Peter’s Post
Our travel expert answers queries on routes and destinations around the world
JAMAICA, MON We need to book a flight online from OR Tambo to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a cruise in March 2015 but we are battling to find a direct flight. Other options via Europe seem very expensive. Could you help? — Sakkie Nel There are no direct flights from South Africa to Jamaica, which leaves you with the option of flying via the US or Europe. However, you are unlikely to find any bargains so far in advance. It may pay you to hold off booking until the beginning of next year when there are likely to be some specials, especially via Europe. This does mean you are taking a chance, as your flights of choice may be fully booked by then. You make the call.
If you choose the US option, a good bet is to fly with Delta Airlines. Flying from Johannesburg via Atlanta, the return fare I was quoted for March 2015 was R16 413. If you fly with SAA to New York, then you would have to change carriers for the flight to Montego Bay. I was quoted R12 654 for the Johannesburg-New York leg of the journey, plus $472 (R5 009) for the onward flight to Montego Bay. That makes a total of R17 663.
The options via Europe are not great. Probably the pick of the bunch is Virgin Atlantic, which has a direct flight from London to Montego Bay. However, you would need to change airports in London as the flight from Johannesburg arrives at Heathrow and the flight to Jamaica departs from Gatwick. I did a test booking for travel in March 2015 and the price for an economy ticket was R21 449. Flying with British Airways also means an airport change and the BA flight goes to Kingston and not Montego Bay. The test fare on this route was R19 781.
24 HOURS IN ISTANBUL
I am thinking of travelling Turkish Airlines via Istanbul from Cape Town to London. Can you recommend the best way to take full advantage of 24 hours in the city? A friend has recommended a walking tour of the inner city — how would I find out about that? Also, can you recommend a safe, reasonable hotel for a one-night stay? —
Sharon McCallum A walking tour of the Old City is a great way to experience this magnificent city. Check out the detailed guide in the Istanbul section of bigboytravel.com. It has a printable map and describes sights such as the
Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. If you would like to undertake the walking tours as part of a group, contact Efendi Travel. They have two half-day walking tours that can be combined into one full-day tour. You can find them at turkeytravelplanner.com.
If you prefer a more conventional tour, choose from a large selection on istanbul-daily-city-tours.com. These cover major attractions, giving you a chance to shop in the Grand Bazaar and cruise across the Bosphorus, which links Asia and Europe. Prices range from à25-à60 (R360-R870) per person.
Depending on your flight times, you could also take a night tour and get to see a display by a Whirling Dervish dance group.
Another option is to hire a private guide. This way, you can not only decide which attractions you want to visit and for how long but you should also benefit from their handy tips on where to shop and dine. It need not be too expensive, especially if there are a few of you. Choose a guide in the Istanbul section of toursbylocals.com.
For accommodation, you can find something to match your needs on
istanbulhotels.com or booking.com. One that caught my eye was the Fides Hotel Old City, which was quoting R1 580 for a double room. If you prefer a little more space, you can find a room or apartment on
airbnb.com.
STOPS FOR A LONG HOP We have two lengthy stopovers en route to New Zealand in December, one of nine hours, the other 19 hours. We are looking for short-term budget accommodation in both Dubai and Bangkok. Can you recommend something? — Dave Thistleton There are plenty of low-cost hotels located around Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. A nine-hour stopover will give you five or six hours at the hotel, which is perfect to rest and have something to eat. A good valuefor-money choice is the Floral Shire Resort, which is around 3km from the airport. It offers free airport transfers, air-conditioned rooms, satellite television and wifi. Guests can have a relaxing Thai massage and there is 24-hour room service. A double room with breakfast is on offer for 653 baht (R214) at
floralshireresort.com. Other good choices include the Miracle Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel and Grand Inn Come Hotel.
You have more time in Dubai, so you can venture into the city centre and enjoy some city sights. On booking.com, you can get double rooms in December at the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, for R1 042 per night; the Holiday Inn Express Dubai Jumeirah for R1 039; Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre for R1 157; and Dubai Nova Hotel for R785. My choice would be the Ibis Mall Of The Emirates for R1 085 because of its location alongside this great mall.