Kids room with their own shower and loo and tv etc.
Main living area
Our room - yep a king size bed with a small lounge area.
Bathroom
Fancy bath products.
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Sheraton Denarau Villas
So we cashed in the Starwood Points and booked this baby! Two bedroom, full kitchen with a dishwasher, two bathroom, washer and dryer, living area on the ground floor with walk out access to the pool. Its one of the best places we've ever stayed at. It is huge. Check it out here
Rum Tasting 101
So it was a little drizzly and we were not up for swimming or staying in. So we decided to duck over to the Golf Club to the Fiji Rum Tasting Experience. Luckily it wasn't raining heavy and we could still walk over. Someone may have set this up.....because she wanted to go. Anyway the details, for a small price you can get a tasting set of 4 rums, so we got one each and tried eight different rums. There were some 2 year old and some 8 year old (older ones were also available at extra cost) and different flavours. We tried the banana, coffee, white, coconut...mmmm. So I got two bottles to bring home, cheers big ears.
Here is their website Fiji Rum Yum Yum
Here is their website Fiji Rum Yum Yum
Travel Bucket List
In no particular order and they may have been already visited!
- Fiji
- Singapore
- Kenya
- Sweden
- Norway
- Greece
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Scotland
- England
- Wales
- Antarctica
- Peru
- Mexico
- Belize
- Namibia
- Bali
- Malaysia
- Japan
- Maldives
- Tahiti
- Spain
- France
- Italy
- Poland
- Russia
- China
- Nepal
- Tibet
- USA
- Canada
- ...................
We are off to Fiji
Look we are off .... almost a week in Fiji to relax and have fun. Brown Bear (no he wont be posting on his blog this trip ) and Rhys in the lounge.
BRING IT ON............
On the plane, Hayden is asleep!
BRING IT ON............
Friday, 13 November 2015
Adventure Planning....where next
The count down is on - its 45 days to go!!!!
I still need to sort out the airport hotel in J'burg! must do that this weekend!
First place once we arrive will be
http://www.the-elegant-farmstead.com/
Hopefully the kids will get to see their first African wildlife, as there are kudu, springbok, giraffe, eland, ostrich and even warthogs!!!
and it even has free wi fi, so someone will be able to stay in touch!
The next day and its off to Indohgo Lodge, which I am really looking forward to.
http://www.indongolodge.com/e_activities.htm
then its further north to Etosha for two nights. We are staying in a tented bush camp!!!!
http://www.mushara-lodge.com/mushara-bush-camp/
Looking pretty good so far!
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Look - its the itinerary!
This is the itinerary worked out by our wonderful travel agent - Clive!
Their contact details are:
Fax: +264 (0)61 229 168
P.O. Box 97158
Windhoek
Namibia
Namibia & South Africa 02 – 22.07.2014 Self-drive safari
Family
This is the general plan.
02.07.2014: Arrival and drive to Elegant Farmstead Upon arrival at the Hosea Kutako International Airport you will pick up your rental vehicle and drive the +-40km to Windhoek. From here you will continue to the Elegant Farmstead, which is situated just outside Windhoek. The rest of the day is at leisure and could be used to either relax on the farmstead or take part in an optional activity (not included in the price).
Overnight: Elegant Farmstead including breakfast (Family room) Travelling Distance = +-111km (+- 1 ½ hours travelling time)
03.07.2014: Frans Indongo Lodge After breakfast you will drive via Okahandja (where you can stop over at the Kavango Woodcarver's markets) to the Frans Indongo Lodge. On your way north to the Frans Indogo Lodge, you have the opportunity to visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund (at own expense). Here you have time to visit the Visitors and Education Centre, where you learn more about the Cheetahs in Namibia. You can also witness a cheetah feed, which on weekends is at noon. (For more information, please see http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=visiting_ccf_namibia)
Overnight: Frans Indongo Lodge including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-272km (+-3 ½ hours travelling time)
04.07.2014: Mushara Bush Camp Today you will be heading to the Etosha National Park. After you checked in at the Mushara Bush Camp, you can spend the rest of the day at own leisure. You can either take part in one of the activities offered by the camp (at own expense) or explore the Etosha National Park on your own. Return to the Mushara Bush Camp in the late afternoon.
