Always remember these Safety Tips when travelling to South Africa

Safety is an important issue throughout the world, you need to know what to do and what not to do. Fortunately the Tourism Safety Task Group of South Africa has compiled the following helpful tips for tourists and migrants who come to the country…

At a hotel:
Never leave your luggage unattended
Store all your valuables in the hotels safety deposit box
Keep your room locked at all times, whether you are inside or not
Always check who is at the door before you open it
Leave your room keys at the reception desk when leaving the hotel

In the street:
Avoid over-the-top displays of expensive jewelry, cameras and other valuables
NEVER carry around large sums of money around (a better option is to use URCard)
Steer clear of dark, isolated areas at night
It is better to travel around with a group of people and stick to well-lit, busy streets
Plan out your route beforehand so you know where you are going
A police officer or traffic officer will be glad to help if you are lost
If you ever need to call a taxi, your hotel or a tourism information office can help you out

In a car:
Plan your route in advance
Keep your car doors locked and wind the windows up if you are in an unsafe area
Lock all your valuable items in the boot of the car
At night, always park in a well-lit area
NEVER pick up strangers
If you are in doubt about the safety of an area, phone a police station for advice

In general it would be advisable to always carry a reliable map with you. Plus you should keep a certified copy of passports and other important documentation, like flight tickets in a safe place such as a bank or the hotel’s safety deposit box.

Always leave your valuables at home. There is a chance your luggage may be opened and your valuables stolen when you are at the check out area.

- Do not wear expensive jewelry
- Never allow yourself to be separated from your hand luggage
- Always remember that laptops, phones and handbags are targeted items
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted by one person while another runs off with your possessions

South Africa is not the only country where the above list applies; it applies to majority of destinations around the world. Tourists are often caught up in unpleasant situations because they are not vigilant and wise because they are “on holiday” and in a carefree mood.

 Do you need a reliable shuttle service to and from Cape Town International Airport? Give Airport Shuttle a call today!

How to not get ripped off when you’re travelling

There’s no quicker way to ruin a holiday or travel adventure than by getting ripped off. It seriously sucks so next time keep these tips in mind…

Beware of the lonely ATM – Stick to a cash machine at a bank, airport, hotel or other public area. To don’t want to fall prey to an ATM scam.

Inform your bank – Before you leave, make sure you call your bank and let them know your dates and destinations.

Make copies of credit cards – Always make a copy of the front and back of all your bank and credit cards that you are taking with you, including the number to phone if they are lost or stolen.

Use the hotel room safe – Laptops, passport, backup credit cards and other important information should be locked up when you’re out and about.

Pickpockets aren’t just in crowds – Everyone knows you should always keep your money close in a crowd. But it’s also not a good idea to hand your bag on your chair in a restaurant or use your phone obviously in a taxi.

Stay organised – This one may seem weird, isn’t a holiday the time to relax? Well, 10 minutes a day spent keeping track of your bank cards, receipts and passports is well worth the hassle.

Don’t lose your vacation mojo by getting ripped off, stick to these helpful tips and you’ll have complete peace of mind.

808 Cartwright Corner is not only comfortable and conveniently located, but it has beautiful views of Table Mountain and the Mother City.

Book online today, or give us a call if you're looking for the perfect self-catering apartment.

Gift the travelers in your life with an Airbnb gift card

The company, Airbnb, now allows customers to buy gift cards for its short-term rentals platforms. The VP of the company, Mike Curtis announced at the company’s conference that you can now give the gift of Airbnb!

It was also revealed that there are new tools for hosts that make it easier for them to set prices and get the exact types of bookings they want.

Gift cards are available on Airbnb’s website and are sent to recipients via email, though you’re able to personalize the looks of the gift cars with a variety of different travel photos. The credits don’t expire and can be used at any of the company’s listings around the world!

The new personalization tools for hosts aim to make it easier for them to get bookings. They include a new price recommendation feature called price tips, which will begin rolling out soon.

The company recently wrote in a blog post, “You’ll be able to get personalized, daily pricing information right in your calendar, so you can see how adjusting your price could increase your chances of getting booked, or take advantage of strong interest in visiting your area.”

