For anyone who ever doubted that this World Cup in South Africa was not going to be a success … I think that this picture will prove that everyone is behind the tournament …. and the noise at the matches is going to be DEAFENING !!
The World Cup TV Planner can let you plan your entire world cup viewing and can automatically add fixtures to your Outlook (or similar) calendar to ensure you never miss a vital game!
This FaceBook application translates the South African kick-off times for every game into different time zones, and for the UK, it even has details of which TV channel the matches will be on!
All the matches are searchable by team, group, match date, and more, and if you set your preferences-up the planner will default to your team and time zone next time you use it. You can even look-up when any two teams are scheduled to meet in the competition’s knock-out stages!
On FaceBook? Try the FaceBook Application
Not on FaceBook? Visit the World Cup TV Planner Web Site
For us, staying at Saamrus Guest Farm was one of the key nights of our recent business trip over to South Africa, as we are using here as a base for fans going to the first England game of the World Cup, in Rustenburg on June 12th.
All I can say is … what a find.
Locationwise, it is perfect. It is only about a 90 minute drive from the Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport, and within minutes of leaving the airport you are soon driving away from the city smog and travelling through countryside. From Saamrus then onto Rustenburg itself is only about 35-40 minutes - you literally turn right out of the driveway, then right again after a few yards … and this is then the main road into Rustenburg. The Rustenburg stadium itself is out the other side of Rustenburg, about 20 km in a place called Phokeng, but there is going to be a Park and Ride on the outskirts of the city to take fans this last little bit.
Anyway, back to our stay at Saamrus.
The approach is quite adventurous, you travel for about 2 km down a farm track which when it rains would be pretty impassable for a normal 2WD hire car (but the owners do have plans to upgrade this road anyway) - thankfully in June it will be the dry season here, so nobody will have to worry about their car getting stuck !
You pass a couple of other properties on the way, and eventually arrive at Saamrus Guest Farm. An enthusiastic welcome awaits you in the form of a tiny Jack Russell and her much larger Ridgeback companion, who will, given half the chance, lick you to death as a greeting.
The guest farm is run by a lovely couple, Annatjie and Chris, who escaped the Johannesburg rat race with their son a few years ago and bought the guest farm, with the intention of running a business offering a weekend retreat for local Jo’burger and Pretorians. And they have been very successful at it !
The international market is not their normal clientele, but they are looking forward to playing host to the variety of fan groups that will no doubt be staying with them at different times over the World Cup period. And they completely understand that the fans are here for the football … and as such, for this period only, they are putting a TV into each cottage.
There are 8 cottages in total - 2 down near Annatjie’s and Chris’s home, and the remaining 6 up a rather steep cobbled track, which can only be accessed by a 4WD - but don’t worry, Chris will be acting as chauffeur and is happy to ferry people up to their cottage as and when required if you don’t fancy walking it. Hire cars will be perfectly safe parked outside Annatjie’s and Chris’s cottage, especially with the 2 dogs acting as unofficial guard dogs too !
Some of the cottages would benefit from a touch of paint on the outside, but once inside all of them are clean and very comfortable. The open plan lounge / dining area has a wood burning stove, and an extremely well kitted out kitchen area, with a sink, fridge/freezer, microwave, 2 ring hob, pans, cutlery and crockery, plus a dining table. Some cottages are just one bedroomed, others 2 bedroomed, and some have additional day beds in the lounge area. The bathrooms are pretty small - some have a bath with a shower over the bath, some just a shower. For the ladies, please note that there is NOT a hairdryer - so take your own if you need one !
Outside there is a stoop / veranda and a braai / BBQ, and you can buy wood from Chris so you don’t have to worry about this - but you will need to buy firelighters or else you may be waiting a long time to eat !!
The nearest supermarket for buying your provisions is about a 20 minute drive away in Magliesburg, or there is a large shopping mall in Rustenburg if you are happy to travel a bit further - this may give you a slightly better choice of food. For our fans, Annatjie is also going to offer a breakfast basket which will be delivered to each cottage in the morning - fans will need to pre-order this via us (we need to confirm the cost) before their stay, but more details will be sent out shortly to everyone concerned.
We sat outside last Sunday night for about 4 hours … we enjoyed a braai, and then just sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet and starwatched … true, there is a faint rumble of noise from the nearby road about 2 km away, but it didn’t really interfere with the peace that much ! However, don’t forget that June in South Africa is Winter … so do take lots of warm clothes if you plan to sit outside !!
