Club Travel has once again been voted "Africa’s Leading Travel Agency" for FOUR consecutive years: in 2007, 2008, 2009 AND 2010.    Birkenhead Centre, 32 Main Road (opposite ABSA Bank)  Phone: 028 – 313 0526  eleanor@clubtravel.co.za

HEREWITH SOME GREAT TOURS NOT TO BE MISSED download the PDF

also read about Eastern Europe

1. Club Travel now in Hermanus
2. 6 epic train trips
3. Travel news in brief
4. Ten hedonistic city breaks
5. Know the difference between a cruise liner and a cruise ship?

So what’s the big deal one might ask? The following accolades speak for themselves. Club Travel has been voted “Africa’s Leading Travel Agency” at the World Travel Awards for three consecutive years - in 2007, 2008 and 2009! Club Travel has also been awarded the prestigious A.S.A.T.A./Diners Club award for being the Most Professional Travel Agency in South Africa.
Club Travel is a multi-billion enterprise with ± 60 franchised and self-owned shops and ± 130 Independent Consultants. Club Travel operates its own wholesale division, cutting out all middlemen, and is fiercely price competitive. Hence Club Travel’s “Price Match Offer”, which means that Club Travel will endeavour to match a competitor’s price should a client find the same product available for less. Club Travel will likely even better it.
Club Travel is fully licensed by the International Air Transport Association, the Association of South African Travel Agents and the World Association of Travel Agencies. These licenses come with financial failure protection.
Birkenhead Centre, 32 Main Road (opposite ABSA Bank)
Phone: 028 – 313 0526
eleanor@clubtravel.co.za

Epic train trips: (1st of two series). Travelling by rail holds a romantic old-world appeal that can’t be matched by flying or driving.
Lhasa to Hong Kong aboard the Shangri-La Express: Rail tours between Tibet’s capital Lhasa and Hong Kong take in a breathtaking sweep of natural wonders and culture. The Shangri-La Express is a luxury first-class locomotive and well-equipped for such a journey. The journey is one of contrasts – not only do travellers get the chance to visit the 6,000 Terracotta Warriors of Xian but also to witness Giant Pandas in the wild in Yunnan Stone Forest, the ‘First Wonder of the World’. The experience begins in Lhasa, where travellers are given the chance to explore Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s holiest shrine. On the third day, travellers are given a tour of Norbu Lingka, the Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace. For four nights, travellers get to stay on a luxury river cruiser as it glides through the world-famous Three Gorges.
The Silk Road aboard the Trans Siberian Express: Retracing one of the most important trading routes of ancient civilisation, this tour follows in the footsteps of such legendary figures as Alexander the Great and Marco Polo. Crossing Russia and China as well as some of the former Soviet republics, this journey takes in countless sights from the ancient world. The Tran-Siberian Express is the ultimate in luxury transportation. The trip begins in Moscow, then on to Volgograd for some fabulous sightseeing opportunities. The Kara Kum desert is followed by the amazing 2,500 year-old cities of Khiva and Bukhara – then onto Samarkand, ‘Rome of the East’. Samarkand is home to Registan Square, a space considered to be one of the most inspirational sights in central Asia. After crossing the border into China, the tour bypasses the Magao Thousand Buddha cave complex, the Jiayuguan fortress and the Terracotta Warriors, an army of 6,000 statues.
The Arctic Circle by Steam: The Arctic Circle by Steam is an incredible steam-hauled 7,000km, 13 day journey from Moscow to St Petersburg and on to Murmansk, inside the Arctic Circle. Followers of luxury rail travel will delight to the sight and sound of steam engines juxtaposed with all the conveniences of modern travel. The journey begins in Moscow, where travellers spend a day touring Russia’s vibrant capital, including Red Square and the Kremlin. At Leningradski station guests join a private train. The train is then hauled from Moscow by Europe’s largest operating steam locomotive, GWT’s P36.0032. The train departs north towards Saint Petersburg and the Arctic Circle. Then it’s on to Pavlovsk where the itinerary includes a visit Catherine’s Summer Palace in Pushkin. The next day travellers are given a guided tour around the ancient city of Pskov. A highlight of the journey is in Kem where guests are transferred to a small boat bound for Solovetsky Monastery on beautiful Solovetsky Island in the White Sea.
The Canadian Rockies aboard the Royal Canadian Pacific: Step aboard a Canadian Pacific Railway vintage business car for the ultimate in luxury rail vacations. The spectacular Canadian rocky mountain scenery, five-star hospitality and comfortable accommodations onboard the Royal Canadian Pacific ensures the journey of a lifetime. The National Geographic Traveller agrees with this sentiment, as in 2008 this tour was recognised by them as the “Tour of a Lifetime”. The quintessential Canadian Rockies rail tour is unique in that it focuses on the heritage and culture of the Canadian Rockies, while escorting passengers through some of the most spectacular terrain in the world along the historic Canadian Pacific Railway lines. Tour highlights include: Banff and The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse Pass and Columbia Valley wetlands.
Beijing to Moscow aboard the Trans-Siberian Express: This trip is more adventure-driven and packed with activity than a majority of tours. The tour commences in Beijing where guests board the Ulaanbaatar bound train. Travellers then have a couple of days leisure time before boarding the Trans-Siberian Express Irkutsk-bound train. Upon arriving in Irkutsk, guests transfer to Listvyanka Village on the shore of Lake Baikal for a choice of activities such as: dog sledding, snow shoeing plus many others. Several days later the train heads for Novosibirsk. Upon arrival in Ekaterinburg guests are given a tour of the city, followed by a thrilling choice of day trip options: from a trip to the Romanov graves to mountain biking in the Ural Mountains, from ice fishing to Siberian husky dog sledding.

