New York to Mauritius / S Africa on South African, Air Mauritius, AirLink, Rovos Rail
Jul 22, 2017, 8:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
New York to Mauritius / S Africa on South African, Air Mauritius, AirLink, Rovos Rail
It was difficult to plan this trip to Mauritius and South Africa because:
1. We only wanted to fly to Johannesburg nonstop. This would avoid a minimum extra 10 hours flying, when connecting in Europe, the Gulf or Addis Ababa.
2. South African offer 33" legroom in 2nd Class on their Airbus 330-600.
3. We wanted to use United Awards; 80,000 miles.
4. There are only 2 weekly nonstop flights between Mauritius and Durban.
5. There is only 1 weekly Rovos Train between Cape Town and Pretoria.
We were happy to see our plane at JFK. It arrived at 6 AM and was scheduled to depart at 11 AM.
I like the color of the tail.
It was nice to see that they had not forgotten to load the food, as the flight takes close to 15 hours. There was plenty and it was tasty.
When we boarded the Steward at the door was extremely warm and cheerful. My TC (travelling companion) noticed that she had lost her BOSE plug and ran back to the door to tell him;
10 minutes later he showed up with the plug. He found it in the aisle. When we jumped up with joy he said........"we are here to please."
The leg room was fabulous. Not being packed in like a sardine was a novelty for us.
The window screen though needed a good scrub.
80% of the window was fogged but we were too lazy to search for a new window. The aft 2nd class section was pretty empty because most folks were seated in the front and middle.
We were given an amenity kit; shades and tooth paste.
As I fly mostly on US and European carriers it was all new to me and quite a thrill. I also fell in love with Grapetiser; a sparkling grape soda which I drank every day.
I don't know why they don't have a similar soda in the US or in Europe.
When I saw the lunch, my eyes lit up. It was Strogonoff or curry. Instead of pieces of lettuce one get's on American, Swiss, Lufthansa and some others we got a real starter; pasta with mozzarella.
Instead of a 99 cent chocolate brownie from a vending machine, we got a large piece of cheese cake. This is what a 2nd, (3rd or 4th class) meal should look like.
The entertainment did not work but I loved the map. After 4 hours near the Azores it got dark for another 9 hours. Mid way we got a tasty smoked chicken sandwich, which must be a South African specialty. First time for me.
For about 1 hour there was lightning as we passed the coast of West Africa.
Two hours before landing, it got light again and we were served sweet cheese crepes.
I did a short video of the flight. Flew over an old gold mine with mountains of gold dust. see below.
The first thing we noticed were the beautiful velvet trees all over the city. However 1 month later the colors were gone.
We stayed in Rosebank at the Hyatt which was very reasonably priced. We chose Rosebank as it is very lively and safe to walk in, even in the evening. Nice mall, supermarkets and restaurants.
We took the subway, built by a French company to Standton; another fancy new neighborhood with offices and a nice mall. It took about 5 minutes.
The lively Mall and President Mandela.
To get a taxi, for security, you go to the information center. They then call a taxi and someone took us to the taxi.
The following day we visited the old Central Business District. Everything here stopped in the 1970s. Many office buildings are empty and so is the Carlton Hotel, which was once the top hotel. However
our guide did not show us the new gentrified section.
We visited Soweto, the prison and the Apartheid Museum. Some say skip Johannesburg, but I disagree. We had a good time. The following day we left to Mauritius on Air Mauritius. The fare
from Johannesburg to Mauritius and then Durban was about $420.
The legroom was extraordinarily fabulous. I was very comfy. I thought I had been upgraded to business class. (Never been).
The cabin was very beachy. Wanted to go for a swim.
The flight took 4 hours. Had a shock when they served a hot lunch. On US carriers to the Caribbean, if you are lucky you get pretzels. The curry was good. The rest OK. It would be a nerve to complain.
We flew over Reunion Island in the early evening. Beautiful seeing the lights of St. Denis the capital. Took a video of the flight. See below.
