Ideas and inspiration

This month’s events, activities, new ideas and inspiration

Worth travelling for

Bridging the gap between Christmas and new year, the ebubeleni festival keeps the party pumping in nelson Mandela Bay. Friday is for local hip-hop, gqom and the latest craze, amapiano, with Cassper nyovest, Moonchild, Kwesta, Sho Madjozi and more. Saturday is comedy night, while the main concert on Sunday at the stadium includes Pe divas Zonke (right) and Msaki, Lesotho legend Tsepo Tshola and Durban’s

DJ Tira. computicket.com

Horse-racing season kicks off with the elegant two-day affair that is the l’ormarins Queen’s Plate. The dress code is strictly blue and white, and smart (ladies: hats or fascinators recommended), with prizes including Cartier accessories, bubbly and, for the best dressed, a trip to London. There’s a jazzy garden party on the Friday, and a range of stylish marquees and lounges on the Saturday plus a vintage car display and afterparty. lqp.co.za

Pongal is a South Indian harvest festival that ushers in the new year. everyone is welcome at Pongal on the farm in Johannesburg, which will feature traditional blessings of cows, offerings, artworks, games, dances and songs – plus a few things to keep urban kids amused such as water slides, boat rides and horse rides. It’s ByO pot-luck food and drinks (strictly vegetarian and non-alcoholic). Free entry, but you must pre-register on quicket.co.za.

It might sound extreme but the Sani Pass Wildflower Walk is totally doable – you get ferried to the top and spend time on the plateau in Lesotho at about 2 876 metres, admiring the unique flora up there with botanists on hand, then it’s a stroll down the pass for eight kilometres, admiring more views, birds and blooms such as the ‘Granny Bonnet’ orchid (left), the suicide gladiolus, the only poppy in SA and Lesotho redhot pokers. info@sanilodge.co.za

Watch Spider-Man, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in action – not on screen but in real life. That’s right, Thor, Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, Doctor Strange etc will be doing battle against assorted villains in front of your eyes at Marvel

Universe Live! at the Sun Arena. And they’re throwing everything at it, from martial arts and aerial stunts to lasers, 3D video, pyrotechnics and major sound effects. computicket.com