Getaway Magazine - June 2013

Letter from the Editor

My wife Justine has just returned from one of the most dangerous places on Earth: Kashmir. She was working as a biologist on a large hydroelectric power scheme and she went despite US State Department official travel warnings, advice from friends and family, and general gnashing of teeth. Even Lonely Planet had the friendly advice not to visit plastered across the top of its entry on Kashmir, but she went all the same and good for her.

A few years back, we travelled overland through Colombia in South America and the warnings had been pretty much the same. It seems that more and more often society seems intent on shouting ‘do not go!’ We focus on risk rather than reward – and the rewards of travelling into difficult areas are incredible. Justine tells me that Kashmir was as beautiful as it was dangerous. Colombia was raw and wild and wonderful. And yet to tell you there was no danger would be foolish.

During both trips there was a chance that something terrible could happen - bombings, muggings … in Colombia they’re fond of taking gringos hostage. So why go? Well, by travelling into these misunderstood places we’ve come to realise 99,9 per cent of people you meet are friendly and simply trying to make ends meet, just like the rest of us. And that’s the power of travel: it opens your eyes and fosters understanding and togetherness. It breaks down cultural barriers.

In parting, let me shout a warning of my own: don’t stay home when opportunities to travel present themselves! Go out and experience the world. Everest wasn’t climbed, the Amazon wasn’t explored and the poles weren’t reached by people heeding the warnings. Be careful, of course, but don’t let the naysayers dictate your dreams.

Year in the Wild: Richtersveld National Park

Scott Ramsay | June 2013

Remote and relentless, Richtersveld National Park is not for the faint-hearted or ill-prepared. But the rewards for the adventurer are unrivalled.

Richtersveld National Park has unrivalled rewards for the adventurer.

Where to find Durban's best curry

Sarah Duff | June 2013

KwaZulu-Natal is home to the biggest Indian community outside of the subcontinent, so it’s no wonder Durban cooks up the best curry in the country.

Spices at Victoria Street Market and mutton bunny chow from Gounden's.

Features

Mozambique
Speeding, blinkered, to your destination means missing some travel gems. Sarah Duff slows things down on a road trip through southern Mozambique.

Richtersveld
Have your breath taken away by unparalleled desert wilderness. By Scott Ramsay.

Sani Pass
The mother of all passes, this hairpin-littered route isn’t for sissies. By Marion Whitehead.

Lesotho
There’s no need to head overseas for a skiing holiday. Lesotho has all you need in a winter wonderland. By Lucy Corne-Duthie.

Durban
Sarah Duff and Russell Smith ate their way across Durban in search of the country’s best curry. Here’s where you should eat.

Double-cab shoot-out
Diesel and dirt as Getaway joins a team of experts to test the latest bakkies. By Melanie van Zyl.

Regulars

Ultimate Getaways
From the Editor
Inbox
Departure Lounge
Ranger in your Pocket
Bird Watch
Lord of the Braais
Natural Selections
Getaway Gallery
Great Escapes
Getaway Guide
Getaway Shop
Excess Baggage

Plus

Thermal gear and socks
Last chance to win a kitted-out Ford Everest, worth R310 000
Win exotic holidays in Mozambique
Stevensford Nature Reserve
Kenton-on-Sea

Next month

Gauteng weekend breaks sorted. Plus, we delve into the history of the iconic malva pudding and take you to Kenya’s Tsavo reserves.

July issue on sale 24 June 2013