Mauritius is a gem of a holiday spot right on our doorstep. Less than four hours from Johannesburg by plane, this beautiful island with 330km of coastline offers just about everything you could want on an island holiday. Outside of the occasional cyclone in cyclone season (November to April), the weather is warm, the water is warm and the skies are clear and sunny.

Crystal clear warm water, coral reefs, sheltered lagoons and sandy white beaches fringed with palm trees are the backdrop to any water-based activity you might like to do – snorkelling, swimming, scuba-diving, sailing, water-skiing, fishing or simply lazing on a beach with a cool drink. Above the water, you might want to try para-sailing or sky-diving.

Away from the beach, the island offers beautiful lush vegetation to explore. Try the Black River Gorges National Park – over 16,680 acres providing a home to over 300 species of native and endemic flowering plants, and nine species of birds that can only be found in Mauritius. The island is also home to more than 60 different orchid species.

Mauritius has also become very popular with golfers. Several hotels have excellent golf courses – the island now offers the golfer more than eight golf courses to choose from. The most spectacular course is to be found at the One&Only Le Touessrok. The course is on its own island: turquoise water, sandy white beaches and a backdrop of green mountains. Concentration is required to keep your mind on the golf!

Accommodation on Mauritius is plentiful, and where you stay will depend on your personal choice and your budget.

Generally, the north of the island is known for its beaches and lagoons. There are many resorts and hotels in this area and it is the most developed, and most ‘touristy’ part of the coastline. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafés, nightclubs and shops.

On the east side of the island, you’ll find coves and lagoons nestled between the mountains and the ocean, cool sea breezes, shaded beaches and fishing villages. Life on the east is slower and more laid back. The main attraction in this area is Ile aux Cerfs, a small island off the mainland. The island, managed by the Le Touessrok Hotel, offers the most beautiful emerald waters and clear white beaches.

The south of the island is the wildest and least developed, with high cliffs and crashing waves. The area is far more rugged than the rest of the island, and offers some magnificent sights. There are very few hotels in this region.

The west side of Mauritius also offers beautiful beaches, with all the facilities that you may want, but it is less developed. There are rivers and streams in this area, and this is the place to access the inland beauty of the island. There are several hotels in this area, as well as several little villages.

Whatever you’re looking for in an island holiday, Mauritius can offer – plus a whole lot more. And being right on our doorstep, it’s no wonder it is so popular for weddings, honeymoons, families and adventure-seekers. Mauritius offers something for everybody, all wrapped up in a beautiful package.

Say ‘Happy Valentine’ with style this year

Chocolates and roses are nice, and a candlelight dinner is good, but a fabulous night at an exquisite hotel with your loved one, plus breakfast the next morning – that’s style.

One of our favourite hotels in Cape Town, the Pepper Club Luxury Hotel & Spa, has kindly given a great prize so that you can impress your Valentine this year. Even the name of the hotel is hot!

Up for grabs is a one night’s stay for two persons in a Deluxe Studio at the Pepper Club, plus breakfast in Sinatra’s restaurant.

Enjoy the luxuriously appointed Deluxe Studio with all the lavish necessities you will require. Extra-length king size bed, dressing table, wall-mounted flat screen TV, a desk with two chairs, a comfortable easy chair, coffee table and access to wireless Internet on a complimentary basis. And, ladies, it comes complete with a hairdryer and coffee machine.

Relax on the Pool Deck on the 8th floor, with panoramic views of the city and mountain. A perfect spot for a romantic sundowner, don’t you think?

Then there’s Sinatra’s restaurant for breakfast the next morning. Sinatra’s combines a stylish and modern setting with a menu that boasts the very best of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
What you get up to inbetween sunset and breakfast is up to you.

Now – to stand a chance to impress your Valentine with this wonderful night out, simply enter our competition. Enter now

To get a sneak preview of what’s on offer at the Pepper Club, take a look here.

Just in case you’re not feeling that lucky, check out this special from the Pepper Club Luxury Hotel & Spa.

Read the small print

The prize is a one night’s stay for two persons in a Deluxe Studio, plus breakfast in Sinatra’s restaurant. The prize excludes travel to or from the venue; and all extras not listed as part of the prize.

The prize voucher is valid from 14 February 2012 until 31 August 2012, and is subject to availability at the time of making the booking.

Only one entry per person; duplicate entries will result in disqualification.

The prize will be drawn at 10:00am on Friday, 10 February, so don’t waste time – get your entry in!

The winner will be notified on Friday by telephone and/or e-mail.