We spent 10 days on Mauritius and stayed in the south at the St. Regis, Le Morne; in the northwest at Trou au Biches and the northeast at Constance Bellemarre. It was towards the 3rd week of October. The ocean was somewhat cold
so we were happy they had heated pools.
I would advise going in November. The beach at the St. Regis is very relaxing.
The birds were very friendly and beautiful. They wanted the jam and honey.
The Hotel Trou au Biches is on a livelier beach close to the Club Med.
They have many pools.
And a very large one.
Trou au Biches is managed by the Beachcomber Hotel Group. They also manage the fanciest, not so well known hotel on the island called The Royal Palm. It is somewhat expensive.
This hotel only has about 40 rooms and is very popular with French Prime Ministers and film stars. We arranged for a tour and I regretted not staying 1 night here.
Beach at Constance Bellemaare.
We took an excursion to Ile de Cerfs located close to Bellemarre.
The beach got very lively when the Chinese honeymooners arrived. They are great at looking for sea urchins. Beautiful but very painful if you step on them; it happens. We bought rubber water shoes. I had to throw away
my Speedo cloth shoes which were not water proof and stank after going into the ocean with them.
We then flew on a baby Airbus A319 to Durban; 4 hour flight. We were seated in the roomy 1st row of 2nd class. We were warned that we would be sitting with children.
At check-in a group of Bengladeshis heading to Mumbai, had the strangest suit cases.
I sat by the window next to a mother with a 4 month baby. I was terrified that during the 4 hour flight, I would need to go to the loo.
Miraculously, after 3 hours, the Mum had to go with her cute baby, which gave me a chance to zip out.
Breakfast was pure joy. I was in heaven. I love airline food when it's cooked properly.
The legroom on the Air Mauritius A319 is a very tight 30", except for the bulkhead which was great. I saw tall men with their legs sticking out in the aisle.
The crew were very nice. However I am pissed that Air Mauritius never credited me the Flying Blue Miles. Both they and Air France gave me the go around and I wasted a lot of time with these clowns.
Though in flight service lacks, US airlines are great at solving problems. That's where they actually shine.
In Durban we stayed at Oyster Box Hotel at Umhlanga Rocks. Very safe area where one can walk in the evening. Downtown Durban is apparently dangerous to walk in the evening.
We were told that monkeys can come into the room and open the minibar. I thought they were teasing us.
While calmly waiting for my food on the lovely outdoor terrace, admiring the view and feeling extremely relaxed, breathing the fresh ocean air, a monkey suddenly jumped on my table and grabbed a few packets of sugar. I freaked out and ran inside.
South Africans are used to this and take this very calmly.
I should have read the signs but it was too late. I forgot I was in Africa.
After reading the following sign, we made sure the balcony door was tightly shut and on the last day we did not eat breakfast on the balcony. If they smell food, the monkeys' attack.
We liked the roof of the Durban football stadium. Beautiful views. A small cable car takes you to the roof.
We then drove to the Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Drakensburg Mountains, about 3 hours north. We visited the railway station in Pietermaritsburg where Gandhi was thrown off the train for travelling in 1st class.
We then visited where Mandela was arrested. They built a monument where one can see Mandela's face. But as one approaches, the face disappears. The designer is a genius.
The hotel was very nice with 2 pools; one heated and another unheated.
We took walks in the mountains.
At one point we froze as we saw 2 monkeys' blocking the path. Fortunately we had no food on us as they can smell it. We were told by a guide that monkeys' know if you are a male or female.
If they see a male, they will get out off the path. But not for women. Fortunately they hid and let us by.
The hotel did not warn us to shut all windows. But we knew. A French lady complained that monkeys' had entered her room and left poop everywhere. She had to change rooms. She was very upset.
We saw old drawings in caves.
We then returned to Durban and flew on Air Link to George; a 1 hour 45 minute flight. The fare from Durban to Cape Town via George was about $270. We flew an Embraer and were served a nice wrap.
Our final destination was the Plettenberg Bay Hotel in Plettenberg Bay, an hour away.
