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79% of South Africans would rather be taken on a surprise trip to a romantic destination than have their partner “pop the question” this Valentine’s Day.  This is according to an online survey conducted by Travelstart.co.za, South Africa’s biggest price comparison and booking website. 

“This has been an interesting survey for us, because it highlights South Africans’ passion for travel.  We have seen an enormous surge in bookings this Valentine’s Day and it is clear that couples are taking advantage of the discounts that the recession has brought, both for local and international trips,” says Stephan Ekbergh, CEO and founder of Travelstart.co.za.

When asked about dream destinations for Valentine’s Day, 69% of the 7300 respondents said that tropical islands like Maldives and Fiji are at the top of their wish list.  

“Good news for single travellers is that more than a third of the respondents had a romantic fling with someone that they met while travelling, so maybe this is a good reason to pack your bags and head to the airport,” says Ekbergh. 

87% listed “seeing the world and meeting new people” as their favourite reason for travelling while only 2% said that they travel to join the mile high club. In fact, 30% of South African’s had never heard of the mile high club.

So even though couples see more value in travelling to an exotic destination than a proposal, it is very possible that a romantic island getaway will create the perfect setting for an unforgettable proposal anyway.

For more info contact: therese@travelstart.com

February 2nd was Groundhog Day. This is a slightly odd tradition celebrated around the United States and Canada, with the biggest festivities in a town called Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania where the groundhog is named Phil. Phil is chased out of his hole to predict the weather. If he sees his shadow, folklore says that he will go back into his hole and winter is supposed to continue for another 6 weeks. If he doesn't see his shadow, spring is around the corner.

This year, Phil in Punxsutawney unfortunately did see his shadow. And just to prove that the prediction is indeed right, here in New York it started snowing that same evening.

Today is Auction day!

If anything tickles your fancy, join us this afternoon at 4pm to place your bid. 56 Shortmarket Street, 8th Floor, Cape Town.

Bidding for life,

The Angels

If you've been considering travels to the far east, maybe now is the time to book it! 

Travelstart this week is filled with great airfare and packages to Asia - in particular two amazing packages to the islands of Phuket or Bali. Prices are from R7,658 per person for airfare plus 8-nights in a 4* accommodation in Phuket, an unbelievable price. Bali packages range from R7,849 per person for airfare plus 8-nights in a 4* as well. 

Beyond packages, there are also numerous airfare deals to be found. Bali from R5,812, Bangkok or Phuket from R6,038, Kuala Lamput from R6,288 or Hong Kong from R6,640, are just some of this week's superb airfares. 

For total convenience and peace of mind, you can book online. If you require additional assistance, chat with our consultants in the Travelbar on 0861 878 278. 

Asia awaits! 

(photo of Phuket sunset courtesy of Dennis Wong)

I recently heard of someone who visited 3 countries in the same minute.  Huh?  How could someone do this? 

Well, it's quite easy in fact. You just have to know where to go! 

That place would be the Vaals Drielandenpunt Monument near the town of Vaals, Netherlands. (Drielandenpunt means "three-country point") 

The monument is significant, in that it marks the border between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.  You can walk in all three countries, at the same moment. (I recommend putting your left foot in Netherlands, your right foot in Belgium, and placing your hands in Germany)

The Vaalserberg (Mount Vaals) is also the highest point in the Netherlands, at about 322 metres. It's in the most south-easternmost corner of the country within the town of Vaals. 

Historically, this was actually a four-country point from 1830 to 1919, and in a brief period from 1917-1920, when the border situation was being disputed, it was a five-country point. In fact, today if you access Vaalserberg from the Dutch side, you will traverse on four borders road. 

The area is known for its beautiful sorrounding landscape, and is a popular attraction with tourists to the area, regardless of which country you access from. 

Do you know of any other similar places?

(Photo of Vaals Drielandenpunt Monument courtesy of Inoue-hiro)

5 Ninth, cool townhouse dining in the middle of trendy Meatpacking District.

From January 25th to February 7th NYC Restaurant Week is happening. This means that for a very affordable sum you can try some of New Yorks best restaurants. A three  course prix-fix lunch is 24 dollars and dinners are 35.

Many of the restaurants that I have wanted to visit are among the participating once. Like 5 Ninth, a very cool townhouse like place in the middle of the Meatpacking District. Aquavit, where Swedish top chef is serving interesting Scandinavian dishes. Indochine, which serves a classier Vietnamese cuisine. And lots of seafood places with raw bars like Fishtale and Blue Fin.

You can reserve tables here. Just remember that the deal is not valid on Saturdays and that some restaurants only serve the lunch and others only the dinner.

Bon Appétit!

