Taste of the Swahili Coast - Swahili Food The Swahili Coast runs from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique, a unique cultural melting pot that reflects in the cuisine. For Fine Dining Lovers, July 2016. In the village of Alfeneseni, outside Zanzibar, an east African island popular with holidaymakers for its pristine white shores and [...]
World's 50 Best Restaurants with South Africa taking spot number 22. South Africa’s The Test Kitchen continues to dominate taking spot number 22 on World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Ishay Govender-Ypma reports from New York City. For Business Day, June 2016. Last night at Cipriani Wall Street, Manhattan, New York welcomed its first World’s 50 Best [...]
Trust in Travel – What You Fear May be What They Fear While travelling the backroads, cities and towns of South Africa on an extended project, Ishay Govender-Ypma soon learns that the trust in travel is a two-way street. For Mail & Guardian, May 2016. road that leads to... I’m texting my brother [...]
Meet the founder of Open Streets, Cape Town - Marcela Guerrero Casas Ishay: Why did you pick Bree Street to incorporate in the Open Street initiative? Marcella: When we first chose it in 2015 we thought it’d be an interesting street to test for some of the following reasons: It is a major street but [...]
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen - South African Soul with a French Touch Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, owner of JAN in France, is the first South African to be awarded a Michelin star. Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) chatted to him on his recent visit to South Africa. For Fine Dining Lovers, April 2016. Jan [...]
Bree Street has, over the past five years, become the restaurant/bar/fun street in Cape Town. It's tough to pick, but these are five of my favourites. Do you have any must-visit spots on Bree? Read about the transformation on Bree Street for Business Day Chefs Warehouse & Canteen Chefs Warehouse with my friend Linda [...]
Beyond the glittery resorts in Zanzibar, Tanzania, we meet a family in a village who allow us a glimpse into Zanzibari food culture. For Business Day WANTED magazine, April 2016
Slaying Dragons in the Drakensberg Amphitheatre - Beginner's Hiking Guide The hike to the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in northern range, declared by National Geographic to be one of the world’s best trails, is where Ishay Govender-Ypma faces her fears and discovers a new hobby. For SAA Sawubona, April 2016. Returning to my home province of Kwa-Zulu Natal [...]
Although very small, Reykjavik is bustling with bars, brunch spots and bistros that pay homage to Iceland’s rich, and sometimes objectionable food traditions. For Fine Dining Lovers, 28 March 2016. Reykjavik from the main church For a capital city this small, home to around two-thirds of Iceland’s total population of 323 [...]
Brooklyn Dining Tour - New York There’s more to Brooklyn’s culinary scene than Williamsburg. Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) started in Greenpoint and kept walking on a Brooklyn Dining Tour. For SAA Sawubona Magazine, March 2016. Brooklyn Dining Tour featured in the SAA Sawubona Magazine North of Hip What used to be, if the travel [...]
The Baltic regions are on the rise. We explore the splendour of nearby Poland, still shedding the cloak of communism and forging a new identity. Poland - More Than Pierogi & Vodka for Food and Home Entertaining Magazine, March 2016. Fall of the Iron Curtain Classic Pierogi If it’s pierogi – the eponymous Polish [...]
Travelling along Bree Street and meeting the locals who are bringing the street back to being 'The place to be'. A Bree Street Food Guide For Business Day 4 March 2016. Crammed at the portside since the colonial days, with seedy dive bars and brothels frequented by sailors, and a mere hundred meters from the sea [...]
Raramuri mother and child Traversing the spectacular canyons on Mexico’s Copper Canyon on the last passenger ride, Ishay Govender-Ypma meets the reclusive Rarámuri, while learning about the country’s diverse landscape. For Mail & Guardian 26 Feb 2016 The vestibule convulses over the loops at Témoris, shaking us this way and that, but we [...]
GET THE GARDEN ROUTE RIGHT Based on an article for Sunday Times Travel UK Dec/Jan 2015, my guide to Best of the Garden Route The Garden Route is a crowd-pleaser. Want beaches? The road works its way along some of the creamiest swathes in the country. Prefer mountains? You’ll cruise hairpin bends atop dramatic peaks. [...]
A tough city for artists, Ishay Govender-Ypma explores the heart of the Durban’s Art Scene and creative spirit. For AFK Travel Undercover City Durban Taxi Mural Durban’s potential tends to bubble beneath the surface, not quite as bold and direct as Johannesburg or Cape Town. Durban is a laid-back city on many counts, [...]
Réunion Island Food, where culinary and cultural exploration meet Culinary and cultural exploration are deeply fused, Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) discovers on a visit to the volcanic French island, Réunion. For The National UAE, 4 Feb 2016. Author (2nd left) with a family of local farmers - they titled this: "The Malabar returns home" - [...]
Tackling the Drakensberg Amphitheatre with a disabling fear of heights and sedentary city-lifestyle are some of the challenges that newbie-hiker Ishay Govender-Ypma faces head-on in the Drakensberg.
A foraging walk with Loubie Rusch of Making KOS teaches the importance of learning about local plants and how to grow them to sustain us - Kalk Bay, Cape Town. For The Times, 19 January 2016. At The Studio in Main Road, Kalk Bay, an unexpected art installation is spread across a beautiful weathered wooden [...]
Summer in South Africa means platters of crayfish and local oysters, and glasses of local Chenin Blanc enjoyed by the water’s edge. *Olive Magazine asked me for my top ten defining Cape Town bites....not an easy ask. Out in Dec 2015 issue* Prime Position Luke Dale-Robert’s The Pot Luck Club, headed up by rising star Wesley [...]
For ancient history and culture enthusiasts, adventurous eaters and bargain hunters, Istanbul is the ideal destination for a vibrant vacation. Immerse yourself in old traditions juxtaposed with new trends. Ishay Govender-Ypma explores. For Sure Travel Journey Magazine. For one night only On my most recent visit to Istanbul, I stayed for just one night. What [...]