Etosha National Park Etosha was declared a game reserve by the German colonial administration back in 1907 and covers an area of more than 22 000 km². At a stage it covered a vast area of 93 240 km² and was the largest game reserve in the world. For various political reasons, the park was progressively diminished in size until by 1975 it had been reduced to its current size. In its centre lies a vast saltpan surrounded by grass and thorn savannah, Mopane bushland in the west and dry forest in the north-east. About two million years ago, this area was an enormous lake, fed by the Kunene River. However the lake slowly dried up because over time, the river changed its course. Today the pan is a shallow depression and has an approximate size of 5000 km². Of the 114 mammals species found in the park, several are rare and endangered, such as the black Rhino and cheetah. Etosha’s current population of +- 600 Black Rhinos represents one of the few growing populations in the world. The National Park has three Rest camps Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni. These all have restaurants, stores and swimming pools. The main entrance to the park is called the Andersson Gate at Okaukuejo in the south and the Von Lindequist Gate in the east near Namutoni.
Overnight: Mushara Bush Camp including dinner & breakfast (2 x double tent + 1 sleeper couch) Travelling Distance = +-235km (+-3 hours travelling time)
05 & 06.07.2014: Etosha Safari Lodge In the morning you drive through the park and visit various waterholes, where you can relax and watch the animals as they drink and play. Etosha is famous for excellent game viewing and game, such as giraffe, impala, springbok, zebra and wildebeest can be seen in vast numbers. Your accommodation is once again just outside the park.
Overnight: Etosha Safari Lodge including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-196km (depends on the speed and how much time you spend in the park)
07.07.2014: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge The road today will take you via Outjo to your next destination. The rock art at Twyfelfontein is an exceptional group of paintings due to the enormous amount concentrated in a small area. The animals of the region are each represented and many with their spoor too. This is believed to aid tracking of animals that are good to eat or, indeed, dangerous and to be avoided. Afterwards you could also visit the burnt mountain and organ pipes. Mentioned excursions are not included in the price.
Overnight: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge including breakfast (2 x double rooms – 1 child shares with parents) Travelling Distance = +-316km (+-4 hours travelling time)
08.07.2014: Secret Garden Guesthouse Depart the lodge and drive to Swakopmund. You will arrive in Swakopmund in the afternoon and check in at the Secret Garden Guesthouse, situated near the Swakopmund city centre and walking distance from the beach. The rest of the day can be spent relaxing or exploring this small coastal holiday town. Alternatively you could visit one of the several restaurants and enjoy some fresh seafood (not included).
Swakopmund Swakopmund was of major importance as a harbour during the German colonial era even though the water at the coast is actually too shallow and the bay is unprotected. But Lüderitz was too far away and the seaport of Walvis Bay was in British possession in those days. On 4 August 1892 the crew of a gunboat named Hyena erected two beacons on a large dune, probably in the vicinity of the present lighthouse. This is regarded as the founding date of Swakopmund. The first settlers were 120 Schutztruppe with equipment and 40 settlers who offloaded from the Marie Woermann using four landing boats. The settlers had to build caves on the beach to protect themselves against hostile weather. Before a breakwater was built in 1898, which later became known as the Mole, all offloading was done with special boats The 325 metre long wooden jetty was only completed in 1905 and it was in 1914 replaced by a more solid iron construction. Swakopmund became the gate to South-West Africa and the entire supply for the colony was wound up through this little Town. The narrow-rail train to Windhoek started operations in 1902 while at the same time, the station was built. It was completely restored some years ago and has become an entertainment centre, a casino and a luxury hotel. It is one of the best preserved examples of German colonial architecture in the world. The appearance of the town, with its 47 500 inhabitants, is characterised by numerous colonial buildings with the Woermann House from 1905 as its landmark. The former trading house in Bismarck Street with its 25 metre high Tower and its courtyard bordered by arcades today houses the city library and an art gallery. Swakopmund is a popular seaside resort with a slightly nostalgic atmosphere, many tourist attractions and a pleasant climate in summer.