Finally, Airbnb is doing more to personalise search results based on the preferences of the host. Some hosts prefer more frequent, but shorter stays, while others prefer less frequent but longer stays.

Airbnb will now take these types of preferences into account when surfacing search results to travelers – so search results for two days in Paris and two weeks in Paris may turn different sets of results.

So, give the traveler in your life a Airbnb gift card and put the world at their doorstep!

For a self-catering apartment with amazing views of the Mother City - book in at 808 Cartwright Corner today!

The bad habits of ineffective hotels

If you travel a lot you have obviously noticed that there are many exceptional hotels, self-catering apartments, B&B’s etc. BUT you have probably also noticed that some are just plain weird, and their bad habits are odd as well.

Here are the worst hotel habits that you may have encountered as a traveler…

#1 Telephones – You would be shocked at the amount of hotels that can’t get their own phone systems right. There’s nothing worse than pressing the “Wake Up Call” button and then getting directed to the reservations call centre instead. And then still getting charged for the call! Let’s not forget about when you wait on the line listening to the busy signal for 20 minutes, maybe next time it would be better to rather send out a carrier pigeon!

#2 Internet – Everyone enjoys lying in bed, watching TV and surfing the net. But, all this is pretty hard to do if there is no wireless connection. Having to run a LAN connection to the other side of the room is just not cool at all.

#3 Hidden Charges – Hotel tax, convenience charge, gratuity, local tax, room service, mini-bar, hospitality fee, tourist tax, internet access fees, charges for phone calls – it all adds up, and its super annoying! It’s not great when you find a decent hotel or accommodation and then all the extras kill the vibe.

#4 Temperature – The water is too hot, and the room is too cold, or the water is too cold and the room is too hot! There are always issues with temperatures in the shower; the goal here is that you just want to wash your body – it doesn’t have to be as complicated as sterilizing medical equipment!

#5 Laundry – When you stay in a hotel, guest house or self-catering apartment you need to do laundry! It’s just one of those things and hotel laundry prices are out of control. Imagine having to pay more to get your socks cleaned then you did to buy them.

#6 Photos – Choosing your hotel is a lot like internet dating. It’s extremely rare that what you get in real life actually looks like what was on the internet. Sometimes, on a rare occasion you may be pleasantly surprised, but that doesn’t happen often. Trip Advisor is a great place to find real photos from real photos.

#7 Signs – Isn’t it the worst when you have to work overnight to mirror business hours, or you just simply do not want to be disturbed and then the staff members insist on bothering you. Surely Do Not Disturb means what it says; you’d think it was a no brainer.

Have you ever experienced any of these truly annoying hotel habits? What are you hotel pet peeves?

Book in at 808 Cartwright Corner for an amazing self-catering apartment in Cape Town with Table Mountain in full view. 

5 best ways to get a room upgrade

Many frequent travelers have become kind of “hotel junkies” and know a thing or two about how to get quality accommodation. Believe it or not the trick to going from a cheapskate room to a R3000 suite in a matter of minutes isn't being famous, having the right connections or evening tricking the manager into thinking it’s your honeymoon – sometimes it’s just a matter of being smart about timing and being honest!

Try out these next tips the next time you’re headed for your stay and see what happens…

Timing: First things first, you always have to have superb timing. Once you have booked your room, wait to check LATER in the day. The hotel clerk has no idea how many cancellations and no-shows there will be earlier in the day and therefore they won’t risk passing out upgrades until they do. If you check in later, between 4-6pm, you won’t have to wait too long and you’ll avoid getting put into the no-show list yourself!

Always keep in mind however, that if the place you are staying at is at max occupancy (during peak travel season) the likelihood of this method working it slim. They simply don’t have upgrades to hand out.

Honesty & Manners: Remember what mom always said, be honest and mind your manners. Every hotel clerk or receptionist on this planet as heard the same old white lies again and AGAIN. The “It’s my honeymoon!” or the “It’s our anniversary!” lines are overused and unless you booked way In advance (or wearing a wedding gown) the hotel clerk is going to smell the lie the second you open your mouth. One of the best and easiest approaches to obtaining a room upgrade is to just ask for one! Be sweet, be honest and you might be surprised – insulting the person with the power will most likely backfire.

