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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.

A pat on the back

BEHIND THE SCENES

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LETTERS

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 • The world feels like a better place when the sun rises in the dust behind your horse cart in the Karoo. Jasper Grobbelaar and his son Jasper Michael ride between Pampoenpoort and Carnarvon in the Northern Cape on a section of the Forgotten Highway, the original route between Cape Town and the interior, used by travellers long before the N1 was built.

IN BRIEF

NIGHT WATCH

LEOPARD LOUNGE

PROFILE Rob and his real-life fantasy • You won't find anyone who gets as excited about ancient fish as Dr Rob Gess does. He's South Africa's foremost researcher on creatures that lived in the Eastern Cape around 360 million years ago.

BOOKS AND MUSIC

ROAD MUSIC

I'll take an Uber, thanks • Learning how to drive a car can be a nerve-wracking experience. Abigail George recalls how she got thrown in at the deep end in the mean streets of Gqeberha.

Home is where the heart is • Every town and city in South Africa offers something special. We asked seven writers why they love the places they've chosen to call home.

Chasing sunsets from Kubu to Kasane • Where in the world can you glide past an elephant on a mokoro, see them as specks from the air, and watch them walk past from your camping chair? Pack your bags and join us on a wild loop through northern Botswana.

Stay cosy in the Koue Bokkeveld • Middelberg Pass is the highlight of the R303 between Ceres and Citrusdal – a lesser-travelled back road with some great guest farms and campsites. Here's what you need to know to plan your next long weekend.

TAKE YOUR PIC • “Wow, that's a great shot, you should send it to go!”When a friend says this to you, they mean you should e-mail your photo to Toast Coetzer at takeyourpic@gomag.co.za – it might be published!

Dive into wonder

Sleep late, eat great! • Weekends are for lie-ins and lazy brunches. Spoil friends and family with these easy recipes.

Conquering Everests in the Southern Alps • High in the snow-covered mountains of New Zealand's South Island, far removed from the rest of the world, there's a unique vehicle testing facility. Pierre Steyn drove a bunch of new Ford Rangers and Everests and was (begrudgingly) bowled over by a magnificent country and its people.

Local legends • Industrious South Africans are making some of the best travel and outdoor gear in the world, perfect for our conditions. And every entrepreneur you support creates jobs for other people. Here are some of our favourite pieces of kit.

TAKE A HIKE • Hug a baobab in the Bushveld

STAY HERE

Stay and play in St Francis Bay! • There's a lot happening in the twin towns of St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape. Come cruise the canals, walk on the coast and meet the friendly people who make this one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country.

BIRDS

Our tortoises are special! • There are about 50 tortoise species worldwide, 11 of which occur in South Africa. Let's learn about some of them.

Riffing through the Rift Valley • Do you dream of seeing Africa's wildest places but you always feel that you don't...