Regional is romantic
REGIONAL destinations
have seen increased
demand from cashstrapped SA travellers, beating
international destinations for
Valentine’s getaways.
Zanzibar,
Mauritius,
Seychelles and
Victoria Falls
(Zimbabwe)
were particularly
popular over
this period, with
guests looking
for four- to sevennight packages,
said Stephen
Cook, sales
and marketing
manager for
AfricaStay. He
added that Zanzibar was
a great option for clients
looking for adults-only
options, with Hotel Riu Palace
on Nungwi Beach being the
latest Zanzibar resort to cater
exclusively for adults.
Joanne Visagie, sales
and marketing director of
Beachcomber Tours, said
while seven-day Valentine’s
getaways to Mauritius were
most popular, the operator
was also seeing uptake for
longer stays. She added that
the adults-only wing at the
Victoria Resort and Spa was
particularly popular during this
period.
Lesley Smith, key account
manager for marketing at
World Leisure Holidays,
recommended Veranda
Paul et Virginie Hotel &
Spa in Grand Gaube; and
Ambre, a Sun resort in Belle
Mare; both in Mauritius, for
clients seeking adults-only
options.
For those looking
for something
more adventurous,
Lesley suggested
Réunion Island.
This destination
offers a plethora
of active options
including volcano
trekking, canyoning,
hiking, biking,
scuba diving,
helicopter flips and
much more.
Lesley said while
Mauritius was always popular,
the Maldives was the current
flavour of the month, with
clients requesting seven- to
10-night packages.
Craig Parvess, senior
product manager SA and
regional at kulula holidays,
agreed saying the Maldives
appealed to both younger
and older clients looking
to escape to an “island
paradise”.
He added that Valentine’s
bookings to Paris were still
up, despite the trend for
regional escapes. “Paris has
a historical connection to
love and we always receive
an upsurge in enquiries and
bookings for the Valentine’s
period.
Spotlight on KZN
CLIENTS looking for a more
cost-effective Valentine’s
getaway will fall in love with
KwaZulu Natal’s hidden
gems, according to Phindile
Makwakwa, acting ceo of
Tourism KZN.
“The Midlands Meander
is positioned as one of our
prime romantic destinations
in the province. It boasts
romantic boutique-style
hotels and lodges that have
amazing spa treatments,”
said Phindile.
She added that the area
also had unique craft
outlets where travellers
could buy a number of
handmade and one-off
finds such as Ardmore
Ceramics, Tsonga leather
goods, candles, woven
mats, and tasty treats from
the cheese and chocolate
farms.
“Couples can also enjoy
romantic picnics and hotair balloon rides at the
Howick Falls, just outside
Pietermaritzburg,” said
Phindile.
Romantic weekends and
overnight stays are most
popular for Valentine’s
getaways to KZN, according
to Phindile. She said there
were unique family-friendly
offers for clients who were
unable to take an adultsonly trip: “A wide range of
the KZN tourism offerings
(accommodation, activities)
provide nanny services and
have adjoining rooms so
that adults can stay close
to their children.”
Giving an example of
a winning Valentine’s
booking, Tracy Teichmann,
manager of Sure Adcocks
Travel, said: “A stunning,
cost-effective option is a
two-night stay at Sycamore
Avenue Treehouses in
Mooi River followed by
a day visit to Hawklee
Country House, just
outside Pietermaritzburg.
The treehouses are rustic
and romantic and include
breakfast and a threecourse dinner. Hawklee
Country House is secluded,
with a beautiful river on
site. They offer a picnic
basket for two that clients
can set up anywhere along
the river. It’s idyllic.”
Celebrating the single life
THE upsurge in solo travel
has also seen an increase in
clients looking to celebrate
being single by treating
themselves to a solo
Valentine’s getaway. Single SA
travellers are looking to spoil
themselves with both regional
and international packages
over this time, according to
trade members canvassed
by TNW.
Stephen Cook, sales
and marketing manager for
AfricaStay, said its Zanzibar
packages were most popular
with solo travellers over
Valentine’s Day. “The resorts
are very hospitable, and so
socialising and making new
friends is easier for our solo
travellers.”
