AfricanOverlandTours.com BLOG

For people in  Cape Town this Winter there are some great restuarant specials that won’t kill the back pocket.

We have got a great list below to help. Each restuarant has different valid periods for it so you will just need to contact them.

For more listings check out relax-with-dax.co.za for the the latest list. Great Work Dax!

Andiamo
Two pastas + two glasses of wine R100
Everyday, lunch and dinner
021 421 3687

Alba Lounge
Two pastas and two glasses of wine for R100
Everyday
021 425 3385

Aubergine
Two courses R185 / three courses R245
Everyday
021 465 4909

Bravo
1kg of prawns for R69
Monday to Friday lunch and Tuesday evenings until the end of June
021 439 5260

Beluga
Two course lunch R125 / three course dinner R165
Every day until the end of September
don’t forget their year round specials: 1kg prawns R100 / 26 piece sushi platter R100 / half price sushi until 7pm
021 418 2948

Bungalow
Crayfish R100 / Lamb Shank R100 / half price cocktails & tapas between 5pm and 7pm
Everyday
021 438 0007

Caprice
Two of their legendary burgers for the price of one
Lunch and dinner, Monday to Thursday
3 course meal with Heineken R80
Friday nights
021 438 8315

Catharina’s
Two course set lunch menu with glass of wine R125 / three course set lunch menu with glass of wine R165 / three course set dinner menu with glass of wine R195
Everyday
021 713 3222

Five Flies
Two course menu + glass of wine R125
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
021 424 4442

Geisha
Half price sushi & dim sum before 7pm / 25% of noodle dishes
Everyday
021 439 0533

Harbour House
Three course R150 / two course R130
Everyday except Sunday lunches
021 788 4133

Henri’s in Somerset West
Three courses R120
Everyday until end June
021 852 6442

Myoga
Six course menu R150, paired with wines R225
Dinner only, everyday until end August
021 657 4545

Pepenero
Rump with fries and sauce R80 / half price sushi / seafood platter for one R110 / 1kg of prawns with chips or rice R100 / oysters R9 each / sushi platter R90 / Osso Bucco with mash R90 / pasta of the day R55
Everyday
021 439 9027

Salushi (Claremont)
Half price sushi until 5pm / standard starter + noodle dish R70
Everyday
021 671 4271

Sinns
Two courses with a glass of wine R100 / three courses with a glass of wine R125
Everyday
021 465 0967

Tank
Half price sushi
Everyday
021 419 0007

The Foodbarn
Three course meal R175
Everyday
021 789 1390

The Kove
Parties of 4 get one of the meals free / half price on entire menu between 5pm & 6:45pm / 2 courses with glass of wine R100, 3 courses with glass of wine R130
Everyday
021 438 0004

Tobago’s at the Radisson
25% off tables of 4 or more
Until end of June
021 441 3000

Tuscany Beach
Order two main courses, get one free / 20% of all sushi and oysters
Every night and lunches Monday to Friday
021 438 1213

Winelands:
Buitenverwachting
Three courses + carafe of wine R230
Everyday until end September
021 794 3522

Constantia Uitsig
Three lunch courses R200, with carafe of wine R230 / 3 dinner courses R240, with carafe of wine R280
Everyday until end September
021 794 6500

Cuvee at Simonsig
Two courses with a glass of wine R125 / three course with a glass of wine R165
Until end June
021 888 4932

Jonkershuis at Groot Constantia
Starter & main from the Cape Malay themed buffet R100 / add dessert R110
6pm to 9pm weekdays until end August
021 794 6255

La Colombe
Three lunch courses R210, with carafe of wine R240 / 3 dinner courses R250, with carafe of wine R290
Everyday until end September
021 794 6500

Terroir
Two courses R150 / three courses R195
Everyday until end September
021 880 8167

Cape Colony restaurant at the Mount Nelson
Four course pairing R350
Last Thurs of each month until end October
021 483 1948

Salt at the Ambassador hotel
Four course pairing R350
Last Thursday of each month until end October
021 439 7258

Cafe Sofia
Cooked breakfast for R20
Every day

Sevruga
Twenty six piece sushi platter R110 / seafood tasting platter R110 / sushi half price between 2pm and 5pm and all day sunday
021 421 5134

Societi Bistro & Labia
Two pizzas + two Labia movie tickets R70
Monday and Tuesdays
021 418 9483

Enjoy the food and enjoy the city!!

