Region holds stron g appeal for the special-interest market
EASTERN
Europe
continues
to attract
South African
travellers due
to its reputation
as being off the
beaten track as
well as offering
value for money.
Generally,
Eastern Europe
includes the
Baltic states of
Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania, along with
the Caucasus nations
of Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan, says Elisna
Bergset, key account sales
for Development Promotions.
“Then, of course, we can add
the former Soviet states of
Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine
and Russia. Many countries
also overlap with the Eastern
Europe of the Cold War era
and these include Russia,
Czech Republic, Croatia,
Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia.”
Each country offers unique
charm and appeal, but agents
can guide travellers with
special interests in the right
direction when it comes to
country choice.
Cuisine
For many, Croatia is the top
pick in Eastern
Europe when it
comes to cuisine,
says Elisna, as
the country is
well known for
its pasta dishes,
delicious olive
oils, risotto and
truffles.
“That said,
many South
Africans have
travelled to both
Croatia and
Georgia and
will tell you that the food in
Georgia is exquisite. Georgia
sits in the middle of the
ancient spice route between
Europe, the Middle East and
Asia, so the country’s dishes
are filled with an incredibly
unique use of herbs and
spices like coriander and
dried marigold. These
combinations aren’t found
in other regions and most
foodies will point toward
Georgia for distinctive and
outstanding food,” she says.
Historic charm
The Baltic countries of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
tick the box when it comes
to historic charm, particularly
because of the interesting
medieval towns that have
been restored and transport
travellers back to a time of
cobblestoned streets and
gargoyle-guarded castles,
says Elisna.
Trafalgar offers travellers
the opportunity to explore
this region and beyond in
its 15-day ‘Best of Finland,
Russia and the Baltic States’
package. For the first nine
days, guests explore Finland,
Russia and Belarus, after
which they travel to Vilnius
in Lithuania to see the city’s
iconic sights, with the option
to partake of a hearty folklore
dinner. From there, the tour
continues into Riga, Latvia,
to view the famous Gothic
spires of the Unesco-listed
Old Town. On day 13, the tour
travels to Tallinn, Estonia,
to see the city’s beautifully
preserved old Hanseatic
Quarter, before returning to
Finland.
Art and architecture
According to Elisna,
travellers interested in art
and architecture should
add Latvia, Lithuania, Czech
Republic and Hungary to their
wish list. “These captivating
countries display extravagant
art nouveau architecture,
splendid medieval churches
and places inspired by the
Renaissance and Baroque
periods. In fact, many Eastern
European countries can lay
claim to having some of the
best architecture, not only
across the continent but also
around the world,” she adds.
Activities and adventure
For travellers who enjoy
outdoors activities, Elisna
recommends the many Blue
Flag beaches found dotted
along Eastern Europe’s
coastline. “Many Eastern
Europeans enjoy an outdoor
lifestyle and travellers get to
benefit from all the activities
on offer. The world’s deepest
cave, Krubera Cave, is in
Georgia. Many travellers go
on incredible expeditions to
see what speleologists refer
to as ‘The Everest of Caves’.”
And just because travellers
may be on a cruise, doesn’t
mean that they will lack an
opportunity to get active.
Janine Pienaar, sales and
marketing manager of
Globus Family of Brands,
recommends the Avalon
Active on the Danube, a
seven-night cruise starting in
Budapest, Hungary.
At each stop, guests will
have a choice of adventures,
ranging from guided bike
tours in Budapest to hikes
through Danube-Ipoly National
Park. Other options along
the way include early-morning
walking tours in Vienna
and canoe trips down the
Danube.
Book it!
Agents can book a Club
Med special for the fourtrident
Bodrum Palmiye in
Turkey from R22 770pps.
Rate includes return
transfers from airport to
resort (if flights are booked
with Club Med), seven
nights’ accommodation,
all meals and drinks, a
wide choice of land and
water sports, evening
entertainment and basic
travel insurance. Valid for
set departure on June 19.
Consider Cruising for first timerts
Many travellers remain
relatively unaware of the
sheer amount of countries
and attractions worth a visit
in Eastern Europe, while
at the same time they can
feel overwhelmed by the
“avalanche of information” on
the Internet, says Elisna.
“It is the agent’s job to
tell them where their hardearned
money will be best
spent. Probably one of the
best value-for-money ways to
see Eastern Europe is on a
cruise,” she says. “A cruise
will stop at a variety of ports,
giving travellers access to
ancient cities and towns that
would otherwise be hard and
expensive to reach via land.”
