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South Africa’s number one travel and outdoor lifestyle magazine. We pay our own way and tell it like it is. We drive back roads and speak to real people, giving you practical information about affordable destinations in southern Africa. Each issue is crammed with excellent photography, honest gear reviews and delicious recipes to make at home or in the bundu. Whether you’re looking to escape for a weekend or a month, your journey starts here.

Tangible pleasures

BEHIND THE SCENES • In February 2026, Esma Marnewick was a part of the first group to hike the new Baviaans Canyon Trail (p 36), sister of the popular Leopard Trail.

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LETTERS

Q & A

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IN BRIEF

Four Questions • Botanist Rupert Koopman from Cape Town tells us about his passion for fynbos, “walk shops” and what readers can do to protect our special flora.

Vanishing tortoises of the Karoo

Loco Café, Hwange, Zimbabwe

Big fun in Bloem • Travel writer Willem van der Berg moved to Bloemfontein in 2012, mainly because it’s so centrally located. It’s easy to travel to the Karoo, the Kalahari, Namaqualand and even the Drakensberg from there. When he met his wife Daleen, they decided to stay.

BOOKS AND MUSIC

The Secret Garden Diaries • Ever thought of swapping the suburbs for a cabin in the forest? Jacques Marais and his family moved from Fish Hoek to Fisanthoek on the Garden Route and are now slowly establishing an equilibrium with Mother Nature.

The land before time • On the Baviaans Canyon Trail, you explore the high plateaus and deep ravines of the Baviaanskloof Mountains. And after a day of hard hiking, you get to relax in the most luxurious hiking accommodation you’ve ever seen!

Spoilt for choice in the Champagne Valley • Winterton - on the banks of the Little Tugela River - is your portal to the central Drakensberg. In the shadow of Cathkin Peak and Champagne Castle, you’ll find a valley brimming with adventure and natural beauty.

Love and death in Bushmanland • You might think the name Keelafsnyleegte is made up. But there really is such a place. And you won’t believe the miracles you’ll find there.

TAKE YOUR PIC

The weight of water

Pint to pot • Want to know the secret ingredient in these tasty winter recipes? Beer!

High time for tea • Tea is one of the oldest drinks in the world. Thanks to the Chinese, it has been enjoyed by humanity for thousands of years. Our very own rooibos is not a modern-day invention either and has been around since the Khoisan first walked in the Cederberg. Here are our favourite tea gadgets and products for everything from cocktails to casseroles!

South Korea joins the bakkie war • Once you see a Kia Tasman in the metal, it’s not something you can easily unsee. Looks-wise, it might be divisive, but it’s a proper double-cab that can take on the big players in South Africa’s most competitive vehicle segment.

Home of the healing waters • eManzana - the new name of Badplaas - means “healing water” in siSwati. Both names refer to the local hot spring, which gives life to this Mpumalanga town at the foot of the northern Drakensberg. Here are our five top places to stay.

WITH MY OWN EYES • When David G Richardson first noticed an African harrier-hawk hunting on the busy streets of Cape Town, he was surprised. Little did he know the raptor would lead him on a fascinating photographic quest…

WIN! • A THULE CHASM GEAR CUBE WORTH R1 299!

Petite but potent! • Do you know the smaller predators of South Africa? Most of them are well camouflaged and nocturnal, so we don’t see them very often. But they can hunt just as well as any lion or leopard!

GONE BIRDING

The Welsh Slam • Wales is a place of vertical landscapes and...