The Zambezi Queen offers a unique view of one of Africa’s most wonderful places:  the Chobe River, which forms the border between Botswana and Namibia. The boat itself (can one really call a 42-metre, floating luxury 5-star boutique hotel a ‘boat’?) is in Namibian waters, but guests can sit and look out one way over Botswana’s Chobe riverfront and the Chobe National Park, and on the other side, over Namibia’s more rural shores.

The boat offers pure luxury: beautiful suites with their own balcony, a relaxing reading room, comfortable lounge areas, fine dining and excellent service. The upper deck forms the hub of the boat, and encompasses the lounge, dining and bar area and the pool deck. You could easily spend an entire day here – from your morning coffee while you watch the sun rise, game-viewing, lunch, an hour or two’s pleasant reading with a 200-strong herd of elephant in the background, a dip in the plunge pool, sundowners on the deck and then a delicious dinner!

But there is too much else to do. Included in a two or three day trip is one land-based game drive in the Chobe National Park, game-viewing trips on smaller boats that can get close in to the shore, as well as fishing trips if you’d like to try your hand at catching a tigerfish or two.

With just 14 suites, the boat is small and intimate enough to get really personal service, but big enough not to feel too close to the other guests if you don’t want to.

The game and African experience that the Zambezi Queen provides is simply unbeatable: wake to the call of a fish eagle; sit in a luxury lounge sipping on a cappucino while watching a magnificent herd of elephants; get up close to game from the small game-viewing boats, enjoy magnificent sunsets from the deck of the boat, and fall asleep with the sounds of Africa drifting in through your open balcony door. Africa at its best.

For more photographs, take a look at our photo gallery or on Facebook.

For more pics of this fabulous trip, take a look at our photo gallery.

Mervyn Cookson has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of XL Millennium Travel.  All the directors are delighted that he has accepted this position and we look forward to his leadership and new ideas.

We would like to thank our previous chairman John for the way in which he has assisted and lead the board since 1997. He has always given of his time, his advice and assistance whenever we have asked for it. He will remain on the board as a non-executive director.

Linda Benwell
Managing Director, XL Millennium Travel

As 2011 draws to a close, we can look back on a year filled with challenges, hard work, and also a lot of fun and joy. XL Millennium Travel has had a good year, thanks to our supportive clients, our incredible suppliers, and last, but not least, our absolutely fantastic staff members.

This year, we’ve worked with many old clients, suppliers and friends, and had the privilege to meet and work with some new ones. We’ve been back to well-loved destinations and venues, and discovered a few new ones along the way. We hope to introduce you to some of those in the near future.

In the meantime, we wish you a merry Christmas and a blessed new year. To those who do not celebrate Christmas, we wish you a wonderful end-of-year and a peaceful break.

If you are travelling over the holiday season (and we certainly hope you are!), please return safely, refreshed and ready to tackle a new year.

Very best wishes, from all at XL Millennium Travel.

Swaziland

Swaziland is a relatively small country with a lot to see. The countryside, with its rivers, mountains and waterfalls, is lovely. The arts and crafts in Swaziland are also well worth taking a look at. Swaziland is also very proud of its heritage and culture, and the country offers a number of opportunities to experience these.

Swaziland’s national parks and game reserves are less crowded than those in South Africa, but still offer the big five. Try Hlane Royal National Park, Mkhaya Game Reserve or Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. These, as well as a number of smaller nature reserves, also offer magnificent birding.

You will find several outlets for arts and crafts in Swaziland, but make sure that you visit the Swazi candles factory close to the Oshoek border post, and the Ngwenya Glass factory near Mbabane. Ngwenya Glass products have become popular with international tourists, and one can see why. The African products are beautifully crafted, and hard to resist!

For a cultural experience, time your visit to Swaziland to coincide with the Incwala Ceremony or First Fruit Ceremony. This is held in December or January (depending on the phases of the moon). During the four-day ceremony, thousands of young men and warriors take part in rituals, dances and songs. On the final day, the King joins the young warriors in a ceremonial dance. The King then enters his sanctuary, follows a number of traditional rituals, and eats the first fruit of the season. Thereafter, the community may eat the fruits of the season, with the blessings of the ancestors.

Another major ceremonial event is the annual Reed Dance, or Umhlanga. The ceremony is held in August or September every year, and attracts thousands of young maidens from across Swaziland who gather to honour the Queen Mother (iNdlovukazi).

Note that certain parts of traditional ceremonies and rituals may not be witnessed by outsiders, and a permit may be required for photography.