We walked in the Tsitsikama Park.
The hotel was very nice.
However at night we could not walk into town because of the "vagabonds"; the South African term for "homeless." So we had to take a taxi for a 5 minute ride.
We then flew to Cape Town from George. They only allow 20 kilos compared to 23 kilos on South African and we were charged Excess Baggage fees but it was inexpensive. They tagged an elephant onto our bags.
It should be noted that since one year, there are flights to Cape Town 6 x week from Plettenberg Bay, Margate and Johannesburg. I had no idea but they did not operate on Mondays anyway. It can save the 1 hour trip to George.
The airline is called Cem Air.
http://www.flycemair.co.za/
Nice mountain views on a 45 minute flight. We even got a sandwich. A whole one, instead of 1/2 a sandwich on Eurowings or Zip in the US.
We stayed one week at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which is over 100 years old. However, though we enjoyed it because of the pools / gardens the liveliest area is by the Harbor Mall. Two guides
told us that the One and Only is the nicest but it's very expensive. Another cheaper popular hotel there which seemed lively, is the Victoria and Albert.
It's also a safe area of the city. They discouraged us to walk out of our hotel at night.
Because they had a fantastic deal to stay in suites, I booked one but we
were upgraded to a newly renovated apartment. The problem was that we never wanted to leave the apartment.
Cape Town is one of the nicest cities I have been to.
One thing we regretted is that we only spent one day visiting the wine country. A few nights in Stellenbosch and Franschoek would have been nice and one night in Hermanus.
The hotel guide cheated us when we took a tour of the coast. I was suspicious that he dropped us back at the hotel at 3 PM instead of at 5 PM. When I checked my guide book, I noticed that he skipped the
Cape of Good Hope; a major tourist site. The bum did this to avoid the afternoon traffic.
The hotel refunded us the tour but we wasted a whole day returning the following morning and were only able to have lunch in Hermanus. However one should only visit the Cape of Good Hope in the early morning.
It's a mad house in the afternoons.
While in the wine area we visited the hotel / winery owned by Graaf, the London jeweler. We could not have lunch there as it is so popular. The hotel only has 10 rooms and rates are over $1,500 a night.
We also visited the winery / hotel owned by Richard Branson of Virgin. Beautiful views.
There are many beautiful wineries in the area which were established by the Huguenot French originally. Also country homes with Dutch architecture.
Hermanus was very nice. Ate by the ocean but had very little time, as the guide had screwed us, the day before.
We wanted to go swimming in the ocean but we changed our mind quickly.
We then took the Rovos Rail from Cape Town to Pretoria; 49 hours. I was told by a train buff that it's nicer than the Blue Train.
We first went to the lounge; all new to me as I only fly on 2nd, 3rd and 4th class so I am not used to the pampering. There was champagne and Viennese music.
We had a very comfortable cabin with shower and toilet. I wanted to book the cheaper room that turns into a bedroom only at night. Fortunately those accommodations are very limited. It was worth paying extra.
The dining car was nice and cozy.
The train suddenly lurched (train turbulence) and the wine fell all over the table and my tee shirt. They immediately had it washed for me free of charge.
We had tea in the lounge.
Hardly went to the bar car as I hardly drink. I do other bad things.
We loved sitting outside.
Especially at night.
Loved the food.
Except for the ostrich.
Local trains are not in such a good shape.
We stopped in Kimberly.
Visited the old diamond mine.
Took a video of the train ride. But it's 30 minutes long. See below.
In Johannesburg we decided to splurge a little as we had 24 hours to rest. So we stayed at the Four Seasons. I had paid extra for a panoramic room. We were taken to a room with no view. After I complained, fortunately we
were transferred to the room I paid for. I was not amused. Only problem one is trapped here as there is no where to walk but we did not care.
Beautiful hotel.
We did not go on Safari as my TC is scared of lions. However we did buy a baboon for a young relative.
I was surprised that the baboon had the same behind as mine.