Elisna says she wouldn’t
recommend a cruise shorter
than seven nights, and 10-12
would be more ideal. “The
number of countries depends
on the time and budget
of the client, but the best
way to experience as many
highlights as possible without
being rushed is definitely a
cruise.”
Tips for the perfect Croatia trip
CROATIA has been a South
African favourite for a
while, and still seems to be
growing in popularity.
“South Africans are drawn
to Croatia’s ancient walled
towns, café street culture
and sapphire waters. The
main attraction, however,
remains its island-speckled
coastline and excellent
water-based activities.
Croatian food, wine and olive
oils are also a big draw,”
explains Elisna Bergset of
Development Promotions.
Additionally, the country
remains relatively affordable
and many of the locals
speak English quite well,
making it easy to navigate.
Globus introduced its
Croatia Holidays tour
this year and has already
received excellent feedback.
“It offers so much for the
traveller to experience, from
historic sites to the most
beautiful natural scenery –
not to mention the islands
spread out in the Dalmatian
Coast,” says Janine Pienaar
of the Globus Family of
Brands.
Opt for a guided tour
In an age where many
travellers feel pressure
to travel independently,
Croatia experts recommend
a guided tour for first-time
visitors. Janine says: “I
don’t think many South
Africans think of doing
Croatia as a guided holiday
and most often they do it
as an independent holiday,
when in fact to truly
immerse yourself in Croatia
and soak in all that it has to
offer, you should travel from
north to south.”
Sailing is a favourite
One of the best ways to
explore the country and its
islands is on a sailing trip.
“Sailing the coast is a huge
favourite, with excellent
snorkelling and diving at
many sites,” says Elisna.
This was echoed by
Marijana Cizek, owner of
Sirius Travel in Sandton, who
says the ideal itinerary for
first-time visitors is a small
boat cruise in the summer.
“Most of the boats take
a maximum of 30 people
with 15 cabins and there
are different categories to
cruise from. “The benefit of
this is that guests can relax,
unpack just once, not have
to worry about transport
and can see the best of the
Croatian coast,” she says.
Austria Connection
offers a range of sailing
programmes, including
small ship cruises that take
guests from island to island.
Options include basic and
traditional wooden motor
sailing boats through to
deluxe ships fitted with all
the mod cons.
Usually breakfast and
lunch are served on board,
and in the evening guests
can explore and sample
local food.
Local festivals
Marijana says Croatia hosts
several festivals throughout
the year – some of which
focus on music and are
particularly appealing to
younger travellers. She
mentions Ultra Europe,
which will take place in early
July this year over seven
nights, travelling from Split
to the islands of Brac, Hvar
and Vis.
Another option, she says,
is the annual Dubrovnik
Gastro Table festival
in November, which is
traditionally one of the less
popular times to travel to
Croatia. The festival lasts
for almost the entire month
and hotels, restaurants and
local businesses celebrate
the local food and wine of
the region.
Combination itineraries
When in Croatia, many
South Africans are
tempted to visit some of
the neighbouring Eastern
European destinations,
but Marijana Cizek
of Sirius Travel warns
that sometimes it’s
better for travellers to
immerse themselves
in the destination. For
those who have enough
time to explore beyond
Croatia’s borders, she
recommends combining
it with Bosnia for about
two days. “There is
a lot of history and
culture in Bosnia with an
interesting mix of east
and west. Depending on
the time of year, you can
also ski there,” Marijana
adds. Other popular
add-on countries include
Czech Republic, Romania
and Bulgaria.
Book it!
To coincide with this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia, Travel Vision is offering a five-night ‘World Cup
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Express Moscow-Paveletskaya and two nights at the Boutique Hotel Rossi, St Petersburg. It also
includes daily breakfast, return private airport, hotel and station transfers and a one-way train ticket
from Moscow to St Petersburg in economy class. Valid June 22 to July 2.
Must-see attractions
Croatia experts list their
top traveller picks in the
country:
Janine Pienaar – Globus
Family of Brands: “If your
client is interested in
historic sights and Unesco
World Heritage Sites they
should visit Dubrovnik’s
Rector’s Palace – a Gothic
Renaissance palace
dating back to the 15th
Century; the 4th Century
Diocletian’s Palace in Split,
a well-preserved fortress;
the majestic cathedral
in Zagreb, housed within
a medieval fort; the
amphitheatre and Temple
of Augustus in Pula; and
the historic city of Trogir.”
Elisna Bergset –
Development Promotions:
“Istria in the northwest
of the country is a
phenomenal area with
medieval hilltop towns,
food festivals and also
home to a very impressive
Roman amphitheatre that
dates back to 27BC. In
fact, it is one of the six
largest surviving Roman
arenas in the world.”
