
Sunlight oozes onto the blunt spikes of the knob-thorn trunk above me. Nearby, red-billed wood-hoopoes wriggle their long bills into the nooks and crannies of a jackal-berry tree in search of snacks. A crested barbet looks on silently, its ruffled feathers giving it the appearance of having had a rough night out. On the ground in the leaf litter, a handful of arrow-marked babblers are scratching around.
With coffee in hand, I walk a few steps away from my tent so that I can feel the sun against my face. It’s early winter and one of the most pleasant times of the year to be in Botswana. The nights are cool enough to justify actually sleeping inside your sleeping bag, but the days are warm – shorts and T-shirt weather.
I’ve visited the Okavango Panhandle many times before and I’ve always loved its understated, laid-back pace. It is a very long way to travel from South Africa, but the Panhandle clicks easily into a wider itinerary that can include Maun, Chobe and the Zambezi Region in neighbouring Namibia.
This time, I’ve spent almost a week here, meeting everyone from strawberry farmers to a Bible translator. Let me introduce you…
From D’Kar, with love
On a good map you might spot a place called D’Kar – somewhere in the Kalahari between Ghanzi and Sehithwa. Leaving behind a beautiful farm in the Bronkhorstspruit district, D’Kar is where Dirk and Pollie Jerling ended up in 1967.
I’m chatting to their daughter, Willemien le Roux, at Askiesbos, a small lodge and camp south of Shakawe.
“My father saw an advertisement in our church newspaper for the position of a farm manager at a missionary farm in Botswana,” Willemien says.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April/May 2023-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April/May 2023-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
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For the love of pasta!
Few dishes are as comforting as a bowl of pasta. Here are six recipes for everything from a quick dinner to a long kuier.

On high alert in West Africa
In 2023, Jean Cooper and De Witt Oosthuizen rode their motorcycles from Pretoria to Madrid. In this instalment, they're deep in West Africa, slogging their way through Benin, Togo, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Guinea.

Backing with purpose
Over the last two decades, the writers at go! have formed close relationships with different cars. In the 2000s and 2010s there were Toyota Condors and Renault Dusters, and now our dirt-road tourer of choice is a Suzuki Jimny. This diminutive 4x4 is very capable off-road, but packing space comes at a premium. As a result, we’ve discovered some great gear to make life easier when travelling in a small car.

FESTIVAL OF HIKING A HUGE SUCCESS
Nearly a thousand people gathered at Meerendal outside Durbanville over the weekend of 14–16 February, for the second go! Festival of Hiking, presented by Stanley in association with Salomon, and supported by Solal, Cape Nature and Trail Food.

Easy in the EC
Kenton-on-Sea is a holiday town between the Kariega and Bushmans rivers. It’s a place for walking barefoot and looking for hidden beaches, and where you might see a lion swimming across the river…

The Table is set!
Behind the famous postcard photo of Table Mountain lies a rich history among the forests, reservoirs and beaches of the Cape Peninsula. On the new Cape Point to Cable Car Trail, you can experience it all.

A feather for your thoughts
Befriend some birds and they'll make you smile for free. They'll impress with their incredible feats, and they might even show you a glimpse of the past.

BIRDS
WAIT YOUR TERN

Where the Lord rested
Wupperthal is a village deep in the folds of the Cederberg. The people who live there are no strangers to suffering, but they’re also full of hope.

The Mushroom Fundi
Table Mountain attracts all kinds of people – cyclists, hikers, tourists and the “mountain goats” who run to the top every day. And then there’s Gary Goldman, wandering around with a basket… What’s he doing – going on a picnic?