge
The 14,000-hectare Thornybush Private Nature Reserve
annexes the Kruger National Park, and since the historical
dropping of fences in 1991, Thornybush is now incorporated
into the larger park. JB Burger, the operations manager, told me
with the dropping of the fences “the impact on game viewing
has been incredible with the free-flow of animals in and out of
Kruger. One of the biggest impacts has been the elephants
coming into the reserve. Previously we had around 60 on the
reserve, and now at any stage we could have up to 400”.
The Thornybush Collection encompasses eleven private
lodges. With a total of only 6 suites at the lodge, the sense of
being invited into someone’s home rather than a large lodge
is immediate. The intimate level of service may also leave you
feeling like royalty. It was no surprise when I learned later that
the lodge has been a favourite for foreign royalty.

Hiking
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 47

Wildlife
The décor is luxuriously colonial, with hints of modern and eclectic elements
tastefully incorporated. The suites are discreetly positioned, and among the most
spacious I’ve experienced, inviting you into a luxe sanctuary in-between safaris and
meals.
Wild Moments
I’d heard that Thornybush had exceptional game viewing, and it was time to explore
the reserve. Very soon I was reminded of the wild unpredictability of the bush. You
enter not on your terms but rather on hers and accept whatever she has to offer. In
the case of Thornybush I was not disappointed.
On our first game drive we met one of the resident lion prides, which had two litters
of cubs, both sets under a year old. The weather was surprisingly cool, and the lowhanging
clouds even contributed a gentle drizzle. This seemed to spur the cubs on,
and for around half an hour we were able to watch them playfully interact with each
other and their surroundings. This included two of the males fully embracing their
inner-feline, trying to climb the adjacent trees.
My final safari also did not disappoint. Sitting safely in our game-viewing vehicle
an almost incredulous and wild drama unfolded itself before us. A juvenile male
leopard crouched in the bushes only meters from us and was hardly impressed. His
half-eaten impala had been stolen by a pregnant hyena, and she wasn’t going to
relent. To add to the excitement, a second hyena arrived, dividing her time between
harassing the already provoked leopard, and challenging the first hyena for remains
of the kill. Just another afternoon at Thornybush.
A Home in the Wild
Later, over a cup of coffee, a flash of pride raced across JB’s eyes as he spoke of The
River Lodge: “The pure luxury of the lodge, but also the intimacy that you experience
at River Lodge – it’s more like a home, as opposed to some of the larger commercial
lodges. Combined with the personal service and eclectic homely atmosphere it’s a
very special place.”
Not only had this first experience of Kruger as an adult made up for my disappointing
first visit as a child, but thanks to the dedication of the River Lodge family, the prolific
wildlife sightings, and unparalleled luxury of the lodge, my stay exceeded every
expectation. After all, who wouldn’t want to make their home where wildlife wander
past your doorstep, and lions climb trees?
Travel Tips
• How to get there: For a personal and easy transfer to the reserve, CemAir flies
directly to Hoedspruit from both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Alternatively,
you can hire a car and drive yourself all the way to the lodge.
• When to visit: The dryer winter months generally provide better game viewing,
as the bushveld foliage isn’t as thick as in summer, and less water means more
game-viewing at the watering holes. You also then avoid the harsher summer
temperatures. The Kruger Park is, however, an all-season destination so you
can go at any time during the year.
• What about malaria? It’s recommended to take Malaria prophylactic drugs
when visiting the park, and your GP will be able to suggest the best course
of action.
Jared travel blogs under the name @JAREDINCPT
you can read more at www.jaredincpt.com.
For easy reservations, book your Great Escape
through our online booking facility
www.bookings.mzanzitravel.co.za.

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jacoblund, iStock
Get on your
running
shoes
By A.B. Gondwe
Sports tourism globally has ballooned in recent years as people
increasingly seek to combine travel experiences with their favourite
sports, whether as spectators or active participants. A major plus
factor is that many of the world’s biggest sporting events are staged
in some of the most beautiful locations – such as golf, cycling,
marathon running, triathlons, soccer, rugby, cricket or any of the
other sporting codes.
for some of the major marathons around the globe in some of the top locations,
like the New York Marathon, the London Marathon, and here in South Africa, the
international favourites like the Comrades Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon.
Runners from all over the world flock to these events.
South Africa offers some of the best running experiences set in the most beautiful
locations in the world. Marathons are run here in game reserves, along our dramatic
coastline, around the Cape Peninsula taking in two different oceans, through the
KwaZulu-Natal coastal and Midlands region, in the Knysna Forest, around the
Langebaan lagoon on the West Coast, through the Cape Winelands, along the
Drakensberg Mountains, in the eastern Free State highlands, in the cities of Cape
Town, Soweto, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Johannesburg, and in many other
exquisite locations.
Each year more marathons are added to the calendar, and each year thousands of
foreign tourists arrive in South Africa to participate in some of the big-name events
like the Comrades and the Two Oceans, but also in the many lesser-known races.
Casual fitness joggers also get to run in some of the most beautiful settings in South
Africa.
The sports tourism industry around the world has become one of the largest and the
fastest-growing sectors within the travel industry, raking in around US$8-billion at
present. In 2017, the number of international sports tourists grew by 7 percent to a
total of 1.32 billion, and it is estimated that number will grow to 1.8 billion by 2030.
Within the sports tourism sector, running, in the form of marathons, ultra-marathons,
half-marathons, triathlons, trail runs, and including walks, has become one of the
biggest, most popular segments. Around the world, as people become more health
conscious, both amateur and competitive running has shown phenomenal growth.
And increasingly runners are combining it with travelling to top tourism destinations.
Just think of the tens of thousands of runners you regularly see on TV lining up
So, whether you’re in it just to stay fit, or as an amateur competitive runner, a serious
competitor or professional, or you just want to get out there and enjoy Mother Nature,
or want to combine running with travel, get on your running shoes and line up. There
are plenty of occasions in fabulous locations. Here’s a list (not complete) of some of
the many top-class forthcoming running events in South Africa.
Marico Bosveld Marathon – Marico Bosveld, North
West – 1 January 2019
This full, half and 10km race takes place in the heart of the Groot Marico bushveld,
rugged bush country that is home to mampoer and the hilarious stories of Oom
Schalk Lourens made famous by South African author Herman Charles Bosman.
The race ends at the Marico Bosveld Dam.
50 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Sports Travel
Chris van Lennep, iStock
Jacoblund, iStock
27 for Freedom Run – Paarl, Western Cape – 9
February 2019
The annual 27 for Freedom organized by the Correctional Service Athletics Club in
celebration of Nelson Mandela, takes place in a beautiful winelands setting outside
Paarl.
Maritzburg City Marathon – Pietermaritzburg,
KwaZulu-Natal - 24 February 2019
Always run on the last Sunday of February, many Comrades runners use this as
their last qualifying race. This race has become the most popular marathon and half
marathon combination in KwaZulu-Natal.
Marakele Marathon – Thabazimbi, Limpopo – 2
March 2019
This is another high-adventure marathon hosted by SANParks and the Marakele
National Park. The race starts and finishes at the Marakele National Park main gate
and is also an official Comrades marathon and Two Oceans marathon qualifying
race. The route leads runners on an adventure through a park that is home to all the
Big 5 as well as the second largest Cape Vulture colony in the world. It must be one
of the only races in the world where armed park rangers and SANParks honorary
rangers keep runners safe along the route.
Vaal Marathon – Vereeniging, Gauteng – 3 March 2019
This 45th version of the 4-race event – from marathon to fun-run – will again start
and finish at the Dick Fourie Stadium in Three Rivers, Vereeniging. It is run along the
tranquil banks of the Vaal River.
Om Die Dam Marathon – Hartbeespoort Dam,
North West – 16 March 2019
This ultra-marathon is the largest inland ultra-marathon in South Africa, offering a
50km ultra-marathon, a 21km half-marathon, a 10km route and a 5km fun run. It
follows a very scenic route around the dam, through the suburbs of Schoemansville
and over the dam wall. Due to the scenic route and family appeal, it attracts over 10
000 participants every year and is consistently voted as one of the top national races
with the ultra being the flagship event.
Addo Elephant Trail Run – Addo Elephant National
Park, Eastern Cape – 15-17 March 2019
Share your run with the park’s 500 elephants, other wildlife and beautiful natural
scenery. This 3-distances run is truly an adventurous one in the African wild
outdoors.
Tyger Run/Walk – Bellville, Cape Town – 21 March
2019
This 3-distance event take place in the suburb of Bellville, north of Cape Town. Its
centre point is the Tyger Valley Shopping Mall.
Weskus Marathon - Langebaan, West Coast,
Western Cape – 23 March 2019
This marathon with two smaller races and a fun run takes place on the Lanegbaan
Country Estate and through the West Coast National Park next to the turquoise
waters of the Langebaan Lagoon.
Forever Loskop Marathon – Middelburg,
Mpumalanga – 13 April 2019
This 50km ultra-marathon and 21.1km Wild Challenge starts in Middelburg before
sunrise, wounds its way through sleepy suburbs, then crosses lovely Highveld
terrain, through the Kranspoort Pass before ending at the Loskop Dam holiday
resort.
Two Oceans Marathon - Cape Town, 20 April 2019
Run around much of the Cape Peninsula along some of the most scenic routes in the
world, such as the Chapman’s Peak Drive, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, or along
the Fish Hoek Main Road on the Indian Ocean side.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 51

Giant’s Cup Trail Run – Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal -
17-18 May 2019
The very exciting and challenging Giant’s Cup Trail Run takes place over 5 days
along one of the most scenic routes in the Maloti Drakensberg Park World Heritage
Site in the Southern Drakensberg mountain range.
Rhodes Trail Run – Rhodes / Drakensberg, Eastern
Cape – 29 June 2019
This is South Africa’s premier trail race, staged in the Southern Drakensberg along
the border of Lesotho in the Eastern Cape, a truly beautiful part of the country.
Comrades Marathon – Durban-Pietermaritzburg,
KwaZulu-Natal – 9 June 2019
This 89km marathon is a South African institution drawing top athletes from around
the world and is billed as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon. The starting point
alternates annually between the two cities. This year it’s an up-run, starting in
Durban.
Jacoblund
Knysna Forest Marathon – Knysna, Southern Cape –
29 June 2019
Experience the town of Knysna during the annual Oyster Festival, run through the
dense forests with their ancient trees, and take in views of the Knysna Lagoon.
The Southern African Challenge – 7 marathons, 7
countries, 8 days – 28 July – 6 August 2019
Z Adventures will present the 2nd edition of Southern African Challenge this year.
This unique running event consists of 7 marathons, run consecutively in 7 countries:
South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
Runners, adventurers and sports enthusiasts are taken on a fin-filled fly/drive/run
cross-country journey filled with unique running challenges and cultural immersion.
Athletes have the option to participate in one or more running events. The Southern
African Challenge is designed to accommodate every kind of runner and walker.
Participants will get a chance to explore the different countries, meet like-minded
adventure-athletes, and soak in the sights and sounds of each destination.
Icswart, iStock
Soweto Marathon – Soweto, Gauteng – 4 November
2019
This marathon is run in South Africa’s most famous city within its biggest city
and starts at the Johannesburg starts at the FNB Stadium (of Soccer World Cup
fame), then follows a historic route through the streets of Soweto, passing by many
historically important landmarks such as the former homes of two Nobel Peace Prize
winners, those of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Runners on their journey will
also be passing Walter Sisulu Square, Hector Pieterson Memorial, Regina Mundi
Church, and more.
Winelands Marathon & Half-Marathon –
Stellenbosch – 9 November 2019
Organized by Helderberg Harriers this marathon is the Helderberg’s showpiece, run
on a beautiful undulating route through the winelands of Stellenbosch and Somerset
West, with beautiful views of the False Bay coast as you come over the hill towards
Somerset West.
Icswart, iStock
For more information on many more running events, visit the following sites:
• World’s Marathons: www.worldsmarathons.com/c/marathon/south-africa
• Runners Guide: www.runnersguide.co.za
• My Raceland: www.myraceland.com/en/running-calendar/south-africa/
• Runner’s World: www.runnersworld.co.za/events/
• Running Races: https://runningraces.co.za/ecategory/road/21k/
• Ahotu Marathons: https://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/south-africa
52 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Rich Townsend, iStock

