On the southern shore of Lake Geneva, the pretty French belle époque town of Évian-les-Bains, an hour away from Switzerland’s Geneva, offers slow walks along the promenade and healing treatments with therapeutic Évian water. For SAA Sawubona. Vevey, an hour away. From the Source At Source Cachat, in the spa town of Évian-les [...]
Poland’s beloved herb and fruit liqueur, once the ambit of women brewers only, has been made famous by a man operating from his family’s garden. For Roads & Kingdoms, August 2016. The garden is resplendent in the glow of autumn. Thirty minutes outside Warsaw central, Karol Majewski, widely regarded the country’s top small-batch nalewka manufacturer [...]
If there’s a single nation whose food has received worldwide attention (and deserved adoration) of late, it must be that of Korea – South Korea, to be clear. And New York City serves up exemplary Korean food. Written for Fine Dining Lovers. Mokbar Korean Ramen - provided by Mokbar Last year, in the [...]
Photo by Ishay Govender-Ypma I arrived in New York on a day that the world changed. I had to lend my voice. For Marie Claire SA, 2 February 2017 I arrived in New York City, via John F Kennedy airport on 28 January 2017 around 11AM. Unbeknown to me, at almost the same [...]
Haute-Savoie Food & Fun Guide. The slopes of the Haut-Savoie in Eastern France invites families of skiers and snowboarding daredevils. Ishay Govender-Ypma opts for slower hikes on snowshoes and Savoyard specialities by crackling fireplaces. Written for Travel Update Magazine. It’s in Megève, in the Rhone Alps that I experience a proper snowfall for the first [...]
As the Rio de Janeiro Olympic games come to a close, Ishay Govender-Ypma reflects on the issues and dissent during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a common thread between the two. For Mail & Guardian, August 2016. From here, at the highest tier in the Santa Marta favela in Rio, I can see the settlement [...]
Koreatown in Manhattan may be a long way from Seoul, but its restaurants serve up delectable national dishes, from bibimbap to bulgogi. For Business Day WANTED, August 2016. K-Town Pops The steeply vertical expanse of Koreatown in Manhattan, fondly nicknamed K-Town, crams an intense scrapbook of neon signage, supermarkets, general stores, beauty parlours and restaurants [...]
The expansive inner city districts of Johannesburg, once sidestepped by tourists, are now thriving with a boost from investment and passionate locals. Ishay Govender-Ypma hits the lively streets and spends some time walking Johannesburg. For SAA Sawubona Magazine, May 2015. The Prince of Newtown Just outside the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown – hunkering and [...]
Cherae Robinson Since launching Rare Customs in 2014, which facilitated foreign investment in African SMEs in the fields of agriculture, tourism and market entry, founder Cherae Robinson (nominated a “woman to watch” by the U.N. in 2014) has continued on her upward trajectory. In December 2015 she launched her start-up mobile app Tastemakers [...]
Mexico City – colourful, chaotic, and a crash-course in street-food, as Ishay Govender-Ypma learns, tasting her way through markets and curb-side stalls. Fine dining your north star? Check! But you’ll soon be drawn back to the abuela-style dishes found in the simple diners and homes around town. My Mexico City Food Guide For Taste Magazine, [...]
Riga, the cultural capital of the Baltics is offering up lighter, more refined versions of Latvian staples. Written by Ishay Govender-Ypma (@IshayGovender) for Fine Dining Lovers. Riga, image Shutterstock Often referred to as the pearl of Latvia in Central Eastern Europe, capital city Riga lies at the mouth of the Daugava River and along [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
