South Africa News, Travel and fun Blog

Not so long ago the sun bronzed our skins and all Capetonians spent time on the lovely Cape Town beaches. Now when you wake up at 6 in the morning, its still dark outside, the nights are chilly and your toes feel like they are freezing off!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again- wintertime!

Many a traveller will ask “What exactly can I do in Cape Town when it’s cold and rainy outside?”.

Well, this Capetonian can vouch that there’s no need to worry! You will have more than enough things to do in and around Cape Town even when the rain is pouring outside.

Here’s some tips:

Shark Cage Diving
You can start by going Shark cage diving! Yes you heard right! Sharks tend to move around, but according to Shark experts, winter is definitely the best time to visit the icy waters. Are you brave enough?

Ten Pin Bowling in Cape Town
Some indoor fun to heat up your hands and feet! Ten Pin Bowling offers fun for both young and old. Best of all it’s cheap to do and you can still go for a nice cuppa hot chocolate afterwards. There are bowling alleys in Claremont (only 12km from Cape Town), Goodwood and Tygervalley (Bellville).

Two Oceans Aquarium
Take a trip down to the V&A Waterfront, but instead of shopping take a turn and head over to the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Aquarium offers visitors a view of more than “3000 living sea animals, including sharks, fishes, seals, turtles and penguins”- definitely a must see! Open every day of the year from 09h30 until 18h00.

Salsa Dancing in Cape Town
Have you ever wanted to learn Salsa Dancing? Well Cape Town gives you this opportunity. Saturdays marks the time for salsa dancing! Come on, be daring and give it a try- 7 Bree Street, Foreshore, Cape Town CBD

Indoor Rock climbing
CityROCK is known as South Africa’s largest 21st century indoor rock-climbing gym and is situated in Observatory, on the corner of Collingwood and Anson Street. One of the advantages of CityROCK is that they welcome kids from the age of 5 and up. Perfect for a family outing on a rainy day in Cape Town!

Win some money
Travel to GrandWest casino and experience an entertainment extravaganza! GrandWest Casino offers fun for the whole family. Ranging from fun for the kids to winning big for adults- GrandWest is a must visit!

Indoor Karting in Kenilworth
Feed your need for speed at the Indoor Karting track in Kenilworth. Expect to find a fully tarred 310 meter track and karts for both kids and adults. Come be a sport and join the fun today!

Ice-skating
There’s nothing better than ice-skating in the winter. Come to the Olympic sized ice rink in GrandWest and have a blast. Be sure to bring your mittens as it might be just a tad cold!

Each year since 2001, local Cape Town radio station 567 Cape Talk have put on this literally star-studded event on Clifton 4th, arguably the most beautiful beach in the Mother City.

While the live band may not consist of household names, their excellent renditions of golden oldies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s were performed with class and energy this past Saturday night. The temperatures soared to the high-30s on the day and the South Easter which had been fanning veld-fires across the Peninsular for the past 2 weeks dropped, creating a balmy evening on the soft sandy beach.

Young and old, black and white, locals and foreigners all congregated en masse from late afternoon to find themselves a space on the sand, enjoy a sunset picnic and cool off in the icy water. Meanwhile, the band got themselves together and ran through a few practice numbers, giving a melodic hint of what was to follow.

The yachts and catamarans of a local marine club dropped anchor in the bay, creating an off-shore event of their own as their lights reflected on the darkening waves below and echoed the emerging stars above.

The event, sponsored by BP Garages, is in aid of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). One of their helicopters did a fly-by before the entertainment kicked off at 18h00, with the crowd standing to salute the work of the men and women who save numerous lives in Cape Town each year.

The MC for the night, Aiden Thomas, introduced a marimba band to start the night’s entertainment. The group warmed up the crowds with some traditional African tunes before the main band got many dancing on the sand under the stars with hit after hit, beautifully performed and accompanied by stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments.

The spectacular sunset stole the crowd’s attention for a few breath-taking minutes, then candles and glow sticks (sold by the NSRI) took on the job of lighting up the relaxed revelers. As no alcohol was allowed, the event was extremely mellow, with no unpleasant incidents to mar the family-friendly fun.

The night drew to a close on schedule at 20h30. We left the beach with happy memories, vowing to return to next year’s Moonstruck.

For a relaxed, free evening with fantastic music and a great Cape Town vibe, look out for Moonstruck 2009 which will be, as always, in the month of February, a perfect way to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day.

Late last week enormous freak waves lashed South Africa’s coastline at KwaZulu Natal. Scientists, who cite climactic changes as part of the cause of the freak storm, report that waves measuring up to 12 metres were recorded off Richards Bay. One person was reported to have died while havoc was wreaked on beach-front homes, shops and businesses causing untold damage to property. On a lighter note, adrenalin-crazed surfers managed to catch some of the best rides of their lives, laughing in the face of life-threatening danger!

Here are some photo’s of an Ore Carrier out of Durban Port

Grand Prix fans in South Africa are getting ‘revved up’ up in anticipation of a 1 billion rand (£70 million) race circuit planned for Cape Town.

South African Grand Prix (Pty) Ltd unveiled plans to build the circuit alongside the Cape Town International Airport. CEO Mr. David Gant confirmed that the project already has the support of both municipal and provincial government. However, the estimated 58 hectares of land required have yet to be released.

He added that once the land was made available the company was confident that a viable license application would be presented.

Grant also stated that government would not have to find the funds needed as it would be underwritten by overseas developers.

The course is planned to comprise a 5.7km circuit with a grandstand able to accommodate 17, 500 spectators. Both racing cars and motorcycles would be able to race on the circuit. Adjacent commercial and industrial parks linked to the course are also included in the plans, with job creation a positive spin-off.