QuatroFlora
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Klein Karoo…
feather capital of the world
By Stef Terblanche
Tucked in a fertile valley between the Swartberg mountain and the
Langeberg-Outeniqua mountain range, lies the Klein Karoo…a
sun-drenched valley of picturesque little towns, wine and ostrich
farms, spectacular mountain scenery, and home to the worldfamous
Cango Caves. But there’s plenty more to discover in this
charming valley that also forms part of the famous and delightful Route 62.
The Klein Karoo, or Little Karoo, valley is some 290Km long and only about
40–60Km wide, running more of less from Ladismith in the west to Uniondale in
the east. It’s unofficial capital and largest town is Oudtshoon, which is also the
world’s ‘ostrich capital’. In fact, the town owes much of its existence to the ostrich
feather boom of the late 1800s.
The Klein Karoo can be accessed by road from Cape Town along the R62
(Route 62); from Riversdale via the R323; from Mossel Bay via the R328 and the
Robinson Pass; from George via the N12 (which doubles also as the N9) over
the Outeniqua Pass; from Beaufort West via the N12 through the spectacular
Meiringspoort; from Prince Albert via the R328 down the daunting Swartberg
Pass; and from Port Elizabeth in the east via the N9 which is also part of Route
62.
Ostrich kingdom - Andrea Willmore, iStock

Major attractions
Major towns and smaller hamlets in the Klein Karoo
include – from west to east – Ladismith, Zoar, Van
Wyksdorp, Calitzdorp, Volmoed, Oudtshoorn,
Dysseldorp, De rust and Uniondale. Among the
many attractions in this region are the Cango
Caves; the Klein Karoo Wine Route; various ostrich
farms open to the public; a crocodile and cheetah
reserve; the wine estates of Calitzdorp – open to the
public - that produce the top South African ports; the
daunting but magnificently scenic Swartberg Pass
that crosses the majestic Swartberg mountains with
spectacular views of the landscapes far below; a
restored settlement, now part of a nature reserve,
in a deep mountain valley hidden from the outside
world for many decades known popularly as The
Hell, and which can only be reached by a very steep,
winding road running down from the Swartberg
Pass; several nature reserves and dams; the
dramatic scenery and waterfalls of Meiringspoort,
which is a narrow gorge flanked by soaring cliffs
that almost cause the sky above to disappear at
times, with a river and the road to the north both
winding their way through it; and the beautiful Karoo
landscapes around Uniondale, which also has a
resident ghost who makes an annual appearance.
Of course, each of the towns of the Klein Karoo is an
attraction in itself, with plenty to offer visitors.
Ladismith
Coming from Cape Town along Route 62, lies the
first town of the Klein Karoo, Ladismith. The original
spelling of Ladysmith was changed in 1879 to avoid
confusion with the town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-
Natal. Looming over the town is the 2,198m
Towerkop (Magic Peak), part of the Klein Swartberg
mountain range. Local folklore has it that an angry
witch flying by struck the peak with her wand
because it stood in her way, causing the peak to split
in two, giving it its strange appearance. The large
split changes magically as you view it from different
angles.
As is the case with all the towns along Route 62
and in the Klein Karoo, a measure of eccentricity,
plenty of hospitality and ingenuity are the hallmark
of the townsfolk. For instance, in 1963 local resident
Stanley de Wit constructed a lamp halfway up the
Elandsberg peak consisting of a bicycle lamp and
dynamo being powered by a water stream. The
purpose? To inform local farmers and the town of
the availability of water when the light goes on. The
lamp has become a famous landmark, known as
Stanley’s Light and is considered by locals to be
Ladismith’s extra star in the galaxy.
The district is prime fruit country, with orchards and
vineyards everywhere. One third of South Africa’s
apricots are produced here. Some excellent wines
are also produced here and can be tasted at the
local winery which has a wide selection of local
Towerkop wines.
The town also boasts an impressive architectural
heritage from neo-Gothic to Victorian, Georgian,
Regency, Lithuanian, Edwardian, Cape Revival
and Rural Karoo style, as well as its own unique
building style, the Ladismith style. The latter is a
simplified Georgian design dating from the 1830’s.
There are also a number of beautiful churches. The
local Ladismith Cheese Factory and Parmalat’s
cheese factory sell delicious big wheels of cheese
at bargain prices.
The town is surrounded by many scenic routes such
as Hoeko Valley, the gorge at Seweweekspoort and
the valleys and orchards of Dwarsrivier, Voorbaat
and Van Zylsdamme. The area also offers nature
lovers an abundance of flora ranging from mountain
fynbos to Karoo to broken veld and succulent Karoo
and some 180 different bird species, while animals
range from rheebok, klipspringer, the occasional
kudu, Cape mountain zebra, springbok to leopards,
and numerous other small species.
Calitzdorp
If Oudtshoorn is the feather capital, Calitzdorp is
the creative and port wine capital of the region. The
quant little village in a beautiful setting is a favourite
with artists and writers and other creative types.
Known variously as the port wine capital of South
Africa, the fruit basket of Kannaland (as the area
and the local district municipality are known), or the
heart of the Klein Karoo, Calitzdorp is a uniquely
charming little village that will blow you away. The
town, surrounded by mountains on all sides, falls
within the Klein Karoo Wine Route and the Cape
Floral Region, the latter being a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
The valley’s climate and dry soil, similar to that of
Portugal’s Douro Valley and the original home of
Port, makes it ideal for the production of its port
wines, as well as several other types of wine. Park
your car in the village and explore on foot: pleasant
surprises await you around each corner. Walk down

Discover Mzanzi
the historic Queen Street with its fascinating and well-preserved old buildings, most
of them now housing restaurants, galleries and guest houses.
There are some fine examples too of the sandstone architecture typical of the region
dating back to the heyday of the ostrich feather industry. A good example is the
town’s original church built in 1912 in a neo-Byzantine style with a Marseilles roof,
declared a national monument in 1991. Turn off Queen Street at Saayman Street
to Boplaas, or at Station Street to De Krans, and try their outstanding port and
other wines. Or visit any one of a number of excellent wine cellars, such as Axehill,
Calitzdorp Cellar, Du’SwaRoo, or Peter Bailey Winery, most of them within walking
distance from the centre of town.
Evidence of the area’s early San and Khoi settlements and rock art examples are
found in the district, but not all of these are accessible as their locations are being
kept secret to protect them. The area has several nature reserves, mineral springs,
and mountain passes that can be explored. In addition, the town offers good eating
and drinking plus entertainment, excellent accommodation, art and culture, a
museum, much history, and plenty of heritage attractions. There are also guided
hiking and canoeing excursions, horse and donkey trails, heritage and biodiversity
tours, and more, to be enjoyed.
Volmoed
Just before reaching Oudtshoorn along the R62, a road turns off to the historic
and interesting little settlement of Volmoed. The settlement was originally called
Armoed, meaning ‘little hope’, but the residents eventually changed it to Volmoed,
meaning ‘full of hope’.
The village and surrounding farms were the site of many temporary British army
encampments during the Anglo-Boer War, serving as a staging post for British
soldiers on their way to the front in the Boer republics of the north, including on the
farm where the author’s grandmother grew up. As a child she served the British
forces coffee and sandwiches because they looked underfed and she felt sorry
for them. A skirmish between the ‘bittereinder’ guerrilla commando of General Jan
Smuts and British forces also took place nearby, along the Olifants River.
There are a number of very interesting old homes and other buildings in the area,
including the old Dutch Reformed Church. But most of the Volmoed area is taken up
by ostrich and wine farms lining the banks of the river.
Oudtshoorn
Next stop Oudtshoorn. Now you are in the centre of ostrich country, and although
the heyday of the feather industry together with the fabulously wealthy ostrich barons
have gone, the ostrich meat, feather and leather industry is still a lucrative and
vibrant one, still forming much of the economic backbone of the district. A number of
ostrich farms in the area are open to visitors and provide educational tours, ostrich
products and restaurants. Also dotted throughout the district and the town are still
many of the palatial homes of the erstwhile ostrich barons, who formed such a large
Jewish community here that it was sometimes called Little Jerusalem.
Oudtshoorn still has many fine examples of the sandstone architecture unique to the
area and the ostrich feather era, including the CP Nel Museum. The museum houses
exhibits depicting the role of the ostrich trade in the town’s history and many other
interesting displays in a building that was once the Oudtshoorn Boys’ High School.
The town also has a rich cultural history and was the home of the great Afrikaans
language poet, playwright and author, CJ Langehoven. He wrote the words of Die
Stem, South Africa’s pre-1994 national anthem which still forms part of the current
national anthem. His house on Jan van Riebeeck Drive is now a museum. As part
of its ongoing cultural contribution, Oudtshoorn annually hosts the Klein Karoo
National Arts Festival, one of South Africa’s largest and oldest arts festivals.
Other attractions in and around Oudtshoorn include the world-famous Cango
Caves, a crocodile and cheetah farm, hikes in the surrounding mountain ranges, the
Swartberg Pass with access to The Hell, today known as Gamkaskloof, 4X4 routes,
wine tours, arts and crafts, and much more.
Ostriches rule - sarievanrooyen, iStock

Rock pool, Meiringspoort - Grobler du Preez, iStock Beautful Klein Karoo - Arenvdwalt, iStock Ostrich egg products - jenyateua, iStock
De Rust
Driving east from Oudtshoorn along the N12 / R341 takes you to De Rust, meaning
‘place of rest’. It’s a delightfully quaint little Victoria village, nestled between the
Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains, and is also the gateway into the Klein
Karoo coming from the northern interior. It’s favourite for visitors seeking peace and
quiet, as well as for travellers looking for an overnight stop, hence the numerous
guest houses, B&Bs and cosy little restaurants you find here.
There’s much to do here, such as hiking trails, cycling, bird watching, visiting the
waterfalls, pools and picnic spots of Meiringspoort, water sport on the Stompdrift
Dam and going for a ride through the town on unique, rebuilt donkey carts typical of
the region. The town has an active Donkey Awareness Project. The village is also
something of a little mecca for arts, crafts and antique furniture.
Meiringspoort
Follow the N12 north out of De Rust until the road enters an awesome, narrow gorge
flanked by soaring cliffs that almost cause the sky above to disappear at times. It
runs alongside the Groot River which, contrary to what its name suggests (meaning
‘big river’), is little more than a gentle stream. But don’t be fooled by that: it has
flooded the poort on numerous occasions, and in the late 1990s a spectacular flood
forced it to be closed and the road to be rebuilt at huge cost. When it rains heavily in
the region, the little river channels a mighty rush of water through the gorge.
For 25km the road follows the contours of the gorge and river, ducking underneath
overhanging cliffs and crossing the river 25 times, with beautiful picnic spots,
including magnificent water pools and waterfalls, dotted all along the way. One of
the most scenic spots is found at Die Skelm where a waterfall tumbles down into a
dark pool said to be bottomless and the home of a mermaid. In the poort you will
also find a sign marking the spot where famous Afrikaans author, C J Langenhoven,
carved the name of his fictional elephant, Herrie, on a boulder; today it is a national
monument.
At the far end of Meiringspoort the road emerges at Klaarstroom, 55km east of
Prince Albert. Before pioneering feats of engineering produced the Southern Cape’s
spectacular mountain passes after the mid-1800s, Meiringspoort offered one of the
few places that allowed travellers to cross the forbidding Swartberg Mountains from
the Little Karoo to the interior and the Great Karoo going north.
The Hell / Gamkaskloof
From Oudtshoorn, follow the R328 going towards the Swartberg Pass and Prince
Albert until, high up in the pass, you reach a sign showing a turn-off to The Hell, or
Gamkaskloof, its official name these days. The road drops very steeply and rapidly,
with many of the sharpest hairpin bends you’ll ever navigate and is not for the feinthearted.
For about 160 years a small farming community lived at the bottom of the road in
the isolated valley, and for about 130 of those years, they were completely cut off
from the outside world. The valley is about 32km long with a maximum width of 183
meters. Members of this clan seldom left the valley, which they could only do on foot
involving a strenuous and very steep climb, sometimes dragging a pack donkey or
mule along. No visitors ever went down into the valley.
Legend has it that the members of this community to first arrive there, were part
of Voortrekker group looking for cattle that had strayed. Finding the village to be
fertile and with enough water, they stayed. They were totally immune to – perhaps
even oblivious of - the many wars, political upheavals and technological changes
in the outside world. Until the 1960s, very few people on the outside knew of their
existence. Originally the valley was inhabited by San bushmen.
But everything changed when, in an amazing feat, the first car was shoved, hoisted
and driven down into the valley in 1958; the first road, little more than a steep,
winding track accessible only to 4x4 vehicles, was constructed over the following
four years; and by the 1990s, with communication now established with the outside
world, the younger inhabitants started leaving the valley. Since then local resident
Annetjie Joubert, returned to her farm, Mooifontein, in the valley and converted her
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 57