Lesotho

The mountain kingdom of Lesotho – the ‘Kingdom in the sky’ lives up to its name. Any activity in Lesotho is set against a backdrop of spectacular mountain views. Lesotho is best explored ‘at ground level’ – at 1400m above sea level! – in a car, 4×4, or on a Basotho pony, your mountain bike or your feet. Driving, hiking or riding through Lesotho will expose you to the magnificent Maluti and Drakensberg Mountains, unrivalled mountain vistas, and the gentle and welcoming Basotho people.

Lesotho is an adrenalin-junkie paradise, offering the standard hiking and mountain biking, along with pony trekking, abseiling, mountain climbing, paragliding, hang-gliding and even skiing! For those less intent on heart-pounding activity, a gentle session of walking, bird watching, relaxing beside a crystal clear river or some quiet trout fishing is also available.

Maseru offers a great base from which to explore the Maluti mountains, and you can also buy all the necessary items that you may need here. There are historical sites, hiking trails, craft centres and San rock paintings within a short distance from the capital city.

Sehlabathebe National Park is the country’s only national park, and shows off some of the country’s spectacular scenery, hiking trails, pony paths and sandstone rock formations. The park can only be reached by 4×4 vehicle.

The Sani Pass, which connects Lesotho to Kwazulu Natal in South Africa, is a spectacular, but hair-raising road to drive. The Sani Pass is the gateway to Lesotho’s Roof of Africa region, a magnificent area in which you will find some of the most dramatic mountainscapes you could hope for, including the highest peak in Southern Africa: Thabana-Ntlenyana, at 3 482m.

Next time, we’ll take a look at two wonderful destinations just a short flight from South Africa: Mauritius and Madagascar.

Zambia

Zambia very smartly took advantage of the drop in tourism in Zimbabwe, especially as it shares the famous Victoria Falls with its neighbour. The country has much more to offer than just Victoria Falls, however. In recent years, Zambia has made moves to curb poaching, and build its conservation and tourism industries. Which is very lucky for tourists, as the country has so much beauty to offer.

Highlights include the Victoria Falls, with its breath-taking views and adventure activities. You can fly or microlight above the falls; you can walk to the falls and view them from the vantage point of the Victoria Falls bridge; you can white-water raft below the falls; and, if you are very brave, you can swim in a natural rock pool right on the lip of the falls, or bungi jump from the bridge.

Lake Kariba, which sits between Zambia and Zimbabwe, can also be accessed from Zambia. Also offering a variety of water sports and activities is Lake Tanganyika, which sits between Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

Zambia’s game parks have improved dramatically in the past few years, and South Luangwa is now a very highly rated game park in Africa. The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and lagoons is incredible, with a chance to see four of the big five (with the exception of the rhino). Birdlife is simply superb – this is a must-visit destination for any serious birder. Zambia now has 19 game parks and 34 game reserves, so there is plenty more to choose from if you’d like to range wider.

Angola

Angola is the new kid on the block as far as tourism goes. Angola offers a vibrant capital city, magnificent beaches, game reserves, waterfalls, islands, rivers and jungles. Right now, Angola has few tourists, which means that you get an authentic experience of this fascinating country as it develops.

If you’re looking for a white-sand, palm-tree beach experience, visit Mussolo Island or the multitude of beaches and bays stretching along the Atlantic Ocean.

For experience of a vibrant, growing African city, spend some time in Luanda. While you’re there, visit the Benfica Market, and then travel a short distance south for a visit to the National Slavery Museum.

Game parks to visit include Iona National Park, the largest in Angola, Kissama Game Park, just south of Luanda, or Cangandala National Park for birdlife. The country’s game parks have seen years of neglect, but the game and fauna are now recovering.

Malawi

Malawi sits at the heart of southern Africa and tourism is centred on Lake Malawi. Malawi is a diverse country, however, offering more than just Lake Malawi. The varied terrain of Malawi incorporates lush green countryside, highlands, escarpments, plateaux, forests, mountains and river valleys. And of course, the lake.

Lake Malawi is an enormous body of fresh water fringed by golden beaches. It offers visitors a beautiful setting for a variety of water-based activities, including swimming, snorkelling, fishing and bird watching. Resorts and lodges can be found right along the lake, so simply pick a beautiful spot and visit.

Malawi has nine national parks and wildlife reserves, and while they do not offer the wildlife experience offered by Botswana, for example, the do offer a simpler, more intimate experience. In the South, visit Liwonde National Park for the best game viewing. In the North, Nyika National Park is worth a visit. Because of its variety of eco-systems, Malawi also has a fantastic variety of birds.

