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?

TAKE A RIDE

Tsitsikamma on two wheels

Where to from here?

The world is on its head and the motoring industry is at an inflection point. How does an established market leader like Toyota navigate this rapidly changing landscape? In South Africa, a locally built hybrid SUV like the Toyota Corolla Cross might offer a solution…

Wild and wonderful

Our readers see the wildest things – and they get the photos to prove it! In this bumper edition of With My Own Eyes, we share a handful of special sightings, from waterhole dramas in the Kgalagadi to family portraits of secretive kingfishers in Plett – even a black mamba munching a bat in the Kruger!

One on one

In issue #197 last year, we featured our favourite finalists from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition, the most prestigious of its kind on the calendar.

My best holiday ever

Most holidays are enjoyable, but some stand out for different reasons. Something on that trip - be it a destination or an experience - stays with you. Seven writers tell us about the getaways they'll never forget.

Choose a wild life

Africa is the home of the safari, and who unlocks this experience for tourists? An experienced, knowledgeable field guide, that's who. But how does it feel to sit behind the wheel of a Land Cruiser twice a day, answering the same questions over and over?

The day I almost became a Himba bride

Why do we travel, asks Sophia van Taak? One reason is to see how other people's lives differ from our own. But sometimes it's what we have in common that's most surprising.

BIRDS

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR BIRDERS

Benin for the Bokke

By late October 2023, adventurers Jean Cooper and De Witt Oosthuizen were somewhere in the middle of Nigeria. Their plan was to be in neighbouring Benin in time to watch the Springboks play in the final of the Rugby World Cup. But they ran into roadblock after roadblock..

There's something about White River

White River is on a hill between Mbombela and Hazyview. You're a bateleur swoop from the Kruger Park, the Panorama Route and the Sudwala Caves, but why rush through? Come see what the town has to offer.

A farm stall? Here?

The Tankwa Karoo usually looks like Mars. It's an empty landscape where you can sometimes see the outline of a springbok shimmering in a distant mirage. It's remote. The main road, the R355, cuts a lonely 250 km slice from Ceres to Calvinia. The last thing you expect to see is a farm stall...

SKRIK VAN RONDOM FARM STALL, REDELINGHUYS

The road from Piketberg to Elands Bay leads from the Swartland through the Sandveld to the reeds of Verlorenvlei.

In a holy land

English explorer William Burchell stopped recording his southern African exploration at a Tswana settlement called Litakun, in the koppies north-west of modern-day Kuruman. As we make our way there, it becomes clear: South Africa is a sacred place.

Two's company

If you could park two Fords in your dream garage, which would they be? Most of us would pick the mighty Mustang and an apex bakkie like the Raptor, but there's also an awesome new Tourneo minibus that throws a spanner in the works...

Rolling out the big guns

If you're still scanning the horizon for a Chinese automotive invasion you're looking the wrong way. It's already happening, and the new GWM Tank is the off-road spearhead into the highly lucrative and hotly contested lifestyle market.

TAKE A HIKE

The beautiful agony of Tienuurkop

Time out in Dullies

A long weekend in Dullstroom is just long enough to make you realise you need to spend several more weekends here! There's food, drink, art and action in abundance. Here's your guide.

Gallivanting in the Galápagos!

The Galápagos Islands are on many a traveller's wish list. They were on Hanlie and Vivian Gericke's too, even though the price of visiting made their eyes water. Was it worth it? Read on...

BURCHELL AND THE COUNTRY OF THE BUSHMEN

How many times have you driven through a landscape and wished you could have seen it centuries ago? In 1811, the English artist and explorer, William John Burchell, travelled through South Africa. Join us as we follow in his footsteps.

Long live the Hibiscus Coast

The KZN South Coast is a national treasure. It's still the place to go if you want a classic seaside holiday complete with warm waves, cold beer, soft serve and good vibes. Here's your guide.