On December 1, 2009, the Angels introduced Ra-ees Khan to the public, through Travelstart's newsletter. Ra-ees is the nephew of our fellow Travelstarters, Rehana and Nazley. He has been battling Leukaemia for the past 8 years and is now in desperate need of a Bone Marrow transplant.

We Angels promised to host an entertaining fund-raising event to financially assist in finding Ra-ees a donor. So, here's what we've got planned...

This Friday, 5 February 2010, at 4pm, Travelstart will be hosting an Auction at our office in Cape Town. Our host will be the fabulous Wouter Nel (from our Travelbar) and the Angels will present each item. Various employees have generously donated of their time or skills, helping us round up a fantastic list of items for this occassion.

What is up for grabs?

We have a wide range of goodies from something as simple as the giving up of someone's valuable time to Theatre tickets and antique vintage wines. Here are a few of our items to tickle your tastebuds...

- A Chequebook of Angel Vouchers (e.g. bring you a vida coffee in the morning)

- Homemade goodies by Nanette

- Two tickets on the City Sightseeing Bus Tour, kindly donated by City Sightseeing Cape Town

- Tickets for two to the Aquarium, kindly donated by Two Oceans Aquarium

- Four original artworks by Kevin de Klerk

 
 
All items have been donated to or bought by Travelstart. All proceeds will go to the Ra-ees Khan Fund. Travelstart warmly welcomes anyone to join in on the auction.

Please visit Ra-ees' website to learn a bit more about his journey, and to see how you could help, or take a look at his Facebook page.

Every effort makes a difference!

Bidding for life,

The Angels

 (photo courtesy of benjamin.krause)

Nara, a favorite travel destination within Japan, will be celebrating its 1,300 anniversary in 2010. That's a lot of candles on a birthday cake!

Nara was in fact the capital of eigth-century Japan, and is located just outside its more famous neighbor, Kyoto. Today it's home to the largest number of buildings designated National Treasures in Japan, which includes one UNESCO World Heritage site, the Todai-ji building (photo right). 

Your first stop on a visit to Nara should be Nara Park. There you will find Daibutsu, the largest Buddha statue in Japan, which is located inside Todai-ji, the largest wooden building in the world.  The building also houses four other giant statues. 

Nearby Naramachi should also be explored during a visit to Nara. It can be reached by foot, just 10 minutes from the Kintetsu Nara station. It is a historic old town district, popular with walking tours. 

Nara is part of the Nara prefecture. In the area, a popular tourist activity are three-day world heritage tours, which explore not only Nara, but nearby Asuka (Japan's earliest historical capital city) Hōryūji, and Yoshino, a beautiful mountainous area. 

The area will surely be popular with visitors in 2010. Happy 1,300th anniversary Nara!

The magnificence of Africa can only really be appreciated if you invest a little more time into seeing the sights that really matter. Complete your visit in South Africa by visiting one of the many national parks, game farms, bird parks, etc.

No matter where you stay in South Africa, you will be within at least an hour's drive of a sanctuary - just ask your hosts.

Photo: Stuart Bassil

Short list of places where you can go to view South Africa's most spectacular inhabitants:

• www.sanwild.org
• www.lion-park.com
• www.africandawnsanctuary.com
• Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary
• www.highover.co.za
• www.jukani.co.za
• www.dieoog.org.za
• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Nature Reserve
• www.kolobegamefarm.co.za
• www.rhinolodgegamefarm.co.za
• www.motswirilodge.co.za
• www.thologamefarm.co.za
• www.brooklandsgamefarm.co.za
• www.jerichogamefarm.com
• Kruger National Park
• Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park
• Golden Gate Highlands National Park
• Augrabies Falls National Park
• Bontebok National Park
• Blyde River Canyon Reserve
• Borakalalo National Park
• Addo Elephant Park
• www.rhinolion.co.za
• Pilanesberg Nature Reserve

PS. This is not all the game farms and national parks in South Africa!

Have you ever been stranded somewhere when travelling? Perhaps your flight was delayed, or your train or bus didn't depart on schedule. 

Well, this week a group of tourists happened to get stranded in one of the world's premier tourist destinations, Peru's Machu Picchu. 

What happened was very heavy rains in the area created multiple mud slides, closing the only transport link to the remote Andean mountain ridge region. The only way to enter or exit was by helicopter, or on foot, a walk that could take several days. 

It's estimated that as many as 2,000 travellers were stranded at one point this week, putting pressure on demand for food, accommodation and water. Local authorities have since arranged the evacuation of many tourists by helicopter. The weather forecast is for the rains to soften this week. 

Anyways, many people dream of being able to one day visit Machu Picchu, one of the wonders of the world. This week a group of tourists are getting to experience much more of it than they had anticipated. But hey, there's surely worse places to get stranded. 

(photo of Machu Picchu courtesy of Szeke)  

*link to news story on the incident

If you, or maybe your parents, are die hard ABBA fans, London England has the cure for you....ABBAWORLD!