All in all, Malawi is a very pleasant place to visit, not least due to the Malawian people themselves, who are extremely friendly and welcoming. Malawi is a small country with a big heart.

In our next article, we’ll take a look at Swaziland and Lesotho, two landlocked countries surrounded by South African soil.

Right on our borders are Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Actually enclosed within our own country are Lesotho and Swaziland. A little further away are Zambia, Angola and Malawi. And just a hop across the ocean are Madagascar and Mauritius.

Let’s take a look at our direct neighbours: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. (In the next article, we’ll take a look at some of our other close friends.)

Namibia

Namibia offers a unique travel experience and incredible beauty: wild open areas, accessible desert, sand dunes, game reserves, a magnificent coastline and much more. Be sure to visit these ‘big’ attractions in Namibia:

Sossusvlei, a beautiful setting of white clay pans surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world.

Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s best game reserves. It is dominated by a vast, shallow pan where, during the dry season, you can see animals emerging from the shimmery heat waves to converge at the waterholes.

Technically not a desert, as it does have some rainfall, the Kalahari Desert offers a vast and stately solitude, unrivalled beauty and a truly breathtaking experience.

The Fish River Canyon drops suddenly and unexpectedly from the plateau, offering stunning views. Adventurous tourists can explore the canyon on foot by doing the 5-day Fish River Canyon Hiking trail.

When you do visit Namibia, also spare some time for the unimaginable beauty that you can stumble across just about anywhere in this vast land.

Botswana

Botswana offers some of the very best wilderness experiences on the African continent. The country is graced with incredible natural wonders:

The Okavango Delta is quintessential Botswana, and an experience not to be missed. A maze of waterways fed by the Okavango River spreads amongst palm-fringed islands and touches on thick African woodland teaming with wildlife.

The Chobe National Park and Chobe riverfront offer unrivalled wildlife viewing and birdwatching. Watching herds of hundreds of elephant visiting the Chobe River is breathtaking.

The Makgadikgadi salt pans are amongst the largest in the world. This seemingly endless 12 000 square kilometre pan shimmers and blends into the distant horizon, creating an incredible visual effect.  The rains bring game, and flamingos by the thousands to the area.

Thirty-eight per cent of Botswana is devoted to game parks, nature reserves and national parks. Expect to see a multitude of wildlife, prolific birdlife, magnificent baobabs and unmatched beauty.

Zimbabwe

Because of the political situation in Zimbabwe, tourism has suffered badly. The country does, however, have much to offer, and the hope is that the beauty of Zimbabwe can be experienced again in future. At the moment, the two areas that attract the most tourists are the Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba, both of which warrant a visit.

The magnificent Victoria Falls display a 1 708 metre-wide curtain of water that drops 100 metres to the Zambezi Gorge below. The thundering water sends up a column of spray which gave rise to the appropriate local name ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – the smoke that thunders.

Lake Kariba, actually a very large man-made dam, is a popular resort for fishing, house-boats, cruises and wildlife viewing. The lake attracts incredible game and birdlife, easily and comfortably spotted from the vantage point of a cruise or house boat.

Mozambique

Mozambique offers some of the best beaches on the coastline of Africa. Unspoilt, unhurried, unoccupied white sands stretch for miles alongside the inviting, warm Indian Ocean. Mozambique is a beach and scuba-diving paradise. There are many beautiful spots, including these:

Northern Mozambique is an unspoiled paradise of beaches, baobab trees and mangrove forests. Visit the Quirimbas Archipelago, an incredible bio diverse marine area.
Ilha de Moçambique (Mozambique Island) is a world heritage site steeped in history. Step back in time and absorb the Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese and Dutch influences.

The Bazaruto Archipelago is a string of islands and coral reefs on the edge of the Mozambique Channel. It is a world heritage site with over 250 bird species. The main islands are Santa Carolina, Bazaruto, Benguerra and Magaruque.

Inhambane is a tropical paradise of deserted white beaches and clear tropical waters, perfect for scuba-diving.
Mozambique is one of Africa’s rising stars in terms of tourism. The Mozambican government has recognised the value of tourism to the country, and is currently putting a lot of effort into building the industry.

So many wonderful places to visit! But watch out for our next article on some other close countries worth a visit … there are even more wonderful options!

Local or overseas?

This decision is often determined by budget, with a very large portion of the costs of an overseas trip being the flights to get people there and back. The budget can be stretched before you even do anything! But an international trip does carry a certain amount of prestige over a local trip.