Overnight: Secret Garden Guesthouse including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-340km (+-4 ¼ hours travelling time)
09 & 10.07.2014: Swakopmund and surrounds On these days you have the opportunity to explore Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and the surrounding area. We suggest that you visit the Moon landscape, Welwitscha Plains (please note that you need a permit for this, which is available at Namib i in Swakopmund) or take part in one of the many alternative activities such as:
Tandem Sky diving Quad Biking Sand Boarding Ballooning Paragliding Seal & Dolphin Boat Cruise in Walvis Bay Scenic flights
(Prices on request!)
Overnight: Secret Garden Guesthouse including breakfast
11.07.2014: Desert Homestead From Swakopmund continue southwards via Ghaub Pass and Solitaire to the Desert Homestead. After arriving at the lodge you can either relax or take part in the alternative activities offered. Alternatively you can visit the Sesriem Canyon. The Tsauchab River has dug a 30m deep gorge into the rock formations. The name Sesriem comes from the first colonialists that cut six leather strings from Oryx skin in order to retrieve water in buckets out of the river below. The activities mentioned are at own expense.
Overnight: Desert Homestead including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-362km (+-4 ½ hours travelling time)
12.07.2014: Namib Naukluft Park & Sossusvlei An early morning rise will be rewarded by the sight of an amazing play of colours over the spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei. At the 2x4 parking you will have to engage the four wheel drive of your vehicle and drive the last few kilometres to the parking area of the dead vlei. With the combi you would need to make use of the shuttle service offered at an extra cost. From here it is about a 15 minute walk along the dunes to most probably Namibia’s most photographed Dunes! Here you will also have the opportunity to explore the area and then maybe climb the “Big Daddy” dune for an overwhelming sight of the dynamic and living desert.
Overnight: Desert Homestead including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room)
13.07.2014: Namtib Desert Lodge After breakfast you will take a short drive to the Namtib Biosphere Reserve in the Tiras Mountains. Here you will have the opportunity to some breath-taking views of some fascinating landscape. Oryx, springbok, kudu, klipspringer as well as the scarce steenbok can be found in this area. Discover the fauna and flora on one of the hiking trails offered (at own expense).
Overnight: Farm Namtib including breakfast (1 x family+ 1 x single room) Travelling Distance = +-185km (+-2 ½ hours travelling time)
14 & 15.07.2014: Lüderitz Nest Hotel Depart the lodge and continue to Aus, where there's the possibility to see some desert adapted horses, which are believed to left here by the Germans in the first world war. From here you drive further to Lüderitz. After check-in the rest of the day is at leisure. On the next day you have the opportunity to visit the ghost town Kolmanskop that was left to the hands of the relentless and unforgiving desert, after the diamonds ran out and the town was abandoned. Activities mentioned are at own expense.
Overnight: Lüderitz Nest Hotel including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-250km (+-3 ¼ hours travelling time)
16.07.2014: Canon Village The trip continues further into the south of Namibia, to the Canon Village. Upon arrival the rest of the day is at leisure and could already be used to explore the area.
Overnight: Canon Village including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-455km (+-5 ½ hours travelling time)
17.07.2014: Norotshama Resort The next morning you can visit the Fish River Canyon, which is situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in Namibia. With a depth of up to 530 metres, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, only to be beaten by the Grand Canyon in America. Thereafter you continue to the Norotshama Resort.
Overnight: Norotshama Resort including breakfast (1 x family chalet) Travelling Distance = +-135km (+-1 ¾ hours travelling time)
18 & 19.07.2014: Naries Namakwa Resort Today you leave Namibia and make your way to the Noordoewer border post only 50km. After clearing customs at the South African/Namibian border, make your way onto Springbok. Today explore Springbok and the surrounding area. For a good nine months of every year Namaqualand area is a dry and barren semi-desert stretching for almost 1000km up the west coast of South Africa, covering an area of 440,000km². But all that changes dramatically in spring, when after a short rainy season, the wide open plains are covered in glorious carpets of brightly coloured wildflowers.
Overnight: Naries Namakwa Retreat on a self-catering basis (1 x family self-catering chalet) Travelling Distance = +-171km (+-2 ¼ hours travelling time)
20.07.2014: The Commodore Hotel Depart the retreat and continue to The Commodore Hotel, situated in Cape Town. The rest of the day is at leisure and can be used to explore Cape Town. Visit the V&A Waterfront or the Two Oceans aquarium or simply relax at the pool of the hotel with some refreshments. Activities are at own expense.