Lezard Bleu is a lovely guest house, situated in the exclusive suburb of Oranjezicht in Cape Town, and Travel Butlers have practically taken over this guest house during the period around England’s first game in Cape Town.
The owners, Chris and Nikola, are certainly looking forward to hosting our customers, and having looked around the guest house last week AND spent a very pleasant few hours one evening in Chris’s and Nikola’s company, I am 100% sure that our customers will just love their stay here !
The rooms are great - spacious, comfortable and a bit quirky, especially the Tree House. There is a large pool, though in June I am not quite sure how much swimming or sunbathing will be done !
The main guest area consists of one large, family style table, around which sumptious breakfasts can be enjoyed, and of course there will be a communal TV so that everyone can watch all the other World Cup games being played inbetween sightseeing.
Nikola runs a small curio ‘corner’ too, and all items are locally sourced and made, so sales will benefit local artists and communities.
The family dogs are always around too, there were 4 at the last count !
We walked to the stadium from here on the Saturday afternoon, and it took about an hour - Chris has already mapped out a route that he is going to recommend to everyone, including where to stop for lunch on the way down (’Fork’ in Long Street … apparently THE best tapas in Cape Town - unfortunately we didn’t quite have time to stop here en-route !!).
After the game, to walk from the stadium back to the Waterfront will take about 5-10 minutes, but we would strongly advise everyone to then take a taxi back to the guest house - please do NOT walk back late at night.
We are absolutely convinced that everyone staying here will have a great time … and we are very envious that we can’t join you … unless someone has a spare ticket ??!!
The draw for the play-off games that will decide the final 4 European teams that will compete in next year’s World Cup was made a short while ago in Zurich.
The stand out tie sees Giovanni Trapattoni’s Irish side face France over two legs, with the second leg being in Paris. Whilst this is clearly a huge challenge for the Irish, France will also be very wary of a vastly improved side which came within a few minutes of beating World Champions Italy only a couple of weeks ago.
This seems to be the hardest of the four ties to predict, with Portugal, Ukraine, and Russia all likely to fancy their chances of joining the party in South Africa next year.
The ties will be played over two legs ( with the first leg on Nov 14, and the second leg on Nov 18 ), and the full draw is:
Republic of Ireland v France
Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Greece v Ukraine
Russia v Slovenia
For football fans visiting South Africa during the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and staying in and around Durban and Port Elizabeth to follow their teams, they can have the opportunity to stay somewhere completely unique - on a luxury cruise ship !
Durban Harbour will be host to the MS Noordam, which is one of the world’s biggest and most luxurious cruise ship and has over 950 cabins. Port Elizabeth Harbour will host the equally luxurious and large MS Westerdam for part of the tournament, also with over 950 cabins. Both cruise ships will give fans the opportunity to live aboard during the World Cup period and experience the unbeatable combination of a luxury cruise and soccer !
The MS Noordam will be moored at Durban Harbour for the majority of the tournament, but will also cruise around the coastline to dock at PE Harbour for the quarter-final and for the playoff for the 3rd and 4th place.
The MS Westerdam will be moored at PE Harbour for the first 14 days of the tournament, and then will cruise between PE and Cape Town for the rest of the time.
Day and half-day tours will also be offered to fans on board, which they can take advantage of inbetween games to explore the host cities.
South Africa is ready to welcome the world in June 2010 as it prepares to host a World Cup like no other, and this will provide an ideal opportunity for many fans to combine sport with a trip to a truly world class travel destination.
Of course (whisper it quietly)…not everyone likes football! Given the huge number of teams, fans, and media that will invade South Africa next June/July, careful planning is required to make sure that anyone thinking of visiting the country in 2010 gets the most out of their trip regardless of whether they are travelling to follow the World Cup or not.
Love Football - Visiting South Africa during the World Cup
Stunning scenery, long sandy beaches, vibrant city life, and excellent game viewing are making South Africa one of the fastest growing holiday destinations in the world. Steeped in history and culture, there are outstanding attractions in every part of this vast country, and these can easily be included to fit in around the games … from whale watching and wine tasting around Cape Town, to tracking lions in Kruger or scuba diving near Durban…this will be a World Cup to remember!
The recent British & Irish Lions Rugby tour of South Africa saw a 40% increase in visitors from the home nations to South Africa. Given the immense popularity of football and the number of nations taking part in the World Cup, fans that are planning on going out to follow their team are strongly advised to plan their trip and book accommodation as early as possible to avoid disappointment, especially as flights are now available.
