Archive for March 5th, 2010

Visitors to Cape Town, South Africa, often forget that the sun doesn’t shine 365 days of the year. So you won’t always be able to pass the time getting a perfect tan on one of the city’s many idyllic beaches.

1. Visit Rhodes Memorial – the restaurant behind this well known landmark on the slopes of Table Mountain has a cheerful fireplace and decent nosh. After coffee and dessert, take a gap between showers to stroll around the monument, pet a giant lion sculpture and enjoy the view of Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs and beyond, if it’s not too misty.

2. Get your culture on. The National Gallery and South Africa Museum are both set in the historic Company Gardens. Soak up some local art with a little ancient history on the side to pass the time, then grab a delicious cappuccino or latte at one of the city’s many coffee shops (Vida e Caffé in Kloof Street or off Greenmarket Square are popular and vibey)

3. Bundle up and head for Kalk Bay – an artsy fishing village in False Bay with a picturesque harbour, plenty of fascinating shops to trawl, and a wide selection of places to eat and drink. The Brass Bell is a Cape Town institution, with excellent food served right on the water’s edge. In fact when the tide comes in you need to duck to mind the waves! If that’s too chilly, Polana at the harbour is the best place in Cape Town for late afternoon drinks or Sunday evening Afro-Jazz – fireplaces make it cozy while the waves crash on rocks just beyond the floor to ceiling windows.

4. Don’t whine about the weather – rather indulge in some excellent local wine. Take a drive an hour out of the city and explore the lush Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are both good choices, and the beautifully restored historic Cape Dutch Wine Estates make the perfect backdrops for a romantic day cuddling over delectable South African wine.

5. Trawl the malls. OK it’s not a uniquely Cape Town thing to do but this city has some great shopping centres and when better to visit them than when it’s wet outside? Top 3 Cape Town malls – Canal Walk, Cavendish Square and De Waterkant. Or of course there’s the V&A Waterfront, a world of shopping, entertainment and dining out all situated at an international port.

The Portfolio Collection is a benchmarking company that offers hand selected, individually assessed luxury accommodation in South Africa via their website and 3 accommodation guide books, issued annually.
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Expedia’s versatile online tools enable consumers to travel with confidence.  Consumers cannot only take advantage of the cheapest travel deals, they can also plan the perfect vacation escapade.  Expedia supports its clients from the minute they have landed on the company’s website up to the very last hour of their travel.  

Below are the reasons why a lot of travelers prefer to travel with Expedia:

•Wide Variety of Discount Travel Packages.  Consumers would definitely enjoy choosing from a vast collection of travel deals on different destinations.  The traveler can even bundle a flight and a hotel which could save him an average of C$361.  That big savings can be added to the client’s shopping money.  Shopaholics would certainly avail of this great offer.  

•One Glance Fare Calendar.  A traveler can check the date with the most affordable flight through Expedia Fare Calendar.  This useful tool enable the user to view the airfares in a monthly calendar setting.  

•24/7 Customer Assistance.  The traveler can just call the company’s toll free number if he needs urgent response on his travel plans.  On the contrary, he can also choose to email his concerns.  Expedia’s Customer Support Specialists are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  

•Comprehensive Travellers Tools.  Researching, planning and booking a vacation can be done in just a matter of time.  Expedia offers travelers the most comprehensive planning tools that would help them create a memorable vacation.  Everything can be found at the website’s Travellers Tools page like the Currency Converter, Hotel and Area Map Views, Airport Guides and a lot more.

•Waived Booking Fees. Since Expedia understands that travelers don’t have full control on emergencies, the company offers waived cancel fees and change fees.  Now, travelers can book with flexibility and experience a fee-free domestic or international travel.

•Travel deals Alert via RSS and Email.  Travelers can stay up to date with the latest discount travel packages and cheapest travel deals through Email and RSS alerts.  

