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.
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 [...]
Show Me the Way to the Next Corner Store - Cape Town, South Africa The small, independently run Cape Town Corner Stores are a dying breed, and those that still exist, do so valiantly and against the odds. Ishay Govender-Ypma shares the stories of seven local old stores, institutions to their loyal customers. For High Life, [...]
Want to know where to stay, what to eat, where to shop and what to see? Here's insider's guide to Cape Town. For Singapore Priority Magazine. STAY: Ellerman House Serene Ellerman House, one of Cape Town’s swankiest addresses, is sparkling after a property-wide refurbishment. The décor reflects aquatic blues and greens, an enviable and relevant art [...]
Chennai market A return to the Motherland - Chennai, India. For TASTE Magazine. It dawns on me at the Georgetown market in Chennai, that the locals find me perplexing. Amid ox-drawn carts piled with fresh vegetables, the vendors sit cross-legged in front of their tidily arranged wares, offering me a smile and a [...]
Eco-Forward and Going Green - Berlin, Germany Gritty, hip, cosmopolitan – Berlin is known by many names. Eco-forward and environmentally conscious are also some of them, as Ishay Govender-Ypma discovered. Berlin is going green: Etihad In-flight Magazine, Nov 2015. Berlin is known to be cosmopolitan, energetic, gritty and hard-hitting in attitude. It’s also far greener than you may [...]
An Alentejo Road Trip Guide - Drive Yourself Traversing the breathtaking landscape of fields, rivers, mountains and pre-historic ruins, Ishay Govender-Ypma explores Portugal’s wild Alentejo in Portugal, a region as yet unmarred by tourism. For Journey magazine by Sure Travel - an Alentejo Road Trip Guide. Lessons from the Land Looking down from the buttress [...]
Food Journey Through Cyprus - The Endless Feast In search of the defining dish across Cyprus, Ishay Govender-Ypma discovers sun-kissed produce, generous locals and more variety than one can imagine. *For Food & Home Entertaining SA October 2015* An old woman is sitting hunched outside a small shop in the morning sunshine, knitting. “Kalimera,” I [...]
Queens – Feasting Along the 7 Line. A Mini Guide Known as the International Express, Ishay Govender-Ypma leaves the familiarity of Manhattan and the hip eateries in Brooklyn for dollar-dining and diversity along the 7-subway line in Queens. *This article was written for Business Day Wanted Magazine, October 2015* Finally, it’s our turn at [...]
What to Eat in Barcelona - 5 Classic Catalan Dishes to Try Want to know what to eat in Barcelona? Don't miss this guide to five iconic Catalan dishes to try while in the city and where to taste them. For Fine Dining Lovers, 11 September 2015. Barcelona Cathedral Catalonians, and those who have come [...]
Buffets Around the World - Top Resort Restaurants Resort dining is on trend with the rise in culinary tourism. These are our picks of 10 of the best buffets around the world at resort restaurants. For Luxury Travel Magazine, Australia. Buffets rebuffed feature for Luxury Travel Magazine, Australia The restaurant offering wasn’t always a [...]
A Guide to Kreuzberg - Hip-hip Hooray! admiral's bridge Berlin My picks for the best fun in Kreuzberg, Berlin. For The National UAE, 20 August 2015. A Guide to Kreuzberg Why Kreuzberg? South of the central hub Mitte, the borough of Kreuzberg, Berlin, or X-berg as locals know it, has maintained its razor-sharp [...]
Portugal’s most famous dessert, the pastéis de nata or egg custard tarts are famous all around the world. But, there’s a secret recipe everyone wants... Written for Fine Dining Lovers. Pastéis de Nata I remember the first time I visited the district of Belém, a mere 10 kilometres outside Lisbon. We joined [...]
Featured in the SAA Sawubona inflight magazine Across an enchanting landscape of mountains, plains, rivers and ancient ruins, Ishay Govender-Ypma feasted on the flavours of the Alentejo, the breadbasket and wine barrel of Portugal. Written for SAA Sawubona inflight magazine, 21 July 2015 Acorns and Pastries “At one time we only fed acorns [...]
Walking into the Record Books - Graham Hughes Adventurer and videographer Graham Hughes is the only person to have travelled to every known country without taking a single flight. Ishay Govender –Ypma caught up with him via Skype from his home in Panama What does it take to travel to every country in the world, [...]
Bharatanatyam in Chennai, Rhythm City The ancient art of classical Bharatanatyam dance has undergone a revival. Ishay Govender-Ypma returns to her ancestral roots in Chennai, India to explore further. For Singapore Airlines Priority Club magazine. Her dark eyes are lined thickly in kohl, intimating the drama of a doe trapped in tragic light. She is [...]
A new Way for Blacks to Travel in Africa - Group Tours are In Parties with locals on a luxe rooftop in Accra, a fashion show in Nairobi and a rap concert in Marrakesh, learning a traditional recipe from your friend’s grandmother in Dakar. Ishay Govender-Ypma looks at a new breed of group tours, a [...]