Discover Mzanzi
old family home into a guesthouse, adding a camping site, shop and restaurant.
Most of the properties in the valley were later bought by the provincial nature
conservation authority of the time and a few others by other farmers and
entrepreneurs. In 1997 the valley was declared a World Heritage Site, incorporated
into the Swartberg Nature Reserve, and today much of it is administered by
CapeNature. Most of the original cottages and buildings have been restored and
turned into guest accommodation with running water and solar power.
Uniondale
Ostrich baron’s home - Grobler du Preez, iStock
Our last stop criss-crossing the Little Karoo is Uniondale. This historic town, like De
Rust is a gateway into the Klein Karoo, whether coming from the north, the east or
across the mountains from the coastal Garden Route in the south. Many say it is the
Klein Karoo’s best kept secret.
Unexpectedly, it lies in a surprisingly green and fertile valley, surrounded by the
Kamanassie and Kouga mountains, rocky hills and the flat plains of the Great Karoo.
The valley boasts diverse and stunning scenery, plenty of flora, some amazing
geology and many beautifully restored historical buildings that include no less than
seven national monuments. There’s plenty to do here, like mountain-biking, hiking,
viewing San rock paintings dating back 3,000 years, birding, trout fishing, playing
golf, hanging out in the pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, or going to the dinner
theatre on weekends.
The town has a resident ghost, a young woman who died tragically on her wedding
night in a car accident outside the town. Legend has it that she appears alongside
the road each anniversary of her death, hitching a ride with unsuspecting travellers,
before suddenly disappearing.
Ostrich feather products - Grobler du Preez, iStock
The town also hosts the annual 100km Karoo to Coast mountain bike race from
Uniondale to Knysna through the Prince Alfred’s Pass as well as the annual
Uniondale Agricultural Show which is a fixture on the American Saddle Horse
calendar.
Useful contact information
Route 62:
Tel: +27 (0)44 272 3332; email info@route62-info.co.za
Ladismith Tourism:
Tel: +27 (0)28 551 1378; email visit@ladismith.org.za; web www.ladismith.org.za
Calitzdorp Tourism:
Tel +27 (0)44 213 3775; email tourism@calitzdorp.org.za; web www.calitzdorp.org.za
De Rust Tourism:
Tel +27 (0)44 241 2109
Oudtshoorn Tourism:
Tel +27 (0)44 279 2532; email info@oudtshoorn.com; web www.oudtshoorn.com
Gamkaskloof / Cape Nature:
Tel +27 (0)44 203 6300 or +27 (0)21 483 0190
Gamkaskloof / Annetjie Joubert:
Tel +27 (0)23 541 1107 or info@gamkaskloof.co.za
Uniondale Tourism:
Tel +27 (0)44 752 1266; web www.uniondale.co.za
Formiddable Swartberg Pass - wallix, iStock
58 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Historical buildings - Grobler du Preez, iStock

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South Africa’s fascinating
FOSSIL
routes, sites and
exhibitions
By Fikile Tikana
Amazing discoveries were made in these caves at Mossel Bay - Grobler du Preez, iStock

South Africa is a veritable treasure trove for fossils and other
evidence of early human and animal life, with fossil and stone
tool sites and exhibitions to be found all over the country. This
allows us to step back millions of years in time…probably the
closest we’ll ever come to time travel!
The country is at the forefront of searching for and finding fossils and ancient
tools and objects of every description – be it of the predecessors of humans,
humans themselves, dinosaurs, plant life, other animals, communities
that have vanished, stone tools, ancient bead jewellery, early iron and gold
crafting, ancient ruins and fish traps, or a range of other important discoveries.
Jawbone and teeth of ancient animal - EcoPic, iStock
Interesting is the fact that many of the oldest human and pre-human fossils are
found in the northern parts of the country, while many of the oldest dinosaur
and pre-dinosaur fossils are found further south in the Great Karoo. But finds
in both regions also include other fossils.
Everywhere across the country evidence of life – including the direct ancestors
of humankind – going back millions of years, can be found. They provide us
with vital insight into how we as humans developed biologically and socially,
what kind of life was found on our planet so long ago, what happened to those
species that have completely disappeared, and how ancient communities
lived, worked and survived. Add to this our valuable and fascinating San rock
art sites all over the country, and we can journey back into the ancient world in
a way that makes blockbuster movies like Jurassic Park look feeble. (For more
about excavations of sites where the first human communities lived in South
Africa, read our article Journey to the Centre of the Earth also in this edition.)
All in all, these fossil finds and exhibitions tell a fascinating tale, and we are
able to meet many of them face to face at these fossil sites and in a variety
of world-class exhibitions, preserved in recognisable form over hundreds of
centuries. And there are a number of on-site fossil attractions, like the oldest
human footprint found to date, and a giant dinosaur footprint that has clearly
been preserved.
Very old fossilised animal bones - EcoPic, iStock
Of course, our most famous collection of fossil sites and exhibitions are housed
within the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and its Maropeng Visitor
Centre, near Johannesburg. South African National Parks (SANParks) and
the various provincial park authorities all house a number of fascinating fossil
sites and routes too within many of their parks. Some sites are preserved on
privately-owned land, but many of these are also open to visitors. In addition,
there are a number of universities, fossil centres and museums that have some
of the best fossil and ancient tool collections in the world.
Discovering Australopithecus
Australopithecus was an early ancestor of modern humans, although they
were much smaller than us, but nonetheless walked upright. However, they
were probably unable to make tools and relied for survival on whatever they
could hunt or find in their natural environment without the aid of tools and
hunting weapons.
South Africa, and the world-class Cradle of Humankind in particular, is home
to an extremely rich collection of Australopithecus fossils, which are very
rare in the world as a whole. The first Australopithecus fossil was found by
Professor Raymond Dart of the University of the Witwatersrand at Taung in
Ancient skeleton - Willem van Zyk, iStock

Dinosaur skeleton, Pretoria museum - Natalie Reinch, iStock Maropeng Visitor Centre - Helen Jobson, iStock Kitching Fossil Centre, Karoo - Grobler du Preez, iStock
today’s North West province in 1924. He named it the Taung Child, the species name
of Australopithecus africanus, which means ‘southern ape of Africa’.
However, this was no ape; it was an upright-walking hominid with human hands and
teeth. It had some ape-like features such as a small brain and forward-projecting
jaw. The Taung skull, considered one of the most important finds ever, is now kept
safely in repository at the University of Witwatersrand.
Other significant
Australopithecus fossil finds
Following the discovery of the Taung Child, many more Australopithecus fossils
have been discovered in South Africa and East Africa, in South Africa especially
in the Sterkfontein Caves and Makapans Valley, which form part of the Cradle of
Humankind.
The Cradle of Humankind is renowned for its specimens that lived between 3 and
2-million years ago, the first of which was discovered at Sterkfontein by Dr Robert
Broom in 1936. He and John Robinson in 1947 in 1947 also discovered the famous
‘Mrs Ples’ in the same area.
Maropeng Visitor Centre
One of the best, world-class exhibitions of fossils discovered in Southern Africa, is
permanently housed in the Maropeng Visitor Centre of the Cradle of Humankind.
The award-winning centre graphically tells the story of the development of humans
and our direct pre-human ancestors of the past few million years. Visiting the centre,
your journey starts with the formation of our planet, taking you step by step through
the ages and the evolutionary process, to the point of the world and its inhabitants
being as we know it today.
It provides a fascinating, interactive picture of these early forms of pre-human,
human and other life, stone-age tools that are up to a million years old, other tools
and fossils, and much more. The major exhibitions of the centre include:
• The beginning of the world
• Pathway to Humanity
• What makes us human?
• Sustainability
• Almost Human: The Homo naledi exhibition\
Fossil sites in the Cradle of
Humankind
Below follows a list of the most important fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind, and
what was found there.
Bolt’s Farm
This site consists of twenty caves with fossils of antelope, baboon, sabre-toothed
cats and rodents, some of which are between 5-million and 4-million years old.
Swartkrans
Home to Paranthropus robustus, Homo ergaster, baboons, leopards, sabre-toothed
cats, hyenas and antelope, as well as evidence of the earliest controlled use of fire in
Southern Africa, and some of the earliest evidence of controlled use of fire anywhere
in the world.
Sterkfontein
This is one of the world’s richest hominid sites and includes finds of Australopithecus
africanus and an almost complete Australopithecus skeleton.
Minnaar’s Cave
Numerous very old animal fossils, including an ancient jackal skull, were found here.
Cooper’s Site
The diverse fauna finds of this site include pigs, carnivores, antelope and
Paranthropus robustus.
Kromdraai
At this site, a schoolboy, Gert Terblanche, found the first specimen of Paranthropus
robustu in 1938. The site and what it contains dates to at least 1.95-million years
ago. There is a separate site, known primarily for sabre-tooth cats such as Dinofelis.
Plover’s Lake
Another site with plenty of fauna discoveries, including baboon, antelope and an
extinct form of zebra. It is believed part of the site was once a leopard lair. Middle
Stone Age deposits with artefacts have also recently been excavated here.
Wonder Caves
Within these spectacular cave formations fossils of rodents, frogs, lizards and birds
have been found.
Drimolen
This is the site of some 92 hominid specimen discoveries, including Paranthropus
robustus and early Homo.
62 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Explore
Motsetse
A site with well-preserved fauna, including a sabre-tooth cat.
Gladysvale
This site with its distinct layers or levels representing different periods in history, has delivered two hominid
teeth, much fauna and plant remains up to 3-million years old.
Haasgat
Here fossils of a variety of early monkeys was discovered.
Gondolin
Since 1979 about a staggering 90,000 fossil specimens have been discovered here, including an enormous
molar tooth of Paranthropus robustus.
Makapans Valley
This site has produced a wealth of animal and hominid fossils stretching back more than 3-million years. The
site was declared part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in 2005, and is about 300km from
Sterkfontein, near Mokopane in Limpopo province.
Taung
This is where the Taung Child was discovered in 1924. The site is in the North West province, some 300km
west of Johannesburg and forms part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, along with the
Makapans Valley.
SANParks and private reserve fossil sites
and routes
The parks and nature reserves of SANParks offer visitors some more excellent fossil finds, walks and tours,
as do a number of private reserves. Here is a brief guide of these fossil attractions.
West Coast National Park & Fossil Park
Just an hour’s drive from Cape Town, in this beautiful national park situated around the Langebaan Lagoon
with its annual wild-flower displays, seascape views, walks, hikes, trails, lagoon water sports and great
birding, you will also find the oldest human footprint discovered to date. Named Eve’s Footprint, the actual
fossilized footprints are currently in a museum in Cape Town, but a replica can be seen at Geelbek on the
shore of the lagoon. The footprints have been dated to about 117,000 years old. On the other side of the
West Coast highway is the West Coast Fossil Park where you can see excavations in progress and fossils of
amazing animals which roamed the West Coast around 5-million years ago such as sabre-tooth cats, bears
and the very strange short-necked giraffes.
Elandsfontein Private Nature Reserve
Adjacent to the West Coast National Park in Langebaan this reserve offers nature drives, wild flowers in
spring, many other attractions and Quad Bike Fossil Safaris. These safaris take you to the white sand dunes
of Elandsfontein where the remains of humans and animals can be seen. The oldest fossils date back about
800,000 years.
Karoo National Park
Near Beaufort West in the Great Karoo, this national park offers guided game drives, hikes, walks and trails,
birding and scenic landmarks, as well as its Fossil Trail. The trail is very accessible and is only about 400m
long but is unrivalled in its importance regarding the fossil finds of the Great Karoo, with many deposits
visible along the route.
Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve
This luxurious private reserve near Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, is a world-renowned fossil site that
offers local tours to pre-historic fossil trails and bone collections by arrangement. The reserve also offers
game watching and many other activities, including visits to a Boer War site.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Located close to the town of Clarens in the eastern Free State, this park is characterised by its golden
A World of Adventure
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hiking, horse riding, swimming, puttputt,
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So whether you're looking to relax,
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time, aha Alpine Heath Resort is the
perfect home away from home this
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Phone: 036 438 8500 |
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Discovery
sandstone cliffs known as Golden Gate, unusual scenery and ancient geology and
attractions such as Cathedral Cave, a Basotho Cultural Village and Museum, an
historic gravesite, birding, outdoor sports, and much more. It is also the location
where primitive tools and rock art have been found as well as fossilised dinosaur
bones, footprints, ferns and roots. Dinosaur eggs were unearthed at Rooi Draai in
1973 and recently more nesting sites with eggs have been discovered, being the
oldest at 190-million years yet to have been found.
The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve
Lying within the Cradle of Humankind, top attractions here include guided game
drives, horse trails, wildlife displays, abseiling and cave excursions, including of
course, all the fossil exhibitions and sites of the Cradle.
Fossil museums and centres
Apart from all the above fossil sites, trails, finds and collections, a large number
of fossil finds, ancient tools and objects, and reconstructed ancient animals are
exhibited in a number of museums and fossil centres around the country. Here are
some of the major ones.
Museum of Natural History, Pretoria
The museum is located in Pretoria, within the capital metro of Tshwane. Founded in
1892 by the old Transvaal Boer republic government of Paul Kruger, it is regarded
as the country’s leading natural history museum, open every day of the week. Today
its collection includes exhibits of hominid fossils from the Cradle of Humankind and
associated fauna, including Mrs Ples, fossils of amphibians, fish, reptiles and plants
from the Karoo. Its entrance is dominated by dinosaur skeletons. There’s also a
Discovery Centre for children.
South African Museum, Cape Town
This museum, at the top end of the Company Gardens, houses more than one and a
half million specimens of scientific importance, including fossils almost 700-million
years old and stone tools made by people 120,000 years ago, as well as traditional
clothes from previous centuries. The museum was founded in 1825.
National Museum, Bloemfontein
The museum’s Palaeontology Hall depicts the evolution of life on Earth, beginning
at about 4,000-million years ago. The entrance display includes information about
the earliest environmental conditions and suggestions on how life first began on
Earth. Fossils of the earliest bacteria, algal mats called stromatolites and the first
multicellular organisms are displayed. The Cambrian Period represents the first
appearance of the vertebrates (animals with backbones); a very important time in
evolutionary history, which evolved about 520-million years ago. There are examples
of various invertebrates as well as the first vertebrates, which were the earliest
fishes, and explains the evolution of jaws, a major evolutionary development, which
allowed effective, active predation to develop. The lobe-finned fish Eusthenopteron
and one of the first amphibians, represented by Ichthyostega, illustrate the transition
from water to land. There’s plenty more here too.
Ganora Fossil Museum, Nieu Bethesda
The Ganora Fossil Museum is located in Nieu Bethesda, famous also for its Owl
House, in the Eastern Cape and houses fossils on average about 280-million years
old. The fossils are of reptiles that roamed the earth before the age of dinosaurs.
Small, reconstructed models show what many of the reptiles looked like. In addition,
there are fossilized leaves from the Glossopteris trees which formed the coal which
is mined in South Africa today. The Compasia dela Harpi fish fossil is also on show in
the museum and is the only complete example of this fossil in the world. The museum
also offers a guided Fossil Walk.
Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre, Nieu Bethesda
The fact that there are two major fossil centres in this tiny Karoo village, demonstrates
the importance of the region as a major depository of fossils. The Kitching Fossil
Exploration Centre tells the story of life in South Africa 253-million years ago during
the Permian Period, also going as far back as to the age before the continents drifted
apart. Visitors are taken on a short guided tour to nearby fossil-bearing rocks. In the
centre are life-sized models of prehistoric animals which once lived in the Karoo.
Paintings by the artist Gerhard Marx illustrate a time when there were no flowers or
grasses, no mammals and no birds. Humans would only arrive around 250-million
years later.
Origins Centre
This museum offers visitors a unique experience of Africa’s rich heritage and
boasts an extensive collection of rock art from the Rock Art Research Institute of
the University of the Witwatersrand. The exhibit journey begins with the origins of
humankind in Africa, then moves through the development of art, symbolism and
technology on the continent, before focussing on the fossils discovered in South
Africa and the contribution that these fossils have made to understanding the
development of humankind.
Prehistoric human skulls - shutterstock
Ancient stone tools found in South Africa - dolfin, iStock