Caroline Tinsley, business
development manager at
Intrepid Travel, said Bali,
Vietnam and Morocco were
Intrepid’s most popular
solo traveller-focused tour
destinations. “In Bali single
travellers can explore small
villages, volcanoes, idyllic
beaches and the underwater
world in Bali Barat National
Park. The Balinese cuisine is
also a draw, as is Pura Ulun
Danu Bratan, a Hindu-Buddhist
lake temple dedicated to the
goddess of the waters.
“In Vietnam I recommend
shopping trips to the Old
Quarter, experiencing a
Halong Bay boat trip, travelling
through old-world Hue and Hoi
An, and visiting cosmopolitan
Ho Chi Minh City. In Morocco,
popular activities are the
medieval old town of Fes
and the spice markets of
Marrakech. Clients are
drawn to the rich history and
natural beauty of Morocco. I
recommend giving them the
opportunity to learn about the
ancient cities and meet with
nomadic tribes.”
Alex Gonsalves, gm of On
the Go Tours, said Egypt was
also a popular destination with
solo travellers in February.
“Our nine-day Egypt tour and
10-day Vietnam tour are our
best sellers over this period.”
Think outside the box
CLIENTS who are tired of the
tried and tested will enjoy
these unusual Valentine’s
getaways.
For local getaways, Liz
Budge, manager of XL
Oceanair Travel, recommends
the exclusive Timamoon
Lodge close to the Kruger
Park and Blyde River Canyon.
“The suites are Moroccan
and Zanzibar styled, romantic
and secluded, with large
fireplaces and private pools
that overlook the valley.
Akademie Street Boutique
Hotel in Franschhoek is
also a great option for wine
lovers.”
Rachael Penaluna,
business manager at
Sure Maritime Travel, said
cruising was a good option
for clients looking for a new
experience. “MSC Cruises
now has a wider range of
cabin categories, allowing for
a luxury experience that is a
lot more cost-effective than
your usual romantic getaway.
It is also a holiday that can
easily be done in three days.
This makes it a great option
for clients who are low on
money in February but are
still looking to travel.”
Constance Tsarabanjina
Madagascar, was
recommended as a top
regional experience for
clients looking for privacy
in a pristine natural
environment. Kirsty Mayson,
a Johannesburg-based
Travel Counsellor, said: “This
destination is a once-in-alifetime experience. Clients
fly to Nosy Be, then take a
ten-minute car ride to the
beach, where they will depart
on an hour-long speedboat
ride to the private island.
They are accommodated in
Robinson Crusoe-like beach
villas and enjoy fine dining
on the beach. It takes about
two hours to walk around the
island and the only available
WiFi is in the bar area, so
clients can really unplug and
unwind.”
According to Liz, the
southern Maldives offers
another unique island
experience. “It’s picturesque,
usually half the cost of other
Maldives locations and
offers accommodation on
private islands, or on small
boats that sail around the
islands.”
She added that other
unique regional getaways
could be found in Vamizi
Island, Quirimbas
Archipelago, Mozambique;
Greystone Lodge, Lake
Tanganyika in Tanzania;
North Island or Silhouette
Island, Seychelles; Lake
Malawi; Mafia Island in
Zanzibar; luxury camps
in the Namib Desert; and
Summerfield Boutique Hotel,
in Swaziland’s botanical
gardens.
For international
getaways, Siobhan Nel, a
Johannesburg-based Travel
Counsellor, recommended Sri
Lanka as an up-and-coming
destination for clients who
have already travelled to
Thailand and Bali, while
Rachael added that moped
tours through Vietnam were
of increasing interest to
younger or more adventurous
couples.
Liz suggested Cape
Verde as a great option
for adventurous couples.
“It’s Africa’s version of the
Caribbean, the archipelago
has 10 islands and is about
300-400 miles off Senegal.”
Cabo Verde is known for its
Creole Portuguese-African
culture, traditional morna
music and numerous
beaches.
