[SkyCougar]

Hi Aero! Thanks for the speedy response! It's going to be a quick trip (it's business travel for me!) and I wish that I had more time, but after all, I do have to make a living! ...and I have other FAMS coming up! (Dubai and Costa Rica on the horizon)

Hey SkyCougar


Ok, so you are staying at the Mount Nelson - very nice indeed. High tea (old, traditional style hotel), great reputation - think along the lines of Claridges in the UK - except not as stiff ! truly top notch ! (cant remember if you get your own butler but its like that).

That's good to hear. I actually checked out the hotel's web site today and it looks lovely.

Cape Grace is right in the V&A waterfront - I think tiger stayed there. He got married at a location close to where I used to live - very exclusive game reserve called Shamwari (but thats another story). April 5-7 are good - cover the most important points if you have a somewhat limited schedule. Kalk Baai (Kalk Bay) is a small fishing village on False Bay - you may have a chance to see penguins around that area (only location on any continent other than Antarctica where penguins are known to live). Its a real scenic drive, road follows the shoreline all along the coast and then goes into the game reserve at Cape Point.

We are booking our clients at Cape Grace. I'm not sure why we're not staying there, and are staying at Mount Nelson, but we will be doing a site inspection. I'm looking forward to going down to Cape Point, it sounds beautiful, and I hope I see penguins! (note: I've seen them on the southern tip of the South Island New Zealand)

Bo Kaap is a real traditional Cape Malay neighbourhood - the Malay people are well known for their unusual food (pretty different). I am sure you will see them dressed in their traditional clothing - more Bedouin than "western". And yes the view from Table Mountain is breathtaking !

But see, that's what I love about traveling! Mingling and mixing it up with the local culture, and I will try their food and drink! (Staplegun, sounds like your kind of spot!)

Winelands - all are good - actually have a bottle of Lanzerac here in my apartment - Lanzerac's reputation has increased immensley from the mid-90's after they changed wine-makers (as far as I remember). You will find these wines all good - Lanzerac one of the better - and best of all they are pretty reasonably priced for the quality (definitely get someone to drive you around - makes wine-tasting much more fun!)

I love wine, and we will have drivers! Yeah!

Lions Sands is one of the newer lodges - will be great - no worries about it, they will treat you like royalty (like you should) - some places you either dont have time or dont have the opportunity to go on a walking-tour - DO IT ! just being in the bush, at eye-level, with no structure around you will make it even more exciting and rewarding (guides will have guns) but you will feel more vulnerable and aware of the surroundings. I would not worry too much about fishing in a game park, I normally just want to be around the animals.

I looked at the Lions Sands Lodge web site today and liked what I saw! So you are saying that out of my choice of activities listed for that day, I should do the walking safari with the armed rangers? COOL! I will dig that sort of adventure! I like to fish, but I can go to Idaho for that, and doing something different other than the standard jeep tour sounds like it's right up my alley.

Good tour - will be packed and busy, full of action and activities

Busy it will be. FAMS can be great fun, and you meet lots of interesting new friends, but they're often exhausting.

Few points -

I would like to have a day off (preferrably 2) before I leave for something like this - are you flying via Europe or direct US - SA ? remember its about 16 hours from the east-coast to Jo'burg/Cape Town

Not sure yet, was looking at flights today at the office. It looks like for my schedule, that I will leave 2 days prior. I will most likely be flying SFO to FRA on United, (B-747) and then FRA to CPT on SA (A-340) or SFO to IAD (UAL B757) and connecting at IAD to SA and on to CPT. It will all come down to which flights I can get business or first.

check if you need Malaria shots/tabs - the game reserve is in the "Malaria-zone"

take lots of memory cards - LOTS

things like Ostrich eggs (2 dozen regular eggs per 1 Ostrich egg) can be bought in many places - you can sometimes get carved eggs which are really unique - if you see one that you like, buy it since they (carved eggs) are not found everywhere. Also wood and bead animals/masks - these you can normally get more variety from merchants that you can bargain with - dont leave these for departure - you can leave small trinkets(sp) for the duty-free at the airport

Thanks for that great info! I'll take the malaria shots...I'm excited!!!

lastly - am I invited ?

you'll love it

aero

Sure you are! - The more the merrier! Actually I can take a companion along on this whole tour, meals included, for $1500. You've got to supply your own international air, but the internal flights within SA are included in that price. The normal price of this tour runs about 10K excluding international transit.