Not only is there no jet lag when flying to South Africa from Europe, but you won’t need to worry about a visa. For Cape Town no special injections are needed either, so you can fly at a moment’s notice. Malarial prophylactics are recommended for those visiting the Kruger Park. Click here for up-to-the-minute Foreign Office advice.
We charge a one-off R350 administration fee for a basic package which includes the arrangement of car hire and one or two great places to stay as well as general back-up while you are here and all email correspondence before, during and after your holiday. This goes up to R550 if we are given less than two weeks notice. For each additional accommodation we charge an extra R50 arrangement fee, and R20-R50 for the organisation of any activity.
The great thing is, we are regularly able to negotiate a discount for our clients which as often as not will more than cover these costs. Our aim is always that you should pay no more than if you had booked it yourself, and have a far better time into the bargain!
Absolutely. While some people want simply to book one or two places to stay and organise a hire car, others want a full Africa experience. So for instance, if it’s cherry picking season, we might suggest a night or two in the stunning fruit-growing region of Ceres. Or how about a couple of days of golf at Fancourt, or one of the Cape’s other world-renowned courses? Or maybe you’d like to head into the desert in a 4x4 to look for the famous black-maned lions with an experienced, enthusiastic guide to cater to your every need?
Most visitors to the Cape like to sample its celebrated wines, so you might consider staying over in the famous winelands (solely in the interest of educating your palate, of course). Let us know what you enjoy and we will send you a sample itinerary as the starting block of a holiday designed expressly to suit your taste and your budget.
We customise each tour to suit a budget specified by you. All elements of the trip will be planned to suit you, and nothing will be booked without your approval. If you have a small budget, but want to do something extravagant like fly in a hot air balloon, then we will try to balance that by finding the best value-for-money accommodation that still fulfils our criteria for charm, character, quality and convenience.
Cape Town is the perfect place to do something amazing that will ensure an unforgettable experience. Flying a fighter jet is one of my favourites, but does cost the price of a small car. Alternatively, he could try his hand at flying a helicopter, or the two of you could take a private charter out to the winelands just for a picnic. If he is the adventurous type, we could organise anything from paragliding to diving with sharks. If he is romantic, perhaps a sunset cruise followed by dinner in one of the many fabulous restaurants here. And if somewhere deep inside he thinks he is James Bond, he could do all of these in one day. Probably.
We agree that websites can often be misleading. That is why we take pains to be honest about all aspects of any accommodation we recommend. With all the villas and hotels we suggest to our clients, we always aim to give very comprehensive information and will also endeavour to answer promptly any particular questions you may have.
We can arrange domestic flights or private charters but unfortunately we cannot stretch to the booking of international flights. We do however keep our ears to the ground and will happily advise clients of which airlines would offer them the most convenient flight whether in terms of route, cost or service..
Absolutely. Nearly all shops and restaurants will accept credit and debit cards, the only notable exception being petrol stations. Cash point machines are easy to find even in small towns, and in fact most travellers find the use of cards much more convenient than travellers cheques.
Cape Town is renowned for being extremely child friendly. Many of our clients have young children and our accommodation is scrutinized for its safety particularly where toddlers are concerned. In addition, we can help you arrange the hire of all kinds of children’s equipment and can organise anything from a night’s babysitting to a full-time highly-qualified nanny so that you can relax and enjoy yourself. By all means, bring them over! They’ll have a ball, and so will you.
Rest assured that, if necessary, you can buy pretty much anything here that you can find at home, but if you have them we would certainly recommend packing such things as a well-fitting wetsuit, a pair of walking boots and binoculars, even if there is only a small chance that you may be using them. The only two every day items I have struggled to find here are Lapsang Souchong tea and set honey.
When we first moved here we regularly saw a police car in our street which admittedly made us feel a little nervous. After a few weeks, however, we realised that the policeman was popping into our local corner shop to buy a newspaper on his way home. That taught us a lot about our preconceptions! Cape Town really is like any big city – whether you are in London, New York or Sydney it is always a good idea to watch your bag, and there are certain areas where you know you should take care, particularly at night. Having said that, we have never experienced any problems in Cape Town, and have always felt it to be an extremely friendly and welcoming place.
South Africa has been described as ‘Africa for beginners’. It is most definitely Africa, but its growing first-world infrastructure is reassuring for the first-time visitor and its fabulous roads make it very easy to travel. For those who want it, there are vast tracts of mountains, desert and untouched beaches to explore within just hours of Cape Town. It is even possible to view African wildlife in its natural environment, with the big five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) thriving in nature reserves just a few hours drive from the city. And visitors flock here for the plant life alone.
There is also tons of culture – from haunting Bushman paintings to African, European and Malay traditions reflected in the architecture, the museums, the restaurants and the music of this melting pot of a city. Many of the hotels and restaurants here rank among the best in the world, but at the same time the road from the airport is lined with tin huts. The New South Africa is wholeheartedly embracing the diverse cultures and backgrounds of its people, and as a result this Rainbow Nation imbibes a wonderful sense of freedom to its visitors.
Yes, absolutely. We have contacts with instructors of both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. Learning to fly is very popular here, not surprisingly since the quality of instruction is very high, the weather patterns challenging, and the scenery simply fabulous.
Many of the hotels and smarter guesthouses provide internet access for their guests. There are also lots of internet cafes. Even some of the self-catering houses have computers specifically for the use of guests. If this is particularly important to you, please let us know as it will help us in our search for the perfect accommodation for you.