It was time to return and I was scared to check-in as hand luggage at Johannesburg Airport is restricted to 7 kilos and mine weighed 12 kilos. Miraculously, unlike our previous check in in Johannesburg, was forgotten by the Agent,
who had an obsession with my large suitcase.
My suitcase was 2 kilos over (25 kilos). The Agent asked me why I packed more than I was allowed to?
I responded that I was prepared to pay the Excess Baggage charges. Her response was that she did not know how to process the Extra luggage fee. She then told me to be careful packing next time.
As we boarded the Purser called me by my name. Little me travelling 2nd class, called by my name!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was in shock.
Very nice chicken curry. Generous filling meal.
Midway flying past Sierra Leone with lightning (but no turbulence) we got a sandwich. The steward told me it was common in October / November over West Africa.
Audio did not work but I loved watching the map. In the old days, the Captain did a map by hand and it was passed along by the passengers.
South African Airways do offer flat beds in 2nd class for small people, at no extra charge. Unlike on Swiss, the armrests on Airbus 330 aircraft can be lifted up to a full 90 degree angle vs only 70 degrees.
A nice breakfast was served.
The 14 1/2 hour flight was dark all the way, which is somewhat depressing. Left at 9 PM and landed at 6 AM.
I took a short video, which included the lightning.
We loved South Africa and South African Airways; the crews in both directions were the best I have experienced. One hostess though pushed my TC out of the way, to change in the toilet, which I found somewhat strange. A minor issue.
The South Africans were extremely friendly. So were the Mauritians. Would love to return to South Africa, as there is so much more to see.
Note: There are many pictures of Grapetiser in this review. I am not being paid by Grapetiser to advertise their product. This is not a Grapetiser advertising campaign. If someone from Grapetiser reads this, please export your soda to the USA. There is a company called Welchs who sell grape juice. No idea why they don't produce grape soda.
We also ate a lot of Bakers cookies for lunch which we loved. If someone from Bakers is reading this, please export your biscuits to the USA. I will be the first customer.
1. We only wanted to fly to Johannesburg nonstop. This would avoid a minimum extra 10 hours flying, when connecting in Europe, the Gulf or Addis Ababa.
2. South African offer 33" legroom in 2nd Class on their Airbus 330-600.
3. We wanted to use United Awards; 80,000 miles.
4. There are only 2 weekly nonstop flights between Mauritius and Durban.
5. There is only 1 weekly Rovos Train between Cape Town and Pretoria.
We were happy to see our plane at JFK. It arrived at 6 AM and was scheduled to depart at 11 AM.
I like the color of the tail.
It was nice to see that they had not forgotten to load the food, as the flight takes close to 15 hours. There was plenty and it was tasty.
When we boarded the Steward at the door was extremely warm and cheerful. My TC (travelling companion) noticed that she had lost her BOSE plug and ran back to the door to tell him;
10 minutes later he showed up with the plug. He found it in the aisle. When we jumped up with joy he said........"we are here to please."
The leg room was fabulous. Not being packed in like a sardine was a novelty for us.
The window screen though needed a good scrub.
80% of the window was fogged but we were too lazy to search for a new window. The aft 2nd class section was pretty empty because most folks were seated in the front and middle.
We were given an amenity kit; shades and tooth paste.
As I fly mostly on US and European carriers it was all new to me and quite a thrill. I also fell in love with Grapetiser; a sparkling grape soda which I drank every day.
I don't know why they don't have a similar soda in the US or in Europe.
When I saw the lunch, my eyes lit up. It was Strogonoff or curry. Instead of pieces of lettuce one get's on American, Swiss, Lufthansa and some others we got a real starter; pasta with mozzarella.
Instead of a 99 cent chocolate brownie from a vending machine, we got a large piece of cheese cake. This is what a 2nd, (3rd or 4th class) meal should look like.
The entertainment did not work but I loved the map. After 4 hours near the Azores it got dark for another 9 hours. Mid way we got a tasty smoked chicken sandwich, which must be a South African specialty. First time for me.
For about 1 hour there was lightning as we passed the coast of West Africa.
