Technorati Profile

Langebaan accommodation - At The Rocks

Recently found a wonderful place to stay in Langebaan, which is on the West Coast in Cape Town, South Africa. The place called "At The Rocks" is 4 star graded by the TGCSA, and is very luxurious. The staff are extremely friendly and helpfull, and I would highly recommend you take advantage of the low accommodation rates. The website address is http://www.langebaan.biz - Ed

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will take place June 11-July 11 of that year, the ruling body FIFA announced on Wednesday amid a warning to local organizers to finally start with stadium construction and renovation. FIFA said that its executive board also agreed that the preliminary round draw for the World Cup will take place November 23, 2007, in Durban.

The Confederations Cup in South Africa will be played June 14-27, 2009, in the five cities of Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg (Ellis Park), Pretoria and Rustenburg.

FIFA said it was satisfied with a progress report on the World Cup and reiterated its supprt to the local organizing committee, but insisted work on the venues must now start.

Read more

Cape Town number one city in Africa

The 19th annual Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Awards has voted Cape Town as the number one city in Africa and the Middle East and has been ranked as the eighth city in the world.

In this year’s awards, Cape Town beat Marrakech, Morocco, Jerusalem and Israel to the crown of the top city in Africa, and in the world category, they were beaten by cities such as Sydney, Florence and San Francisco. Rated on ambience, culture/sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping, Cape Town scored 82.8 on a scale of 100

Full story here: http://www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp?id=58817&nav=51

Cape Garden Route was named the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year

South Africa`s Cape Garden Route was named the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year for Africa and the Middle East at the International Golf Travel Market held at Marbella, Spain. The award is made annually by IAGTO, the Global Trade Organisation for the Golf Tourism Industry and is a milestone for golf tourism in the Garden Route and Western Cape province.

The Cape Garden Route walked away with the grand prize, beating top destinations like Dubai and Mauritius amongst others, after more than 200 golf tour operators in 38 countries worldwide cast their vote based on the quality of golf courses and accommodation, customer service, professional conduct of suppliers, support from the local tourism authority, value for money and accessibility of tee-off times.

The Cape Garden Route is home to the world famous Fancourt Hotel & Country Estate where the Presidents Cup was hosted in November 2003, Goose Valley, designed by the Gary Player Group, and Pezula Golf Club, situated on one of the most magnificent locations in South Africa. It also has five other 18-hole and eight 9-hole golf courses, and a driving range.

Full Story here: http://www.traveldailynews.com/new.asp?newid=33895&subcategory_id=107

SouthAfricaSearch - with Quicklinks

Quick links to the most popular South African websites, news, car hire, shopping, banking, cell phone networks, accommodation and more.

Read more at southafricasearch.googl...

IOL: SAA hopes cheap Mango will bear fruit

It's a case of hello to dirt-cheap seats, goodbye to legroom, and hello again to pensioner pilots.Launched on Monday, South African Airways' new low-cost kid on the block, Mango, will cost just R200 to fly between Johannesburg and Cape Town and a little less for flights between Johannesburg and Durban.But while Mango will be offering the cheapest flights in the country, they will also be the tightest.Mango's four Boeing 737-800s, leased from SAA, will see 186 seats packed into planes which, under normal seating configurations including Business Class, have places for 157 people.

Read more at www.iol.co.za/index.php...

travel.iafrica.com | flights BA flights a boost for Cape Town

British Airways on Friday began operating double-daily flights to Cape Town, providing an additional 14 040 seats between the Mother City and London during the busy summer season.The airline, which first began flying directly to Cape Town in 1984, has long campaigned for more services to meet both burgeoning inbound tourism demand from one of South Africa’s major source markets and to provide sufficient seats for outbound business and leisure travellers.It started operating daily services to Cape Town in 2000 and has steadily increased this schedule whenever it was able to in terms of the inter-government agreement which regulates the number of flights between South Africa and the UK. Last summer it operated 12 services a week.

Read more at travel.iafrica.com/flig...

allAfrica.com: South Africa: JIA Officially Renamed O.R. Tambo

The Johannesburg International Airport is now known as the OR Tambo International Airport, following an official renaming ceremony here on Friday.President Thabo Mbeki joined by among others, former President Nelson Mandela and the Tambo family, attended the ceremony to rename the airport in honour of the late Oliver Reginald Tambo.The former African National Congress (ANC) leader passed away on 23 April 1999. He would have turned 89 today.The renaming is set to immortalise Mr Tambo and pay homage to his contribution to South Africa's liberation struggle.Speakers at the ceremony showered Mr Tambo with praise for his outstanding work in rallying international support for the liberation movement and getting the global community to condemn apartheid.

Read more at allafrica.com/stories/2...

