Last week the British Lions unveiled the 2009 version of their famous red jersey.For the fourth tour in succession, sportswear manufacturers Adidas have been responsible for the design of the shirt which will be a major seller in the shops, with an estimated 50,000 supporters heading to South Africa next June.You can see the shirt and read tour manager Gerland Davies’ comments on the Daily Telegraph’s blog about the Lions Shirt.If you are interested in following the Lions next year then we would be delighted to help you to plan and book your trip to follow the Brirish Lions 2009 Tour to South Africa.

British Airways’ South Africa routes are doing well despite the current global slowdown, and the airline will be adding five more flights between Johannesburg and London for 2010, says BA chairman Martin Broughton.

“The immediate outlook for our South African routes is reasonably encouraging, and the 2010 World Cup should bolster demand from at least mid-2009,” Broughton said at the opening of the airline’s new lounges at OR Tambo International Airport at the weekend.

“We will up our current double-daily Johannesburg/London flights to 19 a week from May next year, and will operate our expanded Cape Town schedule over the South African summer peak from the end of October”.

Broughton said that despite the current challenges, “we remain absolutely focused on the interests of our customers”.

The combination of declining demand due to the global economic downturn, oil prices and a fall in consumer confidence had created the “perfect storm” for BA to soar, he said.

This week has seen the South African Rand fall close to record 5-year lows against the British pound (GBP), the US Dollar, and the Euro.  

This is great news for holiday makers as this makes accommodation and safaris across the region cheaper at a time when many people are looking to save money where they can, and as South Africa is just entering it’s long summer months there has rarely been a better time to book a holiday of a lifetime in Africa.

Our special offers and budget safari lodges highlight some of the special deals currently on offer.

The Daily Mail is reporting that the FA have chosen Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa in Knysna as their preferred base for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Although we are only half way through the qualifying process, accommodation for the World Cup will be hard to come by closer to the time, and England’s decision to pick their training base this early does mean that they have the widest possible range of places still available to them.

Pezula is a beautiful 5* golf resort and Spa just outside the town of Knysna on South Africa’s famous Garden Route.  The resort has 82 spectacular suites (including some of the best we have seen anywhere in the world), a fabulous golf course and excellent Spa facilities.  The resort borders a nature reserve which offer relaxing walks in a beautiful environment, and there is also an exquisite sheltered beach nearby.

From a logistical point of view, Pezula is well placed for the stadium at Port Elizabeth, and the airports at George and Port Elizabeth will give fairly air connections to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and other parts of the country.

One thing which might well surprise the WAGS is that the weather in this part of South Africa during the world cup is likely to be cooler and wetter than across much of the rest of the country…they are unlikely to be spending 8 hours a day by the pool, but there is still plenty to do in the area.

South Africa is fast become one of the most popular destinations for a golfing holiday, and we are pleased to offer updated information on  Golf holidays in South Africa including a selection of popular routes and golf resorts.

From the courses around Cape Town and the Garden Route  (including some links courses) , up to the famous Gary Player designed courses around Sun City there is a wide selection of different courses on offer and plenty do see and do when you are not out on the course.

The Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu Natal are just a couple of hours north-west of Durban and are one of the most spectacular natural features of Africa.

Nature lovers will enjoy the many walking trails and hikes offered in the region, and in addition to soaking up the natural beauty of this World Heritage Site there are countless other activities including horse riding, fly-fishing, and art-courses to be enjoyed.

Whilst it would be possible to visit the mountains as a day trip from Durban or even Johannesburg, this really would be passing up the opportunity to stay in one of the most scenic parts of Africa. Accommodation around the Drakensberg range from clean comfortable lodges in the foothills of the mountains to luxurious guest houses and small hotels a little further out.

The less expensive places offer a clean, comfortable base from which to enjoy the great outdoors, whilst many of the more expensive places are the best of their type in the country and destinations in their own right, with excellent service and food presented in old colonial homesteads or restored farms.

Shamwari  is the longest established of the private reserves near Port Elizabeth, and the combination of luxury safari lodges and the outstanding work that they do with the Born Free Foundation has earned them numerous travel industry and conservation awards over the years.

Travel Butlers are delighted to be able to offer an outstanding special offer at Shamwari’s lodges which is valid for stays between May and September 2008. 

During this time, guests staying for 2 nights at Shamwari are entitled to 3 complimentary nights at either the 5* Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town or other selected 5* properties in Cape Town, The Winelands, and the Garden Route. Click here for more details.

All the lodges on offer a fully inclusive African safari including accommodation, all meals and local drinks, 2 game drives per day in 4×4 vehicles, and an optional guided bush walk each day.

To get an idea of what you might expect to see on a safari at Shamwari, you can see a selection of photos sent to us by some of our guests during their stays at Shamwari.

South Africa and Namibia are both very well suited to self-drive holidays, and this is the most popular type of trip for visitors to both countries.

The driving experience will be very familiar to overseas visitors in many respects:  both countries drive on the left hand side of the road, and all signposts are written in English. 

As in Europe and much of the rest of the world, it is law to wear a seat belt at all times, and using a mobile phone when driving is prohibited. 

The main roads and highways are generally maintained in an good condition, especially in South Africa, however some more remote areas (including most of Namibia!) will have gravel roads which you will need to drive more cautiously on.

2WD or 4WD?
There are very few roads in South Africa where you would need a 4WD.  Even in the self-drive National Parks and safari areas such as Kruger or Hluhluwe, the roads are good and a 2WD can adequately cope with the odd bit of unevenness. 

The story is much the same in Namibia for most of the year, although if you are planing on going to very remote areas or travel extensively in the wet season then you may want to consider a 4WD vehicle.

Driving Licence
All drivers must have a valid driving licence from their country of residence. If the license is not printed in English, then you will need to obtain an International Drivers Licence.

Please note that the various car hire companies have different regulations regarding the length of time that you need to have held a driving licence, so it is advisable to check with your hire car company about their requirements.

Buying Petrol (Gas)
It is worth noting that none of the petrol stations in South Africa or Namibia are self-service, and they alos only accept locally issued credit cards, meaning visitors from overseas will need to keep some cash handy to buy fuel. 

You can read more about driving in South Africa and driving in Namibia on our website.

The early Easter this year means that the contrast between weather in South Africa and the UK over the holiday period is even  more marked than usual.

Whilst much of the UK is forecast to have a cold-snap over the Easter weekend, Cape Town is set to see clear skies and temperatures of up to 29°c over the next 5 days.

The picture is the same over the rest of the country, with Kruger seeing some showers today but then turning dry with plenty of clear skies and temperatures up to 30°c over the weekend.

With the tourist exchange rates for the Rand currently floating around the R15.00 = £1.00, sunny skies and some places still reporting late availability, it might not be too late to book a short notice getaway to South Africa this Easter.

We are delighted to be able to offer Lion Sands River Lodge for the incredible price of only R2500 per person per night for guests who are able to travel between now and 30th April this year.

This special short notice deal represents a saving of R1780 (42%!) per person per night vs the published rate of R4280, and the rate includes accommodation, meals, and 2 game drives each day.

Lion Sands River Lodge is one of the best know lodges in the world-renowned Sabi Sand Reserve on the western side of the Greater Kruger Park, and boasts a fantastic location right on the Sabie river with some of the best game viewing in the reserve.

The rooms have just been refurbished in the last 12 months, and with the rand now very weak vs other major currencies this offer really does represent amazing value for overseas visitors.