Back left to right: Luzanne Kotze, Ilse Beukes, Jaco Kotze (design), Anthony Stevens
(digital sales) - Seated left to right: Stef Terblanche (editor), Sumaya Abrahams
(traffic controller), Cheryl Pinter (sales manager), Jerome Dyson (sales), Zainab
Achmat (CEO), Natasha Abrahams (online manager), and Gaynor Thompson (sales).
Zainab Achmat (CEO)
and Michael Keys.

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IN SEARCH OF THE
ELUSIVE KNYSNA
ELEPHANTS
By Stef Terblanche
Where gold diggers once walked, Millwood - Michael Mantke, iStock

Explore
The picturesque and historic lagoon- and seaside village of Knysna is
famous for many things –the beautiful lagoon around which the town is
nestled, the dramatic natural scenery of The Heads that separate sea and
lagoon, its oyster festival, its waterfront and islands, its forest and…the
elusive elephants of the Knysna Forest.
We decided to go off in search of these near-extinct, very shy elephants, if any of them
were still alive. Our search would take us deep inside this beautiful forest with its ancient
indigenous trees, tree ferns, rivers and creeks, ghost mining village, and foresters’
settlements, all of it sprawled across the coastal flank of the Outeniqua Mountains. Or
that’s what we told ourselves.
The truth is, it was actually just an excuse to do a road and hiking trip through one of
the most beautiful parts of South Africa – through the forests, around the lakes, and via
the villages and forestry stations of the area, and then up the beautiful, isolated Prince
Alfred’s Pass over the mountains into the Klein Karoo.
The Knysna Elephants
But first the elephants. These unique and shy creatures are somewhat distinctive from
elephants elsewhere as they have adapted over centuries to roaming a very dense
mountain forest with a thick canopy that lets very little sun filter down. But they are
not genetically unique, as they once belonged to a larger, continuous southern African
population, of the same sub-species as the African elephant, Loxodonta africana.
Initially they roamed a much larger forest area spanning some 60,500 hectares of
forested, mountainous land in the Southern Cape / Garden Route region stretching
from George to Tsitsikamma in the east.
It is believed that about 3,000 elephants once roamed the Cape Floristic Region, of
which some 1,000 made the Outeniqua-Tsitsikamma (including the Knysna Forest) their
home long before colonial times. But hunting and human agricultural, wood-cutting and
commercial encroachment caused their numbers to be dramatically reduced. By the
late 1800s it was believed there were only about 400 to 500 of these elephants still
living in the forest, and by 1900 that number had been further reduced to between 30
and 50 elephants.
In the 1950s their population was estimated to be between only 1 and 5 elephants; a
1970 study put the number slightly up to around 14 elephants; by 1996 it was thought
there was only one female elephant left, until a forest guide, Wilfred Oraai, filmed a
bull in September 2000. Since then sightings have been very rare and not always
confirmed, and at times it was thought the elephants had finally become extinct. But
different research studies still clung to the belief that a few elephants remained, yet
no-one ever really saw them.
But a few months ago, in August 2018, two men from George busy harvesting trees
for the forestry department in the forest, Boeta Terblanche and Stephen Horn, started
noticing signs such as trampled vegetation which indicated the presence of an
elephant. Then, quite unexpectedly, just after lunchtime on 22 August, they came upon
an elephant and filmed it. The elephant just stared at them, turned and sauntered past.
Their video, uploaded to social media, caused quite a stir, as now it was confirmed, the
elusive Knysna elephants were not extinct.
And that is what gave us the idea of going in search of these elusive and famous
elephants…well, sort of.

Knysna lourie - Vaughn Thompson, iStock
Creek at Millwood - Michael Mantke, iStock
Our Route
The Southern Cape region around Knysna, in the foothills of the mountains and
across into the Klein Karoo, or Little Karoo, is steeped in history, folklore, legends,
natural beauty, mystery and full of lovely surprises around almost every bend in the
road.
Roads with names like Seven Passes Road, Bibby’s Hoek Road, Phantom Pass
Road, Gouna Road and Hoogekraal Road, originally built to connect George
to Knysna and to serve the wood-cutting and small agricultural operations in the
region, criss-cross the mountain flank and forests, giving relatively easy access to
much of the forest.
We decided to start our journey in the sleepy-hollow village of Wilderness – but
which bursts with people and activity during high holiday seasons. The village hugs
the sea and both banks of the Touws River estuary and lies at the beginning of the
Lakes District.
From Wilderness we followed Waterside Road all along the estuary and the river,
crossing the Serpentine, a narrow water channel that cuts through a landscape of
grass and reeds until it reaches Island Lake. Further east from here lie the lakes of
Bo-Rondevlei, Rondevlei, Swartvlei, Groenvlei and eventually the Knysna Lagoon,
all of them flanked by mountain and forests on one side, and sand dunes, rugged
cliffs and the Indian Ocean on the other side. Numerous rivers cross the area.
Just outside Wilderness we passed the famous Fairy Knowe Hotel. After that we
passed the Wilderness National Park, now a part of the Garden Route National Park,
with its lovely camping site and rustic wooden cottages, where you can hire canoes
for a breath-taking paddle along the Touws River through dense wooded areas,
where birdsong overwhelms the early morning silence. And at the lovely Island Lake
Holiday Resort we turned up towards the mountain following the Hoekwil Road. Most
of the settlements we would encounter from here on started life as woodcutter’s
villages and are still home to forestry workers. Some have remained very isolated,
high up in the foothills and forests.
Seven Passes Road
after which the road turned east and changed its name to the Seven Passes Road.
This road actually does have seven passes, some say eight if you include the Swart
River Pass outside George. Before the N2 highway was built, this was the main route
between George and Knysna. The road was constructed from the Knysna end by
Thomas Bain, and from the George end by his brother-in-law, Adam de Smidt. But
the project caused a feud between them and they never spoke again. Nonetheless,
the 75km-long, partly gravel, partly tarred road but good for most vehicles, twists
and turns its way from west to east with many sharp hairpin and S-bends, crossing
10 rivers and 7 gorges. Along the way are numerous scenic spots and places from
where one can start short hikes to explore the bush, rivers, mountain and forests.
On the way, just past the Hoogekraal pass, we turned off into the village of Karatara,
seemingly lost at the top of the world surrounded by mountain and forests. The
village was established for woodcutters in 1939 when the government evicted
them from the forest. Many of the modest little homes here are still lived in by the
descendants of the original woodcutters, some of whom feature as characters in
the famous books of Afrikaans author Dalene Mathee, known as the Forest Books.
Her book, Fiela se Kind (Fiela’s Child) is set within the Knysna Forest among the
woodcutter families.
It tells the moving story of Benjamin, a small white boy, apparently abandoned, who
one day turns up on the doorstep of a coloured woman, Fiela Komoetie, in the 1860s.
She raises and loves him as her own, but then one day the government removes
him from her, sending him over the mountain to go and live with an illiterate white
woodcutter’s family. Benjamin has to adapt to this new family and the confines of the
forest. He grows up, falls in love and later he and Fiela are reunited, but not before
many twists in the tale. The Knysna Forest elephants also feature prominently in
the story.
After Karatara we pass the Garden Route Trail Park, and eventually get to another
little hamlet, Rheenendal. Here we discovered lovely self-catering accommodation,
a country store, hiking trails and mountain-bike routes, all within a beautiful wooded
area adjacent to the Goudveld Forest. Later, and a short distance further on, we
turn off at the signpost for Bibby’s Hoek / Millwood Gold Fields to do a short hike
through the Jubilee Creek Nature Reserve, another jaw-droppingly beautiful place.
From here you can also follow the Millwood directions to the Materolli Museum and
Tea Garden.
The road took us through Hoekwil, passing through the tiny village of Touwsranten,
Few people know that this area was the site of South Africa’s first real but short-lived
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Ferns and trees of the forest - Sara Winter, iStock
Sanctuary elephants near Knysna - Ben1183, iStock
gold rush. The museum tells the unfortunate tale of this gold rush on the Millwood
goldfield in 1876, several years before the gold rush of the Witwatersrand and
Johannesburg. Not far from the museum we found what is left of the old Millwood
mining village, today a ghost town reclaimed by the forest.
Millwood gold mining town
Millwood was once a booming mining town – complete with homes, hotels, lively
boarding houses, general stores, perhaps a brothel or two, a busy post office with
a weekly mail service between the town and Knysna, a police station and even a
hospital!
No too far away, at Krisjan-se-Nek, we marvelled at the 880-year old, 40m-high
yellowwood tree named after the author Dalene Mathee.
The forest
The forest area around Millwood, like everywhere else where we stopped and
ventured off into the forest, is a paradise of tall, ancient indigenous trees, lush ferns
covering the forest floor, birdsong filling the canopy above, crystal-clear mountain
water trickling down the streams and creeks, interspersed by moments of complete
silence. The air here is fragrant and fresh, the rest of the world a million miles away.
What remains of it today in the silence of the forest is a single miner’s cottage, some
mine shafts with rails and diggers’ carts, an eerie grave-yard, some foundations of
buildings and ghost-like street signs marking now overgrown and mostly invisible
streets. But some of the street names remain on their poles, marking the erstwhile
streets with names such as St Thomas Street.
A local farmer came upon a ‘different’ looking stone in the forest, and a local chemist
said it was gold. The news soon spread and triggered a mad gold rush by fortuneseekers
from as far away as California, the United Kingdom and Australia. Within
just a few weeks some two thousand mining claims were pegged on the Millwood
gold fields, and an entire village sprung up here. Sadly, within the first year only a
measly 656 ozs of gold were recovered and by 1890 virtually all the mining activities
collapsed.
Among the indigenous trees that populate the Knysna Forest are ironwood,
stinkwood, milkwood, Outeniqua yellowwood, real yellowwood, Cape beech, Cape
holly, white pear, wild fig, bastard saffron, assegai and kamassie trees.
The abundant bird population – some species are near endemic – includes the
famous and distinctive Knysna lourie, Knysna warbler, Knysna woodpecker,
chorister robin-chat, and the forest canary. Birds of prey include the African wood
owl and crowned eagle. Apart from the elephants, the forest was once home to
buffaloes, leopards, bushbuck, blue duiker, bush pig, vervet monkeys and other
mammals. Unfortunately, no buffaloes are left and relatively few of the other animals
have survived, but you will spot some of them occasionally. Another shy creature
inhabiting the forest is the endemic Knysna dwarf chameleon, while several frog
species are still found in relative abundance, including the Knysna banana frog.
The miners packed up and left, rushing off to the goldfields of Johannesburg. Today,
save for some haunting reminders, the entire village has again been reclaimed by
the forest. Even so, you can still walk its streets and imagine what it was like, or
venture into a mining shaft, or visit the little mining museum.
Tours of the mining village are on offer, or you can walk it by yourself, while the
beautiful surroundings make for a lovely hike. There is the museum, housed in an
original miner’s home at the entrance to the mining town, and Holly’s tea garden, a
store, a shed with recovered original mining equipment and a coffee shop as well.
The old ghost town can easily be accessed, and for more extensive forest hikes
permits can be purchased.
In the 18th century and later, the forest was cut down at an alarming rate for its
valuable timber. From its original 2,500km2, only about 600km2 remains after
much of the forest was cut down for commercial purposes, to make way for human
settlement and as a result of a destructive fire. In fact, the great Southern African
railways network criss-crossing South Africa and its neighbouring countries owes
much of its construction to these forests. Since 1939 however, the forests have
mostly been protected and have been recovering well, although managed timber
harvesting still takes place.
Knysna was once a busy port for shipping wood to Cape Town to be used as sleepers
for the railway lines being built. And the then small village of Knysna was also home
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Elephant on sanctuary near Knysna - Ben1183, iStock
to a thriving ship-building industry, using wood from the forest. The most famous
ship-builder and wood merchant in the town was the Norwegian-born Charles
Wilhelm Thesen, whose name lives on in Knysna. He acquired Paarden Island in
the Knysna Lagoon, on which he built a sawmill and shipyard. Later the island was
renamed Thesen Island, today part of the popular Knysna waterfront area.
Some parts of the greater forest area of the Southern Cape are managed by the
forestry department, and others by SANParks as part of the Garden Route National
Park. In all of these a large number of hiking trails, some with overnight facilities,
are open to the public. Hiking through these magnificent forests is undoubtedly the
only and best way to truly experience them and to take in all the wondrous marvels
of nature that they offer. A large number of local guides offer guided hiking tours.
Prince Alfred’s Pass
After we left the Millwood area, we returned to Rheenendal Road, which took us
down to Phantom Acres and onto the twisting and scenic Phantom Pass Road. This
road finally emerges from the forest at the N2 highway on the edge of the Knysna
Lagoon. We crossed the bridge into Knysna, and after spending some time here,
exploring the many places and buildings of historical interest, sampling the pubs and
restaurants of the Waterfront, visiting the islands in the lagoon and The Heads, we
headed up the Pince Alfred’s Pass, or R339.
The scenery that met us along the way is an absolute dreamlike fantasy world of
fairies and goblins, forests, mountains, valleys, rivers, small settlements, farms,
nature reserves and fabulous hiking trails. The fresh, crisp mountain air is dizzying,
filled with the fragrances of fynbos and forest trees. Travelling through these parts
gives the feeling of having entered an entirely different world. On some days, the
area can be shrouded in fog, or you may drive in a swirling mass of clouds that come
tumbling over the Outeniqua Mountains.
The almost 70km-long Prince Alfred’s Pass is a gravel road in good condition,
running between Knysna and Uniondale. It is reckoned by many to be the famous
pass-builder, Thomas Bain’s greatest work, one that presented him with almost
72 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve is situated under 2.5 hours from Cape Town, in the vastness of the majestic Tankwa Karoo. With thick wooded
Acacia river beds and magnificent golden mountains on the horizon, Inverdoorn provides the ultimate tranquil Big 5 safari experience.
RESERVATIONS: 021 422 0013 | INFO@INVERDOORN.COM
WWW.INVERDOORN.COM | BIG 5 SAFARI UNDER 2.5 HOURS FROM CAPE TOWN
INVERDOORN