Ever since Escape 4 Africa started we have been driven to give thanks for all the amazing support we have received from clients.  We have been privately giving funding to uplift local charities near and dear to us.

 

Last year one of them had been a children’s home in Hout Bay, Cape Town. Every month a percentage of our bookings went to them to help with feeding and educating. We also funded a lovely Malawian man (Alfred) to get him home during the horrible Xenophobic attacks that occurred.

 

This year we have been looking for more projects to support and we have found just the project. It is a community project based in Stellenbosch, Cape Town called Legacy. It works on a variety of different projects (see below for details).

 

Thank you to all our clients/ friends for all you travels. Each Africa holiday booked through us has allowed for us to donate towards these worthy projects and charities.

 

Legacy Community Development Corporation

 

Legacy is represented by its directors: Mpelo Ntsanga, Brendan Venter, Dirk Ehlers and Louise Fourie. Legacy’s projects are managed by permanent staff members, but are also linked to the passion, skills and gifts of volunteers.

 

Kayamandi Background

 

During the last few years the population in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch doubled from 12 000 to more than 30 000. The majority of these people live under squatter conditions, with limited access to clean water and sanitation. The illiteracy levels and the unemployment rate (nearly 30%) are high.

 

Conditions of this nature are ideal for the proliferation of health related problems, including HIV/AIDS. While the HIV prevalence of the municipal area of Stellenbosch is just more than 12%, Kayamandi’s is almost 20%. HIV/Aids is still highly stigmatized, many people do not want to know their status and once they know, it is hard to disclose it. Most of the children in Kayamandi (especially those that live in the informal settlements) are subject to poverty, poor education opportunities, illiterate parents, an absent father figure, hunger/malnutrition and the results of HIV/Aids and tuberculoses.

 

This is where Legacy Community Development Corporation joins hands with other institutions to make a difference.

 

The Legacy Centre

 

The base from where we do ministry in Kayamandi is the Legacy Centre – this multi-functional community centre (consisting of a large and a smaller hall, three other rooms, a kitchen and toilets) was built in 2002 in partnership with the Municipality of Stellenbosch. During the day the larger hall area is used as a day care centre and during the evenings and over week-ends it is used by the community for events like funerals, weddings, church meetings and concerts. A smaller hall was added at the end of 2006 – this opened up new possibilities and is currently utilised in the mornings as a “safe place” for the HIV support group (Vusithemba) and in the afternoons for the Khulani Kayamandi children’s project.

 

Projects

 

Legacy’s dream is to be involved in projects that focuses on the weak, vulnerable and voiceless on the one hand and on those that want to grow on the other. Currently Legacy addresses the following burning issues:

The Legacy Community Development Corporation is a non-profit organisation (incorporated under Section 21 of the Companies Act of 1973 with Section 18A exemption) and operates from the Legacy Centre in Long Street, Kayamandi.

 

• Lack of proper education and life skills

• A lack of skills

• Food security

• HIV/Aids

 

Projects at the Legacy Centre

 

Education and Life Skills development

 

Khulani Kayamandi children’s project

 

The Khulani Kayamandi children’s project focuses on and works towards transformation of primary school learners in Kayamandi. The dream of Khulani Kayamandi is to provide children with identity,  new value system, a peer group, contact with positive role models and a purpose to live for. It is lso an attempt to promote Aids awareness.

Approximately 60 primary school kids currently take part in the daily programme that focuses on iteracy,numeracy, arts, culture and a value based life skills programme. This project is run by a project leader and youth workers from Kayamandi and is supported by volunteers from the Stellenbosch area .Volunteers from Stellenbosch also opened a container shop at the Legacy Centre that sells second-hand clothes. This helps towards the transport cost of the Khulani kids.

 

Food security

 

Igadi ye themba - Garden of hope

 

Until February 2005 the land surrounding the centre had hardly been developed, but this picture has changed completely. The centre is now surrounded by a garden, with a vegetable garden as the main focus. The aim is to provide vegetables for HIV positive clients and to empower the people of Kayamandi with the skill of making a garden – to earn a living, but also to produce their own vegetables, beautify their surroundings and to acquire hope.