Two hours before landing, it got light again and we were served sweet cheese crepes.
I did a short video of the flight. Flew over an old gold mine with mountains of gold dust. see below.
The first thing we noticed were the beautiful velvet trees all over the city. However 1 month later the colors were gone.
We stayed in Rosebank at the Hyatt which was very reasonably priced. We chose Rosebank as it is very lively and safe to walk in, even in the evening. Nice mall, supermarkets and restaurants.
We took the subway, built by a French company to Standton; another fancy new neighborhood with offices and a nice mall. It took about 5 minutes.
The lively Mall and President Mandela.
To get a taxi, for security, you go to the information center. They then call a taxi and someone took us to the taxi.
The following day we visited the old Central Business District. Everything here stopped in the 1970s. Many office buildings are empty and so is the Carlton Hotel, which was once the top hotel. However
our guide did not show us the new gentrified section.
We visited Soweto, the prison and the Apartheid Museum. Some say skip Johannesburg, but I disagree. We had a good time. The following day we left to Mauritius on Air Mauritius. The fare
from Johannesburg to Mauritius and then Durban was about $420.
The legroom was extraordinarily fabulous. I was very comfy. I thought I had been upgraded to business class. (Never been).
The cabin was very beachy. Wanted to go for a swim.
The flight took 4 hours. Had a shock when they served a hot lunch. On US carriers to the Caribbean, if you are lucky you get pretzels. The curry was good. The rest OK. It would be a nerve to complain.
We flew over Reunion Island in the early evening. Beautiful seeing the lights of St. Denis the capital. Took a video of the flight. See below.
We spent 10 days on Mauritius and stayed in the south at the St. Regis, Le Morne; in the northwest at Trou au Biches and the northeast at Constance Bellemarre. It was towards the 3rd week of October. The ocean was somewhat cold
so we were happy they had heated pools.
I would advise going in November. The beach at the St. Regis is very relaxing.
The birds were very friendly and beautiful. They wanted the jam and honey.
The Hotel Trou au Biches is on a livelier beach close to the Club Med.
They have many pools.
And a very large one.
Trou au Biches is managed by the Beachcomber Hotel Group. They also manage the fanciest, not so well known hotel on the island called The Royal Palm. It is somewhat expensive.
This hotel only has about 40 rooms and is very popular with French Prime Ministers and film stars. We arranged for a tour and I regretted not staying 1 night here.
Beach at Constance Bellemaare.
We took an excursion to Ile de Cerfs located close to Bellemarre.
The beach got very lively when the Chinese honeymooners arrived. They are great at looking for sea urchins. Beautiful but very painful if you step on them; it happens. We bought rubber water shoes. I had to throw away
my Speedo cloth shoes which were not water proof and stank after going into the ocean with them.
We then flew on a baby Airbus A319 to Durban; 4 hour flight. We were seated in the roomy 1st row of 2nd class. We were warned that we would be sitting with children.
At check-in a group of Bengladeshis heading to Mumbai, had the strangest suit cases.
I sat by the window next to a mother with a 4 month baby. I was terrified that during the 4 hour flight, I would need to go to the loo.
Miraculously, after 3 hours, the Mum had to go with her cute baby, which gave me a chance to zip out.
Breakfast was pure joy. I was in heaven. I love airline food when it's cooked properly.
The legroom on the Air Mauritius A319 is a very tight 30", except for the bulkhead which was great. I saw tall men with their legs sticking out in the aisle.
The crew were very nice. However I am pissed that Air Mauritius never credited me the Flying Blue Miles. Both they and Air France gave me the go around and I wasted a lot of time with these clowns.
Though in flight service lacks, US airlines are great at solving problems. That's where they actually shine.
In Durban we stayed at Oyster Box Hotel at Umhlanga Rocks. Very safe area where one can walk in the evening. Downtown Durban is apparently dangerous to walk in the evening.
We were told that monkeys can come into the room and open the minibar. I thought they were teasing us.