Mama mia!  All the ABBA you can handle, all under one roof in a brand new museum/theme park that just opened to visitors this week. 

The exhibition covers more than 30,000 square feet (2,800sq. metres) of space, with over 25 different rooms to experience.

ABBA, a Swedish quartet pop band, has sold more than 400 million albums worldwide. The band separated in the 80's, and have never reunited. 

ABBAWORLD was actually originally scheduled to be a permanent museum in Sweden. When those plans fell through, the exhibition shifted to London. 

If you or anyone you know needs a disco dancing blast to the past, visit ABBAWORLD on your next stop in London. 
 

(Photo of ABBA billboard in London courtesy of ChodHound)

*Click here for more information on ABBAWORLD

Every morning, while getting ready for work, I watch SABC 2's Morning Live. Today they featured a celebrity telethon to raise funds for Haiti Relief.

Now, as I am sure you know, the Travelstart Angels have been around since August 2009, creating a platform for charitable work within the company. In one of our recent meetings, we discussed how we could perhaps find a way to help the situation in Haiti. When I saw the telethon this morning, I thought that would be perfect. So, I mentioned it to Diana and Priya who leaped at the opportunity. We went into Stephan's office and within in a few minutes it was decided that Travelstart would donate R10 000 with a challenge for all other travel agencies to do the same.

WOW! I am still in awe of how quickly and easily that happened, not to mention the incredibly generous amount of money donated - we Angels were aiming for R1 000.

If you are wanting to donate funds for Haiti relief here are two recommended websites:

Gheskio

Yours in healing,

The Angels

The truth is, South Africa has criminals - like every country in the world. However, if you behave street smart, you can reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime while you are in South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Please follow these snippets of advice:

• Book your accommodation at a reputable guesthouse
• Book your airport and soccer stadium transfers with a reputable shuttle service
• Plan outings to outside the city or book with a tour/safari operator
• Drive with windows closed and valuables out of sight
• Don't open your window at robots (traffic lights)
• Leave your Rolex at home or in a safe at the guesthouse if you go to a soccer match
• Keep a limited amount of cash in your wallet
• Keep your wallet in a pocket that closes with a button or that is really deep
• Don't accept a lift with strangers - rather spring the extra bucks and take a taxi (and I don't mean an informal minibus taxi)
• Avoid wandering off into dark streets with little pedestrian traffic
• Keep your cellphone safely hidden away
• When paying with your credit card at a restaurant (or anywhere else) - walk with if they don't have a mobile card machine
• When drawing money from an ATM, keep your pin to yourself

Keep numbers close:

• Put the police emergency number 10111 close
• Keep your medical aid details with you - always

Travelstart Global has sold the European part of its operations to European Travel consortium, European Travel Interactive (eTraveli).  The deal, effective from Feb 1, will not affect Travelstart’s South African business, which will operate as normal.

Travelstart has run its international head office from Cape Town since 2009 and is currently the online travel market leader in South Africa.  The company’s founder and CEO, Stephan Ekbergh, says the decision to sell the European arm of its operations was primarily driven by his vision to create a strong online travel brand for emerging markets.  He has plans to expand the business to the rest of Africa as well as the Middle East.

“We are really excited about the future. The deal makes it possible for us to focus on growth markets where we feel we can have an impact and make a greater difference,” says Ekbergh.

The deal means that Travelstart.co.za will own the rights to the global Travelstart brand, and that eTraveli takes over the European brand management and all its operations there. 

About Travelstart           

Travelstart is an online travel company targeting the global citizen. At www.travelstart.co.za customers can search, book and compare flights, hotels, cars and holiday packages in a safe and convenient way. Travelstart’s aim is to provide compelling prices and superior customer experience.

For more information please contact:

Therése Jonsson, Chief Evangelist                      therese@travelstart.com +27 76 262 8442

Stephan Ekberhg, CEO                                                              stephan@travelstart.com +27 82 610 7431

 The Quebec Winter Carnival, or Carnaval de Québec, is known as one of the three largest winter carnivals in the world. (The other large winter celebrations are the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China, and Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival)

The 2010 Carnival is ready to begin next week. The event, which attracts more than one million visitors every year, takes place January 29 to February 14th in Quebec City, Canada. 

Highlights of the event include the creation of a magical ice palace, which is built to host the Carnival's official mascot, the Bonhomme Carnaval. (translation means "the Good Man") He's photographed right, a friendly looking fellow who is popular with children, and apparently tells great jokes. The construction of the ice palace began in 1955, and has been a tradition ever since. 