Although South Africa hosted F1 Grand Prix events in the past (from the 1960s to the 1990s) financial constraints led to the country being dropped from the F1 calendar.

If the proposed building of the course goes ahead Cape Town will host Africa’s future F1 Grand Prix races – a real coup for the popular city!

Shamwari is one of SA’s best-loved game reserves. This family-owned park in the Eastern Cape boasts 7 eco-systems.

All of the big five can be viewed in an exclusive-to-guests safari area. Numerous other wildlife species can be seen here as the park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the Eastern and Southern Cape.

Staying at one of Shamwari’s luxuriously decorated lodges goes beyond standard game drives. Unique activities, such as world-class spa treatments, ensure that a 5 star experience is available to each guest.

Shamwari is particularly accessible for tourists not wanting to travel further North to the other big reserves. Its location is not far from the picturesque Garden Route and it has breathtaking beaches nearby. The region is malaria free – another added bonus.

For a top-quality safari break for romantic couples or family groups, you can’t beat Shamwari.

A major attraction for visitors to Southern Africa is the Safari experience. With so many companies offering safaris it can be tough choosing the best. Kalahari Safaris stands out from the rest largely due to their passion for the bush, flora and fauna of the Northern Cape Province where they are located.

Kalahari Safaris offer flexible tours to suit the client – from backpacker to luxury tours. Small groups ensure personalized service.

Accommodation in chalets situated in unfenced camps makes you feel at one with the natural beauty of the surroundings.

Tours can cover the Augrabies Falls National Park the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the Witsands Nature Reserve. You can also opt for National tours from the Kalahari to the Kruger.

The Web site, www.kalaharisafaris.co.za, is designed to give that safari feeling from the first click.

Looking for South African real estate?

Gravity is a brilliantly conceptualized site which touts itself as the county’s only property search engine.

Using the latest in search technology, web crawlers scan the leading estate agent sites each night, indexing all found properties to Gravity’s database. This saves you time and energy, simplifying your property search from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

There are three ways to conduct your South Africa property search with Gravity.

You can opt for a Quick Search or a Detailed Search. Once you have built up a search history you can select a previous search and get it updated with the latest new listings.

Gravity - clearly the most intelligent way to conduct your SA property search.

It may be hot in the city, but this summer in Cape Town locals and visitors will be able to cool down without heading for the icy waters off Clifton beach.

The hottest new venue to open at the V&A Waterfront received a warm reception despite the chilly atmosphere – in fact that was the whole point!

Welcome to The Ice Lounge – a first for South Africa, which opened its doors on 1 November to 400 patrons eager to try something different.

The chilled out venue is under the management of Mr. Dave Cussen- himself an ice-sculptor. During the day families enjoy the novel experience while children fly down the slope of a slide carved in the shape of a whale. Other sculptures on view include an intricate image of Nelson Mandela.

Cussen hopes to continue drawing the crowds to make the venture financially worthwhile, as the venue cost a cool R3 million to create. The entire bar as well as the sculptures, walls and even the glasses are all made from ice, which is prevented from melting by the room temperature which is kept at around 6°C.

On arrival patrons are provided with mittens, ponchos and booties to wear over their own clothes – which means you don’t need to dress for winter while making your way through a steaming hot Cape Town to get there!

Expect to pay R50 for daytime entrance, while your R75 evening cover charge includes a cocktail.
With this novel venue, Cape Town maintains its status as South Africa’s most-chilled destination.

Too, too cool!

 Compared with the same time period last year, research undertaken by the Royal Bank of Scotland reveals that visitors to South Africa will find the country  a whopping  22 %  cheaper!
 
With the current exchange rate, holidaymakers from the UK will find SA the most affordable vacation option this year, the bank reports.

For example, for £500 tourists can now get an extra R1,200, which is enough to add one more night’s luxury accommodation to the tab.

Iceland and Mauritius, at 18% and 16% cheaper this year, come in at second and third place.

When it comes to Europe, Hungary is discounted by 12%, making it the cheapest in Europe and fourth over all.

Finally, completing the top-5 is New Zealand, where visitors get an extra 11% compared with a year ago.
 
The bank also revealed that the exchange rate on both the US Dollar and the Euro have also improved, they have done so at a smaller margin than other currencies compared over the year in the survey. If you’re shopping in the States you’ll be paying 4 % less than a year ago, while the Euro is a negligable 0.4% less expensive.

So if you like to get value for money, come to sunny South Africa - you  can stay for 22% longer at the same price as one year ago!

And considering how much SA has to offer, that’s a real bargain!

The beautiful Mother City of Cape Town has been honoured at the 13th World Travel Awards, held this year in Turks and Caicos Islands, off Miami, on Thursday night.

The popular coastal South African city was awarded trophies for the following prestigious awards.

‘Africa’s Leading Destination’

‘Africa’s Leading Hotel’ – for the Mount Nelson Hotel

‘Africa’s Leading Airport’ – for Cape Town International Airport

Cape Town was not the only South African nominee to receive kudos at the gala ceremony, known as the ‘Oscars of the Travel World’.

The Shamwari Game Reserve, the Durban International Convention Centre, Sun City Resort and South African Airways all received awards for excellence.

The W.T.A’s are nominated annually by 160 000 professionals in the travel industry, drawn from 120 countries around the globe.

Among the sectors up for nomination are conference centres, travel destinations, airlines, hotels and companies all around the world.
The awards encourage healthy competition across the board. World Travel Awards president Graham Cooke confirms this, saying: “Since the inception of the awards in 1993, we have seen a growing sophistication in the travel and tourism trade, and increased competition.

“Voted for independently by travel professionals worldwide, our award winners are having a major impact and influence on the world’s travel and tourism industry.

“They are true innovators and benchmarks for our trade, especially in the areas of customer service, technology, operational efficiency, product offering and style.”