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Gauteng Tourism, Airports Company Sign Agreement

The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) signed an agreement today, to promote access to information about tourism in the province.Gauteng is pulling out all the stops to ensure it boosts its popularity among foreign visitors, ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.With the tournament set to attract millions of tourists into the country, the hospitality industry is making sure it does not miss great opportunities the event promises.Passenger traffic at the airport is said to be at about 17 million a year currently and is expected to grow to about 24 million a year by 2010.For this reason, the two organizations have agreed to man an information kiosk at the OR Tambo International Airport, to disseminate information about tourism and the airport.The GTA said the kiosk will provide accurate and relevant information and material about Gauteng's key experiences. Some include shopping, business, heritage, wining and dining, advice on travel, sights and sounds of the province, tours and accommodation booking.

Read more at allafrica.com/stories/2...

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Gauteng Tourism, Airports Company Sign Agreement

The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) signed an agreement today, to promote access to information about tourism in the province.Gauteng is pulling out all the stops to ensure it boosts its popularity among foreign visitors, ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.With the tournament set to attract millions of tourists into the country, the hospitality industry is making sure it does not miss great opportunities the event promises.Passenger traffic at the airport is said to be at about 17 million a year currently and is expected to grow to about 24 million a year by 2010.For this reason, the two organizations have agreed to man an information kiosk at the OR Tambo International Airport, to disseminate information about tourism and the airport.The GTA said the kiosk will provide accurate and relevant information and material about Gauteng's key experiences. Some include shopping, business, heritage, wining and dining, advice on travel, sights and sounds of the province, tours and accommodation booking.

Read more at allafrica.com/stories/2...

Tourismcapetown - (Travel Daily News)

The local tourism organisation of Stellenbosch is the first of a potential 68 in the Western Cape to be officially accredited by the provincial tourism destination marketing organisation, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, as part of a process to give visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape an improved, integrated tourism service and enhance their tourism experience of the province. Being accredited will give local tourism organisations access to long-term funding from local municipalities.An official accreditation certificate, valid for three years, will be handed over by Cape Town Routes Unlimited to representatives of the Stellenbosch Tourism Organisation at a ceremony at The House of JC le Roux, Stellenbosch, this afternoon (Friday, 13 October 2006). The event follows an extensive consultative process with local tourism organisations and local municipalities in the Western Cape over the last six months, including 32 workshops and several discussion sessions hosted by Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s Visitor and Membership Services Unit.

Read more at www.traveldailynews.com...

Business Report - V&A Waterfront to get R7bn pizazz boost

Cape Town - The V&A Waterfront, one of Cape Town's top tourist attractions, is set to get a cash injection of R7 billion that will place the already swanky centre firmly in the upper-class bracket.Nakheel Hotels & Resorts chief executive James Wilson said the money would be in addition to the R7 billion that the new owners had paid to Transnet and its pension funds.In September Nakheel sibling company Istithmar, UK property company London & Regional Properties and local black empowerment partners bought the V&A, announcing that they would bring an element of "pizazz" to the property. Only about half of the 603 000m2 property had been developed by Transnet.

Read more at www.busrep.co.za/index....

Tourismcapetown - (Travel Daily News)

Most international visitors to the Western Cape this winter were British and they spent more than their American and German counterparts, even though they didn’t stay as long. But somewhat surprisingly more Americans than Germans visited the province and, on average, spent more.This according to the results of research commissioned by Cape Town Routes Unlimited and released to its members in a new weekly newsletter, Let’s Talk Tourism. The study was carried out in June and July by a consortium comprising the University of Stellenbosch, University of the Western Cape, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and African Equation.

Read more at www.traveldailynews.com...

Tourism boom hits SA shores

A record 2,7 million tourists visited South Africa between January and April, reflecting a 16 percent increase over the first quarter of last year, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.

"With just over 2,7 million arrivals from January to April, this is the first time we have broken through the 2,5 million mark in the first four months of the year," he said. "This figure compares very favourably with our first quarter arrivals of 1998, which stood at just over 1,8 million. We have seen a 16 percent increase in arrivals across all territories compared to the same period last year."

"The largest component of this growth comes from the Africa and the Middle East region, which was 21,9 percent higher confirming the importance of this sector to our continued success," he said.

Read more

IOL: Cape Town scoops triple win at World awards

Cape Town has received three awards at the prestigious 13th annual World Travel Awards.The Mother City clinched the "Africa's Leading Destination" award, while the stately "Pink Lady", Mount Nelson Hotel, was named Africa's leading hotel.Cape Town International Airport was voted Africa's leading airport.More than 160 000 travel industry professionals from 120 countries were asked to vote for their leading conference centres, travel destinations, airlines, hotels and companies around the world.Dubbed the travel industry's equivalent of the Oscars, the awards celebrate service excellence.

Read more at www.iol.co.za/index.php...