Explore
every possible technical and logistical obstacle imaginable. But there it is today, still
in daily use as the second oldest unaltered mountain pass, winding its way through
this serene landscape. Bain left South Africa a legacy of 29 mountain passes, most
of them in the erstwhile Cape Colony.
On the way we passed many interesting and beautiful places set in stunning
surroundings, stopping at a number of them. These included the Diepwalle State
Forest, the King Edward VII Big Tree at Diepwalle, parts of the Outeniqua Hiking
Trail, the Valley of Ferns, and the Spitskop Viewpoint.
Of the big trees in the Knysna Forest region, the King Edward VII Big Tree, also
known as the Diepwalle Big Tree, is perhaps the best-known one. It’s another giant
yellowwood, over 800 years old and over 40m tall, with a wheelchair-friendly circular
boardwalk around it allowing the tree to be viewed from all sides.
Continuing our journey, we crossed the Diep River, then on to Keurbooms River
Game Trails, through the Kammanassie Nature Reserve, passing places with
delightful old-worldly names like Roode-els Draai, Tiekielief, De Vlugt, Avontuur, Die
Kerf and Hangkrans. We lost count of how many rivers we crossed; crossings where
Baine’s bridges and dry-stone walls could be seen, intact, just as he had built them.
All too soon we reached the R62 that runs through the Klein Karoo between Cape
Town and Port Elizabeth, and our journey was over. A word of advice if you plan on
visiting this supremely beautiful part of South Africa: don’t rush it, set aside enough
time for plenty of stopping, detours, walks, hikes, picnics and sightseeing.
Oh, and no, we never did find those elusive Knysna elephants. Maybe next time.
Handy contact information
Goudveld Forestry Station
Tel +27 (0)44 389 0129
Thesen Island Office
+27 (0)44 302 5600
Millwood guided mine tours
(bookings 082 347 2540 / 082 409 2070)
SANParks Garden Route National Park Wilderness Section
Tel +27 (0)44) 877 1197
Knysna Lakes Section
Tel +27 (0)44) 302 5600
Knysna Tourism
Tel +27 (0)44 382 5510 (Knysna) +27 (0)44 343 2007 (Sedgefield)
Isolated farm house near Uniondale - Grobler du Preez, iStock Forestry cottages, Prince Alfred’s Pass - Grobler du Preez, iStock
74 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Baine’s handiwork, Prince Alfred’s Pass - Grobler du Preez, iStock

Gauteng - Limpopo - North West - KwaZulu-Natal - Mpumalanga
Loving to serve our guests better every day!
Call 086 199 1199 • reservations@orionhotels.co.za
www.orionhotels.co.za
@OrionHotels
Orion Hotels & Resorts
@OrionHotels

Healthy
holidays
By Fikile Tikana
jacoblund, iStock
When we go on holiday, many of us – I dare even say most of
us – just let our hair down and forget about all the routine
and discipline of our everyday lives. We tend to do a lot of
unhealthy things. Like consuming more alcohol than usual.
Or eating all the wrong, richer food and more of it than usual.
Or not exercising. That’s what holidays are for, right? Well, only if you want to risk
ending up in an emergency room.
That’s also why we come back home with a few more centimetres around the
waist, a few more kilos on the scale, and not really feeling all that great. Especially
when we look in the mirror. Obviously, it’s bad for our health.
And instead of relaxing and destressing while on your annual holiday, research
has shown that many people actually stress more because of increased family,
social and financial obligations over the festive season holiday period. They worry
because the holiday is perhaps costing more than budgeted for. Or they worry
whether the house is safe from burglaries while they are away. They quarrel with
family members. Perhaps there’s an issue coming up at work that must be dealt
with when you get back, and you can’t stop stressing about it. All this worry and
stress multiplies, and it can contribute to higher blood pressure and aggravation
of heart disease risk factors.
In fact, research conducted in New Zealand where people also go on holiday over
the Christmas period when it is summer just like in South Africa, showed there is on
average a 4% spike in cardiac-related deaths each year over the festive season,
and the victims are younger than usual. Similar research done in the United States
for over a decade, confirms this trend. It’s known to be the case in South Africa too.
Tips to ensure you come home healthy from
your holiday
Stay active & exercise:
It’s good to have an exercise or workout routine all year round – keep it up as
much as possible while on vacation. And if you don’t have a specific routine but
are active during the year and relatively fit, don’t let go while on holiday. Walk
regularly, do a few stretches a few times a day, swim, or cycle. Go breath in some
fresh mountain air. Play tennis, golf or bowls. Go horse riding. Or go to the local
gym. Check the area where you are vacationing to see if there are any openair
‘muscle parks’ (outdoor gyms provided by municipalities). In Cape Town, for
instance, you’ll find them at the Sea Point promenade, in the Green Point urban
park and on the Table View beachfront. They’re great to use, have fabulous sea
views and are free. Instead of using the car when going to the beach or to fetch
milk at the corner store, walk. Don’t send the kids to the shop; walk there yourself
and keep up a brisk pace. The golden rule is: walk everywhere you can. You’ll
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Summer fun
Ridofranz, iStock
pixabay
Geoff Goldswain, iStock
also save money. If you’re staying at home for the holidays, work in the garden, fix
up the house, take the kids and the dogs for regular walks, and check the media
for those fun and active things to do that you never have time for during the year.
Engage in healthy fun activities:
Don’t just lie on the beach all day puffing away on a cigarette or sit around the
rented bungalow with your friends, a bottomless beer in hand. Don’t think standing
beside the braai fire beer in hand, occasionally turning over the meat, is all the
exercise you need. Be active. Swim as much as you can. Rent bicycles for the
whole family and go on fun rides. Take long walks on the beach, through the forest
or up the mountain. Go learn how to surf or do some snorkelling. When going up
Table Mountain, use the cable car one way, and walk along Platteklip Gorge the
other way. Join some yoga group on the beach or in the park. Go to a spa, sauna
or for a massage. Go for early morning jogs or walks with the whole family or your
friends.
Don’t overdo lying in the sun – take it in small doses and protect your skin. Enjoy
sunrises and sunsets with the family, friends or someone special. Join the kids
when they play ball games – not only is it quality bonding time, it’s also very good
exercise. Do your site-seeing on foot; you’ll see and enjoy much more than doing
it by car. Find out about hiking routes where you are vacationing and do them.
Get a new outdoor hobby while on holiday, like kitesurfing, snorkelling, kayaking,
rock-climbing, bird-watching, or mountain-biking. But if you are not fit or used to
physical exercise, take it slow, don’t overdo it because that can be just as bad for
you.
Plan well – build in stress buffers:
Holidays are supposed to be relaxing, but often we find that preparing to leave,
packing up in a hurry and driving or flying to our destination is everything but
relaxing. Then we stress about all kinds of stuff – often about money or work -
while on holiday, and at the end of the holiday, returning home, unpacking and
getting ready for work again, proves just as stressful. No wonder we often feel we
need a holiday just to get over the holiday! So, beat the stress.
Carefully plan and budget ahead and stick to both but leave some leeway for
change. Leave yourself extra days between stopping work and leaving for your
vacation, and the same when you get back - that way you can unwind from the
year’s work before leaving, and when you get back you can prepare yourself
gradually to go back to work, thus avoiding a stressful rush at either end of your
holiday. If you’re driving to your holiday destination, plan your trip with plenty of
stops along the way – overnight somewhere pleasant if it’s a very long drive. Stop
regularly to stretch your legs. Make time to see interesting things along the way or
turn off and explore places you’ve never seen – it can be a pleasant part of your
holiday and need not be a mad, stressful rush.
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Wellness
If you’re flying, also leave enough destress time at either
end of the vacation, plan everything well and allow for Plan
B options so you don’t end up with bad surprises. But don’t
over-plan, over-organise or be too regimental – after all, it
is a holiday and you can slacken things. Take unforeseen
things like getting lost or getting on the wrong train in your
stride and laugh them off. Make sure you sleep well before
and after travelling. While travelling, think and talk about
pleasant things – don’t get annoyed or into arguments. It
will just spoil everything, and your blood pressure will go up,
which increases heart disease and other bad health things.
Not worth it.
Destress:
Avoid stress triggers, like money issues or family arguments.
Don’t get bullied into doing things you don’t want to do, things
you don’t like or have a fear of – be honest up front and state
your case in a nice way. For instance, if you have a fear of
heights, don’t get talked into scaling up a mountain cliff or
climbing the Eiffel Tower. But also, don’t be a control freak –
if you are outvoted by the family in a choice between going
to the beach or some museum, go with the family flow. Make
sure you get plenty of quality sleep and stick to a good sleep
routine. Read a book or listen to music to relax and take your
mind off things. Engage in those good conversations you
never have time for during the year. Do things with the kids
that they want to do. Cut the kids some slack and pitch in to
help your partner with them – your partner wants to destress
as much as you.
Wavebreakmedia, iStock
Limit your phone-time; cut down on checking emails, going
on social media or watching TV. Switch off and relax. Try
to leave work or business worries where they belong: at
work. Have enough me-time without being selfish. Fresh
air, exercise, healthy food and good sleep work wonders
for destressing. Don’t limit yourself to just this one annual
holiday: regularly take short holidays or weekend breaks
during the year too. It will help you destress the entire year,
and it will prevent your big year-end holiday from being a
massive disruption to your system, mentally and physically.
Eat healthy:
The festive season inevitably is a time of over-indulgence,
but nonetheless try to limit yourself. Different people believe
in different diets, whether a low-carb high-fat one or a highprotein
low-carb diet. So, we won’t try to prescribe what
you should eat. But as a rule, stay away from those icecreams,
greasy hamburgers and sweets. Avoid fast foods.
Don’t overdo the braais. Eat little or no sugar. Cut down on
those salty sundowner snacks. Avoid frizzy drinks. Check
the labels of the food you buy in the supermarket to see
what it contains, and whether it’s healthy. Eat plenty of fruit,
vegetables, nuts, garlic, avocado, olives, fish, and anything
with fibre. Drink water regularly, especially if you spend
much time in the sun or are physically active.
Sunshine Seeds, iStock

