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Construction starts at Harmonie Golf & Beach Estate, featuring luxury villas & a golf course.
Words by Debbie Hathway November is a bittersweet time of year. I get the usual yearning to return to Mauritius (my body knows when it’s time to recharge), but it’s also a special time to experience paradise island when the sun coaxes inconceivable shades of blue from the ocean, and the “flamboyant” trees are full of brilliant red flowers. 16 November 2016 was the first time I visited Mauritius in the summer. It was a long weekend break made possible by sponsored flights through Air Mauritius. My mom had been fighting cancer for too long, having beaten it once before, and I needed a boost to get me through the next phase. However, that weekend was the beginning of the end of my mother’s life. Had I known that was imminent, I would never have gone. I was in denial, firmly believing she would turn the corner. I returned to Cape Town that Sunday morning. She passed away that night. My father and I were with her. So, when I get the social media reminders of my time there, those memories come flooding back and with them, the learning. I was at work the day after she passed, sending a magazine to print because there was nobody else to do it. I was retrenched a few weeks later.
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Join in The Lux Collective’s wellness programme this Global Wellness Day. Follow one of the participating resort’s activities on their IGTV channel and join in if you can! Words by Debbie Hathway ‘ONWARD AND DOWNWARD!’ For veteran marine biologist and oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, it’s a motto for life, having dedicated an epic career to underwater exploration and raising awareness around ocean conservation. At 88, she’s a living legend, the first TIME magazine Hero for the Planet, a National Geographic explorer-in-residence and founder of Mission Blue, SEAlliance and DOER Marine (Deep Ocean Exploration and Research). She has led over 100 expeditions, logged over 7 000 hours underwater, authored numerous books and lectured worldwide – and she’s not stopping any time soon. What motivates her to keep going? ‘Reasons for hope.’
Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY You can contribute to conservation and community throughout Africa by participating in any number of Singita initiatives, or by simply travelling with a responsible ecotourism operator. “While the Travel & Tourism sector accounts for 10.4% of global GDP, wildlife tourism represents 3.9% of this figure, or USD 343.6 billion; a figure equivalent to the entire GDP of South Africa or Hong Kong. Of equal significance is the fact that around the world, 21.8 million jobs or 6.8% of total jobs sustained by global Travel & Tourism in 2018 can be attributed to wildlife,” says Gloria Guevara Manzo, President & CEO World Travel & Tourism Council. In almost three decades, Singita has become one of Africa’s leading conservation and ecotourism brands, with half a million acres of land under their stewardship in Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe. During the global coronavirus pandemic, there is no tourism revenue, but the cost of managing conservation and community initiatives amounts to many millions of dollars each year. Strategic partnerships and generous donors help offset these expenses. Today’s traveler is very conscious of the impact of their visit, and they want to know that they are making a positive difference—or traveling with purpose. Normally, Singita guests at any of the 15 low-impact lodges and camps contribute to the company’s 100-year purpose to protect and preserve large parts of African wilderness for future generations. There are several projects on the ground, implemented by Singita’s partner Funds and Trusts, that benefit wildlife conservation or community development in the region. Working in teams is critically important. At the end of the day we are all trying to achieve the same thing—conserve the Serengeti ecosystem for future generations to come.
Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY
When you want to stop the world, sometimes the universe obliges. Debbie Hathway discovered this in Botswana. Published in Business Day Wanted Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY The day after my father passed away, I boarded a plane from Cape Town to Johannesburg en route to Botswana. It was set to be the trip of a lifetime, prime game viewing at two reserves in the Kalahari region and one in the Okavango Delta. I decided to join the small expedition as planned, partly for my father, who was an avid birdwatcher, and partly for me. I needed to find peace in the quiet of the bush. The invitation had come from Allan Eccles of Falcon Africa, in celebration of his company’s 30th anniversary. Eccles is a former SA Air Force pilot turned bush pilot and safari guide in the Delta. He knows the territory, not just here but across Africa. Well familiar with the annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, in Botswana Eccles accompanied a television crew to film the catfish migration up the main river channels of the Delta. “I assisted at a wildlife lodge in the Savute during a drought, which involved driving water trucks to the pans on the Savute Marsh to fill them with water. The lions would follow the truck to drink at our feet,” he says.
The restrictions on movement, never mind life in general, imposed by the coronavirus pandemic must give new meaning to the term ‘itchy feet’. Whether you’re an avid traveller or not, you’re bound to want to leap out of your armchair and venture forth now that the South African government has declared interprovincial travel okay for both business and leisure. Published in Sail and Leisure Words: DEBBIE HATHWAY African Bush Holidays For All AfricaStay has pivoted way ahead of the rest, getting the basics down for their new division – Holiday Packages by AfricaStay – just before lockdown. “In the middle of the global crisis, we were able to retain our core team and focus on the rapid transformation necessary for survival in the travel industry today,” says Marian Sandu, director at AfricaStay. “We reinvented ourselves, learned new skills, and put all our effort into completing our new booking portal for tourists and travel agents. We’re excited to be able to launch Holiday Packages by AfricaStay as South Africa embraces the travel potential that comes with Level 2 status.” Historically AfricaStay has focused on Zanzibar, but with the technology wrapped up in this new portal the company will be able to offer holiday packages anywhere in the world. “We are very happy that South Africa is opening up for travel, with rates that appeal across the board. High-end destinations are offering packages normally aimed at the wealthy at rates low enough to make them accessible to middle-class travellers.” Support Local Look local for instant gratification because prices have never been more appealing. And book those international travel packages while the rates are low. It is a case of book now, travel later, while avid travellers wait for borders to reopen. Some destinations are already in the happy position of being fully booked for the near future. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on this platform, which also invites collaboration from travel consultants who may use it to promote their own products. Users will be able to search for holiday packages, flights, activities and experiences to suit both budget and availability. With so many more people working out of office as the norm, what’s to stop you from working anywhere else in the world? If you fancy a short break, there’s no better place to restore heart and soul than in the African bush. Bush Holiday Specials North West 4* Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge: two nights from R2650 per person, includes breakfast and one game drive. 4* Black Rhino Game Lodge from R1995 per person per night, includes all meals and two game drives. Book now and safari later. Valid until 28 February 2021, excluding 24 December 2020 to 4 January 2021. Book by 31 August 2020.