SATGo Webnews September 2004 |
Upcoming Festivals
Arts Alive, Newtown, Johannesburg
Johannesburg's annual arts festival runs throughout the month
of September at various venues around the city. The festival opens
in grand style with hundreds of dancers and a float parade from
the Johannesburg Stadium to Newtown. Main venues will be the Market
Theatre in Newtown, the Windybrow in HiIlbrow and the Bassline in
Melville, but there will be shows in Alexandra and Soweto too. Among
Arts Alive's highlights will be the annual Jazz on the Lake at Zoo
Lake on 9 September, regular jam sessions at the Bassline, the Spanish
Ritmo Latino Dance Company at the Showcase, Randburg, on 13 September,
and the Soweto Youth Festival on 22 September. Two massed choirs
of 900 voices will perform at the City Hall on 29-30 September.
For more information, go to
www.artsalive.co.za
Hilton Arts Festival
If you didn't make it to the National Arts Festival this year,
some of its leading performers will be in the line-up at this year's
Witness Hilton Arts Festival, to be held at Hilton College in the
KZN Midlands from 17-19 September. Among artists scheduled to appear
are Ballet Theatre Afrikan (SA's top all-black male dance troupe),
Andrew Buckland, Greg Coetzee, Deon Opperman and Gilda Blacher
For more information, e mail Sue Clarence on Clarence@icon.co.za
or theatre@hiltoncollege.com
Aardklop
Potchefstroom's annual Afrikaans arts bash will take place in
the town from Tuesday, 28 September to Saturday 2 October. Highlights
of the festival, which grows in strength each year, will include
the tango-operetta Mario de Buenos Aires and the stage productions
of Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena and Oom Wanya, a translation
of Chekhov's famous play.
For information about accommodation and the festival programme go
to www.aardklop.co.za
or call Marijke Greeff on 018 294 7 509.
Hermanus Whale Festival
Hermanus is pulling out all the stops to make the 13th Whale Festival,
to be held this year from 23-26 September, especially memorable.
On Heritage Day, 24 September, a human chain of 4000 people will
join in a 'whale-wave' from the cliff tops to welcome the magnificent
Southern Right whales as they gather in Walker Bay. On the same
day, there will also be a children's pageant featuring 1000 local
schoolchildren, and for the duration of the festival there will
be special meals cooked by top chefs in local restaurants, an arts
and craft market, theatrical, musical and sporting events, boat
trips and much more. For more information go to www.whalefestival.co.za
Awesome Africa Music Festival
The sixth Awesome Africa Festival, to be held on 25 and 26 September
in Durban's Albert Park, will feature more than 250 musicians from
22 countries across Africa and beyond, playing non-stop music on
three stages. Educational workshops and Fringe activities will take
place at other venues from 19 September onwards.
For more information, go to www.awesomeafricafestival.co.za
Other September festivals
and fairs
Hello Darling Arts Festival and
Darling Wildflower Show
It's difficult to say which will be the bigger attraction for
visitors to tiny Darling, the small town 55 kms from Cape Town up
the West Coast - the annual wildflower show from 17-19 September
or Pieter-Dirk Uys's two special cabaret shows from 'Evita se Perron',
the platform of Darling's Railway Station, which will run concurrently
with the flower show. For flower lovers, the Renosterveld Reserve,
the Groenekloof reserve and several private wildflower reserves
in the area will open, and there will be tractor rides to Oude Post
Vlei to view its natural display of spring flowers.
For more information, go to www.darlingwildflowers.co.za
or www.evita.co.za
Stellenbosch Festival
Three festivals - the Music and Art Festival, the Simon van der
Stel Festival and the Food and Wine Festival will be rolled into
one large community festival in Stellenbosch from 24-29 September.
