Travel Alert: Petrol problems for self-drivers

Tour operators are advised to let their self-drive clients know that due to a truck drivers’ strike at present, many South African petrol stations may experience a shortage of fuel.

Those tourists covering long distances must ensure that they have sufficient fuel to cover their trip.

The strike is expected to continue for a second week this week. The SA Fuel Retailers Association on Monday said 300 petrol stations across the country had run dry with retailers in townships most affected.

Romney Park Hotel receives a makeover

ROMNEY Park All Suite Hotel and Spa, on the Cape’s Atlantic Seaboard and close to Cape Town’s beaches and the V&A Waterfront, has received an extensive makeover.


The hotel now offers a further 11 suites, a new bar with outdoor terrace, a lounge, a 48-seater restaurant and additional under-cover parking bays.

All suites have a fully equipped kitchen, full en-suite bathroom, spacious living room and outdoor terrace.

A tapas menu will be on offer in the lounge, bar and pool terrace from September.

Townhouse hotel opens conference centre

THE Townhouse Hotel has opened its state-of-the-art conference centre in Cape Town’s CBD.


The centre can seat up to 220 people or accommodate product launches and formal banqueting. “These can also be subdivided into more intimate venues for breakaway meetings or smaller sessions. And each venue can be custom-equipped with state-of-the-art staging, presentation and audio-visual facilities according to individual needs,” says conference centre manager, Theoné Williams.

A variety of conference centre packages are available, including half-and full-day catered or non-catered options, custom packages available for events such as product launches, cocktail functions and corporate breakfasts. Customised conference/ overnight packages are also offered.

Mossel Bay taxis set to join the tourism industry

FOLLOWING a successful collaboration between a taxi owner and a tour operator, during which a total of 800 people were transported to and from a conference and a wedding in the town, Mossel Bay’s taxi associations are to seek entry to the tourism economy.


Mobati and Ncedo, two of the associations, met recently to discuss a strategy for tapping into the benefits that could come from events such as the 2010 Fifa World Cup, visits by cruise liners and the presence of independent South African and international travellers.

During the meeting it was agreed that drivers and owners needed training so that they could understand the needs of the tourism industry. Fixed-zone prices, acceptable and accessible drop-off and pick-up points and a system of identification were also required.

Neels Zietsman, chairman of Mossel Bay Tourism, said he was excited about the idea of welcoming the taxi associations into the local tourism industry.

“Mossel Bay is a unique and exciting place, and offers an almost incredible number of things to do and having the taxis available to visitors will make many of these things more accessible and therefore more viable,” he said.

Bitou focuses on community tourism

TO prepare for the Confederation Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Bitou Tourism in Plettenberg Bay, is turning its attention to fostering community initiatives with the launch of its "Imagine and Dream" campaign.


Tourism officials have consulted with various community groups since September and a series of workshops and planning meetings have been conducted.

According to Bitou Tourism ceo Dianna Martin, participation of local communities will form a cornerstone of activities hosted in Plettenberg Bay and surrounding areas.

“This campaign is focused on involving our communities in these amazing events through interactive workshops where they can become involved in our tourism future. Visitors from across the globe will be descending on our region and spectacular community tourism projects are the only way of ensuring that the resulting economic spin-off reaches our broader communities,” explains Martin.

Further workshops are planned during April and will be targeted at the communities of New Horizon, Wittedrift / Green valley, Crags and Qolweni.

Allée Bleue opens luxury cottage

Allée Bleue Wine Estate, situated near Franschhoek, has opened Kendall Cottage, its luxury cottage.


Built in 1920, the historic residence is an ideal retreat for newly-weds, private parties of friends and business guests, says the estate. The cottage offers two generous suites, a spacious living room with hospitality bar as well as a private terrace overlooking the estate’s lavender and rosemary fields. Exclusive butler and chef services are on hand for guests.

Kendall Cottage is the first phase of the estate's luxury accommodation future offering. By mid-2010, a total of 17 stylish suites will be completed using the existing and historic collection of manor houses that dot the estate. A fine-dining restaurant will also be opened to residents and day visitors.