While we are a long way from the States, Europe and Australia, South Africa has a host of absolutely wonderful options relatively close by. These include our neighbouring countries, as well as other African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. Mauritius and Madagascar are a short flight away. South America also offers a different, vibrant destination with less travel time than Europe, as does India.

If you’re looking at a South African destination, you can go a long way before you run out of fabulous options. I recently chatted to a group of retired business people from a very large South African company. They rated their ‘best conference ever’ as one that took place in a small, little-known South African town!

The right destination

Whether you choose to go international or local, chat to us about travel ‘hot spots’. Travel fashion exists, and various destinations drift in and out of fashion. Nobody wants to tell their friends that they’ve just been to a destination that was in fashion a few years ago. People like the hot spots – and we keep our eye on these trends!

Your destination choice also needs to reflect your company, brand, and group. A group of hip youngsters is unlikely to want to hang out in an ‘old-fashioned, staid’ destination, even if it is 200 years old! People who enjoy the outdoors are unlikely to be happy in the centre of a big city.

The right venue

Once you’ve chosen your destination, you can settle on a venue. Of course the venue needs to meet your basic requirements for accommodation and conference facilities, but there are also other things to look at. The geographical location is important. If you want a feeling isolation and remoteness, that can be found. If you want access to other activities and venues close by, you would choose a different spot. A day trip or visit away from the actual venue is a good idea and offers a sense of ‘added benefit’ to the trip… we stayed at x, and also visited y!

How to approach this

When planning your next event, think about the type of destination and venue you would like, before considering any actual places. Make a list of ‘ideal attributes’, such as, for example: beautiful, remote, outdoors, fresh, active. Think about what you would like your group to experience, rather than where you would like them to be. Once you have the feeling you would like to create, then set about finding a destination that will provide that. Too often, companies get locked into a particular venue without really having thought about what they would like.

It’s our job

It’s our job to keep an eye on trends, venues, hot spots and not-spots! Before painting yourself into a corner, give us a call to help you find the destination and venue that will deliver all that you hope for, and give your group their ‘best conference ever’.

KwaZulu Natal game parks

A good friend of mine who worked in the Kruger Park for many years told me that many of the Kruger National Park staff members took their holidays in the game reserves in KwaZulu Natal. Ithala was a favourite. KZN has a wealth of game reserves and natural areas, so that you can visit a few parks in one holiday. Ithala, Ndumo, Tembe Elephant Park and Kosi Bay are in the north. The biggest and oldest game reserve in South Africa is Hluhluwe, and it is well worth a visit. Imfolozi adjoins Hluhluwe, and offers a very different experience. Close by you will also find the St Lucia/Isimangaliso Wetlands area, a world heritage site.

Clarens

The Free State does not immediately spring to mind as a prime holiday destination, but if you want peace, tranquillity and serenity, head to Clarens. Clarens is situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains, close to both the Golden Gate National Park and Lesotho. The light in this area seems particularly beautiful and will inspire any photographer. There are also many activities to do – at a leisurely pace – in and around Clarens. These include flyfishing, hiking, horse-riding, mountain-biking and birding.

The Cape West Coast

For something completely different, head up the West Coast of South Africa. A simple and unhurried beauty awaits you. From wildflowers to whales, wide open spaces and never-ending skies to small and unassuming fishing villages. You can even find a local wine to enjoy with your fresh, off-the-boat fish, cooked over an open fire.

Hogsback

Hogsback in the Amatola Mountains in the Eastern Cape is famous for apparently inspiring some of JR Tolkien’s characters and landscapes. Whether that’s true or not, Hogsback provides its own magic at any time of the year. In summer the mountains, forests, rivers and waterfalls are simply beautiful, while winter sometimes drapes the whole lot in a feathery blanket of snow. Hogsback offers a wonderful break from city life.

Transkei wild coast

If you’re looking for unspoilt beauty in South Africa, head for the aptly named ‘Wild Coast’. The Wild Coast is a stretch of about 250km of unspoilt natural beauty: rugged cliffs, endless beaches, wild surf and rolling green hills. Outside of Port St Johns and Coffee Bay, the area is mostly small villages, so there is not a great deal of accommodation – but that’s half the attraction of the area. There is plenty to do though, including hiking, fishing, mountain-biking, whale and dolphin watching …and simply enjoying the astounding beauty surrounding you.

If you need some help choosing a spot that’s right for you, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you get away!