Sun 08 Nov 2009 |
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Festive fares from Etihad |
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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates has slashed fares on flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg just in time for the Christmas Holidays.
For bookings made before the 30 November 2009 (for travel until the 30 May 2010), customers can travel from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Bangkok from R4434, London from R4895 and Manchester, Istanbul and Athens from R5000, inclusive of all pre-payable taxes, surcharges and levies.
“It has been a hard year for many South Africans, and the opportunity for international travel sometimes does not exist. These promotional fares in economy class represent incredible value, giving everyone the opportunity to travel without having to exhaust their budget,” says Craig Thomas, Country Manager for Etihad in South Africa.
Visit www.etihadairways.com or call 0861 ETIHAD (0861 384423) for further information or to make a booking. |
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Tue 03 Nov 2009 |
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Another reason to visit South Africa |
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The respected Lonely Planet has ranked South Africa as one of the world's best-value destinations for 2010.
It placed SA in good company alongside tourist hotspots like Thailand, London (good value, erhaps, but still pricey), India (you just don’t get any cheaper), Malaysia (lovely islands), Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya and Las Vegas in Nevada.
"South Africa is not only about an amazing climate, vast unspoilt scenery, balmy sandy beaches, extraordinary wildlife and adventure activities, but the cost of living is low, so it's also excellent value for money," says Lonely Planet.
It also named Southern Africa as one of the top 10 regions to visit in 2010.
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Fri 30 Oct 2009 |
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Blue Flag beaches unveiled |
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Summer is comng… the howling south-easter does not lie! But despite the wind we'll all be hitting the beach in the next few weeks. 29 South African beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status this year, 10 more than 2008.
If you don't know about it, Blue Flag is an international award scheme audits beaches based on cleanliness, safety, water quality and amenities.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the SA beaches that have received Blue Flag accreditation:
MacDougall's Bay; Port Nolloth (new); Yzerfontein Main beach (new); Big Bay beach, Cape Town (new); Clifton Fourth beach, Cape Town; Camps Bay, Cape Town; Muizenberg, Cape Town; Strandfontein beach, Cape Town; Mnandi beach, Cape Town; Bikinibeach, Gordon's Bay; Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus (back in programme); Hawston beach, near Hermanus; Grotto beach, Hermanus; Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai, Southern Cape; Santosbeach, Mossel Bay (new); Hartenbos beach, Mossel Bay (new); Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay (new); Dolphin beach, Jeffrey's Bay; Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth; Hobie beach, Port Elizabeth; Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth; Kelly's beach, Port Alfred; Kariega Main beach, Kenton-on-Sea (new); Boknes beach, Kenton-On-Sea (new); Gonubie beach, East London(back in programme); Trafalgar beach, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal (new); Marina beach, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal; Ramsgate beach, near Margate; Margate beach; Alkantstrand, Richard's Bay (new).
Find out more at http://www.blueflag.org.
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Fri 16 Oct 2009 |
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Somebody lock up these tourists... |
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I mean, really… come now.
Those "I New York" tshirts/caps/hats/mugs/pens/younameits are bad enough.
But who - with tears in my eyes, I ask you - who in their right mind buys that crap and then wears it while they're still bloody well in New York!?
We know you love New York. You're on holiday in New York. Unless you're here against your will that shmarmy smile tells us that you love New York! There's no need to broadcast the fact on a bloody T-shirt! It's bad enough that my corneas have to be offended by that tourist tat at almost every shop within a square mile of Times Square, but when it starts to leak out into the wider city then something really has to be done.
Targeted missile strikes of the offending vendors, perhaps? A Guantanamo for tourists who fork out good money on bad souvenirs? Tar-and-feathering on Central Park's Sheep Meadow?
I don't know. I'm all for tacky souvenirs that display a little ingenuity, but something as lame as I (insert destination)… that certainly doesn't deserve to be seen on the streets of a great city like New York. |
I landed back in Cape Town from New York earlier this week, and thought I'd share with you the quickest way to get to and from JFK International from Manhattan.
On arrival I took the dedicated airport bus - not a bad way to do it if you're tired and jetlagged, but the train was much easier. It's also more reliable as our bus got caught in horrendous Manhattan traffic jams… and that was on a Sunday afternoon!
So, if you need to get from Manhattan out to JFK…
Hop on the subway down to Penn Station - it's on the 1/2/3 'red' line.
From the subway follow the signs for Penn Station, which means the main rail terminus. From Penn you need to catch the Long Island Rail Road to the LIRR's Jamaica hub. This trip will take about 20 minutes, but do make sure your LIRR train stops in Jamaica, because some trains bypass that station. There are ticket windows, but the ticket machines are far quicker, and accept credit cards or cash. The LIRR fare depends on when you travel: on weekends it's just $3.50.
At Jamaica, head to the upper level and follow signs for the JFK Airtrain. The Airtrain to any of the JFK terminals is a flat $5, and you can get tickets from the vending machines or the nearby newsagent. It'll take about 15 minutes on the Airtrain to get to your terminal.
Easy!
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Or just a sign of commercialism heading south? Refuse to shop at Melissa's nowadays: overpriced and average
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