The one thing you should not do is make up complaints about your room. However if there is something genuinely wrong with your room, don’t shout and make a scene about it, be understanding and polite and you will be rewarded.

The Internet: Not all of us have those cool connections, like being friends with the General Manager, but that doesn't stop us from working the digital connections available to all of us on the internet. Before you book yourself in anywhere check out a website called the Kiwi Collection. It will provide you with lots of free perks and hotel upgrades if you are a member, especially if you’re with them long enough to achieve VIP status. Once you reach this level, Kiwi agents will actually take on the role of your agent and get upgrades for you in an instant!

The best thing it is completely FREE. All they require is your loyalty. Another website to view before you make any bookings is TripAdvisor, it is a great place to check out reviews on specific travel related content and it also includes interactive travel forums.

Loyalty: Loyalty can help you even more than already mentioned. The main thing hotel, guest houses and resorts want is loyalty! They want to know that you’re recommending them to all your friends, family and co-workers. It’s quite simple really, when you refer the hotel, make sure to tell your referral to drop your name at check-in. Believe me, the clerk will make note of it and will thank you with a hotel room upgrade the next time you check in! They will always keep a record of everything and everyone – especially their loyal customers.

This isn't just a “keep our customers happy and loyal” trick that hotels like to use on you, it’s a “we want to save money on marketing” trick. It costs them less to bring back a guest than it does to acquire a new one entirely.

Speak Up: As mentioned before, hotel employees can sniff out a lie from a mile away. However, if you’re booking with a hotel for a special occasion – definitely let them know! If you combine this with tip #1 and check in later in the day, they will probably try to wow you with a surprise upgrade for your special day.

Furthermore, if you happen to be a loyal customer, speak up and tell them! You’ll receive an upgrade, no questions asked.

These are some great tips to keep in mind and some great advice to remember when traveling. They can work wonders for you on your next trip, but most importantly remember that loyalty matters.

For a comfortable, affordable, self-catering apartment contact 808 Cartwright and book in today. You won't be disappointed with the amazing views of the Mother City. Need a shuttle service to and from Cape Town International Airport? Call Airport Shuttle. 

South African Travel Safety Tips

Safety is an important issue throughout the world, you need to know what to do and what not to do. Fortunately the Tourism Safety Task Group of South Africa has compiled the following helpful tips for tourists and migrants who come to the country…

At a hotel:

  Ø  Never leave your luggage unattended

  Ø  Store all your valuables in the hotels safety deposit box

  Ø  Keep your room locked at all times, whether you are inside or not

  Ø  Always check who is at the door before you open it

  Ø  Leave your room keys at the reception desk when leaving the hotel

In the street:

  Ø  Avoid over-the-top displays of expensive jewelry, cameras and other valuables

  Ø  NEVER carry around large sums of money around (a better option is to use URCard)

  Ø  Steer clear of dark, isolated areas at night

  Ø  It is better to travel around with a group of people and stick to well-lit, busy streets

  Ø  Plan out your route beforehand so you know where you are going

  Ø  A police officer or traffic officer will be glad to help if you are lost

  Ø  If you ever need to call a taxi, your hotel or a tourism information office can help you out

In a car:

  Ø  Plan your route in advance

  Ø  Keep your car doors locked and wind the windows up if you are in an unsafe area

  Ø  Lock all your valuable items in the boot of the car

  Ø  At night, always park in a well-lit area

  Ø  NEVER pick up strangers

  Ø  If you are in doubt about the safety of an area, phone a police station for advice

In general it would be advisable to always carry a reliable map with you. Plus you should keep a certified copy of passports and other important documentation, like flight tickets in a safe place such as a bank or the hotel’s safety deposit box.

Always leave your valuables at home. There is a chance your luggage may be opened and your valuables stolen when you are at the check out area.

