Sun, sea, and good tidings

Friends of mine recently hiked one of the six legs of the Kruger Trail. Each leg is roughly 100 km in length – an unsupported, week-long walk through a truly primitive wilderness. It’s just you and your companions, surrounded by wild animals, making your way (carefully!) through the veld day by day.

This remarkable trail, which now looms large on my to-do list, made me think of how humans managed to become the dominant species on earth. We’re not as strong as a lion, fast as a cheetah or big as an elephant, and our ability to work together is not unique: ants, bees, wild dogs and even baboons do this quite effectively.

Many good books have been written on the topic, and the consensus is that it was our unique ability to use language that gave us the edge – not only to warn about potential dangers, but also to explore future opportunities. Language, and especially the way we use it to tell stories, made it possible for us to co-operate with each other, and with complete strangers far away. Stories inspire people to be adaptable; to attempt things they could not even dream about.

For the magazine, this adaptability and faith in stories promising better times ahead have carried us to where we are now – into a season of well-deserved rest and new beginnings. For us, a summer holiday is synonymous with sand, sea and sunscreen, which is why our focus in this issue is on great escapes along the Wild and West coasts.

Our wish is that great travel stories will continue to inspire you in 2022, not just to explore new places, but to treat your family, friends and strangers with love and respect. Good tidings to all!