Selling Travel July/August 19

80
south africa
WILDLIFE SPOTTING IN MADIKWE NATURE RESERVE
can combine the Blue Train with Kruger
National Park, the Garden Route along the
Eastern Cape, as well as the Hoedspruit
and Sabie areas of the north coast of
KwaZulu-Natal.
For now, I watch a cluster of pink
flamingos on the lake. With our
increasingly fast-paced lives, slow travel
offers something that no other experience
really can; the chance to disconnect
from technology, to reconnect with the
landscape, and to realise that the journey
really can be the destination.
Ideas for slow South Africa
A sidecar tour from Cape Town:
Someone else worries about the
driving while guests simply sit back and
take in the sights, smells and sounds as
the little motorcycles travel down the
coast at a leisurely speed, taking in views
(including a stop for a Champagne
breakfast), Victorian seaside towns and
South African penguins at Boulders Beach,
before ending with a toast and local wine
in Stellenbosch.
A multi-day safari: Just four hours
on good roads from Jo’burg is
Madikwe Nature Reserve, a place where
the Magnificent Seven roam – including
elephant, rhinos, lion, buffalo, leopard,
cheetah and African wild dog. Royal
Madikwe Lodge is situated by a prime
waterhole where, after undertaking
sunrise and sunset drives, guests are
encouraged to grab a sundowner and
watch the wildlife come to them.
Tuk-tuk tour in Soweto: Sick of
being gawped at by coach tour
tourists snapping photos of them as
though on a human safari, locals in
Soweto decided it was time for a change
and provide a more authentic experience.
Buying a fleet of bikes and three tuk-tuks,
they now offer visitors a local view of the
famous township, telling stories and
offering the chance to actually meet and
talk to the locals too.
Where to book it
CARRIER – 0161 492 1353
The seven-night Window to the Soul of
South Africa holiday is priced from £3,185pp,
based on two adults sharing. It includes
two nights’ B&B in a one-bedroom luxury
apartment at More Quarters in Cape Town,
two nights’ full-board in a Deluxe Suite on
The Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria,
two nights’ all-inclusive in a Luxury Suite at
Royal Madikwe Luxury Safari Lodge and one
night B&B in a Luxury Suite at The Saxon
Boutique Hotel & Spa in Johannesburg.
Plus fast track service and lounge access at
Heathrow, return flights with South African
Airways and private road transfers within
the destination. carrier.co.uk.
BLUE TRAIN SERVICE WITH A SMILE
THE PICTURESQUE VILLAGE STATION OF MATJIESFONTEIN
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