7DAYS » South Africa roars for business travel

South Africa, riding the wave of a tourism boom, is touting Survivor-style business meetings with the aim of turning it into one of the world’s top ten conference venues by the end of the decade. The brand new Business Unusual unveiled at roadshows across the US, Europe and Asia, offered executives a chance to swap their stuffy pinstripe suits for shorts in the bush while chalking out strategy or ironing out problems.“What we’re saying is we can go beyond the usual business conferences and meetings,” Angeline Lue from South African Tourism said.

Read more at www.7days.ae/2006/09/25...

Travel Video Television News

Tourism Africa has great potential as an annual event to promote international tourism to the continent and to make its vast range of natural attractions better known to the world. It could be a regular date in the travel trade calendar for African suppliers to meet European and world buyers. It could be the greatest opportunity for traders in the field of African tourism to network, to exchange views and meet the press and media.The inaugural Tourism Africa conference was accompanied by an exhibition of tourism and travel operators in the vast space of the Palexpo congress center beside Geneva's international airport. It was wonderful to step off a plane from London and walk through the terminal directly into the event. This seemed a master-stroke of conference organization.

Read more at travelvideo.tv/news/mor...

SAT - (Travel Daily News)

In line with its strategy to position South Africa as a leading destination for the global film industry, South African Tourism and Cape Town Routes Unlimited, together with the Cape Film Commission, have facilitated the shooting of a glamorous multi-million rand Bollywood movie, Cash, in The Mother City. The project was officially launched at a media conference at the Radisson Hotel in Cape Town.Produced by Bollywood great Sohail Maklai and distributed by Metro-Adlabs, Cash is the first Bollywood film whose script / story-line is set in Cape Town. This has given the producers and directors a unique opportunity to truly showcase the icons, the hot spots and the dramatic scenery that make Cape Town and the Western Cape one of the most popular tourism destination cities on the planet.

Read more at www.traveldailynews.com...

Eric Nathan: Highlights of South Africa - AfricaNews EN

South African photographer Eric Nathan made a selection of his highlights of the most southern country of Africa. His selection contains images from the lush green hills of the Transkei in the Eatern Cape, the wine lands in the Western Cape, the skyline of South Africa's economic hub, Johannesburg, and the mothercity of Cape Town, were people usually take it a bit more easy. Eric is a self-taught photographer and specialises in travel and landscape photography. He has travelled to over fifty countries worldwide.

Read more at www.africa-interactive....

e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

As South African Tourism continues to consolidate its mandate to market South Africa as a world-class destination of choice, the organisation is pleased to announce a number of strategic new appointments to its team in Australia.Janaya Birse, who was formerly Trade Relations Manager, has been appointed Marketing and Communications Manager with effect from 1 August. Her new responsibilities will include being the point of contact for public relations / advertising agencies, trade and media in Australia. She will also be required to ensure the accuracy and consistency of South African Tourism’s brand positioning across all messaging and communications.In yet another move, Eric Baravilala has joined the South African Tourism team as International Business Tourism Manager. His principal duty will be to implement South African Tourism’s Strategy to drive incremental and exponential growth for the tourism industry.

Read more at www.etravelblackboard.c...

travel.iafrica.com | explore sa | eastern cape | sightseeing hotspots Beaches and beauties

THE SANDS @ ST FRANCIS Beaches and beauties - Richard HolmesSt. Francis Bay is easy to spot from a distance. As you leave the N2 and the dusty streets of Humansdorp behind, the trademark black-and-white roofs of this popular holiday town pop out of the horizon like a giant seaside chessboard along the stunning Eastern Cape coastline.While the town’s calm bays are a popular spot in the summer holidays, the protected beaches exist only in the shelter of the rocky points that are exposed to the full force of the Indian Ocean.Named for the Patron saint of sailors, one of the town’s main attractions is the wind-swept light house out at Seal Point, a rocky outcrop of land which has brought many a ship to grief.

Read more at travel.iafrica.com/sear...

Guardian Unlimited Football | Breaking News | Homeless World Cup gives players new hope

By Olesya Dmitracova

LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - There was not much to link former Liberian child soldiers with a destitute Scot, the editor of a Russian street paper and a Manchester United coach -- until the Homeless World Cup.After months of team trials, travel and training, homeless men and women from around the globe will battle it out in Cape Town from Sept. 23-30 in an annual tournament which for many could become a gateway to a job, a home and new friends.The United Nations estimates there are more than 100 million homeless people worldwide and more than one billion live in inadequate housing in shanty towns or without basic utilities.

Read more at football.guardian.co.uk...