Overnight: The Commodore Hotel including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-565km (+-7 hours travelling time)
21.07.2014: The Commodore Hotel Another day spent in Cape Town. There are so many things to do and see in Cape Town that it is hard to make a choice! Here is an example of how you could spend today (all at own expense):
After breakfast you could catch the open-top double decker bus for a city tour. Hop off to join a cable car ride up the Table Mountain for some amazing views. Thereafter you could visit the District Six Museum and stop to have a bite to eat at the V&A Waterfront. In the evening you could enjoy a sundowner drink on the Camps Bay strip or a dinner in one of the many restaurants on Long Street in the centre of Cape Town.
Overnight: The Commodore Hotel including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room)
22.07.2014: Depart Depart the hotel and drive to the Cape Town International Airport, in time for your flight back home or onwards flight. The tour ends here.
* * *
Their contact details are:
Suricate Tours & Safaris
Tel: +264 (0)61 248 551Fax: +264 (0)61 229 168
P.O. Box 97158
Windhoek
Namibia
Namibia & South Africa 02 – 22.07.2014 Self-drive safari
Family
This is the general plan.
- Windhoek surrounds
- Otjiwarongo surrounds
- Etosha National Park
- Twyfelfontein
- Swakopmund and surrounds
- Sesriem / Sossusvlei
- Namtib Biosphere Reserve
- Lüderitz and surrounds
- Fish River Canyon
- Noordoewer surrounds
- Springbok surrounds
- Cape Town
02.07.2014: Arrival and drive to Elegant Farmstead Upon arrival at the Hosea Kutako International Airport you will pick up your rental vehicle and drive the +-40km to Windhoek. From here you will continue to the Elegant Farmstead, which is situated just outside Windhoek. The rest of the day is at leisure and could be used to either relax on the farmstead or take part in an optional activity (not included in the price).
Overnight: Elegant Farmstead including breakfast (Family room) Travelling Distance = +-111km (+- 1 ½ hours travelling time)
03.07.2014: Frans Indongo Lodge After breakfast you will drive via Okahandja (where you can stop over at the Kavango Woodcarver's markets) to the Frans Indongo Lodge. On your way north to the Frans Indogo Lodge, you have the opportunity to visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund (at own expense). Here you have time to visit the Visitors and Education Centre, where you learn more about the Cheetahs in Namibia. You can also witness a cheetah feed, which on weekends is at noon. (For more information, please see http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=visiting_ccf_namibia)
Overnight: Frans Indongo Lodge including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-272km (+-3 ½ hours travelling time)
04.07.2014: Mushara Bush Camp Today you will be heading to the Etosha National Park. After you checked in at the Mushara Bush Camp, you can spend the rest of the day at own leisure. You can either take part in one of the activities offered by the camp (at own expense) or explore the Etosha National Park on your own. Return to the Mushara Bush Camp in the late afternoon.
Etosha National Park Etosha was declared a game reserve by the German colonial administration back in 1907 and covers an area of more than 22 000 km². At a stage it covered a vast area of 93 240 km² and was the largest game reserve in the world. For various political reasons, the park was progressively diminished in size until by 1975 it had been reduced to its current size. In its centre lies a vast saltpan surrounded by grass and thorn savannah, Mopane bushland in the west and dry forest in the north-east. About two million years ago, this area was an enormous lake, fed by the Kunene River. However the lake slowly dried up because over time, the river changed its course. Today the pan is a shallow depression and has an approximate size of 5000 km². Of the 114 mammals species found in the park, several are rare and endangered, such as the black Rhino and cheetah. Etosha’s current population of +- 600 Black Rhinos represents one of the few growing populations in the world. The National Park has three Rest camps Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni. These all have restaurants, stores and swimming pools. The main entrance to the park is called the Andersson Gate at Okaukuejo in the south and the Von Lindequist Gate in the east near Namutoni.
Overnight: Mushara Bush Camp including dinner & breakfast (2 x double tent + 1 sleeper couch) Travelling Distance = +-235km (+-3 hours travelling time)
05 & 06.07.2014: Etosha Safari Lodge In the morning you drive through the park and visit various waterholes, where you can relax and watch the animals as they drink and play. Etosha is famous for excellent game viewing and game, such as giraffe, impala, springbok, zebra and wildebeest can be seen in vast numbers. Your accommodation is once again just outside the park.
