Occasionally we find that it can be difficult to get accommodation in some parts of South Africa during the South African School holidays….after all, it is not only visitors from overseas who want to visit Kruger, Durban or the Garden Route!

Given this, we thought it might be useful for people from other countries to know when the South African School holidays will fall in 2012. We realise that sometimes it will be unavoidable to travel at these times, however it might be worth keeping in mind just in case you do have some flexability on your dates. For example,  whilst 23 June to 15 July is holiday time across SA and it is very likely that every SANParks camp in Kruger is already fully booked, things will be a lot quieter from 16th July t0 28th September when the kids are back at school.

2012 SA School Holidays are:

• 29 March – 10 April 2012
• 23 June – 15 July 2012
• 29 September – 7 October 2012
• 8 December – 7 January 2013

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, were recently hosted by &Beyond and Phinda Private Game Reserve, during their recent South African tour. The Royal couple paid an afternoon visit to Phinda as part of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative showcasing conservation projects in KwaZulu-Natal.

After an interpretive game drive, Prince Charles and his team then went on to visit the nearby Mduku community. They were greeted by 100 community members dressed in traditional Zulu attire, who sang to them as they were escorted to the community centre and the Mduku Clinic. Isaac Tembe, the Africa Foundation Development Officer, gave an inspirational speech about the wonderful work the Foundation is doing with the communities.

Before the Royal couple visited Phinda, they met with King Goodwill Zwelithini and Premier Zweli Mkize in Ulundi. This is the first time a member of the Royal family has visited the area and met with the Zulu King since the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

Prince Charles commended the success of the Foundation and applauded the community projects for not only making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, but also for being an inspiration to people around the world.

Cape Town, who previously really didn’t have any form of public transport service, have recently introduced the MyCiTi rapid public transport service, which has just seen the 200 new buses being added to the ‘fleet’ this week.

This will certainly make it easier for tourists to get around this beautiful city without the need to hire a car for their entire stay here. The service has already grown from transporting 200 to 9000 people daily.

The current routes include :

* Cape Town International Airport (4.20 am until 9.50 pm) to the City
* Table View – to be extended as far as Melkbosstrand
* Gardens – Civic Centre – V&A Waterfront (6 am until 8 pm). This is an interim service to be replaced by n9 new permanent central city routes by next year. These will include services to the Bo Kaap, Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Vredehoek, the Atlantic Seabord, the V&A Waterfront, Walmer Estate, Woodstock, Salt River and Hout Bay.

I think it is fair to say that not only have the recent media stories about the terrible drought situation in the Horn of Africa wrenched at peoples heart strings, they have also had been of concern to holiday makers who are possibly considering going to Kenya for their safari holiday, and many people are now considering alternative holiday destinations.

During the whole of 2010, the prolonged drought in the countries to the north of Kenya and in the north-eastern part of the country have resulted in the drought being declared a national disaster, and efforts over the past few weeks have intensified to provide relief to those affected.

However, although the drought is tearing apart some of the country, it is ONLY in certain areas – and conversely, there are many other regions of the country – including the main areas where the tourist activitiy takes place – that have still enjoyed adequate rainfall and as a result, are not experiencing such dire problems. As a result, there is still fantastic game viewing in the Parks, Reserves and Conservancies.

I would stress that people who were considering Kenya as their holiday destination this year, or next year, to consider the knock on impact of not going here. It is very fair to say that there is a large proportion of Kenyans who wholly depend on the money that tourism brings in, either directly and or indirectly, as a means to live. This includes the people live in the communities around Parks and Reserves, and those who operate community owned conservancies as an alternative to farming.

Therefore, please be assured that anyone who was or is still thinking of going to Kenya can be confident that not only will they be able to enjoy their holidays as planned; they will also help to generate income and benefits to the local communities.

Whale watching is one of the major attractions of the Western Cape, and Hermanus and Gansbaai are the 2 main areas for whale watching, either boat-based or land-based.

The first Southern Right whale has been spotted in Walker Bay at Hermanus, so this is now officially the start of the whale watching season !

