Travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za
CROSSING THE LINE
I would like to stand on the equator, perhaps en route to London. Could you suggest an airline and where to stay on a possible one-day stopover? Would a hotel be prepared to take me there?
There are not that many countries on the equator: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia and Indonesia. The Maldives just straddles the equator but none of its atolls actually lie on it.
If you’re heading to London, your best bet would Nairobi, Kenya. A number of airlines and their alliance partners could help, but start with Kenya Airways.
You would need to stay two nights in Nairobi and make a day excursion to the equator, with the town of Nanyuki as your best destination, about 200km to the north.
The equator passes through the southern part of Nanyuki, a market town, and you cross it when approaching Nanyuki on the A2 from the south. This is where tourists can have themselves photographed.
Hotels in Nairobi would not take you there. Your best bet would be to hire a taxi and negotiate a good price. Jim Cab is a reputable company (jimcab.co.ke/ or phone +254 722 711 001).
You could also visit a number of parks and reserves in the vicinity of Nanyuki, the most obvious one being Mount Kenya National Park. Others are Sweetwaters Game Reserve, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu National Reserve and Shaba National Reserve.
CRUISE COMPANIONS
I have made a provisional booking with Imagine Cruising to board the Queen Mary II in Singapore in April 2016. However, my wife does not want to go because she is afraid to travel by air. Can you suggest an alternative — or a way for me to find someone who will share the cabin and pay half the costs?
Unfortunately your wife cannot avoid flying to Singapore to board the cruise and fly back from Dubai after the cruise. I have forwarded your contact details to Imagine Cruising, who have kindly agreed to keep a lookout for any other single traveller who calls in to book this particular cruise, and then see if both of you would be willing to share a cabin and split costs.
Imagine also has cruises that depart or arrive in Durban and Cape Town next year — perhaps your wife could endure just one flight in order to enjoy a cruise. Some of these options are Cape Town to Sydney in January; Cape Town to Venice in May; and Venice to Durban in October.
JUST IN CASE
My husband and I are both over 70. We are travelling to Melbourne via Phuket in January, with tickets purchased by my son in Australia. Where can we find travel insurance that will cover us in case of cancellation or postponement? We are in our 60s and my wife cannot walk for long distances. We would like to do China for about three weeks in March (we believe that’s the ideal time) but have heard that the tourist sites are very crowded, with long distances to walk and the toilet situation is not great. How can we have a comfortable and enjoyable trip?
On any organised tour you can often stay on the bus, unless it is leaving the group at a venue and another is to pick you up. Yes, any tourism involves a lot of walking but many of the sites in China are fairly flat. In Beijing, The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Temple of Heaven, the Tombs of the Ming Dynasty and The Summer Palace are flat. You may have to skip climbing the Great Wall with its steep, high and uneven steps.
Shanghai’s central area is reasonably easy as well: The Bund, The French Quarter, the Tourists Centres and Nanking road are flat.
You should have no problem with lavatories, and tour organisers are very familiar with clients’ needs and preferences and will plan for stops at suitable places. Public lavatories usually require you to squat as is the norm in many parts of the world.
You should have no problem finding places to sit and rest, and while tour guides have a timetable to keep, they do allow for the slower members of a group.
As March is quite early in the tourist season, you should find less congestion at the major tourist sites.