Overnight: Etosha Safari Lodge including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-196km (depends on the speed and how much time you spend in the park)
07.07.2014: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge The road today will take you via Outjo to your next destination. The rock art at Twyfelfontein is an exceptional group of paintings due to the enormous amount concentrated in a small area. The animals of the region are each represented and many with their spoor too. This is believed to aid tracking of animals that are good to eat or, indeed, dangerous and to be avoided. Afterwards you could also visit the burnt mountain and organ pipes. Mentioned excursions are not included in the price.
Overnight: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge including breakfast (2 x double rooms – 1 child shares with parents) Travelling Distance = +-316km (+-4 hours travelling time)
08.07.2014: Secret Garden Guesthouse Depart the lodge and drive to Swakopmund. You will arrive in Swakopmund in the afternoon and check in at the Secret Garden Guesthouse, situated near the Swakopmund city centre and walking distance from the beach. The rest of the day can be spent relaxing or exploring this small coastal holiday town. Alternatively you could visit one of the several restaurants and enjoy some fresh seafood (not included).
Swakopmund Swakopmund was of major importance as a harbour during the German colonial era even though the water at the coast is actually too shallow and the bay is unprotected. But Lüderitz was too far away and the seaport of Walvis Bay was in British possession in those days. On 4 August 1892 the crew of a gunboat named Hyena erected two beacons on a large dune, probably in the vicinity of the present lighthouse. This is regarded as the founding date of Swakopmund. The first settlers were 120 Schutztruppe with equipment and 40 settlers who offloaded from the Marie Woermann using four landing boats. The settlers had to build caves on the beach to protect themselves against hostile weather. Before a breakwater was built in 1898, which later became known as the Mole, all offloading was done with special boats The 325 metre long wooden jetty was only completed in 1905 and it was in 1914 replaced by a more solid iron construction. Swakopmund became the gate to South-West Africa and the entire supply for the colony was wound up through this little Town. The narrow-rail train to Windhoek started operations in 1902 while at the same time, the station was built. It was completely restored some years ago and has become an entertainment centre, a casino and a luxury hotel. It is one of the best preserved examples of German colonial architecture in the world. The appearance of the town, with its 47 500 inhabitants, is characterised by numerous colonial buildings with the Woermann House from 1905 as its landmark. The former trading house in Bismarck Street with its 25 metre high Tower and its courtyard bordered by arcades today houses the city library and an art gallery. Swakopmund is a popular seaside resort with a slightly nostalgic atmosphere, many tourist attractions and a pleasant climate in summer.
Overnight: Secret Garden Guesthouse including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-340km (+-4 ¼ hours travelling time)
09 & 10.07.2014: Swakopmund and surrounds On these days you have the opportunity to explore Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and the surrounding area. We suggest that you visit the Moon landscape, Welwitscha Plains (please note that you need a permit for this, which is available at Namib i in Swakopmund) or take part in one of the many alternative activities such as:
Tandem Sky diving Quad Biking Sand Boarding Ballooning Paragliding Seal & Dolphin Boat Cruise in Walvis Bay Scenic flights
(Prices on request!)
Overnight: Secret Garden Guesthouse including breakfast
11.07.2014: Desert Homestead From Swakopmund continue southwards via Ghaub Pass and Solitaire to the Desert Homestead. After arriving at the lodge you can either relax or take part in the alternative activities offered. Alternatively you can visit the Sesriem Canyon. The Tsauchab River has dug a 30m deep gorge into the rock formations. The name Sesriem comes from the first colonialists that cut six leather strings from Oryx skin in order to retrieve water in buckets out of the river below. The activities mentioned are at own expense.
Overnight: Desert Homestead including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-362km (+-4 ½ hours travelling time)
12.07.2014: Namib Naukluft Park & Sossusvlei An early morning rise will be rewarded by the sight of an amazing play of colours over the spectacular dunes at Sossusvlei. At the 2x4 parking you will have to engage the four wheel drive of your vehicle and drive the last few kilometres to the parking area of the dead vlei. With the combi you would need to make use of the shuttle service offered at an extra cost. From here it is about a 15 minute walk along the dunes to most probably Namibia’s most photographed Dunes! Here you will also have the opportunity to explore the area and then maybe climb the “Big Daddy” dune for an overwhelming sight of the dynamic and living desert.