IOL: Knysna reels as tour operators cancel visits

Knysna is reeling under the impact of the closure of Kaaiman's Pass, claiming 40 percent of tour companies have cancelled trips, and that, overall, tourism is down by 10 percent.Now tourism and business in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay have called on the government to send out a clear message about road access to the region as its crucial peak tourism season approaches.The region is pulling out all the stops to stave off an economicmeltdown.There was some respite over the weekend when the N2 over the pass was opened to vehicles up to 25 tons, thereby allowing tour buses through until tomorrow at 6am.

Read more at www.iol.co.za/index.php...

SaRugby

One millionth ticket sold for Rugby World Cup 2007 The International Rugby Board is pleased to announce that the France 2007 Organising Committee has sold the one millionth public ticket for Rugby World Cup 2007. The ticket was sold as part of a Saint Etienne city package to a rugby club member from the Loire region.The achievement is a strong endorsement of the Committee’s ticket sales programme that to date has offered affordable city and team packages to the public worldwide via the Internet.“One year from the kick-off of Rugby World Cup 2007 the International Rugby Board is confident the Tournament will be the most successful in its colourful and exciting 20-year history,” said IRB Chairman, Dr Syd Millar. “This belief is backed by the fact that one year out from the Tournament the Organising Committee has already sold its one millionth public ticket which is fantastic news.”“Operational planning, venue logistics, and the commercial and ticketing programmes are all on target as the world of Rugby looks forward to September 7, 2007 when the host nation France plays Argentina at Stade de France, Paris in the opening match of the Tournament.”

Read more at www.sarfu.org.za/defaul...

allAfrica.com: South Africa: SA Tourism Sets Sights On 10-Million Foreigners

South Africa: SA Tourism Sets Sights On 10-Million Foreigners Business Day (Johannesburg)THE local industry had set its sights on attracting 10-million foreign tourists by 2010, after breaking through the 7-million "psychological barrier" last year, says SA Tourism.SA Tourism's forecast comes as global attention increasingly shifts to SA ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.SA Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola said last week in the organisation's annual report that the soccer tournament was an opportunity for the local industry to meet and exceed expectations of tourists "and develop a firm platform for tourism growth".Mosola said tourism acc-ounted for 8% of the country's gross domestic product "with the potential to soar to 12% by 2014".He said foreign tourist arrivals last year broke the 7-million "psychological barrier" as a record-breaking total of 7,4-million foreign tourists came to SA.

Read more at allafrica.com/stories/2...

sport.iafrica.com | today's news Urban Golf hits Cape Town

Urban Golf hits Cape Town Dan NichollMon, 04 Sep 2006Who wouldn't leap at the chance? If you've ever been on hold for days at a time, had your phone mysteriously cut off, or received a bill roughly equivalent to the GDP of Belgium, then the opportunity to line up in front of Telkom HQ and launch a succession of golf balls at the building is completely irresistible. Now if only they were real golf balls...

Read more at sport.iafrica.com/news/...

Independent Online Edition > Crime

Tourists blamed for illegal trade in animal parts By Terry Kirby, Chief ReporterPublished: 05 September 2006An attractive set of black and white striped drinks coasters, an exotic spiky lampshade and a hairbrush with a polished brown handle are just some of the items that anyone might be tempted to pick up while on a holiday abroad.In fact, the coasters are made from zebra skin, the lampshade's exoticism comes from the quills of a porcupine and the hairbrush has a handle once part of a sea turtle - all animals either protected from, or threatened by, the boom in the trade in souvenirs made from wildlife.Trinkets and jewellery made from elephant ivory, rhino horn, animal teeth and claws as well as clothing and accessories made from big cat skins and reptile skins are among the items bought in markets and curio shops and brought home.A survey published yesterday suggests that international legislation has failed to stem the numbers of animals being slaughtered to service the trade, with more than 600,000 Britons alone returning from holidays in the past five years with such souvenirs. Now the British travel industry is backing the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) in a campaign to halt the trade.The survey revealed that 26 per cent of travellers had seen animal items for sale and 7 per cent had purchased at least one of them. Ifaw estimated that this represented 1.5 per cent of all those who travelled abroad in the past five years - 600,000 across the UK. The most commonly spotted items for sale were coral (16 per cent), reptile skin items (14 per cent), animal teeth, claws or jaws (12 per cent), elephant-related items (8 per cent) and sea turtle shells (5 per cent).Robbie Marsland, from Ifaw, said: "If 600,000 British tourists are bringing back parts of dead animals as souvenirs, think how many millions must be dying internationally. It's far better to buy alternative mementoes, such as local handicrafts instead of items that harm the very animals that people have travelled so far to see."Ifaw is concerned that tourists are confused by regulations governing the sale of such items, many of which require export or import licences under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Tourists often believe that if something is on sale openly, it is acceptable to buy it and take it out of the country, said Ifaw. Many do not bother to check on the regulations and omit to declare their purchases on return.Rosa Hill, who conducted an investigation for Ifaw in South Africa, said: "In South Africa it is not illegal to sell some elephant ivory items, but it is illegal to bring them into Britain. There are no regulations governing porcupine quills, but the vast numbers on sale suggests porcupines are being killed in their thousands to feed the market." She added: "Tourists don't know that certain licences are needed or are often given the wrong advice. In one market in Cape Town, we were told that it was acceptable to sell anything as long as it did not have a head attached, which is patently untrue."Keith Richards, from the Association of British Travel Agents, said the organisation would brief its members on the issue. "Unless the travel industry acts now some of the very animals so many people go abroad to see may soon only be found on our mantelpieces or in our jewellery boxes," he said.Souvenirs to avoid* Decorative items derived from coral. Most species of coral are protected under Cites.* Handbags, shoes, watch straps, belts, clothes or accessories from reptile skins. Many species are protected and it is difficult to distinguish them from non-protected species.* Ornaments, jewellery and "trophies" made from sharks' teeth or jaws. Although onlywhale, basking and great white sharks are protected, there is a global decline.* Jewellery, hair slides, brushes and pins made from elephant ivory. Their import into the United Kingdom is illegal.* Glass frames, brush handles or jewellery made from "bekko" or tortoise shell. Tortoise shell usually means the shell of sea turtles, most of which are endangered.An attractive set of black and white striped drinks coasters, an exotic spiky lampshade and a hairbrush with a polished brown handle are just some of the items that anyone might be tempted to pick up while on a holiday abroad.In fact, the coasters are made from zebra skin, the lampshade's exoticism comes from the quills of a porcupine and the hairbrush has a handle once part of a sea turtle - all animals either protected from, or threatened by, the boom in the trade in souvenirs made from wildlife.

