Our continent’s own horizons have no limits

Posted by Sonya Schoeman on 21 September 2015

The rand’s sad wilt will force many travellers to relook their choice of destination – and that may not be a bad thing.

 

Petronas Towers

Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers (also known as Menara Petronas). One place South Africans don’t need an expensive visa to visit.


‘Rand is 20,57 to the pound,’ read the doleful message from a friend who imports fabrics from England. My heart deflated at the thought of his tactile velvets and exquisite linens going up in price, and then my mind turned to my next concern: travel.

I haven’t been to London for about 10 years. Looks like I won’t be going again any time soon, I thought. And then I wondered: does that upset me?

I’m a South African with a foreign parent. I have never tried to get a foreign passport, even though it would save me plenty when travelling to the EU. However, I prefer to travel to countries that are off the onerous visa list – and there are plenty. Realistically, I imagine it will take me a lifetime to do those ones justice, leaving only time for a handful that require visas. I can live with that expense.

Why would I, though? I recently had occasion to revisit the Wild Coast. I went in style, flying by helicopter from East London to my destination 20 minutes up the coast – a place called Miarestate, near Haga Haga.

The place itself is a work in progress – not the hotel, which is lovely with great service and excellent food – so much as the estate, which had been farmland and is now being returned to its natural state. But the coastline along which it is set is exquisite – wild with patches of indigenous forest filled with birds and gorgeous plants. We rode horses, walked the beaches and sat and listened to frogs: I love nature’s little details. While the big finds are the bold shapes in a painting, the little things make up the nuances of the colour. I spent only two days there, but it reminded me why, if I could travel only on this continent, I would still be content: it’s so damned beautiful.

And since there’s always a yang to a yin, the upside is that if more people choose to travel locally or on the continent, it may boost these tourism industries and justify spending on travel infrastructure – and that would certainly be a good thing.

For the most part over the next few months, our magazine will be focusing on places where there is no expensive visa required. Starting the list this month is Kuala Lumpur. Upcoming is Madagascar, Ireland, Brazil (did you know most of South America is visa-free?), Rwanda, Kenya and more.

This issue we also have a story on one of the richest wildlife experiences anyone can have, in the unspoilt Zambezi Region of Namibia, as well as a feature on the Wild Coast for action nutters (don’t be put off if you’re not that, though – you can do your own less strenuous things in the area) on page 92. But if you prefer gentleness, De Hoop Nature Reserve is the destination for you and offers every choice, from camping through to wicked luxury (page 98) – plus it’s a magnificent birding mecca.

Again, so many choices right here. And more than ever, we’re focused on unearthing these options. I hope you enjoy the read.

 
To our readers: We want to hear your views. Mail us at [email protected]

 
 

This article first appeared in the October 2015 issue of Getaway magazine.

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