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South Africa’s number one travel and outdoor lifestyle magazine. We pay our own way and tell it like it is. We drive back roads and speak to real people, giving you practical information about affordable destinations in southern Africa. Each issue is crammed with excellent photography, honest gear reviews and delicious recipes to make at home or in the bundu. Whether you’re looking to escape for a weekend or a month, your journey starts here.

Optimism is contagious

BEHIND THE SCENES • Freelance writer Marguerite van Wyk has dreamt of visiting India for years, and she finally did – read the first instalment of her Travel Journal on p 120.

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LETTERS • Where have you been? What have you seen? Write to editor@gomag.co.za

Q&A • Every month our experts answer your questions about birds, bugs and beasts. Send your photos and queries to editor@gomag.co.za

CHECK THIS! • It's mid-morning at Etosha's Ozonjuitji m'Bari waterhole and a classic scene unfolds: Three elephants are about to chase three lions from their resting place next to the waterhole. In the background, two more lions lie near the remains of a zebra kill, while vultures and jackals compete for the last scraps.

IN BRIEF

Wordle on the moon

Adders and ladders

Safe from oil drilling, for now…

Greet the Green Kalahari • Upington, on the banks of the Orange River, is more than just a stopover en route to the Kgalagadi or Namibia. It's the hometown of our copy editor Martinette Louw, who shares her favourites.

Stones unturned • When your forebears’ genetic legacy drives you to gathering, there's no telling what you might accumulate on your travels. Helen Fraser remembers one special collectible, bound up in memories of a soccer world cup.

BOOKS AND MUSIC

The river of life • The Zambezi is considered one of the oldest river systems on earth. In Lower Zambezi and Mana Pools national parks, you can experience this ancient landscape like it was in the very beginning: wild and wonderful.

All the peace in the world • Winterberg, Doornberg, Ganora, Letskraal, Waterval… These are just some of the peaceful farmyards you'll visit on our Karoo Photo Tour in partnership with Heuningland.

Karoo comfort • You might know her as an actress and singer, and later as the apprentice of Griqua herbalist Johannes Willemse. After his passing, Antoinette Pienaar kept her heart locked away, but now she's ready to bloom again.

TAKE YOUR PIC • Share your best animal, travel and nature photos! Send them to takeyourpic@gomag.co.za and who knows, Toast Coetzer might have something to say…

SEND US YOUR BEST TRAVEL AND NATURE PHOTOS!

NEW GEAR

The planet we share

Frozen assets • From seafood and peas to potstickers and berries, stock your freezer with these ingredients to make cooking delicious and effortless.

Show me the dough • Why buy bread that tastes of stale air when you can bake your own sourdough at home? It will be the tastiest, healthiest bread you'll ever eat; and with the right tools at your disposal, it will become a labour you'll grow to love.

The petrol Ranger • Just in case you thought the choice of double cabs wasn't overwhelming enough, there's a petrol contender vying for your rands – the new Ford Ranger 2.3T Sport. Which begs the question: Does a bakkie need to be a diesel?

In good company • There's a lot going on in Somerset East, now KwaNojoli - a small town in the Eastern Cape Karoo. Cast a fly, do a parkrun, start a tech business, write your novel and fall in love with a life you might not have known existed.

TAKE A HIKE • LEOPARD TRAIL, BLYDE CANYON

GONE BIRDING

WITH MY OWN EYES • The Kgalagadi is an excellent birding destination. Willem Kruger from Herold's...