South African Tourism Announces Dates For India Road Show

South African Tourism has announced the dates for the SAT India road show:






January 30, Mumbai;
February 1, Bangalore;
February 2, Chennai;
February 3, Delhi;
February 6, Pune.

Registration for the road show will open at the end of August.

For any queries contact davidsnoek@telkomsa.net

18th World Travel Awards

Western Cape is set to scoop more than one accolade in the prestigious World Travel Awards, which will take place on 16 September 2011 at the Royal Savoy Hotel in Egypt.

The awards, which is in its 18th year, is well known as the Oscars of the travel industry and serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Categories that the destination has been nominated in include: Africa’s Leading Airport, Africa’s Leading Beach Destination, Africa’s Leading Destination, Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre and Africa’s Leading Port.

Local hotels nominated for the 2011 World Travel Awards are:

Africas Leading Boutique Hotel
Birkenhead House
Africas Leading Family Resort
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
Africas Leading Spa Resort
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
Africas Leading Luxury Hotel
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

For the full list of nominees visit:
 http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

Marianas, In The Top 20 For A Sunday Lunch

If somebody asked you to recommend a good spot for Sunday lunch that was worth a bit of a drive, keeping in mind solid fare, value for money, no big-name chefs or franchises involved, and as a bonus, good scenery en route, which venues would you suggest?

There are plenty of places that serve a menu for lunch, but we were after out-of-the-way recommendations. We tried to avoid fashionable urban haunts and looked for the nostalgic Sunday carvery roasts and quality buffet spreads many of us grew up with. The team hunted down less-known country venues where quirky owners serve à la carte fare cooked with love, and discovered a couple of hidden gems along winding dirt roads serving a set lunch. Essentially places with character that lure diners on a Sunday, where the food takes time to prepare and eat.

The following 6 restaurants in the Western Cape are amongst the top 20 in S.A. offering the best Sunday Lunches.


Mariana's

12 Du Toit Street, Stanford

Tel 028 341 0272

After 11 years, Marianas has reached iconic status for its menu originality, the sustained food quality, the friendly service (Peter Esterhuizen’s repartee is fun and informed; wife Mariana emerges from the kitchen as lunch winds down) and the wide range of herbs growing beyond the back stoep. Recent standouts included game rillettes, lightly aromatic fish curry, aubergine stuffed with ricotta, confit de canard and homemade ice cream doused with espresso and local grappa. Diners come from afar, and expect to expire – such is the flair of the fare that it can be wise to stay overnight in town. Wines are local, prices fair. Booking essential.

The others are:

96 Winery Road

Winery Road, Stellenbosch

Tel 021 842 2010

Bar Bar Black Sheep
Short Street, Riebeek Kasteel
Tel 022 448 1031
De Malle Meul
Church Square, Philadelphia
Tel 021 972 1097
Driefontein Farmhouse
1km off N2 in the direction of Greyton
Tel 028 881 3612
Oestervanger
Retreat turn-off, Rietvlei, Robertson Valley
Tel 023 626 4047


Well Done.

Source: Wine Magazine

It's All Balls At High Tea

Wimbledon fever has begun and London hotels are getting involved whether it's afternoon tea, 3D TV or good old strawberries and cream.

Those who weren't lucky enough to score tickets for the court should visit the Park Plaza Victoria London for the next best thing. The hotel's bar will be screening the Wimbledon singles finals on its 47 inch 3D television and 100 pairs of glasses will be available on the 2nd and 3rd July. The hotel is located near Victoria Station, a short walk from leading tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

The 5 star Royal Horseguards Hotel is always among the first to come up with themed afternoon teas and true to form, has created a special Wimbledon high tea. It features all the usual scones and sarnies as well as a bucket of homemade tennis ball truffles and Wimbledon logo cupcakes (pictured above). The tea starts from £38 per person.

Source: ehotelier.com

Top Destinations For Under 30’s

Relaxation is sublime, but sometimes you need something a little more lively, so if you’re looking for a holiday destination where the sun never sets and the party never ends, here are our top five suggestions…

1. Ibiza

An obvious choice, but for good reason. The large Spanish island is probably most famous for its parties as well as its famous clubs, most notable being Café del Mar. If you’re looking for a riot and a glimpse of some of the worlds best DJ’s and bands, then this is the place to be during summer. The government is currently trying to change the vibe of the island, to attract different and quieter kinds of crowds, but there’s little chance that the party scene of this legendary destination will turn down the volume any time soon.