Wellness
Moderate alcohol intake:
Alcohol is a big holiday killer, whether driving on the roads or lying in the sun on the
beach. Not only will drinking too much give you a hangover that steals quality holiday
time from you, it could actually kill or hospitalise you. Research shows that during
the festive season doctors report seeing a spike in erratic heartbeats—they call it
‘holiday heart syndrome’. It is caused by a sudden increase in alcohol intake and is
more common among people who usually don’t drink much but drink in excess for a
short time during this period. Moderate and pace your consumption of alcohol. Give
beer and hard liquor a miss if you can; rather drink wine. Put ice in your drink: it dilutes
the alcohol and makes you sip it more slowly. If you drink too much, drink plenty of
water before going to sleep, as well as the next day. Avoid those so-called hangover
pills – they don’t work and just poison your body with unnecessary chemicals. The
only cure is water and sleep.
Follow these tips and you’ll be guaranteed to have a healthy, happy holiday.
82 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Rich Townsend, iStock

Tsitsikamma Falls
Adventure
Phone: 082 578 1090
www.tsitsikammaadventure.co.za

SHIMMY BEACH CLUB
PRIVATE BEACH RESTAURANT CLUB
Cape Town’s Premier Ocean-front Dining and Lifestyle Venue
Situated in a spectacular location, with a breath-taking backdrop of Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain and vast ocean
views, Shimmy Beach Club is a destination with endless opportunity for laid-back luxury and indulgence. Located in the
V&A Waterfront, Shimmy Beach Club boasts an elegant 220-seater restaurant, beach bars, two pools, a kids play area,
a nightclub and a private beach, making it the perfect restaurant venue for family meals, lavish lunches and late nights.
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12 South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront 8002, Cape Town

FIVE MUST DO REASONS TO CHOOSE THE NORTHERN CAPE AS YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY DESTINATION
EXTRAORDINARY YOUR ALL YEAR ROUND HOLIDAY DESTINATION.
EXPERIENCES IN THE
NORTHERN CAPE
ENDLESS SKIES, AMBER DUNE-SCAPES, AND A GREAT RIVER, ALL SET WITHIN A LANDSCAPE BRIMMING
WITH DRAMATIC BEAUTY. THIS IS THE NORTHERN CAPE – REAL CULTURE, REAL PEOPLE AND REAL
NATURE. NOW COME AND EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELVES AND MAKE MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME.
1. REWARDING CULTURAL
ADVENTURES
The distinct cultural groups that make
up the Northern Cape are as rich as the
country’s history. Unlock the secrets of
the African bush in the company of the
oldest human inhabitants of the region,
the ‡Khomani San near the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park. Swim in the hot pools of
Riemvasmaak, discover the ancient wisdom
of the Nama of the Richtersveld, a world
heritage site. Explore living villages, shop at
craft markets, indulge in regional authentic
cuisine at local eateries and be transported
to the world of our ancestors through
campfire storytelling and dancing. It’s the
best way to experience the heartbeat of the
province and to take some of the soul of
the Northern Cape with you on your return
journey home.
2. ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES OFF
THE BEATEN TRACK
For the active, it’s an ideal environment
for exploration and adventure. We have
an aweinspiring setting for any enthusiast.
Whether you are stargazing in Sutherland,
hunting for fossils in the Karoo or searching
for San rock art deep in the caves of the
Diamond Fields, experiencing the world’s
richest floral offering in Namakwa, camping
deep in the bush surrounded by wildlife and
the famed black-maned lion of the Green
Kalahari, or Kayaking down the mighty
Orange River, the Northern Cape is more
than an adventure, it’s an enriching life
experience.
3. FAMILY ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES
The Northern Cape has always been a
family-friendly destination. Its mix of
culture, adventure, wildlife and wide
accommodation choices, offers family fun
that is both entertaining and educational.
The province is home to six national parks
and two of the country’s largest rivers,
which makes it perfect for fun activities
the entire family can enjoy. These include
game safaris, bird watching and leisure
hikes and walks to safaris, museum
visits and archaeological discoveries to
disconnect reconnect and rediscover!
4. NATURAL BEAUTY AND WILDLIFE
ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES
The Northern Cape is arguably South
Africa’s most beautiful and naturally real
province. Visitors are hard-pressed to
choose between our UNESCO Richtersveld
World Heritage Site and two Transfrontier
Parks, the Kgalagadi and the |Ai-|Ais
Richtersveld with its red and golden sand
dunes. Share the intimate bush knowledge
of a Nama or !Khomani San Bushmen
guide. The Northern Cape’s natural beauty
is enhanced by it’s an iconic wildlife. From
the small five to the big five, watching
wild animals at dose range is something
truly unforgettable. There are walking,
horseback, 4x4, little five and many more
safaris to incorporate in your trip in one of
the 6 provincial reserves or any of the other
four national parks and transfrontier parks.
5. A FLORAL EXPERIENCE
Each spring, the dormant and arid winter
plains of the Northern Cape’s Namakwa
region are transformed into a kaleidoscope
of colour with the arrival of the flower
season. The wild flowers of the Namakwa
are definitely a natural phenomenon and
best discovered on foot, which makes it
ultimately appealing to hikers and outdoor
enthusiasts. As the only arid hotspot in the
world this region contains more than 6
000 plant species, 250 species of birds, 78
species of mammals, 132 species of reptiles
and amphibians and an unknown number
of insects, making it the world’s most
diverse, arid environment. This floral diversity
has also made the Namakwa the richest
bulb flora arid region in the world. Best
times to visit is end July to early October.
For more information visit www.experiencenortherncape.com or Email: marketing@experiencenortherncape.com

KOKERBOOM FOOD AND WINE ROUTE
The Kokerboom Food and Wine Route stretches along
the Gariep and includes towns like Upington, Kakamas,
Keimoes, Augrabies, Marchand, Kanoneiland, Kenhardt
and Riemvasmaak. The route will appeal to families as well
as adventure and adrenaline seekers. Highlights include
Augrabies Falls, Riemvasmaak hot springs, river rafting,
fly fishing, kayaking and river cruises on the Orange River,
numerous 4x4, hiking and MTB trails as well as excellent
bird watching. Typical Northern Cape fare and produce is
available from coffee shops, road stalls and restaurants,
and there’s also wine tasting at cellars along the route.
Accommodation ranges from luxurious guesthouses to
farm stay-overs.
Contact: +27 (0)84 244 4408,
email: bookings@ kokerboomroute.co.za
EXPLORE
THE ROUTES
FOR MEMORIES THAT
WILL LAST FOREVER
KALAHARI RED DUNE ROUTE
Discover the essence of the province in the heart of the
Kalahari. Golden dunes, wide-open skies and flat-topped
acacia trees epitomise the Kalahari Red Dune Route.
Stretching from Upington right to the Namibian border,
visitors traverse the villages of Ashkam, Groot and Klein
Mier and Rietfontein. Adventure-loving families and
adrenaline seekers can enjoy dune hikes at dawn, eagleowl
encounters, sand duning and surfing in the red sand,
close encounters with meerkats and guided walks with the
!Khomani San to rediscover the ancient wisdom, customs
and folklore of this ancient tribe.
Contact: +27 (0)82 492 3469,
email: lochmaree@absamail.co.za
RICHTERSVELD ROUTE
The Richtersveld is South Africa’s only mountain desert
and the route travels along rugged gravel roads to
quaint towns such as Eksteensfontein, Sendelingsdrift,
Lekkersing, Kuboes and Sandrift. The more challenging 4x4
routes in the /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park or in
the Richtersveld World Heritage Area are best explored in
a well equipped SUV or bakkie. Pack comfortable hiking
boots, extra water and guidebooks and set out along
the 600 km Namaqua Eco 4x4 Route. The Orange River
presents a more leisurely pace with river rafting and the
best wilderness fly-fishing in South Africa, while the entire
Richtersveld is a mountain biker’s dream. In the villages,
the locals will entertain guests with storytelling and
traditional Nama step dancing upon request.
Contact +27 (0)78 874 1515,
email: bokka.diepotlepel@gmail.com
NAMAQUA COASTAL ROUTE
The route includes hidden gems like Garies, Kamieskroon,
Hondeklip Bay, Koiingnaas and Kleinzee. Dozens of
adventure and leisure options are available,
including the Namaqua National Park, nature
reserves, hidden coastal hamlets and some
of the most remote hiking and 4x4 trails
imaginable. Go succulent sleuthing with a
botanical guide, hike the Springbok Klipkoppie
for a dose of Anglo- Boer War history, enjoy
stargazing, explore the countless shipwrecks
along the coast line or visit Namastat, a
traditional matjies-hut village. Breath-taking
scenes of the Atlantic Ocean with sightings of
dolphins and whales combined with great vistas
of mountains and veld with endemic wildlife
makes travelling in this area remarkable.
Contact: +27 (0)27 672 1752,
email: coast.of.diamonds@gmail.com
KAROO HIGHLANDS ROUTE
This route covers the southern part of the
province and the small Karoo towns of
Nieuwoudtville, Calvinia, Williston, Sutherland,
Fraserburg, Carnarvon, Loxton and Victoria West
and forms the heart of the Great Karoo. Enjoy
the peace and tranquillity of the Karoo with its
wide open plains dotted with koppies (hills). The
area was named by the Khoi and San people,
who left their legacy as art on the rocks. Explore
many unique experiences such as stargazing
at the world’s largest astronomical observatory
at Sutherland, the SKA radio telescopes in
Carnarvon, Karoo architecture and corbelled
houses, Anglo-Boer War sites, rock art, ancient
Palaeo Surfaces, farm stays and great Karoo
cuisine and hospitality.
Contact: +27 (0)74 030 4064,
email: Neil@openafrica.org
EXTRAORDINARY HOLIDAY
EXPERIENCES FOR ALL!
NorthernCapeTourism @NorthernCapeSA
northerncapetourism northerncapetourism
or alternatively Email: dianna@experiencenortherncape.com

BOTSWANA
…FROM DESERT TO DELTA, SAN HUNTERS
TO CITIES
By Staff Writer
Baobab and salt pans - Hannes Thirion, iStock

