Find Freedom In The Great Karoo

Remember Sylvester – the lion that escaped twice from the Karoo National Park? On the four-day Heuningland Slackpacking Trail near Beaufort West, you can retrace Sylvester’s steps and catch a whiff of freedom yourself.

Baby Cars Grow Big

Two compact crossovers are vying for your attention: the updated Renault Captur – basically a Clio with hiking boots – and the confusing new Mini Countryman.

Stay Here, Eat Here

Stay Here, Eat Here

Walk Far In Namaqualand

When Elize Kruger and Ina Vosloo – both from Hondeklip Bay – hiked the Tankwa Camino in May last year, a dream was born: To create a similar trail west of the N7 in Namaqualand.

Faansie Peacock

With a name like that, he was destined to become a bird expert! Faansie lives in Langebaan and has started writing a monthly birdwatching column for us (see page 142).

When Nothing Is Everything

Scratching out a living on the edge of the Kalahari is not for everyone, but as Shirley Marais remembers, her grandparents’ farm was a place of miracle and wonder. 

12 Things The West Coast Taught Us

Sophia van Taak and Toast Coetzer travelled 3 840 km along the back roads of the West Coast to film the latest series of Weg Agterpaaie. Along the way they also turned inland to explore the Cederberg, the Knersvlakte, Namaqualand, the Richtersveld and Bushmanland. Here’s what they learnt.

Ancient England – From the Water!

Want to see a different side of the UK? Book an affordable boat cruise on the River Thames like Sam Basch did, and experience rural waterways and old towns.

One Way Down

If you’re the kind of adrenaline junkie who enjoys jumping off a cliff into a pool of dark water, you’ve probably heard of Suicide Gorge near Grabouw. Now it’s time to do it!

The Rise of the Auto

The Ford Ranger 2.2 and the Renault Kadjar have previously only been available with manual transmissions, now both have received automatic gearboxes. But are they any good?

finding heaven in the bo-karoo

south africa has many remote areas where almost every road is a back road. come on a detour from the free state to the bo-karoo and meet a rock musician turned farmer, a yorkie named gucci and find a little slice of heaven.

Dominic Chadbon

“The Fynbos Guy” does as many as 140 hikes a year and has climbed Table Mountain countless times. We chatted to him about diamond eyes and nipping blisters in the bud.

Birds

Birds

A New Dust Buster

The Mitsubishi Outlander recently received a facelift. We took it for a spin to find out if its performance lives up to its good looks.

Chop Fever In The Tankwa

What do you do when you’re in the Tankwa Karoo and you forgot to pack lamb chops for dinner? Gideon Brückner had to make a desperate plan.

Butterflies, Birdsong And The Big Five

On the Mathikithi Wilderness Trail in the Kruger Park, a drumbeat announces meal times and a scops-owl is your alarm clock. Book your place and rediscover a time when humans lived much closer to nature.

Camel Catastrophe!

Not all camels dream of carrying tourists over the dunes of the Sahara. Some are perfectly happy to run away from their riders along the West Coast, says Werner Winterboer.

The (Dead) Tree Of Life

There’s a big sycamore fig tree in our garden, which died recently. Where there was once a leafy canopy, skeletal branches now claw at the sky. Many people suggested I cut it down, but I’ve decided to keep the tree.

Cruising on the Kusi

You don’t have to be a millionaire to holiday on a yacht. Reader Theo Schumann explored the islands of northern Mozambique using a home-made sailing kayak.

Enjoy Our Natural Heritage – For Free!

To celebrate Heritage Month, national parks across the country are opening their gates to the public during the week of 18 – 22 September. That’s right, no entrance fees! Take advantage with these eight great day outings.

Where It All Began

Seasoned travel writer Justin Fox has just published his first children’s book, My Great Expedition – a beautifully illustrated reflection on a journey he made to Europe as a six-year-old in 1973, visiting several major sights like Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, St Mark’s Square and the Parthenon.

Megan Taplin

The new manager of the Knysna section of the Garden Route National Park tells us about the challenges her team has faced since the wildfires last year.

An Outspan Worthy Of Your Oxen

Driving from Gauteng to the coast? Let Verkykerskop meet you halfway.

Beaches, Boulders & Busted Buses

The Mozambican coast south of Vilanculos is familiar to many South Africans: Ponta do Ouro, Xai-Xai, Inhambane, Tofo… But what about the north? Johan Wahl and his wife Jana shouldered their backpacks and ventured into the unknown.

Thirsty In Die Hel

In 1975, my family holidayed in Cape Town for the first time.

Silence Is Golden

The world is loud and busy and distracting, and talking is overrated. To reconnect with his inner voice, Erns Grundling did a hike in the Eastern Cape and he didn’t say a word for two days.

You Gotta Have Faith!

These days, you wouldn’t attempt a drive from Cape Town to Israel without a 4x4 and a GPS. Neither was present more than 50 years ago, when a group of students from Stellenbosch University jumped into a 1200 cc VW Kombi with nothing but faith to get them to the Promised Land.

Road Trip Gold

Musician Gil Hockman was on tour in Europe, playing shows everywhere from dingy bars to medieval courtyards, when – out of nowhere – he struck road trip gold in the French countryside.

Living Large

The new Mercedes-Benz GLS is humongous and costs as much as a house. Who buys this kind of car and what do they use it for?

Touch Down On Planet Ngorongoro

Mention “Ngorongoro” around the braai and people will look up from their drinks. It’s one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations – an entire world within the crater of a volcano and unlike anything you will have seen in southern Africa.Here’s how to plan a visit.