Let's Celebrate!
Also in this update:
After days and nights of wet, cold, windy weather around the southern tip of Africa the first day of Spring seemed more like mid-winter in the Antarctic. The life-saving National Sea Rescue Institute had their work cut out for them along the Cape’s southern shores, and what a dedicated bunch they are braving perilous conditions to save lives. So let’s celebrate! It is spring after all, the jasmine is blossoming and the price of fuel is plummeting so hopefully, possibly unlikely… we will see this decrease reflected in the price of air travel over the next couple of months.
I have been investigating the cost of travel to favourite spots around the globe and flying Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi to Dublin from Johannesburg for under R6000 just blew me away! This is definitely the way to get to the Emerald Isle where you can have the best holiday ever. It is the taxes that are the killer, Johannesburg to London on Etihad is over R8000 but the taxes are R3345 and the fare is just under R6000, simply outrageous! So choose your destination carefully. Here are some great fares available for the next month:
| Destination | Ex JNB | Ex CPT | Ex DBN | Airline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 6860 | R8299 | R7780 | Etihad Airways |
| Amsterdam | R5770 | R7210 | R6690 | Egypt Air |
| London | R5730 | R6890 | R6650 | Egypt Air |
| New York | R8450 | R9890 | R9370 | Egypt Air |
| Europe Business Class | R13590 | R15170 | Etihad Airways |
These are valid until 30 November except for the Business Class Fare, which is valid until 31 March 2009. Terms & Conditions do apply and the fares are subject to availability and currency fluctuations.
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Irresistible Ireland!
A holiday in Ireland is all about relaxation, fresh-air, scenery and the local culture. My daughter recently did a five day trip in an area once thought to be the edge of the world. Judging by the five hundred odd snap shots down loaded onto her laptop it amazed me what they accomplished in such a short time. They toured the world famous Ring of Kerry, rode horses along the Irish beach, kissed the Blarney Stone, went off-road to some of Ireland’s most remote and beautiful places, swam with Funghi the Dolphin in Dingle Bay, explored West Cork and the ‘undiscovered’ Beara Peninsula, walked on the Galtee Mountains, enjoyed a braai on the beach, learned to surf an Atlantic wave with the boys, sea-kayaked with the seals in Bantry, walked amongst the green fields and stone walls of Dingle experiencing the rich history of Ireland from Stone Age Man to the modern age. Almost certainly the most memorable part of the trip, judging by the pictures, was the evenings spent in true Irish manner amongst the locals in the legendary pubs of Southern Ireland. After a week in the country she spent the weekend in Dublin where she did coffee at legendary Bewley’s in Grafton Street, cocktails at the Morrison, probably the coolest and most luxurious city centre hotel in Dublin. The hotel’s very minimalist bar plays the coolest music and has the comfiest leather sofas to sit back and indulge in a little respite before heading out for dinner and a night of clubbing. Dublin’s burst of prosperity over the past decade has given it a new flamboyance and luster. Though the Irish capital remains one of Europe’s most down-to-earth and friendly cities, large numbers of stylish bars have sprung up alongside the more traditional Irish pubs for which Dublin is famous. The well-known Temple Bar quarter has the highest concentration of drinking establishments, but there are plenty of great nightspots to be found if one is willing to explore the city slightly further. On or around Dawson Street are the best up market bars and restaurants. If you do nothing else whilst visiting Dublin you must try the spectacular Café en Seine. Its stunning interior in an opulent art deco style is reminiscent of turn-of-the-century France. Highlights include a beautiful glass atrium with real 40-foot trees, enormous glass lanterns, a Louis XIV bust, grandest of pianos and a French Hotel lift running between three floors of this breathtaking bar. Café en Seine is just worth the trip, not to mention the elegant folk who grace this popular gathering place!
This is a unique country, loved by those who live there and yearned for by millions around the world…you WILL fall in love with Ireland and its people. From the legendary welcome, the humour and the eccentricity to the beautiful scenery and the relaxed pace of life…whatever brings you to Ireland there’ll be more reasons to bring you back time and time again.