While calmly waiting for my food on the lovely outdoor terrace, admiring the view and feeling extremely relaxed, breathing the fresh ocean air, a monkey suddenly jumped on my table and grabbed a few packets of sugar. I freaked out and ran inside.
South Africans are used to this and take this very calmly.
I should have read the signs but it was too late. I forgot I was in Africa.
After reading the following sign, we made sure the balcony door was tightly shut and on the last day we did not eat breakfast on the balcony. If they smell food, the monkeys' attack.
We liked the roof of the Durban football stadium. Beautiful views. A small cable car takes you to the roof.
We then drove to the Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Drakensburg Mountains, about 3 hours north. We visited the railway station in Pietermaritsburg where Gandhi was thrown off the train for travelling in 1st class.
We then visited where Mandela was arrested. They built a monument where one can see Mandela's face. But as one approaches, the face disappears. The designer is a genius.
The hotel was very nice with 2 pools; one heated and another unheated.
We took walks in the mountains.
At one point we froze as we saw 2 monkeys' blocking the path. Fortunately we had no food on us as they can smell it. We were told by a guide that monkeys' know if you are a male or female.
If they see a male, they will get out off the path. But not for women. Fortunately they hid and let us by.
The hotel did not warn us to shut all windows. But we knew. A French lady complained that monkeys' had entered her room and left poop everywhere. She had to change rooms. She was very upset.
We saw old drawings in caves.
We then returned to Durban and flew on Air Link to George; a 1 hour 45 minute flight. The fare from Durban to Cape Town via George was about $270. We flew an Embraer and were served a nice wrap.
Our final destination was the Plettenberg Bay Hotel in Plettenberg Bay, an hour away.
We walked in the Tsitsikama Park.
The hotel was very nice.
However at night we could not walk into town because of the "vagabonds"; the South African term for "homeless." So we had to take a taxi for a 5 minute ride.
We then flew to Cape Town from George. They only allow 20 kilos compared to 23 kilos on South African and we were charged Excess Baggage fees but it was inexpensive. They tagged an elephant onto our bags.
It should be noted that since one year, there are flights to Cape Town 6 x week from Plettenberg Bay, Margate and Johannesburg. I had no idea but they did not operate on Mondays anyway. It can save the 1 hour trip to George.
The airline is called Cem Air.
http://www.flycemair.co.za/
Nice mountain views on a 45 minute flight. We even got a sandwich. A whole one, instead of 1/2 a sandwich on Eurowings or Zip in the US.
We stayed one week at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which is over 100 years old. However, though we enjoyed it because of the pools / gardens the liveliest area is by the Harbor Mall. Two guides
told us that the One and Only is the nicest but it's very expensive. Another cheaper popular hotel there which seemed lively, is the Victoria and Albert.
It's also a safe area of the city. They discouraged us to walk out of our hotel at night.
Because they had a fantastic deal to stay in suites, I booked one but we
were upgraded to a newly renovated apartment. The problem was that we never wanted to leave the apartment.
Cape Town is one of the nicest cities I have been to.
One thing we regretted is that we only spent one day visiting the wine country. A few nights in Stellenbosch and Franschoek would have been nice and one night in Hermanus.
The hotel guide cheated us when we took a tour of the coast. I was suspicious that he dropped us back at the hotel at 3 PM instead of at 5 PM. When I checked my guide book, I noticed that he skipped the
Cape of Good Hope; a major tourist site. The bum did this to avoid the afternoon traffic.
The hotel refunded us the tour but we wasted a whole day returning the following morning and were only able to have lunch in Hermanus. However one should only visit the Cape of Good Hope in the early morning.
It's a mad house in the afternoons.
While in the wine area we visited the hotel / winery owned by Graaf, the London jeweler. We could not have lunch there as it is so popular. The hotel only has 10 rooms and rates are over $1,500 a night.
We also visited the winery / hotel owned by Richard Branson of Virgin. Beautiful views.
There are many beautiful wineries in the area which were established by the Huguenot French originally. Also country homes with Dutch architecture.
Hermanus was very nice. Ate by the ocean but had very little time, as the guide had screwed us, the day before.
