The Sikhululekile is up and running again after a two-week break due to mechanical problems. The ferry has begun ferrying passengers to and from Robben Island and will resume its usual 4 daily trips together with the Susan Kruger.

Due to widespread fires in the region, visitors to Franschhoek planning on heading off towards the Garden Route (or visa versa) should note that the Franschhoek Pass has been temporarily closed, and will remain so until further notice.

Firefighters have been battling the blazes – reportedly started by workers using an open fire to cook food – since the weekend. Weather conditions are also making it difficult to put the fire out.

Stay for 5 nights at Dugong Beach Lodge in Vilanculos and enjoy the following all included within your rate :

All meals; FREE Return boat transfer; FREE return flights (including airport taxes) from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport; All non-motorised water sport PLUS one of the following activities :

Dhow Cruise OR Sundowner Cruise OR 2 hour Guided Trail OR Nature Drive including Worlds View and fishing village OR Complimentary 30 minute massage or beauty treatment of your choice.

Valid for travel between 1 February 2010 and 31 October 2010.

Dugong is situated on the Indian Ocean coastline of Mozambique, within one of the most unique marine and wildlife sanctuaries – ‘The Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary’. A typical day begins with a lovely breakfast savoured amidst the tranquil surroundings of nature. Water sport enthusiasts can look forward to an array of activities, including salt water fly fishing, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, pedal boats and kayaks. Shallow and deepwater reefs reveal beautiful creatures such as great and leatherback turtles, sailfish and manta ray, to name a few.

Bateleur Charters have just announced that they are offering a brand new service for safari goers to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. This new service will be launched on 1st May.

They will fly daily from the Johannesburg O.R. Tambo to the Sabi Sands Reserve, departing Johannesburg at about 11.15 am and landing in Sabi about 75 minutes later. Return flights depart Sabi Sands at about 1 pm.

Guests arriving at Johannesburg O.R Tambo will need to make their way to the Bateleur Air Charter Kiosk in the International Terminal building, where they will be met by a staff member and taken to the Bateleur Air Charter private VIP lounge, which serves tea, coffee and other refreshments. There is also a free luggage storage service here, so that guests can store any excess luggage to be collected upon their return.

There is a fantastic opening special rate of just R3,200 return or R1,600 one way fully inclusive of ALL airport taxes and VAT for the month of May 2010 only. From 08 June 2010 the rate increases to R4,500 return or R2,250 one way, again fully inclusive of ALL airport taxes and VAT. This rate will be applicable for the remainder of 2010 subject to possible slight fuel increases.

Looking for somewhere stunning to get married ? Somewhere not only you, but your guests, will remember for a lifetime ?

Then why not consider celebrating your special day by hosting your wedding ceremony at the luxurious Kurland Country Hotel, located near Plettenberg Bay on the famous Garden Route .

Situated on a beautiful country estate, Kurland are happy to cater for any size of wedding up to a maximum of 30 guests, and you can hire the entire hotel purely for your own use.

You can have your actual wedding ceremony in the gorgeous hotel gardens, and then enjoy your wedding breakfast with your guests in the elegant restaurant, alfresco Courtyard or The Homestead Verandah.

Kurland also offers brides-to-be the services of their in-house wedding planner Marius Barnard, who will ensure everything runs smoothly and is completely stress-free.

For the 2nd year in a row, the prestigious Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat , situated in the stunning Cederberg region just a few hours drive from Cape Town, has been selected as one of very few South African destinations to appear on the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler USA Annual Gold List 2010.

This exclusive international accolade closely follows the lodge being voted one of only 3 winners in the ‘Best Hotels for Food in Africa, Middle East and the Indian Ocean’ category of the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller UK Gold List.

Congratulations to everyone at Bushmans Kloof !

The Steenberg Hotel , in the tranquil Constantia Valley, has recently been rated one of the Top Ten Luxury Hotels on the continent, in this year’s TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards, as well as being rated 6th in Africa by TripAdvisor travellers too.

The hotel also has seen a great start to their vine harvesting, which started in January. According to their winemakers, the 2010 vintage promises to be a good one !

Although already a beautiful lodge, the Phinda Forest Lodge has undergone a recent refurbishment … and if it was ever possible to improve on perfection – well, they have successfully achieved this !

Forest Lodge is just one of lodges situated in the 22,000 hectare Big 5 Phinda Game Reserve, just 3 hours from Durban.

Forest Lodge is unique, in that it is extremely eco-sensitive, and it is set deep in a sand forest within the heart of the reserve. The refurbishment took over a year to complete, and care was taken to protect the natural surroundings.

The suites all now boast newly tiled bathrooms, and each suite has been completely repainted with colours reflecting the Zulu culture and which accentuate the dark, handsome furniture used throughout. Each suite now offers complete privacy and intimacy.

The main guest area in the lodge has also been extended, with over 100 square metres (330 square feet) being added to the deck, splitting it now into 2 levels. The boma area has also been completely rebuit, with the addition of an elevated platform designed to accommodate nighttime choir performances for guests enjoyment while dining around the open fire under the stars.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better … you can also stay here for 4 nights and only pay for 3 between the 6th April and the 10th October (excluding the World Cup period).

So go on … why not ask us to check availability for you now so that you can experience this all for yourself ?

Enjoy FREE return transfers between OR Tambo and the malaria-free 34,000 hectare Welgevonden Game Reserve for a minimum of 2 guests staying a minimum of 2 nights at Nungubane Game Lodge.

Nungubane Private Game Lodge welcomes a maximum of 10 guests in an atmosphere of intimate luxury. Each chalet has a private wooden terrace, from where you can gaze out over an unspoilt nature reserve teaming with wildlife.

Welgevonden is home to a great many species of game, including the Big 5 and 16 species of antelope. Over 250 bird species have been identified ensuring the avid birdwatcher has plenty to spot.

This offer is valid for travel between 1 February 2010 and 31 May 2010 – contact us now to check the availability for you !

Robben Island, just off the coast of Cape Town, is a boat ride across the Bay from the V&A Waterfront, and is famous for its history as a place of exile, banishment, isolation and imprisonment.

From 1960, the island became known worldwide as the brutal gaol for political prisoners who opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa, many of whom are today prominent members of the present African National Congress government, including Nelson Mandela, who was detained on Robben Island from 1964 until 1982, and Robert Sobukwe, the leader of the Pan-Africanist Congress.

With the demise of apartheid, the last prisoners were released from the island in 1991.

In 1997, the Robben Island Museum opened to the public, and in 1999, the island was declared a World Heritage Site.

The undisputed ‘highlight’ of the tour to Robben Island is a visit to the former maximum security prison, including the small cell where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years.

Your guide around the prison camp is likely to be one of the many former political prisoners who were imprisoned on the island and subjected to the terrible conditions.

Also included is a 45 minute bus tour around the island, which includes a visit to the limestone quarry where prisoners laboured daily, the prison house of Robert Sobukwe, the African penguin colony, and a viewpoint looking across the Bay to Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Especially in the busy holiday periods, advance bookings are advised, and this can be done via the Robben Island website, or at the Booking Office at the V&A Waterfront. Visitors to Robben Island, however, can currently expect delays as the island’s 300-seater speedboat, Sikhululekile, is out of action until a spare part arrives from Germany. Meantime the replacement ferry, the Sea Princess has hit a rock and damaged a propeller. For the time being the organisation is using the Susan Kruger and Dias, the island’s older vessels, to ferry the tourists to and from the island. The Sikhululekile is expected to be up and running by today (February 2) and the Sea Princess in a week.