New Year's Eve in Antarctica
For those travellers out there looking for a unique New Years Eve experience consider booking the cruise of a lifetime. Antarctica XXI offers exclusive internal flights & cruise expeditions to Antarctica - a unique opportunity to fly over the ‘infamous’ Drake Passage and join an expedition cruise visiting the best wildlife sites along the Antarctic Peninsula. This cruise adventure is very active, with several daily landings, and lectures. We are sure this will be the trip of your lifetime.
Tasting Thailand
Travelling to Phuket is certainly the destination of choice for lots of South Africans – as the well known bill board doing the rounds on Facebook says: ‘Cheap enough to say, Phuket I’ll go!’
Some fabulous clients recently returned from a 10-day holiday visiting Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi and I could not say it better than they did in an email sent to their friends and us, how thoughtful. When one receives such an enthusiastic letter about a holiday one has helped to organise it makes us hug our jobs with passion and fervour!
Hi Everyone,
We are currently on the island of Phi Phi (known as Koh Phi Phi Don as opposed to Koh Phi Phi Lay which is where they filmed the movie, The Beach, which is about 1.5km's from here). It is absolutely beautiful here, and very different from Phuket which is more busy and congested.A few highlights from the trip so far:
- Phuket - The view from our hotel room..., which looked straight out over Kata Beach. We were quite high up the hill (mountain when you have to walk it during the midday heat) which gave us a view of the village, the beach, and the 'Big Buddha' - which is a 45ft Buddha which overlooks Phuket
- Cocktails on the beach... we particularly like Mai Thai's and Andaman Seas. The local cocktails pack a punch second to none! Seriously - you can share one between two!! (But we don't :) )
- Not so great highlight: The 188 steps from the road to our room (after already climbing the hill). Highlight: Figuring out the hotel has a dedicated tuc tuc to drive you from the lobby to your room!!!
- Aaahhhhh...the massages. I have gone almost every day for a reflexology massage, thai massage (the not-naughty kind), manicure, pedicure etc etc. Tum Rub Thai Massage is opposite the road from our hotel and FANASTIC (people come from far and wide to visit them, probably passing 200 other massage parlours on the way!)
- Last but not least, everything else you have ever heard about Phuket....we met some 'Lady-Men' (who charged us R50 to have our photo taken with them), the 'You Want Massage? You Want Tailor? You Want Tuc Tuc?' calls from EVERY shop you pass, the crazy driving, the heat, the food (I've eaten a nation of prawns already I'm sure)!!
- Phi Phi - The beaches and sea here are amazing. Powdery sand (I always thought that sounded quite over the top, but the sand here is really that soft!), warm waters and almost no current means that we have literally floated for ages!
- Human eating Fish....Seriously. We were followed by 2 little fish in the water yesterday. We would swim as fast as we could to get away from them only to have them follow us. It was weird and against nature! We went to Monkey Beach today, to watch the spider monkeys and snorkel, when a fish bit my boyfriend. He has little cuts on his back and everything. According to a guy on the beach, people go out every morning and feed them bread....and we are still so pale that we look like bread to them. We thought that was VERY funny!
The view, the people, they are all so relaxed and welcoming!
Can't leave out The Aircon.....it's like the old Magnum ad...when you're hot from the sun, and you first walk into the sea. When we're hot from the sun and humidity and you first walk into a fridge (Room 1402!!).We are off to Krabi tomorrow afternoon. I am trying very hard to twist my boyfriend’s arm and convince him we need to stay on. There's a tour here where you sleep on the Beach where they filmed The Beach for a night. I am sooooo keen....so maybe see you this weekend, but maybe see you next week!!
Well that’s it for September, next month I am keeping it local and island style with some stunning packages to Madagascar, which is a must for your to-do list next year!
We have over 400 packages on the site so take some time to browse all the sensational holidays we offer you the discerning traveller. From cruises to adventure holidays always keeping in mind that travel is to do with sustaining our beautiful environment, supporting local communities and staying carbon neutral!
Take care and happy travelling!
Lindsay Quail