journey
NOTE FROM THE CEO
Departure
Lounge
I
grew up in Henley-on-Klip, located
between Johannesburg and Vereeniging.
Teenage days were spent dreaming
about life, wondering what our futures
held, listening to our friend Bobby’s
latest vinyls. Beautiful, lazy days on the
river. Bobby dreamt of becoming a film
producer (and did so very successfully –
www.wilddogproductions.co.za). After a
particularly cold winter, with Spring in the
air, Bobby decided to make a short film set
to the music of Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne.
Friends were commissioned and we all had
to run dreamily down to the river, looking
like we were floating on air. Recently we
all got together again at Bobby’s place
on the river, after many years apart. Life
had taken us all through many seasons,
children, sicknesses, deaths and joys.
How wonderful it was to see each other
again, to tell each other our stories and
acknowledge our deep friendships.
These days it’s the Breede River I head
to for a swim. It took some time to get
used to swimming in a river again, long
after those teenage years. My sister and
I ran and jumped off the deck like
Thelma & Louise. It was invigorating!
I recommend you try it, and all that
beautiful South Africa has to offer at this
time of year, from wild, blooming flowers
to whales travelling to our warmer waters
to birth their calves (page 24).
Our editor, Melany Bendix, spent a
fabulous 48 hours in Istanbul (page 32).
On my last trip to Turkey, en route to
Bodrum I took a quick 24-hour sidetrip
into Istanbul to see the Bosphorus and the
waterfront houses built in the Ottoman
era. There are places in the world you just
have to experience firsthand, even if you
only have 24 or 48 hours!
My friend Terry Munro, managing
director of Beachcomber Tours SA, is
an avid golfer. Head out with him to the
annual Paradis Golf Challenge, an amazing
event not to be missed (ask your Sure
Travel consultant for details). You’ll never
regret a trip to Mauritius, which is why it
remains a favourite destination for South
Africans – Richard Holmes’ six-year-old
certainly gives it the thumbs up (page 44).
Travel in the Year 2037 (page 16) is a fun,
futuristic look at what Sure Travel may be
offering you in 20 years time. Technology
will continue to drive things forward,
disrupt industries and present us with new
ways to experience life – but we may very
well yearn for “back in the day”…
I absolutely loved this edition’s Travel for
Purpose profile (page 58). Comedian Mark
Sampson, his wife Sam Pearce and their
two children are travelling Africa in their
big “green” bus to raise eco-awareness.
That is what I call living life to the full.
Happy travelling!
Vanya Lessing, CEO
Talk to us! Email the editor on [email protected]
Published by Bonzai Media
for Sure Travel
Editor: Melany Bendix
082-200-7088
[email protected]
Associate Editor: Will Bendix
Contributors: Sebastian Bartlett, Thomas
Cartwright, Leanne Farish, Rebekah Funk,
Charlie Human, Richard Holmes, Natasha
Johnson, Ami Kapilevich, Kuhle Mthembu,
Marelise van der Merwe, Huw Morris, Janine
Stephen, Alan van Geysen, Craig Wilson
SURE TRAVEL (Pty) Ltd
Chief Executive: Vanya Lessing
Marketing Assistant:
Martin Janse van Rensburg
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
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021-410-5726
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Website: www.suretravel.co.za
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