Having been whale watching myself at Hermanus, I would definately recommend including this in your itinerary if you are in this area. I would also recommend actually staying in Hermanus for at least one or 2 nights if time permits, especially if you want to go out on a boat. The boats tend to leave early in the morning, as they go out with first tides, so this would mean a VERY early start from Cape Town (around the 5.30 am time) to ensure you arrive in time – and let’s be honest, unless you are on safari do you really want to get up that early ??

You can read more about whale watching in Hermanus, and check out the hotels and guest houses that we recommend by clicking here.

We also recommend Dyer Island Cruises or Southern Right Charters if you are looking for an operator to go out with.

It has just been announced that there MAY be plans afoot for Comair to launch a direct flight from Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport.

There is still a lot of work to be done on finalising the agreement between Comair and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government’s key economic development project, the Dube Trade Port, but at least talks have started.

It is hoped that the first flight schedule and details will be announced within the next year.

Comair is yet to decide which of its 2 brands, BA Comair or Kulula, will be used to operate the flights.

Following an unfortunate accidental fire in July of this year, which all but completely destroyed the prestigious Ivory Suite at Sabi Sabi Selati, in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the suite has now been rebuilt, and is open again for business. If you thought the ‘old’ suite was the epitomy of luxury and opulence, well, the new suite is even better.

A carved wooden bed dominates the room, covered in beautiful, heavy linen. Persian rugs are scattered across the floor, and antique railway memorabilia jostle for space with other equally unique antique artifacts.

The bathroom is large enough for a stand-alone chaise lounge, an oversized stone bath and a large walk-in shower. For the more adventurous, there is an outside shower, accessed by huge sliding doors.

A private patio and plunge pool complete the outside area, offering peaceful views of the surrounding bush.

If all this is not enough, guests staying here also have the services of a private Land Rover and their own ranger for their daily safaris, and they can also choose to dine in the suite if they would prefer.

The wonderful Wolwedans Dune Camp, in Namibia’s Sossusvleu, has just announced that they have upgraded 6 of their tents (and I say tents with my tongue in my cheek – I should rather say palatial suites – they are stunning!).

The new tents are larger, with private bathrooms and a bigger deck area outside.

Wolwedans provides the perfect base from which to explore vast stretches of undisturbed nature. The personal and informative scenic drives in open Land Rovers reveal the wonders of the wilderness.

Scenic flights are another popular activity at Wolwedans. Commencing during the late afternoon, these flights give you a birds-eye view of the Diamond Coast and Sossusvlei and is a truly exhilarating and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Another special attraction is hot-air ballooning. Soaring silently over the dune belts and never-ending plains provides unforgettable and breathtaking 360 degree vistas. From the best viewpoint imaginable, you admire the stark beauty of the Namib for about an hour, before celebrating this once in a lifetime experience with a champagne breakfast at the landing spot.

There is a minimum stay of 2 nights at the camp.

Kenyan visas will go up in price as from 1st January 2011. The new fees will be $50 per adult and $25 per child.

The exclusive 5* Royal Madikwe Safari Lodge, in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, has just been crowned overall category winner in the Luxury Game Lodge Category in the prestigious 2010 World Luxury Hotel Awards.

It really is no surprise that this game lodge won this award, as it is truly outstanding.

Royal Madikwe can accommodate up to 10 guests on an exclusive use basis only. The stunning main lodge is an open-sided, thatched area with a stylish lounge, magnificent dining room, well appointed library and broad elevated decks from which to view the mighty savannah beyond. Accommodation is in 6 rooms: 4 luxury doubles with divine four-poster beds, one luxury twin and a spacious family suite consisting of a twin and double room. All of the rooms have fabulous en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, indoor and outdoor showers, elevated sun decks and private plunge pools.

Given the exclusive use nature of the property, daily activities are entirely driven by guest preferences and schedules. Experienced rangers guide safari activities in open 4×4 vehicles, and recommend an early morning and evening excursions for the optimum opportunity to spot the resident game.

In addition, bush walks, photographic trips, archeological or celestial safaris and ranger skills courses can be arranged.