Discover Africa
Most countries of Africa have varied landscapes, but few have such contrasts
in natural scenery as Botswana. And the variety also extends into the
social structure of the country.
From the vast water-soaked Okavango Delta with its water channels and islands
teeming with birds, hippos and elephants, to lions patrolling the red sand dunes of
the vast and waterless Kalahari Desert. From clans of San hunters living like they
have for thousands of years, to modern cities with bustling shopping malls. And
don’t forget its world-famous Chobe National Park with its large elephant herds.
All of this is captured within this captivating, landlocked country.
Situated in Southern Africa, Botswana is a country of stunning contrasts and beauty
with an abundance of unspoilt wilderness and free-roaming wildlife, including
Africa’s Big Five.
Despite being sparsely populated, it has one of Africa’s most thriving economies,
based mainly on diamond mining, cattle ranching and tourism. It is also one of
Africa’s most exemplary and stable democracies. Its gross national income is
estimated by some experts to be the fourth largest in Africa, while the country has
the highest Human Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is also just a figurative stone’s throw away from Southern Africa’s economic and
transport hub, Johannesburg.
But it is this country’s service efficiency, natural scenery and its stunning wildlife that
makes it stand out as one of the most favoured tourist destinations in Africa. Equal to
France or Madagascar in land size, but with a population of only 2.25-million, there
is ample space for everyone…human and the wild kind.
Most of Botswana is flat country with wide open spaces, dominated by essentially
two very different regions, the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta. But by far
the bigger region, the Kalahari covers up to 84% of its land surface. In parts you will
find gently rolling tableland while small hills dot the eastern areas. In the north the
vegetation is lush, fed by a tangle of delta waterways and rivers.
Crossing the Kalahari
Take the A2 Trans-Kalahari Highway from Lobatse in the south to the Namibian
border some 800km away in the northwest, and you will lose yourself in endless
desert plains and utter silence but for the sound of your car. But if isolation, no water,
silence and desert mirages are not your thing, rather take a plane, of which there are
plenty flying all over the country to every possible location.
If you have 4WD transport, are not fainthearted and are the adventurous type, you
can swing away towards the south from the Trans-Kalahari Highway at the tiny
village of Kang.
The route will take you down to the amazing Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, an
endless vista of red and yellow sand dunes, fossilised river valleys dotted with
dwarfed trees, bushes and scrub, grasslands and camel thorn trees. Like its delta
neighbour, the Kalahari region also once had rivers and water…a very long time ago.
This landscape is inhabited by herds of gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest,
huge black-mane lions, leopard and many raptors. But look closely and you will find
many more amazing forms of life in the sand, under stones, in rocky crevices, under
small bushes and in the trees.
Be warned however, travelling to the park you will need to take all life- and vehiclesupporting
items with you, while on the Botswana side of the park routes have to be
travelled by a minimum of two 4WD vehicles at a time.
The park was created in 2002 as a joint venture between South Africa’s Kalahari
Gemsbok National Park and Botswana’s Gemsbok National Park. This immense
wilderness (37,000 sq. km) is now shared by both countries as a protected area
and is jointly managed. The entire park is completely unfenced, allowing for wildlife
to move freely along the ancient migration routes so necessary for their survival in
the desert.

Modern city of Gaborone - Gerald Mashonga, iStock
Luxury safari lodges - Denis Sabo, iStock
Immigration and customs facilities allow travellers to enter the park in one country
and depart in the other. The main entry and departure point between the two
countries is at the Two Rivers/ Twee Rivieren gate, which also has camping facilities,
chalets, shops and a restaurant. There are other camping sites and 4X4 routes
throughout the park.
The Delta
To really experience the immense contrasts in natural scenery of Botswana, after
Kang continue north along the Trans-Kalahari Highway, or A2, until it forks, then turn
northeast along the A3.
This route, a good tarred road, will take you through cattle ranching country, more
endless flat plains covered in scrub and camel thorn trees, through the tiny towns of
Ghanzi and Dekar, until you reach the first sign of the water wonderland that awaits
you: the Okavango Delta. Some 130km north of Dekar, you will arrive at Lake Ngami
and the settlement of Sehithwa, little more than a few scattered dwellings across a
wide area of scattered trees.
Soon after Sehithwa you will pass the first southern tentacles of the delta water
complex, fanning out like an entanglement of tree roots and veins through the
countryside, until you reach the town of Maun, capital of the Delta. Most tourists
prefer to fly into Maun and its many surrounding reserves and lodges.
If the southern Kalahari region has no water, this region may at times seem to have
far too much water. The world-famous Okavango Delta is one of the most soughtafter
wilderness destinations in the world and has the most amazing waterways
teeming with fish, birds and water-bound animals.
The surrounding lushly vegetated areas are home to a great variety of wild animals,
from elephants and lions to giraffes and many different types of antelope. It is here
that you will experience the heart of the real Africa so many dream of: the heartstopping
excitement of big game viewing, the supreme tranquillity and serenity of an
untouched delta, and evocative scenes of extraordinary natural beauty.
That this delta, the largest intact inland delta in the world, exists at all in the heart of
this thirstland, is one of nature’s wonders. It is situated deep in the Kalahari Basin
and is fed by the Okavango River, the third largest river in Southern Africa. Visitors
to the region can traverse it by light aircraft, helicopter, hot air balloon, or, famously
as in the tourist brochures, by dugout canoe with local guides steering you through
the maze of waterways teeming with fish, reptiles like the Nile crocodile, wild animals
and birdlife. Along the way you will pass papyrus reed and palm-fringed little islands
and thick woodlands.
Just as Botswana’s summer rains come to an end, floodwaters begin their 2,000km
journey from the north in Angola’s Highlands, literally a wall of water rushing across
the land through Namibia’s Caprivi, before spilling into the Delta in Botswana.
Passing through more than 1,000km of Kalahari sands, the water annually revitalises
a vast and very diverse ecosystem of plant and animal life.
The flow of this water continues on past the Okavango Delta and Maun, going east to
the Boteti River, and fills up Lake Xau or the Makgadikgadi Pans, also running west
to Lake River to fill Lake Ngami.
Chobe National Park
Continuing northeast from Maun, you will reach another major Botswana attraction,
the Chobe National Park, famous for its large herds of elephants and cape Buffalo
90 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Useful Information
Exploring the Okavango - brytta, iStock
grazing along the banks of the beautiful Chobe River. The river cuts like a bright
blue ribbon through the wilderness. The best way to experience Chobe’s wildlife and
scenery, including 460 bird species, is by river cruise.
Surrounding the Chobe National Park are numerous other smaller parks, reserves,
forest reserves and lodges, while Victoria Falls is some 150km to the northeast – as
the crow flies – on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border.
Botswana is the last stronghold for a number of endangered bird and mammal
species, including wild dog, cheetah, brown hyena, Cape vulture, wattled crane,
Kori bustard, and Pel’s fishing owl. This will make your safari experience even more
memorable, and at times you will feel simply awed by the abundance of wild animals.
There are many other breathtaking attractions across Botswana, such as the vast
Makgadikgadi salt pans, the Tswapong Hills, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve,
Matsieng Footprints, the Gcwihaba Caves and Aha Hills, Bahurutshe Cultural
Village, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, and much more.
And if it’s shopping, good hotels and restaurants and some nightlife you are after,
Gaborone is the place. A bustling little capital, it is never overcrowded though due to
the country’s small population, a large part of whom nonetheless reside in this city.
Gaborone, nonetheless, is a rapidly developing and expanding city, with shiny new
shopping malls and office blocks constantly changing its skyline. Other centres like
Francistown and Lobatse also offer a variety of amenities and attractions.
But essentially, Botswana is safari country, from the deep red sands of the south
with its black-mane lions all the way across the central salt pans to the waterways
and birdlife of the north and the Chobe River and elephant herds of the east. So
much world within one single country…
Languages: English & Setswana; other indigenous languages.
Capital: Gaborone (population 232,000)
Other Major Towns: Francistown; Lobatse; Selebi-Phikwe.
Regions: Botswana is divided into 17 administrative districts: 10 rural districts and 7
urban districts. Major regions or districts include Chobe in the northeast; Kgalagadi in
the southwest; Ngamiland in the north; Ghanzi and Central Districts.
Climate: Botswana is semi-arid. Though it is hot and dry for much of the year,
there is a rainy season, which runs through the summer months. Rainfall tends to be
erratic, unpredictable and highly regional. Often a heavy downpour may occur in one
area while 10 or 15 kilometres away there is no rain at all.
Time Zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours - no daylight-saving time at present.
Currency: Pula divided into 100 Thebe.
Airports: Sir Seretse Khama International, Gaborone; Francistown International
Airport; Maun Airport; Kasane Airport; plus numerous other small airports as well as
airports/landing strips in game reserves.
Airlines Flying To: Air Botswana; South African Airways; Air Namibia; Ethiopian
Airlines. Domestic airlines fly between Gaborone and various destinations across the
country, as do chartered flights. Most international airlines fly into Johannesburg from
where connecting flights to various Botswana destinations are available.
Entry Requirements: Citizens of most European and Common-wealth countries
do not require a visa for entry into Botswana. Visitors should check with Botswana
embassies or consulates, or their travel agents, before departure. It is vital for
visitors to carry a valid passport and sufficient funds to facilitate their stay. If you are
travelling to Botswana from areas infected with Yellow Fever, you must have a valid
Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. Otherwise, no other immunisations are required.
However, it would be wise to have an updated TPD (tetanus, polio, diphtheria)
vaccine, and a Hepatitis A vaccine.
Useful Contacts
Botswana Tourism head Office:
Tel +267 391-3111/310-560; Email board@botswanatourism.co.bw
Francistown Tourism Office:
Tel +267 244-0113; Email francistown@botswanatourism.co.bw
Maun Tourism Office:
Tel +267 686-1056/686-3093 (airport office); Email maun@botswanatourism.co.bw
Selebi Phikwe Tourism Office:
Tel +267 261-1616; Email phikwe@botswanatourism.co.bw
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport:
Tel +267 368 8200
Air Botswana - Head Office:
Tel +267 368 8400 / 395 2812; Gaborone Tel +267 368 0900/ 395 1921;
Email sales@airbotswana.co.bw
Department of Wildlife and National Parks:
Tel +267 397 1405; fax 391 2354; Email dwnp@gov.bw
Hospitality & Tourism Association Botswana:
Tel +267 395 7144; Fax +267 390 3201; Email: hatab@hatab.bw
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 91

FRANSCHHOEK MOTOR MUSEUM
The Franschhoek Motor Museum offers visitors a special opportunity to look back at more than 100 years of
motoring history with its unique and exciting collection of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and memorabilia
in the magnificent setting of L’Ormarins. Across the length and breadth of Southern Africa, only one place
can adequately portray the evolution of the automobile, The Franschhoek Motor Museum.
Admission prices are: R80 adults | R60 pensioners | R60 motor club members | R40 children (3-12yrs)
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Visit our website for convenient online booking.
No motor bikes. No pedestrian access from the gate.
Maximum size of tour bus allowed is 22 seater, larger groups please book in advance.
l’ormarins wine estate | +27 (0)21 874 9000 | fmm@fmm.co.za | www.fmm.co.za
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33°52’18.8”S
18°59’54.6”E

NAMIBIA
Unique Accommodation and Campsites
Nature Drive and Sundowner • Cheetah Safari
Morning Walk with the San • Night Game Drive • Safari on Horseback
Star Gazing • Desert Treatment Spa • Meerkat Colony at the Lodge
www.bagatelle-kalahari-gameranch.com
Unforgettable memories in an ancient living desert
Ranch:
Tel: +264 (63) 240 982 / +264 (0)63 241 787
Email: info@bagatelle-kalahari-gameranch.com
Reservations:
Tel: +264 (61) 224712 / +264 (61) 224217
Email: reservation@resdest.com
GPS COORDINATES: 24 18’ 031” South 18° 01’ 970” East

great
escapes
Need a break? Here are some fabulous, affordable
destinations for the whole family, be it for a quick rejuvenating
weekend getaway or a proper relaxing holiday.
BOOK NOW!!
For easy reservations, book your Great Escape
through our online booking facility
www.bookings.mzanzitravel.co.za.
Tau Game Lodge, Madikwe Reserve,
North West
Summer at Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe Reserve, North West Province, makes
for a revitalizing 5-star safari, complete with invigorating Tau Spa Oasis treatments to
complement the superb Big Five (and small), game viewing and delicious food.
Watching the wildlife meet for breakfast or sundowners at the large waterhole from the
safety of your private room deck or the lodge’s hospitality and pool decks, adds further
romance – or drama - to an unforgettable safari. The lodge is enclosed within the reserve,
resulting in the humans being subtly fenced in, while game, including several crocodiles,
roam free, including the prolific bird life.
Some recent comments by guests and media from around the globe include:
“Our family reunion proved a triumph – Tau ticked all the boxes for young and old.”
“Our honeymoon was magical – Tau, its team and the plentiful game delivered on every
level.”
96 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