Travel news in brief
Thailand is plotting its return from the tourism cold now that control and order has been restored in Bangkok.
British Airways reported a record financial loss of £531 million for 2010 as strike action and a fall in business class travel both take a toll.
Air France-KLM has reported a record loss of €1.56 billion in what its chief executive described as the airline’s “annus horribilis”.
Singapore Airlines’ year-end financials to March 31 show net profits of US$216-million.
The Dubai-based Emirates Group has reported a 248 per cent increase in profits for financial 2009-10, despite the global economic slowdown.
International tourism is steadily rebounding from an extremely challenging 2009, led by Africa and Asia.
Singapore’s historic Raffles Hotel has been sold to a Saudi multi-billionaire in a deal worth $275 million.
Beijing Capital International is poised to overtake Heathrow as the world’s second busiest airport.
Airlines are likely to add more than $50 to the price of transatlantic tickets in a bid to recoup losses from the volcanic ash crisis and soaring oil prices.
The Greek Government has set up a crisis committee to help its troubled tourism industry, which faces a 30% slump in holiday bookings following the Athens riots.
Emirates Palace has raised the luxury stakes in the Gulf even higher by unveiling an ATM that dispenses gold. The machine, which monitors the price of gold minute-by minute, offers bars weighing up to 10 grammes as well as coins.
Oceanwide Expeditions is a world leader in small-scale seaborne adventures off the beaten track in the Arctic and Antarctic Polar regions.
Sri Lanka’s tourism economy has recovered so quickly from last year’s civil war that the island is expected to shortly run out of hotel capacity as it experiences an unprecedented boom.
Intercontinental Hotels Group, the world’s largest hotel company by rooms, is to operate 1,400 hotels around the world over the next four years.
India’s rapid ascent to tourism stardom has been acknowledged by the record number of local brands nominated for this year’s World Travel Awards.
The re-opening of London’s landmark Savoy Hotel has been delayed for 14 months due to spiralling refurbishment costs.
British Airways and Iberia have sealed their long-awaited merger, which will see the two flag carriers integrate operations by the end of the year.
Virgin Blue, Australia’s second largest airline, is to embark on a massive spending spree with the purchase of 105 Boeing 737 aircraft.
The European Union has banned all airlines from Sudan and the Philippines from its airspace as part of an effort to improve safety standards in member states.
China has unveiled ambitious plans to export its rail technologies worldwide, including the creation of a global network that would slash train times between Beijing and London to as little as two days.
Thomas Cook has reported a surge of interest in its summer 2010 offering, with progress in all major markets.
Carnival Corporation has witnessed resurgence in the global cruise industry - the cruise group expects to increase prices further, as booking rebound during 2010.
The promise of space tourism has edged one step closer, with Virgin Galactic confirming its prototype spacecraft has completed its inaugural captive carry flight.
Lufthansa welcomed its first A380 - configured to carry up to 526 passengers - into Frankfurt.
The disruption to European flight schedules due to the ash cloud has led to a 30 percent surge in Eurotunnel’s bookings.
US billionaire Donald Trump has flown to Scotland to finalise plans to build the “world’s greatest golf course”, part of a £1 billion seaside development.
Top ten hedonistic city breaks
Berlin, Germany: Berlin long ago outstripped the world’s other major cities such as London, New York and Tokyo as club-land par excellence! Numerous cities claim a 24-hour scene, but few exercise the mantra quite like the German capital, where underground bars spin the tunes way beyond dawn. DJs, artists and party animals flock from around the world and surrender to a blissed-out haze of beats and booze!
San Antonio, Ibiza, Spain: For serious hedonism follow the ’60s hippie-trail to Ibiza’s pristine sun-kissed beaches. The party scene really took off in 1978, when the owners of a little-known restaurant named Ku opened a tiny disco. Today that disco has grown into the “Privilege”: the world’s largest super-club with a capacity of 10,000 revellers. Discerning clubbers can still find the pulsating Ibiza of old!
Las Vegas: This is a city designed to bleed you dry. Hours turn to days inside the cavernous casinos, which are devoid of clocks and windows to disguise the time of day, and pumped full of oxygen to keep punters feeling fresh. Those who escape find themselves consumed by an outside world of glitzy shows and extravagant club culture.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: With a passionate Latin American temperament and deep-seated love affair with tango, few cities in the world are as sexy as Buenos Aires. This is a place where hearts are worn on sleeves, be it in late-night Milongas – exuberantly flirtatious neighbourhood dance parties. And if dancing doesn’t fire your furnace, BA drips with chic fashion, atmospheric old bars and a buzzing club scene.