  §  Do not wear expensive jewelry

  §  Never allow yourself to be separated from your hand luggage

  §  Always remember that laptops, phones and handbags are targeted items

  §  Do not allow yourself to be distracted by one person while another runs off with your possessions

South Africa is not the only country where the above list applies; it applies to majority of destinations around the world. Tourists are often caught up in unpleasant situations because they are not vigilant and wise because they are “on holiday” and in a carefree mood.

For affordable accommodation, contact 808 Cartwright. Do you need a reliable shuttle service to and from Cape Town International Airport? Give Airport Shuttle a call today!

Written By: Christine Romans

Afraid of flying? Here’s an app for you

Are you continuously nervous about flying? Does even the mere thought make you weak at the knees? Well there’s an app that could help you! It’s called Am I Going Down? And it gives you statistics on how likely your plane is to crash.

If you are one of those travelers that become instantly nervous while flying and can’t help but play the plane crash scene from Lost in your head, this helpful app could be the dose of reality that you really need. The name Am I Going Down may seem a bit morbid, but the statistics are likely to be very reassuring. Here are some examples…

A flight from San Francisco to Heathrow is calculated to crash one in every 2.8 million times, which means you could expect to crash only if you took that flight every day for the next 7,627 years.

Another example is if you are flying on a Boeing 737 flight from New York City to Los Angeles, there is a one in 4,136,239 chance that your plane will crash.

The app even calculates when you would expect to actually crash – for example, if you flew from New York City to Los Angeles every single day, you wouldn’t expect to crash for another 11,332 years!

But how are the odds calculated? Well it uses published flight and crash statistics from the Bureauof Aircraft Accident Archives, National Transportation Safety Board and theInternational Civil Aviation Organisation.

The app is pretty simple to use too, all you have to do is select the departing airport, the destination airport, the carrier and the type of aircraft you are flying on, then tap the “Am I Going Down” button. Everything will then be out into perspective for you. That’s right, your mind can be at peace for a small fee from the Apple iTunes store.

The developer of the app, Nic Johns says the reason he made the app was because of his wife who is a nervous flyer, “Her fear originated many years ago after backpacking around Australia and South East Asia. Despite many carefree flights that year, the final flight home from Bangkok to London was a white-knuckle ride. Ever since that event flying has been traumatic ... a lot of the concept comes from trying to allay her own fears,”

At the moment the app is only available on Apple devices, but an Android version could be coming out in the future. So if you’re one of those people who suffer from fear of flying, give this app a try!

If you are planning on making a trip to the Mother City, contact 808 Cartwright Corner or Airport Shuttle for affordable accommodation or a speedy shuttle service to and from Cape Town International Airport.

Written By: Christine Romans

Travel accessories to make your trip easier

Have you ever arrived at the airport after spending hours packing and then suddenly realized you've forgotten all those little things you actually really need. From items that make your trip more comfortable to little accessories that can make your travels so much smoother and stress free, so what should you pack?

-Travel pillows & blankets-

It’s always a good idea to get some rest during your voyage, you don’t want to be grumpy and tired when you arrive at your destination. Do yourself a favour and buy some specially designed travel blankets and pillows to make it easier for you to get some sleep.

-Money belts & wallets-

Don’t go around carrying your money in a huge, obvious bag or pack around your waist, you’re just making yourself a target for thieves, rather use a discreet pack to keep your money and credit cards hidden in.

-Personal organizers-

When you’re busy travelling you want to keep important documents safe and easy to access, consider buying a small organizer pack you can wear comfortably when you’re on the go and also store everything in safely.

-Electrical Converters-

Never, ever forget that if you are travelling to another country they use different electrical outlets. You won’t be able to charge your phone, camera, laptop or any other electrical devices if you don’t have an electrical converter set.

-Luggage locks-

If you don’t want to avoid thieves stealing your belongings a small, but tough luggage lock is a good idea. Before you go out and buy a huge padlock make sure it is lightweight and TSA-friendly.

-Travel towels-

You’re regular bath towel probably takes up about half of your suitcase, rather bring along a small travel towel that will barely take up any space and it’ll dry a lot faster. It’s a great accessory to have no matter where you are travelling to.