2. Cyprus

A hugely desirable island destination in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is home to the Ibiza-like resort, Ayia Napa, which is known as the party capital. Not only does it boast some of the finest high end restaurants, clubs and shopping spots in the area, but it’s also home to a sea monster legend. Either the locals drink way too much Ouzo or there really is a monster – so either way it’s worth a visit.

3. Cape Town

The weather, scenery and laid back vibe make this South African city the perfect holiday destination for the young at heart. With loads of pristine beaches, cool surfing spots, forests, mountains and outdoor life, there’s always something to keep you occupied. When the sun goes down and cocktails have been drunk, the world famous Long Street is waiting to dazzle you with its bustling bars, restaurants and clubs.

4. Rio de Janeiro

Think world class festivals, samba in the streets, club hopping till the sun comes up and incredible possibilities in a city that will breathe life into you. Not only that, but the beaches and mountains are breathtaking too. The Brazilian carnivals alone are well worth a trip for their elegance and extravagance. The well known Rio carnival is the largest in the world with up to two million people joining in the street parties every day during the event.

5. Acapulco

One of Mexico’s oldest and most famous beach resorts, Acapulco is well known for being a popular vacation spot for stars and billionaires. You’ll find spectacular high rise hotels, irresistible beaches and an explosive nightlife culture dominated by dance clubs, cocktail bars, beach drinking spots and live entertainment. Also worth seeing are the famous cliff divers, who can be seen jumping from horrifying heights into a flaming ocean lit with gasoline.

Source: Travelwires

Recycle Soap And Help The Poor

That bar of soap you used once or twice during your last hotel stay might now be helping poor children fight disease.

Derreck Kayongo and his Atlanta-based Global Soap Project collect used hotel soap from across the United States. Instead of ending up in landfills, the soaps are cleaned and reprocessed for shipment to impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland.

"I was shocked just to know how much (soap) at the end of the day was thrown away," Kayongo said. Each year, hundreds of millions of soap bars are discarded in North America alone. "Are we really throwing away that much soap at the expense of other people who don't have anything? It just doesn't sound right."

Kayongo, a Uganda native, thought of the idea in the early 1990s, when he first arrived to the U.S. and stayed at a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He noticed that his bathroom was replenished with new soap bars every day, even though they were only slightly used.

"I tried to return the new soap to the concierge since I thought they were charging me for it," Kayongo said. "When I was told it was just hotel policy to provide new soap every day, I couldn't believe it."

Kayongo called his father -- a former soap maker in Uganda -- and shared the experience. "My dad said people in America can afford to throw it away. But I just started to think, 'What if we took some of this soap and recycled it, made brand new soap from it and then sent it home to people who couldn't afford soap?' "

For Kayongo, collecting soap is "a first line of defense" mission to combat child-mortality around the world. Each year, more than 2 million children die from diarrheal illness -- the approximate population of San Antonio, Texas. According to the World Health Organization, these deaths occur almost exclusively among toddlers living in low-income countries.

Source: CNN

Record Broken Beyond The Boerewors Curtain

Following on about the story of Gansbaai and the Abalone pot, another record was broken on the same day.  But this time it was beyond the Boerewors Curtain. The Guinness World Record for the longest boerewors ever braaied was broken in Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) on Thursday, Afriforum Youth claimed.

Guinness World Records has requested proof of the feat before it is made official, the civil rights organisation's national chairperson Charl Oberholzer said.

"Together with the girl band, Saarkie, the singer and comedian, Thys die Bosveldklong, and seven other farmers' associations from the Mokopane district, the organisation braaied a 514.5m long boerewors at the Windpomp Festival."

The previous record was 321m. The boerewors weighed about 420kg and it took 40 people working together to put on the braai. "There were a couple of close calls, but luckily the boerewors didn't break during the braai," Oberholzer said.

It was later distributed to old age homes in the district. "It is important on Youth Day that the youth honours the older people and show that we care, even if it's only by attempting to break a boerewors braai record and providing a free plate of food."