 

Skills Development

 

Siyazakha needlework project

 

The needlework project that is run by the volunteers from different congregations in Stellenbosch – was originally created to help unemployed women.

1 Khulani = to grow and prosper

 

For a few hours each week these women are taken from their everyday surroundings. It is done for a lot of different reasons: to help build their spirits, to teach them some life skills and to make them self-supporting. The programme is called Siyazakha, which means “we help ourselves”.

 

HIV/Aids

 

A little bit of history…

 

Legacy’s involvement in HIV/Aids projects started when an American missionary, Charlie Johnson, joined us in 2003. Through this relationship with Charlie, we have become involved at grassroots level with the HIV-positive people of Kayamandi. Through him we saw the impact of the illness on women, children and families. HIV/Aids suddenly had faces and names.

 

One of our directors, dr Brendan Venter, had a passion to work with HIV/Aids patients and during 2004 he started to work at the Kayamandi clinic on Thursday afternoons. He is involved in the important screening process before Anti-Retrovirals are being administered. He also plays a pivotal role in the educating of patients. There are other volunteer doctors who support him when help is needed.

 

Current situation

 

Support group

 

A successful HIV support group (+- 50 members) with the appropriate name, Vusithemba (“to raise the hope”) currently meets on a regular basis at the Legacy Centre. They provide each other with emotional support and volunteers from the congregation run workshops on a daily basis (skills training, literacy, life Skills and  entrepreneurship). A meal is part of the support group’s meeting and groceries are provided where it is needed. A special service to help patients get to the clinic or hospital is provided.

 

Ikhaya Lempilo

 

Ikhaya Lempilo (“House of Health”) – a eight bed halfway house/respite centre next to the Legacy Centre - provides a place for clients who have either just initiated ART with low CD4 counts to receive nutritional and care support in a healthy environment, or who have been discharged from the hospital after treatment for an opportunistic infection and need further care support. The outcome of this intervention will be to improve morbidity and mortality among clients most at risk for complications of AIDS. Providing healthy care support during the recovery phase with counselling greatly enhances the clients’ ability to be prepared for initiating ART with good adherence. This facility focuses on clients that stay in shacks (without toilet facilities, running water, isolation against the heat and the cold and privacy) and is managed by a trained nurse, occupational therapist and care workers under the supervision of a general practitioner.

 

If you would like to donate any resources to the Legacy Community Development, please contact info@escape4africa.com and we will be happy to facilitate.

 

Let us all help together

Every so often the South African Rand gets hit by the markets thus weakening it against the foreign currencies (GBP, USD, Euro, etc) therefore making holidays to Africa much more affordable. This is currently one of these times.

I have just done some figures and since the beginning of January 2008 the Rand has lost 18% of it’s value against the British Pound. This means that your overland or safari has just got 18% cheaper.

It has lost 17% against the US Dollar and 11 % against the Euro.

What does this mean to travellers? If you are paying South African Rands for your Africa overland tour then you will be saving a lot.

16.1670 GBP (13.24 15 January 08) (DECREASE OF 18%)

8.05985 USD (6.75 15 January 08) (DECREASE OF 17%)

12.7284 EURO (10.03 15 January 08) (DECREASE OF 11.2%)

Andrew

www.africanoverlandtours.com

Travel insurance is definitely seen as one of those expenses that you just don’t want to have to do, but should anything go wrong (as it does) it is absolutely vital.  Have a read below as to why you should have travel insurance.

1. Travel Insurance protects your investment in your holiday.

You may recover the cost of pre-paid, non-refundable, and unused payments of your trip if you have to cancel because of:

• Illness, injury or death to the insured, a family member or traveling companion
• Bankruptcy or Financial Default of your travel supplier*
• Terrorist incident
• Called to jury duty
• Quarantined
• Auto accident on the way to the airport
• Home damaged before departure
• Job termination

* Travel insurance must be purchased within 14 days of the initial trip deposit or payment in order to receive coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and financial default.

2. Provides peace of mind while traveling.

• Coverage for emergency medical expenses
• Coverage for emergency medical transportation
• 24 Hour hot-line for travel assistance

HOw much does it cost?

The cost of Travel Insurance is based on the trip cost per person, the age of the travelers and the length of the trip.

To request a personalized quote please email your travel information to info@escape4africa.com.