-Luggage strap-

In your mind your luggage may look unique, but once you see all the baggage on the conveyor belt it’s hard to get confused, get a brightly coloured or patterned luggage strap and it will make your luggage strand out from the pack, then you can grab your bag and go.

If you’re travelling its great it have a hassle free trip, always plan ahead and think smart because having the right accessories will ensure you’re prepared and can make your journey an amazing experience.

Enjoy a well-organised holiday and give Airport Shuttle a call, they can shuttle you to and from Cape Town International Airport and make sure your ride is convenient and quick. Perhaps add 808 Cartwright to your list and you can also experience an amazing, comfy accommodation in the ideal area. 

Written by: Christine Romans

Where to eat: Belthazar Restaurant & Wine Bar

This weekend my partner and I decided to do some restaurant-hopping and for the umpteenth time we ended up at Belthazar in the V & A Waterfront.

www.belthazar.co.za

I’m not quite sure what it is, but there’s something besides the mouth-watering world-class steak that makes you want to go back there time and time again. The atmosphere is somewhere between casual & relaxed and fine dining – no stuffy, nose-in-the-air vibes. However, out of respect for your fellow patrons, don’t show up in your rugby shorts and tekkies or flip-flops. The food is so good it deserves to be eaten by a stylish individual.

My partner had the peppercorn crusted rib eye steak (400g of course) and I had the beef ribs (a whopping 700g). Grilled perfectly medium-rare he savoured every bite with the occasional “hmm” in between mouthfuls. The sticky beef ribs were something else, the only beef ribs I’ve ever had were dry and more bony than meaty, but these were a treat! Juicy, succulent and meaty – it’s worth the mess!

www.belthazar.co.za

Unfortunately I can’t offer you my expertise on their impressive selection of wines, mainly because I have no expertise. I'm not really a wine drinker and prefer a glass of sparkling mineral water or champagne with a meal. However, if you love your vino, I’m sure they have something that would appeal to you.

I've been to my fair share of steakhouses in and around Cape Town, but none of them came even close to Belthazar. The waiters are eager to tell you why their meat is a cut above the rest. Their meat is hung on the carcass for 3 days and then they “wet-age” the Fillet, Sirloin and Rump cuts. The T-bones are “dry-aged” for a minimum of 28 days. This place is truly the meat-lovers’ paradise.

Whether you’re local or travelling to Cape Town, these guys deserve a visit. 

Price range: It’s not the cheapest out there, but once you’ve had one of their meals you will come running back for more!  I'll definitely go back (like I do almost every weekend!).

So now that you've got your dining sorted, you still need a place to stay.  Have a look at our accommodation review of 808 Cartwright, just a short while away from the Waterfront.

Written by: Christine Kleyn

A Night out in Cape Town

Have you ever been bombarded with accommodation choices when travelling? Yes? Me too. I’ve been spammed, false advertised at, over charged and under charged (well…not like anyone would complain). I can’t tell you where to stay as there as so many excellent choices out there, but I can tell you that good value for money is hard to find. This is especially true for Cape Town, where you will find an overpriced hotel or self-catering accommodation around every corner.

I recently decided to spend a day in town and stayed the night at this lovely apartment in the heart of the Cape Town CBD; I was pleasantly surprised at the level of sophistication and comfort with a price tag well below that of its competitors! Located in the well-known Cartwright’s Corner building in Adderley Street, it is close to a myriad of local attractions to keep you occupied, whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure.

Even though the apartment is self-catering, I took the lazy route and walked down Adderley to see what restaurants are on offer and appeal to my inner foodie - again, I was blown away by the choices and quality!  Having been a Capetonian for about a year and a half, I am yet to eat an unappetising meal in one of the City’s restaurants - maybe I’m just going to all the right places…who knows?

Being a creature of habit, I phoned a friend and we ended off my little rendezvous by spending the evening sipping mojito’s at my usual hangout, Shimmy Beach Club, after which I went back to the apartment and drifted off the moment my head touched the pillow.

808 Cartwrights Corner

Written by: Christine Kleyn