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traveller

south africaspring/summer 2011 r39.95 vat incl

9 772070 869009

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southafrican

issue

rwanda’s rebirthdiscover the mountain gorillas

in the land of hope fulfilled

48 hoursin rome, new zealand, antananarivo

iconic road trips7namibia • australia • italy • kosi bayutah • cotswolds • mpumalanga

win a trip to mauritius worth r50 000

island idyllsimple luxury in sun-drenched seychelles

national GeoGraphic traveller south africa6

Justin patrick When he wasjust 13, photographer Justin picked up hisdad’s Nikkormat and taught himself to useit. After studying industrial design, workingas a set-builder for a photographer andworking on a range productions for anumber of years, he finally embarked onhis own photographic career and hasn’tlooked back. ‘Photography is the first thingI have found that satisfies me completely.’His keen eye for detail and decor gaveperfect expression to the contemporaryurban aesthetic of the new Long Beachhotel in Mauritius (page 87).

ED’S LETTER

sven alberding One of Sven’searliest memories of travelling in SA on hisarrival from Berlin 18 years ago covered aroute similar to that in ‘North by Northeast’(page 78), with a stop at the very same God’sWindow on the way to the Kruger in a rentedelectric-blue Beetle with REM blaring fromthe speakers. On his recent Mpumalangaroad trip with photographer Elsa Young,he discovered the thriving Artist’s Pressand, surprisingly, fell for hot-air ballooning– ‘It’s quite exposed and physical. I wasamazed at how hot it gets under the burnerand how loud it can be.’

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National Geographic Traveller is published and distributed four times a year by Media24,with permission of the National Geographic Society, Washington DC, 20036.

travellerruss smith Out of the 60-oddcountries that Russ has visited in hislife, Rwanda has come as the biggestsurprise of all, bar none (see page 24).

‘I never expected the country to beso beautiful or well-run, its landscapeand cities to be so pristine, and its

people to be so friendly. It’s an Africangem.’ The highlight of his long-awaitedtrip, unsurprisingly, was the trek to seeRwanda’s famous mountain gorillas,

but everything about the country, fromits rain forests to its banana beer,

touched his soul.

michelle snaddonLast seen skiing in Lesotho while on a familyroad trip, Michelle has a passion for travel.She grew up in a remote village in Malawiand could identify venomous snakes beforeshe could ride a bike, so it’s not surprisingthat she has a sense of adventure and willdrop everything for a few precious days inthe bush. As a travel writer, she’s fallen inlove with St Petersburg and paraglided offa volcano in Réunion, but will always spendher last hour in a city choosing beautifulshoes. For this issue, Michelle took on the

role of armchair traveller instead.

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Finding the unfamiliar in a destination is most often the ‘authentic’ that we seek to unearth

in every feature we publish. In my experience, it’s the differences in culture – such as tradition, cuisine and social

beliefs and norms – that sum up the essence of a place for me, and that make the most meaningful memories.

There’s something addictive about delivering yourself onto the great open road with only a map and a vague idea

of where you’re going. I’ve always found that my best travel memories have been made when circumstances were

slightly uncomfortable and unpredictable, thus unleashing my sense of spontaneity and adventure.

Our roundup of road trips – from the turtle-breeding shores of KwaZulu-Natal to Australia’s Great Ocean Road,

the majestic desert interiors of Namibia to Italy’s Langhe Valley, and the lush splendours of Mpumalanga to Utah’s

iconic back roads – will hopefully inspire you to leave your comfort zone at home.

PSAs we went to press, the second fatal shark attack in two weeks was reported in Seychelles, a destination we

cover in this issue. As they investigate this devastating loss of human life, it’s a poignant reminder of the imbalances that

exist in our oceans today. Thanks to overfishing, gill netting and the evils of the shark-fin industry, the overwhelming

reality is that sharks are usually the victims and not us.