Overnight: Desert Homestead including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room)
13.07.2014: Namtib Desert Lodge After breakfast you will take a short drive to the Namtib Biosphere Reserve in the Tiras Mountains. Here you will have the opportunity to some breath-taking views of some fascinating landscape. Oryx, springbok, kudu, klipspringer as well as the scarce steenbok can be found in this area. Discover the fauna and flora on one of the hiking trails offered (at own expense).
Overnight: Farm Namtib including breakfast (1 x family+ 1 x single room) Travelling Distance = +-185km (+-2 ½ hours travelling time)
14 & 15.07.2014: Lüderitz Nest Hotel Depart the lodge and continue to Aus, where there's the possibility to see some desert adapted horses, which are believed to left here by the Germans in the first world war. From here you drive further to Lüderitz. After check-in the rest of the day is at leisure. On the next day you have the opportunity to visit the ghost town Kolmanskop that was left to the hands of the relentless and unforgiving desert, after the diamonds ran out and the town was abandoned. Activities mentioned are at own expense.
Overnight: Lüderitz Nest Hotel including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-250km (+-3 ¼ hours travelling time)
16.07.2014: Canon Village The trip continues further into the south of Namibia, to the Canon Village. Upon arrival the rest of the day is at leisure and could already be used to explore the area.
Overnight: Canon Village including breakfast (1 x double+ 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-455km (+-5 ½ hours travelling time)
17.07.2014: Norotshama Resort The next morning you can visit the Fish River Canyon, which is situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in Namibia. With a depth of up to 530 metres, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, only to be beaten by the Grand Canyon in America. Thereafter you continue to the Norotshama Resort.
Overnight: Norotshama Resort including breakfast (1 x family chalet) Travelling Distance = +-135km (+-1 ¾ hours travelling time)
18 & 19.07.2014: Naries Namakwa Resort Today you leave Namibia and make your way to the Noordoewer border post only 50km. After clearing customs at the South African/Namibian border, make your way onto Springbok. Today explore Springbok and the surrounding area. For a good nine months of every year Namaqualand area is a dry and barren semi-desert stretching for almost 1000km up the west coast of South Africa, covering an area of 440,000km². But all that changes dramatically in spring, when after a short rainy season, the wide open plains are covered in glorious carpets of brightly coloured wildflowers.
Overnight: Naries Namakwa Retreat on a self-catering basis (1 x family self-catering chalet) Travelling Distance = +-171km (+-2 ¼ hours travelling time)
20.07.2014: The Commodore Hotel Depart the retreat and continue to The Commodore Hotel, situated in Cape Town. The rest of the day is at leisure and can be used to explore Cape Town. Visit the V&A Waterfront or the Two Oceans aquarium or simply relax at the pool of the hotel with some refreshments. Activities are at own expense.
Overnight: The Commodore Hotel including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room) Travelling Distance = +-565km (+-7 hours travelling time)
21.07.2014: The Commodore Hotel Another day spent in Cape Town. There are so many things to do and see in Cape Town that it is hard to make a choice! Here is an example of how you could spend today (all at own expense):
After breakfast you could catch the open-top double decker bus for a city tour. Hop off to join a cable car ride up the Table Mountain for some amazing views. Thereafter you could visit the District Six Museum and stop to have a bite to eat at the V&A Waterfront. In the evening you could enjoy a sundowner drink on the Camps Bay strip or a dinner in one of the many restaurants on Long Street in the centre of Cape Town.
Overnight: The Commodore Hotel including breakfast (1 x double + 1 x triple room)
22.07.2014: Depart Depart the hotel and drive to the Cape Town International Airport, in time for your flight back home or onwards flight. The tour ends here.
* * *
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Planning a Family Trip - Part 1
Planning
Initial Planning
The first thing is to decide on WHERE you are going, then its the WHEN. Which is often the hardest decision as there are so many places to go.
The WHERE and WHEN is closely linked to the ..... COST part. Unfortunately when you have kids WHEN can be dictated by school holidays, exams etc. Guess what, those school holiday flights are....not the best deal around.
Going off season or shoulder can give significant savings, its quieter but you may be exposed to things like undesirable weather conditions.