A $10 admission gets you into most of the Winter Carnival events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Popular attractions include sleigh races, a dog obstacle course competition, extreme canoe racing across the frozen St. Lawrence river, and outdoor dance and music parties.  In addition, visitors enjoy the snow rafting, snow slides, pancake breakfasts, snow sculptures contest, ice fishing, and skating with the Bonhomme.

The event is very popular with local residents, as well as visitors from North America and around the globe.  

(photo of Bonhomme Carnaval courtesy of AWDB)

As the devastation and suffering in Haiti has become clear through the media more and more people feel the need to help. In New York I have been invited to several fundraising events where people can donate money, clothes or food that will be sent via various organisations.

Fundraising events are a big thing in the United States. I don't know if people are so willing to donate because there is not a big social welfare system and they have just become used to giving if they can afford it or if it's just because there are quite a few people here with more money than what they need.

The fundraising can be done in many different ways. Yesterday I was invited to a private party where the 20 dollars entrance fee would go to Doctors Without Borders. Next week there is a bigger club where you can donate a lot more and at the same time get VIP service at the bar. Friday the 22nd MTV charity, Hope for Haiti Now, was held and broadcasted. The line up in New York consisted of artists like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Shakira.

Until January 31st 2010, KLM is offering through Travelstart remarkably attractive airfares to many European cities.  

If you've been considering visiting Europe, this is your chance to pick up an extraordinary deal!   London, Glasgow, Paris, Amsterdam, Nice, Rome, Milan or Zurich all are on the list!!

Some of the GREAT FARES from Johannesburg to Europe, including all airport taxes & fees, include the following:

• London R6,363  
• Birmingham R6,666
• Manchester R6,666
• Newcastle R6,694
• Glasgow R6,649
• Paris R6,304
• Amsterdam R6,891
• Nice R6,172
• Rome R6,148
• Milan R6,154
• Frankfurt R6,455
• Dusseldorf R6,391
• Hamburg R6,304
• Munich R6,427
• Zurich R6,207

Please be advised that all fares include airport taxes & fees and are valid for departures until 31st March 2010. Tickets must be purchased by 31st January 2010. Please click here for more information on this special promotion.  

(Photo of Amsterdam city courtesy of Elin B) 

Why do we often hear people speak of travelling to Bali, Indonesia? Why do they always have a great time? Why haven't I been yet?  

Each of us must surely know someone who has been to Bali. And the reason we hear so many people speak highly of Bali, is that it is one of those tourist destinations that really does have it all. 

It's such a remarkable tourist destination in fact, that approximately 80% of visitors to Indonesia each year visit Bali alone. Hard to believe that Bali is just one one of 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago.  

Good weather, beautiful beaches, world-class scuba diving and surfing, historical monuments, vast landscapes, a rich and vibrant culture, music and dancing and friendly people - what more could you ask for? Bali really is one of those global destinations that has it all! 

One unique cultural aspect of Bali is the island's Day of Absolute Silence, Nyepi. This takes place once per year - March 16 in 2010 - where the Balinese spend the entire day in silence, in order to fool all evil spirits into believing no person is actually on Bali. Success means the evil spirits will go elsewhere, leaving Bali alone for another year.  This is but one example of the rich local culture that exists. 

Bali is divided into six regions, the South, Central, West, North, East, and the Southeaster Islands, each area unique, with different tourist offerings. The Central region is the cultural heartland, in the West you find the West Bali National Park, and in the east an active volcano. The South is the most popular part of the island. 

If you are looking to get away this spring, to a beautiful destination that has it all, maybe Bali is your place. 

(photo of kechak dance at Uluwatu, Bali, courtesy of didiz) 

Our very own and talented Emilia who works with our design has decided to do a careershift.

We know from experience she´s one incredible chef and I always thought she should start her own restaurant.

So we offered her to start an inhouse restaurant at the Travelstart offices for our staff.

Luckily she accepted and from March 1st all Travelstart staff will be blessed by her incredible dishes.

Heres the first menu.

Can´t wait I´m hungry

Actually, sadly, there's no chocolate in these hills. But these unique land formations can be found on Bohol Island in the Philippines. 

The name is the Chocolate Hills, and they are likely Bohol's number one tourist attraction. 

Considerable debate exists as to how the 1,268 chocolate hills came to exist. Local folklore claims they came to existence after a stone-throwing fight between two giants. 

Local geologists believe they are weathered formations of a variety of limestone, deposited onto clay. Regardless, they are truly one of the world's natural oddities. 

Another attraction on Bohol is that of the tarsier monkey, a unique animal that was the inspiration of Steven Speilberg's film ET. Bohol is home to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation and well-being of the tarsier.  

Bohol is also known for its pristine beaches, and is home to world-renowned scuba diving and snorkeling. 

An island of splendid natural beauty, Bohol awaits you on your visit to the Philippines! 

(photo of Chocolate Hills courtesy of ianz)