For more information go to www.stellenboschfestival.co.za
Magoebaskloof Spring Festival
Spring is at its most spectacular amid the cherry blossoms, crab
apple trees and azaleas of Magoebaskloof, whose annual spring festival
runs this year from 19 September to 3 October. Highlights are the
Haenertsburg Spring Fair at the Magoebaskloof Hotel, the beautiful
colours on display in the Cheerio Gardens and the Wolkberg Orchid
Society's exquisite exhibition, from 21-26 September. For further
information, call 15 276 1148 or go to www.magoebaskloof.co.za
Simon's Town Penguin Festival
This five day festival, running from 22 -26 September and centred
on the town's historic Jubilee Square, will feature children's'
activities, a craft market, live music, arts and culture and sporting
events (including a fun run and kayaking) will raise funds for the
conservation of the town's African penguins and the building of
a bird rehabilitation centre.
For more information, go to www.simonstown.com
or call 021 786 1758.
Important September
events
Africa Aerospace and Defence 2004
If you're a military buff or enjoy spectacular flying displays
(and don't we all?) make a point of being at the Waterkloof Air
Base outside Pretoria on September 24 and 25 for the two public
days of Africa's largest military show. On Friday 24 September,
there will be a spectacular air display by the SAAF and other air
forces, featuring aircraft from Sweden, Britain and Germany, among
others.
For more information, watch the daily press or go to www.aadexpo.co.za
Star Getaway Show
Johannesburg's annual tourism and outdoor adventure show, the
popular Getaway Show, takes place at the MTN Sundome in Northgate
from 10-12 September. Over 400 exhibitors will be displaying the
latest in travel destinations, from luxury resorts to caravanning
and camping spots, and outdoor equipment. For the adventure-minded,
there will be an outdoor climbing wall, a 4x4 obstacle course and
a F16 flight simulator to try out. Entry is R30 for adults; R 5
for kids under 12.
For more information, go www.getaway.co.za
RMB WineX
This major event on the country's wine calendar takes place for
the second time in Cape Town's International Conference Centre from
8-10 September. Over 1200 wines will be on offer from 230 of the
country's top wineries. Many top winemakers will be in attendance
to greet visitors and talk about their products. RMB WineX will
also be held in Johannesburg in late October.
For more information, go to www.winex.co.za
WIKID
WIKID is the first show of its kind to address young people of
all ages, from toddlers to teens (2-18). To be held in the Sandton
Convention Centre from 17-19 September, WIKID will offer fashion
shows, dancing displays, make-over demonstrations, modeling competitions,
a mini-skate park, a games cave, a tiny tot's play area, a kids'
kitchen and much more. Entrance is R25 per person; R 10 for children.
For more information go www.rai.co.za
or call 011 549 8300
News & Trends
- No fewer than five South
African lodges are among the world's top 10 hotels, according to
international travel magazine Travel & Leisure's recently released
ratings for 2004. Singita, in the Saba Sands adjoining the
Kruger Park, was rated the best hotel in the world - the third time
it has topped an international travel poll. Others in the top 10
are Londolozi and Mala Mala in Mpumalanga, Bushman's Kloof (in the
Cederberg) and Phinda (in northern KZN).
In the same survey, Cape Town was voted best city in Africa and
one of the world's top five tourist cities, for the second year
in a row.
- Cape Town is the venue
for this month's 29th IBBY (International Board on Books for Young
People) Congress, whose theme is "Books for Africa'.
The event, to be held at the Baxter Theatre from 5-9 September,
will be attended by 500 delegates from 66 countries. Cape Town was
chosen because it has more publishers of books for young
readers than anywhere else in Africa.
- The Greater Addo Elephant
National Park project is now officially up and running. The
project, which will increase both the land and marine areas of the
park over the next six years, will make Addo the only park in the
world to offer the Big Seven - lion, elephant, leopard,
rhino, buffalo, whale and (great white) shark.
- A new tourist route, "The
Heart of Route 62" has been launched in the Western Cape.
The route takes in the wine and fruit producing towns of Robertson,
Bonnievale, Ashton, McGregor and Montagu. Activities on offer in
this beautiful part of the country include wine-tasting, rock climbing,
riverboat-cruising, hot springs-bathing, walking and
hiking.