Read more at news.independent.co.uk/...

South Africa travel & tourism search directory - Traveldex

South Africa travel and tourism search directory Traveldex is your first stop when visiting South Africa, this search directory lists websites for all areas of the travel and tourism industry. All links to websites are verified to check authenticity, and that they are listed in the correct travel related category. Only links to websites of a travel and tourism nature are permitted in the directory. All websites must of course be for resources in South Africa.Have you added your url?Are you involved in the tourism industry in South Africa? Website owners are encouraged to add their url with a description of the establishment or service they provide. Only registered members are permitted to submit links to their websites, registration at this time is free to all. Click here to register now!If you are unable to find a suitable category for your link, then email us to suggest a new category.

Read more at www.traveldex.co.za/

FREE WEEKEND? FLY TO SOUTH AFRICA!

GREAT ESCAPE
FREE WEEKEND? FLY TO SOUTH AFRICA!
Nigel Thompson

I'M not proud of it but as an example of getting one over on the bloke next door it's a masterpiece. And, after all, he did ask.

"Good weekend?" "Yes, not bad thanks. You?" "Oh you know. Fixed that leaking tap. Tidied the loft. Did you get up to much?"

"Well, as it happens... I went to Cape Town. Brilliant it was too. Here's how I did it..."

Advertisement
Falk AdSolution

Friday: To Heathrow airport and South African Airlines flight 221 takes off just after 9pm.

Saturday: Twelve somewhat cramped hours later - but having slept all the way from Spain to Angola except during some rather spectacular turbulence over the equator - we land under an African sky at 10am local time. Only one hour ahead so no jet lag. Hurrah!

Click here for the full story

South Africa travel and tourism search directory - Traveldex

Traveldex the South African search directory that caters to the tourism industry in South Africa.Travellers to South Africa:Traveldex is your first stop when visiting South Africa, this search directory lists websites for all areas of the travel and tourism industry. All links to websites are verified to check authenticity, and that they are listed in the correct travel related category. Only links to websites of a travel and tourism nature are permitted in the directory.Have you added your url?Are you involved in the tourism industry in South Africa? Website owners are encouraged to add their url with a description of the establishment or service they provide. Only registered members are permitted to submit links to their websites, registration at this time is free to all. Click here to register now!

Read more at www.traveldex.co.za/

travel.iafrica.com | flights BA launches special summer fares

BA launches special summer faresThu, 31 Aug 2006British Airways has launched a World Offer to London with fares to Europe starting from R3990, valid for travel until September 22.Low-season World Traveller fares, for travel between November 1 - December 3, 2006 and from January 14 - March 26, 2007 are R3990 from Johannesburg and R4250 from Cape Town. The high-season fares, for travel between December 4, 2006 - January 13, 2007 are R6310.

Read more at travel.iafrica.com/flig...