We wanted to go swimming in the ocean but we changed our mind quickly.
We then took the Rovos Rail from Cape Town to Pretoria; 49 hours. I was told by a train buff that it's nicer than the Blue Train.
We first went to the lounge; all new to me as I only fly on 2nd, 3rd and 4th class so I am not used to the pampering. There was champagne and Viennese music.
We had a very comfortable cabin with shower and toilet. I wanted to book the cheaper room that turns into a bedroom only at night. Fortunately those accommodations are very limited. It was worth paying extra.
The dining car was nice and cozy.
The train suddenly lurched (train turbulence) and the wine fell all over the table and my tee shirt. They immediately had it washed for me free of charge.
We had tea in the lounge.
Hardly went to the bar car as I hardly drink. I do other bad things.
We loved sitting outside.
Especially at night.
Loved the food.
Except for the ostrich.
Local trains are not in such a good shape.
We stopped in Kimberly.
Visited the old diamond mine.
Took a video of the train ride. But it's 30 minutes long. See below.
In Johannesburg we decided to splurge a little as we had 24 hours to rest. So we stayed at the Four Seasons. I had paid extra for a panoramic room. We were taken to a room with no view. After I complained, fortunately we
were transferred to the room I paid for. I was not amused. Only problem one is trapped here as there is no where to walk but we did not care.
Beautiful hotel.
We did not go on Safari as my TC is scared of lions. However we did buy a baboon for a young relative.
I was surprised that the baboon had the same behind as mine.
It was time to return and I was scared to check-in as hand luggage at Johannesburg Airport is restricted to 7 kilos and mine weighed 12 kilos. Miraculously, unlike our previous check in in Johannesburg, was forgotten by the Agent,
who had an obsession with my large suitcase.
My suitcase was 2 kilos over (25 kilos). The Agent asked me why I packed more than I was allowed to?
I responded that I was prepared to pay the Excess Baggage charges. Her response was that she did not know how to process the Extra luggage fee. She then told me to be careful packing next time.
As we boarded the Purser called me by my name. Little me travelling 2nd class, called by my name!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was in shock.
Very nice chicken curry. Generous filling meal.
Midway flying past Sierra Leone with lightning (but no turbulence) we got a sandwich. The steward told me it was common in October / November over West Africa.
Audio did not work but I loved watching the map. In the old days, the Captain did a map by hand and it was passed along by the passengers.
South African Airways do offer flat beds in 2nd class for small people, at no extra charge. Unlike on Swiss, the armrests on Airbus 330 aircraft can be lifted up to a full 90 degree angle vs only 70 degrees.
A nice breakfast was served.
The 14 1/2 hour flight was dark all the way, which is somewhat depressing. Left at 9 PM and landed at 6 AM.
I took a short video, which included the lightning.
We loved South Africa and South African Airways; the crews in both directions were the best I have experienced. One hostess though pushed my TC out of the way, to change in the toilet, which I found somewhat strange. A minor issue.
The South Africans were extremely friendly. So were the Mauritians. Would love to return to South Africa, as there is so much more to see.
Note: There are many pictures of Grapetiser in this review. I am not being paid by Grapetiser to advertise their product. This is not a Grapetiser advertising campaign. If someone from Grapetiser reads this, please export your soda to the USA. There is a company called Welchs who sell grape juice. No idea why they don't produce grape soda.
We also ate a lot of Bakers cookies for lunch which we loved. If someone from Bakers is reading this, please export your biscuits to the USA. I will be the first customer.
Last edited by Bretteee; Jul 22, 2017 at 8:49 pm
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Jul 23, 2017, 6:44 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Looks like you had a great trip and enjoyed Rovos Rail. I would love to do a long trip with them - only had a short excursion years ago with them and it was superb.
An airline that does odd routes, but do so much for Animal Charities. Thank you for supporting them.
