South Africa Travel: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

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.

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.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

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.

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.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

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.

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.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

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

Saturday, August 05, 2006

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.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

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.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

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.