Fish Hoek - History - Self-catering whale watching accommodation

Fish Hoek Trek fishing boats on Fish Hoek beach Fish Hoek is a picturesque town situated about halfway down the Cape Peninsula, between Cape Town and Simonstown.Fish Hoek is renowned for its friendly hospitality, proximity to all sorts of tourist attractions and activities besides boasting one of the best swimming beaches in the Cape.There is also a good suburban railway link with Cape Town. As a coastal suburb of Cape Town, Fish Hoek is popular as a residence for commuters and holidaymakers alike. The traditional industries of 'trek' fishing and angling coexist with the leisure pursuits of surfing, sailing and sunbathingEver since 1901, when Hester de Villiers opened her home to guest accommodation, Fish Hoek has remained, with its situation and views, a beacon of extra-ordinary accommodation. A Whale of a Time continues the tradition, offering superior self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation.

Read more at www.awhaleofatime.co.za...

travel.iafrica.com | bulletin board 'Garden Route is open for business'

The Garden Route is open for business. That's the emphatic word from Craig Nancarrow, CEO of Knysna Tourism, who says that, despite the recent road closures in the area, tourism operators throughout the Garden Route are encouraging visitors not to delay or cancel their holiday plans."The roads are open, although motorists should expect delays," says Nancarrow.The N2 at the Kaaiman's River Pass was closed to traffic last Thursday after mudslides and rock falls, sparked by heavy rain, damaged the road which was in the process of being upgraded. The Pass, which connects Wilderness and George, is a vital transport link for an area which relies heavily on tourism. Freight and bus companies travelling from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth have also been severely affected.

Read more at travel.iafrica.com/bull...

allAfrica.com: South Africa: SAA Launches Bid to Grab Passengers

SOUTH African Airways has lodged an application with the Air Service Licensing Council to begin a low-cost carrier operation.The airline says it will use four Boeing 737-800s, in service with SAA, on routes between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein.If SAA's application is granted, it is expected that the domestic air-travel market will be flooded with extra seats that would further jeopardise the already thin margins plaguing an overtraded industry.The applicant, Tulca (The Ultimate Low Cost Airline), of which SAA is the holding company, will operate as Mango.com, according to a variety of sources.The four SAA aircraft are reportedly being repainted and will sport an orange livery.The new low-cost operation is seen as a desperate bid by SAA to win back market share lost to no-frill carriers 1time and Kulula.com.According to its application, SAA expects its low-cost subsidiary to begin initial operations, transporting passengers and cargo between the four cities, by October 1.The launch was originally forecast for early November.

Read more at allafrica.com/stories/2...

IOL: Garden Route N2 collapsing

The section of the N2 highway on the Kaaiman's River Pass near Wilderness, severely damaged by last week's floods, is in danger of collapsing and has been closed indefinitely to traffic.This cuts off one of the country's major transport routes and will have serious economic implications for Garden Route towns.The railway line below the road has also been closed. It is severely damaged and has developed a "kink".On Sunday, emergency services officials were preventing even pedestrians from going onto the pass.

Read more at www.iol.co.za/index.php...

BBC NEWS | Education | Africa 'leading gap-year choice'

Africa 'leading gap-year choice'Student on gap yearThousands of gap-year students travel the world each yearAfrica is the most popular destination for gap-year students, according to travel industry figures.South Africa came top of a survey of 38 companies by the Year Out group, while Tanzania was in second place.Next were Canada, India and Peru. But Australia, the most popular choice in 2002, did not make the top 10.The UK came sixth in the table, with many students preferring a "safer option", such as working in education or with sporting projects.

Read more at news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/edu...

Future looks bright for SA conference industry : Mail & Guardian Online

South Africa is sure to break into the top 10 international conference destinations by 2010, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Monday.Speaking at the national conference of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry, he said conferencing and its allied products continue to thrive.This despite the "looming threat inherent in the many economic, political and social curved balls presently in play in our troubled world, all of which have the potential to seriously impact global travel", he said.

Read more at www.mg.co.za/articlepag...

SA has world's best hotel

Cape Town - Singita Private Game Reserve in Sabi Sands has been voted as the world's best hotel, while Cape Town ranked among the top ten "best tourism cities", according to an internet survey conducted by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Cape Town was ranked sixth worldwide in the travel magazine's annual survey for 2006 on tourism criteria such as sights, culture and arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping and value for money.

Source: http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/economy/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=econ&ArticleID=1518-25_1979982

South Africa: SA Exports Her Tourism Through Travel Agencies

With the 2010 Fifa World Cup nod, South Africa is the destination. Travel agencies are now in the thick of things trying to be part of this World Cup affair and South African tourism in general.

Last week, a team from South Africa held a workshop at Sheraton hotel and engaged many travel agencies. Tumani Leshoai, the regional head of Africa and Middle East for South Africa's tourism said they had identified vital markets to partner within selling travel destinations including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200608080281.html

Contemporary fine art gallery in South Africa - Child of Afrika

This is a great site for art collectors out there. If you want authentic art by South African artists visit the Child of Afrika art gallery online, or in person in Pringle Bay.