- The Blyde River Canyon,
on the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, is to become a national park.
The 50 000 hectare park will contain a new hotel, craft shops,
a restaurant as well as tourism training facilities. (African Eye
News)
Hidden Gems
Makanyane Safari Lodge,
Madikwe
Tired of taking anti-malaria pills and looking for a closer alternative
(from Gauteng) to the Lowveld game reserves? Then drive westwards
for three and a half hours to the country's fourth-largest game
reserve, Madikwe. Situated in North-West province between the Marico
River and the Botswana border, the 60 000 hectare (approx 30 kms
x 40 kms) Madikwe has several advantages over its Lowveld rivals.
- It's quicker to get to
- It's malaria-free
- Besides offering the Big Five, it has a wider spectrum of wildlife
(e g gemsbok, sable and kudu; impala and springbok), including the
rare and endangered wild dog.
- It has a greater variety of habitats (from open plains to mountain
forests) per square kilometre and a higher density of animals.
- It has several endemic bird species, including the beautiful
crimson-breasted shrike (and its rare yellow-breasted variant),
the pied babbler and arrow-marked babbler.
More upmarket than the nearby Pilanesberg, Madikwe's dozen or
so luxury lodges and bush camps offer a variety of three- to six-star
accommodations. And because game-viewing is conducted by experienced
rangers driving open Landrovers or accompanying their charges on
foot, visitors are virtually guaranteed a memorable wildlife experience.
Closest lodge to Johannesburg, along a final 80 kms of good dirt
road, is the new and visually-stunning Makanyane Safari Lodge, a
16-bed private hideaway that offers its guests the ultimate in comfort
and personal attention. Eight exquisitely-designed wood and stone
chalets, each glass-fronted with its own sundeck, open out onto
a stretch of river, enabling one to relax in total seclusion and
soak up the sights and sounds of the bushveld. Sleep comes easily
in such peaceful surroundings but don't be surprised if, in the
middle of the night or on waking in the morning, you find an elephant
staring through your front window.
Managed by Garth Kew, Makanyane has a staff of no fewer than twenty-eight,
so you've only to bat an eyelid for someone to ask if you'd like
something delicious to eat or another drink. Elaborate meals prepared
by top-class chefs are served al fresco on the lodge's main deck,
on one's private patio or in the beautifully-appointed boma. For
those who require further bodily pampering, a resident beauty therapist/masseuse
offers a variety of personal services, while for the energetic there
is an outdoor pool and an air-conditioned gym in which to work up
an appetite.
Makanyane is owned by a British couple living in the UK, who fell
in love with the area and decided to carve out their own little
piece of heaven in Africa. What distinguishes their lodge from others
in Madikwe is that its 1800 hectares are privately-held and do not
form part of the wider reserve. Although Makhanyane enjoys traversing
rights over the entire reserve, it is able to offer its guests exclusive
viewing from its several hides, as well as the opportunity of sleeping
out under the stars on a specially constructed wooden deck, high
above the tree line.
Makanyane's current rack rate is R 2 800 per person per day, which
includes all meals, wines (from a well stocked cellar) and spirits,
and at least two game drives per day. Special rates apply during
quieter periods, for longer stays and for returning guests.
Evidence that the lodge is already building a reputation for
quality among both locals and foreigners is that 20% of bookings
in its first year have come from returning guests: one couple have
already come back nine to ten times. During my recent week-end there,
I encountered a particularly well-travelled American lawyer and
his family, who visit a new part of the world each year. They could
not speak highly enough of their three days at Makanyane - of the
excellence of the accommodation and the warmth and quality of their
reception.
For those wishing to fly rather than drive to Madikwe, there
is a daily flight from Johannesburg to the reserve, costing R 1
175 per person, one way. For further information and for bookings
at Makanyane, go to www.makanyane.com
or call +27 (0) 14 778 9600 or fax +27 (0) 14 778 9611.
Richard Steyn
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