To help fans research and plan their trip, we have prepared a comprehensive guide to the tournament including travel information, host city guides, what do do between games and more - click here to read more : World Cup Travel Guide.
Hate Football - Avoid The Crowds And Save Money By Avoiding The World Cup
For anyone not interested in following the World Cup, the best advice would definitely be to avoid travelling there during the tournament!
The World Cup will run from 11 June to 11 July 2010, and it is expected that the whole region will be extremely busy with teams, fans, and the media from 1 June until 15 July.
For non-fans, visiting outside of this period will not only give them a greater choice of hotels and safari lodges, but it will also mean they can take advantage of the numerous special offers that we are offering during this period (such as “Stay for 3 nights and only pay for 2″, or free accommodation in Cape Town when you book a safari at selected lodges) that will not be available during the World Cup period.
Of course, even some football fans might prefer to watch the tournament on TV and travel to SA at another time!
Whenever you decide to go to South Africa, we can help you research, plan and book a dream holiday to this exciting country. As well as the World Cup Guide, our comprehensive website includes travel guides to the major highlights of the region, details of hundreds of hotels, safari lodges and specials offers, and suggested itineraries for your trip.
There is rumour that South African Airlines will be introducing an additional 4 daily flights between South America and Johannesburg. The aim is to have 2 daily flights from São Paulo, one daily flight from Buenos Aires and another daily flight from Rio de Janeiro.
It is believed that these new flights are in response to the anticipated demand for travel to South Africa as a result of the 2010 World Cup.
Currently, South African Airlines operates daily flights to São Paulo, Brazil and to Buenos Aires, Argentina but only 3 times per week.
Direct flights are also being considered between South America and Cape Town and Durban, but this will not be decided until after the draw is made for the groups on December 4th.
Emirates’ connectivity will soon span 3 major FIFA 2010 World Cup host cities, as of 1 October 2009, when they introduce daily direct flights, both inbound and outbound, between Dubai and Durban International Airport and later the new King Shaka Airport.
An A330-200 will service the route with 27 business-class and 251 economy-class seats. The Dubai-Durban flight will cover a distance of over 6,600 kms in 8 hours 40 minutes. EK774 will depart Dubai daily at 04:45 hours and arrive in Durban at 11:25 hours. EK775 will depart Durban at 13:15 hours and arrive in Dubai at 23:45 hours.
“Tourism KwaZulu-Natal is elated that Emirates will be launching direct flights to our beautiful province, which will now be opened to the world – making inbound and outbound travel far easier and cost effective. This move by Emirates sets a positive outlook for the city of Durban, KwaZulu- Natal as a province and South Africa as a whole,” said Ndabo Khoza, CEO – Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. “As Tourism KZN, we have pledged our support for Emirates to make the route a resounding success and prove sceptics wrong. The spotlight is on South Africa as we move closer to the 2010 World Cup. Let us shine back.”
The city of Durban has wasted no time, effort or expense to ensure it is ready for the 2010 World Cup in June next year. The various projects are progressing full-steam ahead at an estimated cost of over R5 billion.
THE STADIUM: Taking its design inspiration from the South African flag, this impressive new structure on the Durban skyline is a world-class, state-of-the-art, multifunctional arena located in the heart of the Kings Park Sporting Precinct, seating 70,000 people. The retractable roof, that can cover around 80% of the stadium, means this venue can host events 365 days of the year. The stadium also incorporates Imbizo Place with over 7000m2 of retail space, an amphitheatre and a cable car up to the viewing platform on the arch, offering breathtaking views over the ocean and city.
KING SHAKA AIRPORT: A brand new airport in the North of the city at La Mercy will link Durban and the rest of the country/world.
The new airport will be able to handle larger aircraft, more people and will provide a direct international link to Durban.
INFRASTRUCTURE: There is also major work happening along freeways and highways, on the streets leading to the stadium
and the planting of trees in parks and in other public open spaces, all of which are being done with the tournament firmly in mind.
Another of the major projects that will radically change the face of Durban is the R100m upgrade of the Golden Mile (Durban’s famous beachfront). Not only will this area incorporate the FIFA Fan Park at New Beach, it will also house a “Fan Mile” where people can buy food or drink while watching the matches at one of the many cafes or restaurants that will be scattered around. This Fan Mile will run along the beach from the Fan Park to the stadium itself. Two public viewing areas will also be set up, where matches can be watched on a plethora of big-screen TVs.
This new facelift for the city, combined with other initiatives to improve safety and security overall - will leave Durban an even more beautiful, friendly and safe place.