Read more at www.childofafrika.co.za...

IOL: Township tours 'an authentic experience'

Township tours 'an authentic experience'

Cape Town Tourism is bracing itself to take township tourism to a new level despite crime and poverty.Managing director Mariette du Toit said it was important to show a Cape Town committed to a sustainable African culture by delivering authentic, people-driven experiences that capture the hearts and minds of global and local visitors."The attraction for most visitors is the experience of visiting an area that, although filled with poverty, is also filled with hope," Du Toit said.Tourists needed to be given the right information about crime in their chosen destinations.

Read more at www.iol.co.za/index.php...

DA wants Travelgate numbers

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance on Monday wanted to establish exactly how many MPs were implicated in parliament's Travelgate fraud as the Cape High Court postponed the trial to October 17.Douglas Gibson, the DA's chief whip, said he would try to establish exactly how many MPs were indebted to parliament."It seems that several hundred MPs were originally named and that anything up to a hundred had a civil liability to parliament," said Gibson in a statement.

Read more at www.news24.com/News24/S...

:: BuddyMarks ::

Check out all my South Africa links

Read more at buddymarks.com/bookmark...

business.iafrica.com | business news Tourists to SA up 26.6%

BUSINESS NEWSTourists to SA up 26.6%Fri, 21 Jul 2006The total number of foreign travellers who visited South Africa from mainland Africa, overseas and unspecified countries, arriving through all ports of entry during April 2006 was 727 272, Stats SA said on Thursday.The April 2006 figure represents an increase of 26.6 percent when compared with the April 2005 figure of 574 364.The number of foreign travellers who departed from South Africa in April 2006 was 657 019, which increased by 22.9 percent from 534 648 recorded in April 2005.During April 2006, the most common mode of travel used by foreign travellers arriving in South Africa was road, involving 534 952 (73.6 percent) of total travellers, followed by air, involving 178 902 (24.6 percent) travelers.Of the total number of foreign travellers arriving by air, 142 873 (79.9 percent) arrived through Johannesburg International Airport while 34 557 (19.3 percent) arrived through Cape Town International Airport, 492 (0.3 percent) arrived through Durban International Airport and the rest, 980 (0.5 percent), arrived through other airports.Those arriving by rail, sea and unspecified modes of travel were 13 418 (1.8 percent). Among the total number of foreign travellers departing from South Africa, road was the most common mode of travel (468 848 representing 71.4 percent), followed by air (187 574 representing 28.5 percent).Of the total number of foreign travellers departing by air, 146 948 (78.3 percent) departed from Johannesburg International Airport, 39 039 (20.8 percent) departed from Cape Town International Airport, 350 (0.2 percent) used Durban International Airport and the rest, 1237 (0.7 percent), departed through other airports.Those departing by rail, sea and unspecified modes of travel were 597 (0.1 percent). It is observed that the distribution of air arrivals by port of entry and air departures by port of exit are almost the same.During April 2006, 165 410 overseas travellers visited South Africa. This represents a 13.4 percent increase in the volume of overseas travellers as compared to April 2005 when there were 145 926 overseas travellers. It must be noted that the Easter holidays in 2006 were in April, whereas in 2005 they fell in March.It is further observed that in April 2006, there were 143 377 air arrivals from overseas, which accounts for 86.7 percent of all overseas arrivals. Of these overseas air arrivals, 109 729 (76.5 percent) arrived through Johannesburg International Airport; 32 551 (22.7 percent) arrived through Cape Town International Airport; 370 (0.3 percent) arrived through Durban International Airport and the rest, 727 (0.5 percent), arrived through other airports.The number of overseas travellers arriving by road during April 2006 was 21 523 (13.0 percent). The number of those arriving by rail, sea and unspecified mode of travel was 510 (0.3 percent).The total number of travellers who arrived in South Africa from mainland Africa during April 2006 was 558 776, as compared to the April 2005 figure of 422 706, representing an increase of 32.2 percent.Of these travellers from mainland Africa, the number arriving by road was 512 487 (91.7 percent). In April 2006, there were 34 607 (6.2 percent) air travellers arriving from mainland Africa. Of these air arrivals, 32 318 (93.4 percent) arrived through Johannesburg International Airport, 1921 (5.6 percent) arrived through Cape Town International Airport, 121 (0.3 percent) arrived through Durban International Airport while the rest, 247 (0.7 percent), arrived through other airports.The number of travellers from mainland Africa arriving by rail, sea and unspecified mode of travel was 11 682, which constituted 2.1 percent of all travellers from Mainland Africa.Of the 165 410 overseas travellers visiting South Africa during April 2006, 152 883 (92.4 percent) stated that they were in South Africa for holidays while 5280 (3.2 percent) stated that they were on business trips. Overseas travellers arriving for the purpose of work (including contract work) were 4674 (2.8 percent), those in transit were 1036 (0.6 percent), those visiting for the purpose of study were 1276 (0.8 percent) and those with border traffic concession were 256 (0.2 percent).Of the 558 776 travellers from mainland Africa visiting South Africa during April 2006, the majority 518 369 (92.8 percent) stated that they were in South Africa for holidays while 9095 (1.6 percent) stated that they were on business trips.A further breakdown of travellers from mainland Africa is as follows: those visiting for the purpose of study were 11 491 (2.1 percent), those arriving for the purpose of work (including contract work) were 3098 (0.6 percent), those with border traffic concession were 10 943 (2.0 percent) and travellers in transit were 5707 (1.0 percent).During April 2006, the number of travellers from the UK visiting South Africa was 40 795 (24.7 percent), making it the leading country of origin of overseas travellers. This was followed by travellers from Germany, 20 708 (12.5 percent) and the USA, 18 965 (11.5 percent). Other main countries of origin of overseas travellers were: France, 8532 (5.2 percent); Netherlands, 7031 (4.3 percent); Australia, 6991 (4.2 percent); India, 3834 (2.3 percent) and Canada, 3830 (2.3 percent).Upon comparing the figures of April 2006 with those of April 2005, the highest increase in the number of arrivals from these leading source countries was for India, (24.0 percent increase from 3092 in 2005 to 3834 in 2006).The highest percentage of the decrease in the number of travellers was observed for travellers from France (6.8 percent decrease from 9154 in 2005 to 8532 in 2006).During April 2006, the top eight countries in mainland Africa from which travellers arriving in South Africa came were: Lesotho, 166 679 (29.8 percent); Zimbabwe, 88 918 (15.9 percent); Swaziland, 85 799 (15.4 percent); Botswana, 78 575 (14.1 percent); Mozambique, 74 251 (13.3 percent); Namibia, 25 838 (4.6 percent); Zambia, 13 266 (2.4 percent) and Malawi, 9550 (1.7 percent).When comparing arrival figures from the leading source countries from mainland Africa for April 2005 and April 2006, the highest increase in the number of travellers was from Mozambique, (74.7 percent increase from 42 491 in 2005 to 74 251 in 2006).During April 2006, the most common mode of travel used by South African residents arriving in South Africa was road, involving 249 169 (64.4 percent) travellers, followed by air, 136 197 (35.2 percent) and those arriving by rail, sea and unspecified modes of travel, 1631 (0.4 percent). The most common mode of travel for South African residents departing was road, involving 268 688 (65.0 percent) travellers, followed by air, 144 702 (35.0 percent) and those departing by rail, sea and unspecified modes of travel, 221 (0.0 percent).I-Net Bridge