Tel Aviv, Israel: If Jerusalem is Israel’s historic, classical capital, then Tel Aviv is its pleasure-seeking younger brother and the country’s coolest city by miles. Dubbed the ‘Miami of the Middle East’, you won’t see blinged-up superstars like Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, but everyone else looks the part on the wonderful beaches. Tel Aviv’s locals are a cultured lot, oozing style and hungry for the finest art, fashion, cuisine and clubbing.
Budapest, Hungary: As Europe’s established cities race to reinvent themselves as weekend party destinations, nowhere turns on the style like Budapest. When evening’s cloak brings darkness to the central districts of Pest and Belváros, thousands of twinkling lights glint on the ripples of the River Danube, suggesting hidden delights within countless bars and restaurants. Richly adorned with classical culture, from traditional folk music to renowned national opera, there’s also a burgeoning club scene as the city rushes to catch the established order. Catch the vibe while it’s on the up. Budapest’s public baths are world renowned for their mineral-rich waters, the perfect place to sweat that all-nighter out of your system!
Havana, Cuba: The city’s answer to 50 years of political isolation is to shake its thing night after night in the rum-soaked bars and clubs of Habana Vieja (Old Havana). Western-style R&B and hip hop are popular, but it’s the seductive moves of salsa, rumba, mambo and timba that breathe lustiest through the ramshackle backstreets. Immaculately preened and dressed to the nines, locals sashay their way from one party to the next with a swing of the hips and a dreamy cha-cha-cha. It’s a timeless scene of unbridled revelry.
Istanbul, Turkey: The city once known as Constantinople is a heady brew of conflicting cultures. Often subtitled as the ‘Crossroads of Europe and Asia’, Istanbul is awash with experiences to stimulate all the senses. Explore astounding Byzantine architecture, shop in the Grand Bazaar, and cruise the Bosphorus for romantic views of both continents. Pamper yourself with a Turkish massage and choose from numerous fine restaurants, before rounding things off with a nightcap in the stylish bar scene.
Montreal, Canada: Folk in Montreal like to laugh at their straight-laced buddies in Toronto. While Toronto represents big business and the salary man existence, Montreal’s French swagger screams ‘forget the office, now where’s the party?’ The answer is pretty much anywhere in downtown. Boulevard Saint-Laurent has the best nightlife, liberally peppered with beat-laden clubs, and the grungy world of strip joints and dive bars is never far away.
Lisbon, Portugal: Habitually outmuscled by its bigger Iberian cousins Madrid and Barcelona, Lisbon is staging a renaissance as a hip hangout. The Portuguese capital is a city of yesteryear, blessed with classical architecture but tinged with a shabby chic hinting at years of neglect. The beating heart of the nightlife scene exists in the mazelike back streets of areas like decrepit Bairro Alto, where darkness brings life to an intimate hotchpotch of indistinguishable bars cafes and restaurants.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CRUISE LINER AND A CRUISE SHIP?
The Queen Mary 2 is called the world’s largest cruise liner, yet the Oasis of the Seas carries more passengers and is bigger both in terms of gross tonnage and displacement.
For all you landlubbers’ gross tonnage is a measure of enclosed volume and not of displacement (or weight).
While high displacement usually indicates better sea handling abilities (much depends on design), gross tonnage determines the passenger/space ratio which indicates the measure of spaciousness of a ship, an important consideration in cruise vessels where onboard amenities are of high importance.
Scheduled voyages on a long haul set route are called “line voyages” and passenger vessels plying these routes to a timetable are called ocean liners. The Queen Mary 2 typically transports passengers from one point to another, rather than on round routes.
To maintain a schedule one requires a vessel capable of muscling through troubled waters: thus an ocean liner is constructed to a higher standard than a normal cruise ship used purely for pleasure voyages, where the voyage in itself and the ships amenities constitutes the cruise experience: where transportation from one point to another is seldom a requisite as the vessels are designed for short sea routes in protected waters.
The Queen Mary 2 boasts heavier plating, more powerful engines and high freeboards to withstand rough seas. In this respect the Queen Mary 2 is the only true ocean liner remaining in service in 2010. So, if you’re about to confront the “perfect storm” here’s hoping you do so in an ocean liner!

 

Contact: Eleanor on 028-3130526 for further particulars regarding their schedule of rates and itineraries.