1. What is your country of residence?
2. What are the birthdates (month/day/year) of each traveler?
3. What is the trip cost per person?
4. What are the dates of your travel?
5. Can you receive HTML-style emails?

Travel insurance is critical in today’s un-certain world to protect your travel investment, your health, belongings and vacation memories.

The latest news to come out of African overland travel sector is that Africa Travel Co. (ATC) has bought Wildlife Adventures Africa overland operator.
It looks very promising for the Africa overland tour industry as they have a very unique product offering and the merging of the two makes for an excellent partnership. We have the understanding that both products with remain largely separate which bodes well for people who have come to love Wildlife product. Wildlife Adventures has been a leader in the accommodated overland market and we are very pleased that the Four Country Classic (accommodated Cape To Vic) will continue.

ATC has been operating Africa overlands for over 18 years and throughout Southern and East Africa. They are renown for excellent service and quality products.

With Graeme Thomson and Leanne Guild heading it up can only grow from strength to strength.

Best wishes to the whole team from Escape 4 Africa Travel (www.africanoverlandtours.com)

Great news for Cape Town is that on March 30, Emirates will begin operating daily flights between Cape Town International Airport and Dubai International Airport

Emirates will be operating its Boeing 777-200, one of their largest aircraft. The plane offers comforts such as personal video screens, in-seat phones, and facilities to send and receive email and sms from each seat.

The Emirates’ flight EK 771 will take off daily from Cape Town International Airport at 18:10 hours, touching down at Dubai International Airport at 05:40 hours the following day. The Inbound flight EK 770 will depart Dubai at 08:35 hours, arriving in Cape Town at 16:25 hours.

It means the there will be some great pricing and flight options and more people seeing our beautiful country!

Great news for all!

Andrew
www.africanoverlandtours.com 

Great news,

Nationwide Airlines is slowly but surely beening reinstated back into the service. This has been wonderful news for travel in Africa.

We are so happy about the news. It means that we have better flight prices for some routes. In particular one of my clients had a quote of over 8000 ZAR for the Johannesburg to Livingstone Route from a carrier and now with Nationwide back up we could find the same route of 2600 ZAR return.

Here is the latest updates that we have recieved from Nationwide.

• The 767 operated well and as scheduled over the weekend - 1x JNB-LGW r/t and 1x JNB-CPT r/t

• I understand Safair have cleared all the 737s already so just waiting for the SA CAA to do their bit and release them for flying again. Some flights are scheduled to operate tomorrow and more flights will resume operations as the week goes on.

The details for some of this week’s flights as best as I’ve been given them are as follows although more flights are planned and I’ll update you as soon as I’m informed:

JNB-DUR resumed 12 Dec

JNB-LVI resumes 14 Dec

Great news all round!

Andrew

www.africanoverlandtours.com 

I have to tell everyone about a great company in Cape Town that organises internships for foreigners in South Africa (http://www.allinterns.co.za).

So often in the travel industry do we get enquiries from people that are coming out to Africa and are looking to spend some time out here. In fact the travel industry often has people who are doing internships before they depart on an overland tour.

This company www.allinterns.co.za is based in Cape Town and run by a friend of mine, Richard Rubenstein. Richard is well known in Cape Town and has subsequently developed great relationships with companies that are looking for interns.

They offer a great service from helping you with matching the perfect internship to your CV/desires, visa’s, accommodation, transport, pick up from the airport, maps, sim card for your mobile and many more! Have a look at http://www.allinterns.co.za/onoffer.htm and see all they offer.

They have a great additional website (www.stufftodo.co.za) which gives information on what is going on in Cape Town. Very USEFUL.

At any one time they have over 50 interns working in South Africa. So if you are looking for a very different experience before or after your overland why not try it out!

Hope this is useful to some of you.

Andrew

www.africanoverlandtours.com 

Hi there,

Welcome to our dream of creating an place where people can share their amazing experiences in Africa which will enthuse you with the same love and wonder that we have for this vast beautiful place we all call Africa.

Tell us about your favourite places, events that are occuring or post some questions on your upcoming adventures or any africa overland tours.

All we can say to people that haven’t been here is: Keep a open mind, come to Africa and let it change your life..

You can email your stories at info@escape4africa.com or simply comment on the stories.

Best wishes from

Andrew and Gelle