Read more at business.iafrica.com/ne...

Cape Town and South Africa Tourism links and information

Voted Favourite Foreign City by the UK Telegraph in 2004, Cape Town is one of the places you just have to visit before you die.It's an awesome city. All the vibe you want - great parties, great shopping and loads of galleries and other cultural attractions can't detract from the fact that what makes Cape Town special is the fact that it is set in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Even Sir Francis Drake, who'd pretty much seen it all, called Cape Point the 'fairest cape in all the circumference of the world'. It's a needle-sharp promontory, which - contrary to marketing hype - does not divide the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic. But Capetonians claim it does and you can often see a line of foam heading straight out from the point - possibly all the way to Antarctica - which certainly divides the False Bay Coastline on the east from the Atlantic Seaboard on the west.

Read more at www.google.com/notebook...

South Africa Accommodation - 3032 Establishments

Seaside accommodation in Cape Town - a whale of a time

Read more at www.safarinow.com/

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Wedding cakes - Emma's wedding cakes Cape Town

Welcome to the website of Emma's wedding cakes, we supply two tier, three tier, and four tier designer wedding cakes in Cape Town. (the Northern, and Southern suburbs) We also supply individual cakes, cheesecakes, tarts and pettit fours, for your big day.

Read more at www.emmascakes.co.za/

Luxury Guest House Accommodation Cape Town Self Catering Holiday Accommodation Fish Hoek - A Whale of a Time

Welcome to A Whale of a Time!Overlooking False Bay, we offer guests a variety of accommodation in Fish Hoek options: a Cottage, Penthouse, Garden Apartment and single bedroom Apartments.

Read more at www.awhaleofatime.co.za...

Travel.South.Africa - Travel to South Africa

Travel to South Africa pages lauched.

The website has launched for Travel to South Africa. New pages will be added all the time, and updates will be posted here.Read more at travel.south.africa.goo...

South Africa Travel pages

This website has some great links for travellers to South Africa.
The Travel Guide for South Africa has loads of excellent pages.

Check out: http://travel.south.africa.googlepages.com