So the first step is to roughly decide
on where you want to go, when an how much.
That’s the hard bit. Once you are
committed, its easy to pull it together.
Timing
Decide on when you want to go and
have a back up plan. Peak times, like
school holidays, Christmas/New Year and Easter are best avoided, as these are
the most expensive. Also how long you
want to go for. The spring break and
summer holidays can be peak times in the Northern Hemisphere.
Budget
Set a budget so you know how much
money you have to plan your trip with.
That way you can track how much it is going to cost and make any
changes.
I'll put up some more info on budget spread sheets soon.
Start gathering information, sign up for travel special emails, like facebook pages and start picking up travel brochures.
Flights
It is usually more cost effective
to book it yourself than use a travel agent.
Search the airline websites as well as ones like
and
www.skyscanner.com It’s a really good on
for finding the cheapest flight.
If you only want to go to Canada
then have a look at Air Canada, they are the only airline that does a direct
flight from Australia to Canada. It is
Sydney to Vancouver, one of the longest flights but it is a good one. Service is pretty good and it isn’t a low
cost carrier so not too cramped. That
was you avoid having to transit through the USA. It will save time and frustration.
Once you book stop looking at the
specials!
Plan to have 1-2 days at the when
you arrive to recover from the flight before you start any planned activities.
Tours
These are a great way to see the
place and very cost effective. It
includes your transportation (so no one has to drive and you don’t have to
stress about driving on the other side of the road or hire cars!),
accommodation, some meals, a tour guide and some activities. A good guide is anything under $200 per
person per day is a fantastic deal.
Most companies offer pretty
similar packages but there can be a great variety in the prices. Ones like scenic tours and APT are the most
expensive. Evergreen is midrange and
Cosmos is the best value, I have found.
The standard of accommodation is 4*.
It is a lot better than Australian standards. Rooms are bigger and flasher! One thing to note thou is that coffee makers
are usually provided not kettles, so if you are a tea drinker, you can either
bring a travel kettle or ask if they have one.
The other option is to pick up a cheap one and leave it at the last
place you stay. They usually provide
creamer, its nothing like milk and I think tastes like crap!
Visas & Passports
Check if you need a visa for the
location you are going to. The best
place to do this is www.smarttraveller.gov.au
If you are going to the USA (including a cruise to Alsaka) you will need an
ESTA (Electronic System for Travel
Authorization) They cost $14 and are
applied for online. There is only one
official website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov .
There are a lot of websites offering the service but really its just
charging you more.
Some countries require you to
have a passport that is valid for six months after you come back or a certain
number of pages.
Make a photocopy of your passport
and keep it with your other documentation.
Never ever let a hotel, tour company etc hold your passport.
If you loose your passport you
will need to contact the nearest Australian embassy.
Phone
International roaming costs are
huge. You can get prepaid travel sim
cards.
Communication
You might like to think about
getting some business cards printed up with your name and address details to
hand out to people you meet. A cheap
website is www.vistaprint.com.au
they often have deals where you can get them free.
Insurance
Take this out as soon as you make
your first booking, that way you are covered if you have to cancel it.
Take a photo of your luggage and
what is packed in it, that way if you need to make a claim you have some
evidence. Keep a copy of this on your
phone so if your bag goes missing, you can show a photo of it.
Health
Check if you need vaccinations or
have proof of vaccinations like yellow fever (tends to be Africa or Asia). Some need time to give you coverage and some
are more than one shot and have to be spaced apart.
Get a copy of your prescriptions
and a letter from you doctor about any medication you may be taking. Make sure you leave it in the original pack.
Australia has recripcal health care agreements with Belgium, Finland,
Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland,
Sweden and the United Kingdom. This is
for emergency care. It is still best to
make sure you are fully covered under your travel insurance.
Also carry a copy of your glasses
prescription as well as a spare pair.
Nothing worse than not being able to see after breaking your glasses and
then having to find an optical store to get them fixed!
Safety
Register your travel plans on the
smart traveller website ( http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/
). That way if something happens the
government know you are there and can render assistance in the event of a
disaster.
Print a copy of all your documents and reservations. Put this inside one of your bags and also email a copy to someone at home you can contact in case something goes wrong and also email it to yourself to a gmail or Hotmail email address, that way you can access it anywhere
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)