Jul 23, 2017, 10:11 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,145
Thanks for this very nicely photographed trip report, Brettee. I'd love to go to Mauritius some day. Here's hoping you both get an upgrade to Business Class on your next long trip. ^
Jul 24, 2017, 2:01 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan Airmiles AMEX-MR Alaska Airlines
Posts: 692
Thanks for sharing this. The beach in Mauritius is absolutely stunning.
Jul 27, 2017, 4:59 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
1. Daniel: Thanks. I took notes about your trip to Bucharest and went to the restaurant you suggested. I enjoy reading your reports.
2. Roadwarrior: Thanks. Another interesting airline I noticed was FedAir.
http://www.fedair.com/
3. Gregorie: Thanks
4. Seat 2A: Thanks. I don't want to get hooked to Business / First. I enjoy reading your reports. I still remember your trip to South Africa a while ago.
5. Enviroian: Thank you.
6. Offerendum: Thank you.
7. DEK: Thanks for the good news. I will check. The problem where I live is that shelf space is very limited and there are many things we don't get. I noticed this when I was in Denver.
8. Injian Thanks for the information.
9. FlyingRhino Thanks. I would like to return.
2. Roadwarrior: Thanks. Another interesting airline I noticed was FedAir.
http://www.fedair.com/
3. Gregorie: Thanks
4. Seat 2A: Thanks. I don't want to get hooked to Business / First. I enjoy reading your reports. I still remember your trip to South Africa a while ago.
5. Enviroian: Thank you.
6. Offerendum: Thank you.
7. DEK: Thanks for the good news. I will check. The problem where I live is that shelf space is very limited and there are many things we don't get. I noticed this when I was in Denver.
8. Injian Thanks for the information.
9. FlyingRhino Thanks. I would like to return.
Jul 29, 2017, 12:03 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
Those velvet trees - the canopy of purple are stunning.
We have them in Sydney too - as we are on a similar longitude as South Africa.
They are a Jacaranda, they flower in October and go to leaf normally in November.
They are beautiful but do leave a carpet of purple flowers on the ground
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fac...arandas-trees/
We have them in Sydney too - as we are on a similar longitude as South Africa.
They are a Jacaranda, they flower in October and go to leaf normally in November.
They are beautiful but do leave a carpet of purple flowers on the ground
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fac...arandas-trees/
Jul 29, 2017, 1:57 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
adampenrith: Thanks. It's possible these trees / plants in Johannesburg, were brought there from Australia.
Many trees, also in Durban originated from other countries. They have a beautiful botanical garden there. I wish I had a tree like this outside my house that would stay this colour all year round.
You are lucky to live in Sydney.
Many trees, also in Durban originated from other countries. They have a beautiful botanical garden there. I wish I had a tree like this outside my house that would stay this colour all year round.
You are lucky to live in Sydney.
Jul 29, 2017, 2:22 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Those velvet trees - the canopy of purple are stunning.
We have them in Sydney too - as we are on a similar longitude as South Africa.
They are a Jacaranda, they flower in October and go to leaf normally in November.
They are beautiful but do leave a carpet of purple flowers on the ground
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fac...arandas-trees/
We have them in Sydney too - as we are on a similar longitude as South Africa.
They are a Jacaranda, they flower in October and go to leaf normally in November.
They are beautiful but do leave a carpet of purple flowers on the ground
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fac...arandas-trees/
Jul 29, 2017, 5:33 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
adampenrith: Thanks. It's possible these trees / plants in Johannesburg, were brought there from Australia.
Many trees, also in Durban originated from other countries. They have a beautiful botanical garden there. I wish I had a tree like this outside my house that would stay this colour all year round.
You are lucky to live in Sydney.
Many trees, also in Durban originated from other countries. They have a beautiful botanical garden there. I wish I had a tree like this outside my house that would stay this colour all year round.
You are lucky to live in Sydney.
Sydney is indeed a beautiful city, the harbour and beaches are stunning. However Sydney is like LA - its traffic is dreadful, and takes for ever to move around the city by car. I can get to the airport in 40 minutes on a good day and on a difficult day it could be 3 hours. Makes for very difficult living.