Cape Town Connections

Cape Town has a wide variety of accommodations Establisments that suite every pocket. Accommodation range from different star gradings, and few days ago I came across this website which is about a group of guest house in one area that came together and they came up with the idea of being able to help people that might be travelling in groups and maybe not being able to be accommodated in one Establishment

For further information, you are welcome to check them them out on http://www.capetown-connections.com/

I hope you enjoy what Cape Town has to offer

One&Only Cape Town opens in style

singing diva on a yacht, a male choir seemingly suspended over water, nymph-like water gymnasts, a thumping drum beat and a flame-lit entrance marked the inimitable return of South Africa’s 'sun-king', Sol Kerzner, as he prepared to open his flagship R450m One&Only Cape Town this week. A star-studded launch is scheduled for April 3.


On March 26 Kerzner personally welcomed the media and travel industry to a special preview of the luxury resort at the V&A Waterfront calling it a "remarkable achievement" and "one of the finest we have around the world". He said he was looking forward to again contributing to South Africa’s growing tourism industry and particularly to being involved in the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The 131-room and suite resort sits in the elbow of the V&A Marina's residential area and incorporates Marina Rise, a crescent-shaped, seven-storey hotel and two private islands. One island houses 40 villa-style suites for up to R25 900 a night and the other a spa and fitness centre with 11 treatment rooms and a yoga pavilion. An open-air restaurant and pool complete the picture. The islands are connected to Marina Rise by bridges for guests and underground tunnels for staff.

The Vistas Bar has views of Table Mountain and alongside are two restaurants: Maze, by UK celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, and 'Nobu' by Japanese master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. There is an in-house designer boutique and a Goodman art gallery is located on the mezzanine floor. Works by prominent South African artists are displayed throughout the resort.

Marina Rise's 91 rooms and suites have glass doors leading on to private balconies. The complex also houses the 250sqm presidential suite (up to R50 500 a night) plus three 800 sqm, four-bedroom penthouses.

Services include 24-hour personal butlers, daily fresh fruit and snacks, twice-daily maid service, a pillow selection menu and an aromatherapy turndown menu.

In-room amenities include multimedia entertainment, satellite flat-screen TVs, surround-sound audio systems, DVD/CD players, business services (multi-adaptor, fax/computer hook-ups, three phones, two-line communication system), MP3 docking stations and complimentary WiFi throughout the resort.

Facilities for functions include a ballroom (which can be divided) for up to 200 guests, two boardrooms, a business centre and a dedicated consultant to assist with functions.

Fines for feeding baboons in Cape Town

Authorities have announced that people caught feeding the baboons around CapeTown will be fined. Some tourists feed the animals to tempt them closer to take photographs despite the warning signs. The baboons are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to get an easy meal from humans. Tourists and tour operators who feed baboons will be fined up to R1 500 or face six months in prison.

New luxury all-suites hotel for central Cape Town

A new five-star all-suite hotel, Pepper Club & Spa, managed by Gatsby International Hotels & Resorts, is set to open its doors in January 2010 in central Cape Town.

The new 22-storey hotel tower will take up an entire block at the corners of Long and Pepper streets in the city’s most popular central café society district. According to Gatsby director, Brandon Lourens, it will be first downtown boutique hotel with luxury apartments aimed at the upper-end international and domestic market.

Accommodation will comprise 76 de-luxe suites, 56 superior de-luxe suites, 38 grand one-bedroom suites and 14 grand two-bedroom suites.

There will be five venues accommodating 20 to 120 people for conferences, incentives, weddings and executive meetings.

A small shopping mall on the ground floor will have coffee shops, gourmet restaurants and other shops.

Other facilities will include a concierge service, a fitness centre, a pool and sun deck with views of the city and Table Mountain, a private movie theatre, a wellness spa and secure under-cover parking. Pepper Club’s guest courtesy fleet will include a Rolls Royce Phantom. Developers, Solomon Brothers Property Holdings, promise luxury and modern finishes of a standard “not previously seen in Cape Town”.