The Tau summer rate until end-April 2019 starts from R5,274.00 per person sharing
per night. This rate is inclusive of three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), two
game drives per day and drinks and snacks on game drives. The rate excludes the
park entrance fee of R180.00 per person, the tourism levy of R10.00 per person per
night at present, all items ordered from the bar, curio purchases, telephone usage,
internet usage, laundry and all other extras. A compulsory Rhino conservation
Fee of R 150.00 per adult per night and R 75.00 per child per night (age 2-12) is
applicable to assist the Reserve in its anti-poaching efforts.
The early morning safaris are spectacular, offering magical light for photography,
with a pitstop for Amarula coffee and delicious buttermilk rusks overlooking
the verdant bush, whilst game rangers always keep a vigilant eye on game and
predators. Afternoon game drives include dazzling African sunsets with decadent
sundowners before returning to the lodge for a convivial dinner, which is hosted in
the boma restaurant on the dining deck, weather permitting.
The stylishly refurbished reception, lounge, dining room, leisure decks, bar, boma
and two pools, of which one is an infinity design, make for contemporary out-of-
Africa safari heaven, overlooking the photogenic waterhole. Smaller game, such as
the protected African wild dog, flourish in the Madikwe Reserve, while inquisitive
squirrels and cheeky vervet monkeys forage for snacks around the lodge. Not to
mention the constant nest-building of the bright yellow little weaver birds around
the lodge decks.
Never a dull moment. The tranquillity of the African bush, notwithstanding the
protestations of a coot protecting its young from an over-zealous young crocodile, or
the greeting ritual of elephant nearby, make for an unforgettable stay at this place of
the lion. Yes, you will hear lions roar at dawn or dusk…
The Tau Cubz Club, Tau Spa Oasis and Tau Conference Centre make this an ideal
malaria-free destination for romantic, family, leisure or corporate safaris. Tau Game
Lodge opened its 5-star safari doors in 1995 and offers 30 rooms, from Standard to
Luxury to Family Suites.
• For more information or bookings: Tel +27-(0)11 466 8715/17; Email
taugame@mweb.co.za; or Web www.taugamelodge.co.za.
• Information supplied by Tilly Smith Dix, Tau Game Lodge
The Wilderness Hotel, Garden
Route
Whether a weekend or a week, a stay at The Wilderness Hotel, one of the Garden
Route’s oldest and best-loved hotels, situated on the beautiful Southern Cape
coastline of South Africa, is an experience you will always remember fondly.
Steeped in a grand tradition with old-style charm and featuring modern facilities, it
is an ideal honeymoon spot, family hotel and an excellent destination for both the
tourist and business traveller alike. The 150-bedroom property boasts a beauty spa,
two swimming pools, a bowling green, two tennis courts, a squash court as well
as banqueting halls, for the perfect wedding reception, and conference rooms, the
largest of which can accommodate up to 300 delegates in cinema-style.
Wilderness itself is a seaside town in the heart of the Garden Route, situated a short
distance east of George, along the N2 at the bottom of the Kaaiman’s River Pass.
It is known for its long white sandy beach and lagoons. The village offers lovely
and lively little shops, pubs and restaurants. With forested mountains on one side,
several lakes, rivers and lagoons between Wilderness and Knysna, and the Indian
Ocean on the other side, the scenery and activities here are unsurpassable.
Nearby George offers all the conveniences of a city, including an airport. Explore
the forests, the beaches, little seaside resorts like Victoria Bay, row a canoe on the
lakes or river, go bird-watching or hiking, or just spend some lazy time. Wilderness
experiences a mild climate with temperatures that seldom drop below 10°C or rise
above 28°C.
The Wilderness Hotel is about a 45-minute drive to both Mossel Bay (west) and
Knysna (east), and a little less than an hour to Oudtshoorn, further inland, so it’s
perfectly placed for tour groups and individuals who want a base from which to
explore the region.
• For more information of bookings: Tel +27 (0)44 877 1110; Email stay@
thewildernesshotel.co.za; Fax 086 459 8897; or
• Web www.wildernesshotel.co.za.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 12 | 97

Dinokeng Game Reserve & Kevin
Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary,
Gauteng
The Dinokeng Big 5 game reserve in Gauteng is a place far removed from the
hustle and bustle of Africa’s greatest business mecca, Johannesburg, despite
being just a short drive away. It is here you will find the luxury tented camp Rra
Ditau Bush Camp and the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary.
Located just one hour from OR Tambo International airport, this intimate camp,
nestles quietly among beautiful acacia trees. Featuring 5 beautifully appointed
tents that merge seamlessly into the tranquil landscape, this is a setting
guaranteed to help you kick back, relax and unwind. While all that’s between you
and the bush is canvas, luxury is the order of the day and no amenity has been
overlooked. Tents feature en-suite bathrooms and a private patio from which to
enjoy the incredible views.
From the moment you arrive life takes on a different rhythm as the outside
world melts away. Here you’ll enjoy an intimate safari experience in a calming
environment.
Experience the wildlife on the reserve in one of the open safari vehicles or enjoy
a tour of the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary where amongst others, you’ll
meet lions Gabby and Bobcat, the beautiful Vayetse and our curious hyena, Gina.
If you’re lucky, you could even take part in one of Kevin’s enrichment walks.
Back in camp, pop into the curios shop, where you’ll find exquisitely sourced gifts
to take home as a memento of your visit. Then after the excitement of the day,
sip a sundowner in front of a traditional African bush fire, with the roar of lions in
the background. Later, indulge in tasty traditional South African and continental
cuisine before ending the evening under a spectacular canopy of stars. Around
the warm glow of the coals, share your experiences, listen to rangers’ tales and
feel very simply that here, in this special place in Africa, life truly is good.
• For more information or bookings: Kevin Richardson Sanctuary Tel
+27 (0) 83 657 8533, Email info@lionswhisperer.co.za, Website www.
lionswhisperer.co.za; Dinokeng Reserve Tel +27(12) 711 4391, Email
receptiondinokengreserve.co.za, Web www.dinokengreserve.co.za.
Tintswalo at Boulders, Simon’s
Town, Western Cape
Tintswalo Lodges has expanded its portfolio of luxury lodges and boutique hotels
that are all set in iconic locations, with the opening of Tintswalo at Boulders Boutique
Villa in Simon’s Town, on Cape Town’s False Bay coast.
With direct access to Boulders Beach and its world-famous resident colony of
endangered African penguins, Tintswalo at Boulders operates on a bed and
breakfast basis with nine double suites, as well as a children’s suite. Airport
transfers, complimentary Wi-Fi, full breakfast and afternoon canapes are included,
and a private chef is available on request to prepare other meals. A concierge
service is offered for bookings of restaurants, snorkelling safaris and guided sea
kayaking excursions.
Alternatively, Tintswalo at Boulders may also be booked on an exclusive-use basis
for families and friends travelling together, either as a private villa of five suites and a
children’s room, or the entire villa sleeping 18 adults and two children (minimum stay
of 3 nights required for exclusive-use bookings).
On route to Cape Point, Boulders Beach is known for its pristine swimming beaches
where the penguins are the star attraction. Surrounded by fynbos, Tintswalo at
Boulders boasts a unique north-facing, beachfront location that offers endless
ocean views. Spacious living areas lead to a terrace with a sea view pool. The
luxurious suites have en-suite bathrooms and are individually decorated, some
with private balconies. Paying homage to maritime history and the villa’s location in
Simon’s Town, the rooms are named after famous ships, ranging from the Mayflower
and the Cutty Sark, to Jan van Riebeeck’s Drommedaris.
An opening special is available until 31 March 2019, offering a complimentary third
night when booking a 2-night stay (peak season block-out period 15 December – 15
January applies). Low season rate from R3,000 per person sharing per night and
high season from R4,000 per person sharing per night.
98 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
• For more information or bookings: Tel +27 (0)11 300 8888; Email res1@
tintswalo.com / res2@tintswalo.com; Web www.tintswalo.com/boulders/villa/.

Hiking
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
● Daily tours ● Successful breeding programmes
● Management course for game farming
Ya Mati
● 5x luxurious chalets on the bank of the Blyde River
● Self-catering or full catering
● Wedding facilities for up to 120 people
Forest Camp
● Accomodation and full catering for 22 people at the
foot of the Drakensberg
● Birding and guided game walks
Mountain View
● Accomodation for 28-plus people
● B&B, full catering
● Guided bird and wildlife bush walks, night drives
For more info and bookings:
Forest Camp & Rehabilitation Centre: Tel: +27 (0)15 795-5236
Fax: +27 (0)15 795-5333
Mountain view: Cell: 082 907 5983
Ya Mati: Cell: 072 191 2024 / 084 511 3000
Fax: +27 (0)12 348 4926
E-mail: moholo@worldonline.co.za
www.moholoholo.co.za
Forest Camp
● Accomodation and full catering for 22
people at the foot of the Drakensberg
● Birding and guided game walks
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Centre
● Daily tours
● Successful breeding programmes
● Management course for game farming
Mountain View
● Accomodation for 28-plus peopl
● B&B, full catering ● Guided bird and
wildlife bush walks, night drives
Ya Mati
● 5x luxurious chalets on the bank of
the Blyde River.
● Self-catering or full catering
● Wedding facilities for up to 120 people
For more info and bookings:
Forest Camp & Rehabilitation Centre: Tel: +27 (0)15 795-5236
Fax: +27 (0)15 795-5333
Mountain view: Cell: 082 907 5983
Ya Mati: Cell: 072 191 2024 / 084 511 3000
Fax: +27 (0)12 348 4926
E-mail: moholo@worldonline.co.za
www.moholoholo.co.za
CHAIRS
LINEN TABLE WARE AND DECOR
CENTERPIECES
PRETORIA
44 Von Wielligh Street , Pretoria West.
JOHANNESBURG
Unit no3, 709 Richards Drive, Midrand.
www.homein1.co.za
TABLES
CATERING EQUPMENT
OUTDOOR
sales@homein1.co.za
+2781 439 3509
Home in 1
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R5000 or more
MT12/01/19

Protea Hotel by
Marriott® Durban
Edward, Durban
Situated on Durban’s popular Golden Mile, a
pebble’s throw from the warm waves of the Indian
Ocean, is the four-star elegant Protea Hotel by
Marriott® Durban Edward. With an open veranda
overlooking the sea front and 131 rooms ranging
from double bedrooms through to the presidential
suite, there are also 11 conference venues that
can accommodate anything from intimate private
dinners to conferences of up to 260 delegates.
Free high-speed Fibre internet and a pristine,
rooftop pool deck with views over the Durban
skyline complete the package for travellers to the
area.
However, it’s the hotel’s signature dining
establishment, The Brasserie Restaurant, that has recently caught the attention of guests and discerning members of the public. With the restaurant
having recently been refurbished in an elegant style, an outdoor terrace now leads from the dining room, inviting patrons to flow between the plush indoors
to an al fresco outdoor experience. Patrons can enjoy everything from a lavish daily buffet breakfast to the restaurant’s renowned seafood and steak
specialties in the evenings, or simply partake in a leisurely drink while absorbing the magnificent sea views and ocean breeze at the cocktail tables outside.
Recent new additions to the restaurant’s offerings include the daily happy hour special which runs from 18h30 to 19h30 daily (with a buy one, get one free
on all drinks, premium brands included), a Sunday Lunch special at R250 per person, as well as live music/jazz evenings which take place on the last
Friday of every month.
• For more information or bookings: Cal Tel +27 (0)31 337 3681; Fax +27 (0)31 337 3628; or Email charlotte.sukhraj@proteahotels.com.
100 |ISSUE 12|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

TSITSIKAMMA LODGE
Surrounded by mountains and tucked away in the
forest, the Tsitsikamma Lodge & Spa is a haven of
peace, where a warm welcome and friendly
service combed with nature provides a perfect
break.
Set in beautiful gardens, and built entirely of
logs, the lodge has 34 cosy cabins, each with its
own spa-bath, private deck and barbecue area.
Tsitsikamma is home to a variety of activities.
Several excursions available:
Our licensed restaurant offers delicious
home-cooked meals!
CENTRAL RESERVATIONS
Tel: 0861 RIVERH (748374)
reservations@riverhotels.com
riverhotels.com Tsitsikamma
Office: +27(0)42 280 3802
LIKE US
FOLLOW US
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JIMMY’S SAUCES, SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST VERSATILE SAUCE | JIMMYSAUCES.CO.ZA | TEL: 021 981 4020
DTP365.COM
FLIGHTS CAR HIRE ACCOMMODATION
Mzanzitravel.co.za
BOOK NOW AT WWW.BOOKINGS.MZANZITRAVEL.CO.ZA

Tel: +27(0)13 752 2532
enquiries@ecotraining.co.za
www.ecotraining.co.za

Luxurious lodging now available at the New Rush Guesthouse situated
within the Big Hole Complex, Tucker Street, Kimberley.
Stay over in the old town and experience the Diamond City as it was 100 years ago!
All rooms are air-conditioned and fitted with free wi-fi, towels,
bedding and a kettle with complimentary tea and coffee
For reservations, call Cindy at 053 839 4455
or email us on reservations@debeersgroup.com
www.newrushguesthouse.co.za

Family fun
& adventure
are ALL YEAR
ROUND...
www.tourismnorthwest.co.za

tourismnorthwest
@TourismNW
IT’S
NORTH WEST
ENJOY IT