Another reason why travelers love to journey with Expedia is the Expedia coupons and coupon codes.  These coupons and coupon codes enable travelers to avail of vacation packages on a very affordable rate.  To be able to reach a wider market, Expedia has partnered with online coupon portals. One of them is Find Savings.  This internet coupon website has been operating for more than a decade already.  It has helped increased Expedia’s online presence by showcasing the latest promotions on vacation packages, car rentals,cruises, flights and hotel reservations through the discount coupons.  

A lot of travelers find it easy to avail of the cheapest Expedia travel deals through Find Savings.  The latter’s user friendly portal helps travelers save time and effort too.  Find Savings was able to intensify the consumers’ online shopping experience by providing internet users a single interface that offers accessibility to a wide variety of products and services from a great number of online merchants.  

What more can a traveler ask for?  The cheapest discount travel packages are not that hard to find at all.  Expedia and Find Savings can simply be defined as total convenience right at the consumers’ fingertips.  

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Cheap travel deals are available in several ways. You can go to popular sites or to unusual and exotic locations if you plan ahead and use your travel dollars wisely. The first place to look for the best deals on travel is your Internet. With determination and imagination you can find a great way to spend a weekend or a week.

There are always tour groups planning jaunts to various places anywhere around the world you might be yearning to visit. A group traveling to a location can often get better prices on everything from travel to lodging to entertainment tickets. Because all the planning is done for you, this is a good option if you don’t really know the area you are visiting.

Airline flights sometimes make available seats at deep discounts. This occurs when a plane is flying with empty seats. The airline will make such seats available on short notice. If you can be prepared to purchase tickets and be on the plane within a day or two of the time of purchase, you can usually save a bundle.

Consider going to popular sites in the off season. You might be surprised at how much there is to see and do if you visit a summer tourist attraction in the spring or the fall. Prices are sometimes lower in the off period when merchants and hotel owners don’t have as many guests. Museums, shopping and cultural events usually go on year around, so you can look for alternative entertainment in the same way that the locals do.

Try to come up with local entertainment that doesn’t cost. Many locations have free or donation museums that give you a view of the history of the area. Look for a walking map of the city or community where you are planning to visit.

The key to finding cheap travel deals is flexibility. You may not be able to save on every feature of each holiday trip you take, but you can usually make savings on flights, lodging and sometimes food. Many restaurants offer coupons through motels nearby. Local transportation might not vary much, but you should be open to various forms of transportation. Buses, streetcars and subways are less expensive that hiring a rental car.

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For your first trip or next trip down to Old Mexico, you can begin thinking about the places you will travel. Think about how much easier it would be to interact with Mexican people on your trip when you can say some key words and phrases in the native Spanish language.

Mexico travel experts strongly suggest you obtain Mexican auto insurance. before your travel begins. Buying Mexican Insurance Online allows you to make sure you get the policy you need at the best possible price. In addition, you can print your policy on demand, so there’s no question as to whether or not your are covered. Review and compare Mexico Car Insurance for comprehensive, reliable Car Insurance for Mexico for peace of mind on your Mexico vacation.

Think about the many things you would need to say on a trip to any foreign land. You would need to know words for favorite daytime and nighttime activities – for example, you can ask where to go to “bailar” (to dance) or where to find a “club” (a nightclub). Travelers who want to have a beer might already know the term “Corona” (a brand of beer – or cerveza).

The great thing about the Spanish language is many of the words are the same in English and Spanish, or at least they are similar. These words are called cognates.

Also in Mexico, you might need to use words related to transportation. For example, you might need the “tren” (train), the “bus” (autobus), or the “aeropuerto” (airport). Since Mexico City has the world’s largest bus system, it would also help to know Spanish names for attractions you want to see in the capital. Don’t forget to learn the basic directions (north, south, east, and west). Here they are in Spanish – “norte,” “sur,” “este,” and “oeste.”

By learning a few simple words and phrases before your Mexican travel begins, you harness a great deal of power if and when problems arise. No locals will expect you to be completely proficient in the language, but a few common phrases will let them know you respect their culture and their current way of life. Plus, learning Spanish is fun, so put your best foot forward to make the most out of your new language and your trip to Mexico. Brushing Up On Spanish For Your Mexico Vacation.

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