Where Growers Want to Go
Brian Berkman
With the Pome harvest in the bag by May, most South African apple and pear growers use the
down time of June and July to take a break. BRIAN BERKMAN, agricultural PR specialist who helped
launch Ceres-grown Witlof on to the market in 2017, the Flash Gala apple in 2018 and has repre-
sented Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the largest exporter of South African apples and pears into more
than 104 countries, for more than 15 years, also writes about travel. Here, in the first of a series,
Where Growers Want to Go, he suggests top travel tips:
A
lthough nearer to Africa than to
Europe, the Island of Madeira is a
family-friendly destination that is
still good value for South Africans.
English is widely spoken, (and smatterings of
Afrikaans too is heard by the Madeiran ex-
pats who returned to the Island after growing
up in South Africa.) Globally famous for
their wine, Madeira has year-round pleasant
temperatures.
Stay in the capital Funchal at Belmond Reid’s
Palace Hotel (belmond.com) for the classic
grande-dame hotel experience on the cliff
overlooking the bay of Funchal. Day-trippers
can book their celebrated and sophisticated
Afternoon Tea on the balcony or book spa
treatments. On the opposite of the Island,
Calheta is a good place to base yourself
if you’d like to take full advantage of the
Levadas, hiking trails all over the mountains
of Madeira adjacent to the irrigation channels.
Also, seeing the cliffy conditions under which
the Madeirans grow bananas, sugar cane and
wine grapes is inspiration for anyone who
farms for a living.
In Calheta, the Savoy Saccharum
(SavoyResorts.com) is a resort-style hotel
themed around sugar cane and rum
production. As the island is small and benefits
from an excellent road and tunnel network,
most areas on Madeira can be reached within
the hour. For the ultimate in charming seaside
village, Câmara de Lobos, just near Funchal, is
a top choice.
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