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JNB-DUR on SAA J + BA J and the magnificent Oyster Box Hotel
Introduction We decided to go away for a week, and not to travel too far. As people who live in the city of Johannesburg, miles from any visible ocean, our first instinct it to find ocean whenever we have the opportunity. This time we headed off to Durban, which is a comfortable one hour flight away. I am fully aware that there is an SFO777 trip report in the region, and that tends to make everything else on the planet seem mundane, but luckily this is a small domestic trip with some fun highlights, that should pose no risk to the aforementioned delightful poster. The first thing to do was to get hold of two business class tickets down to Durban using my SAA Voyager Miles. Normally I'm not a great fan of SAA (their indifferent service can be quite flustering), but these miles have been lying around for ages. So 31,000 miles + taxes later, and we were set. We got our BA flight for 9,000 Avios, showing once again that Avios go further than Voyager miles. We decided to make the best of our week away and booked the 08:00 flight, meaning that it was an early rise and trip to the airport. There are some great benefits to living in South Africa - we are far from everything, so a lot of heavies fly here, and the views are great. You never have to worry about booking a flight to LHR and landing up on an A320. We checked our bags in at the Premium counter, and as usual it was an underwhelming experience. The ground staff of SAA are abysmal, and have been so for years. Their apathy is almost legendary. Next up we entered the Premium Lounge, and as the sun started to rise we started to see some of the morning flights start to arrive. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psa774ae46.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse953641d.jpg The lounge is comfortable with some great views. The snacks are average but the beverage service is good. There is free Wifi, as you might expect. It's a good place for planespotting. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4596e3ca.jpg Thai 777 http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4dd63785.jpg Egyptair A330 http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd8f1d68.jpg BA 737-400.... our ride home. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1f6dad14.jpg BA 747-400 from LHR... soon to be followed later in the morning by another one, and then a 772. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse36775c0.jpg SAA A340-300 http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps94a5650f.jpg SAA 737-800 leaving for Cape Town After malingering in the Premium Lounge for half an hour we made our way to the plane, which has already started boarding, so we didn't use the priority boarding they offer. SAA JNB-DUR Airbus A320 08:00 - 09:10 Business Class Seats 3A + 3C http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse1f47358.png This A320 really perplexed me. I might need to be corrected on this but I think it is the only type in the fleet that uses the classic 'European Business Class' seating layout i.e. 3-3 but with the middle seat blocked out. The 737 fleet certainly has different and larger seats than in economy, and the A330/A340 fleet has fully lie flat beds in business. Not so sure about A319 - I flew it quite some time ago. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps289d9bd6.jpg Good leg room... more than BA I believe. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps56bca385.jpg On our way. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps43bff61d.jpg Screaming along 3L http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2295dcbd.jpg Singapore 772 just landed... waiting for the A388's that normally land from Paris and Frankfurt later in the day and park there. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4f395505.jpg Take-off http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psf6955909.jpg Some views of Johannesburg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psc05e876b.jpg Getting a bit higher now. The clouds were so low that day... note the the pylons of the factories breaking through the cloud layer, as well as how the clouds are hugging the mountains. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5d643aa8.jpg The beautiful African sky after settling in at FL320 http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps00367e77.jpg Breakfast is served! We had a choice between cold meats/fruit and Belgian yoghurt + fruit. I chose the former, and it was enjoyable for the time of day. I'm not one of your big breakfast eaters. (Four salt and pepper shakers for me...!) The service was fantastic, though if you want to call me a cynic, I spoke to the excellent flight attendant and he used to work for CX. Still, I wrote an email of thanks to SAA customer service after the flight to thank them for the good onboard facilities, and they responded graciously. |
The Oyster Box Hotel
The Oyster Box was originally opened as a guest house in the 1890's and soon after went through several decades of decay. It was only recently resurrected and refurbished. It's part of the Red Carnations Hotel group, as well as Leading Hotels of the World. I found this 5* hotel to be among the finest of any hotels I've ever stayed at in the world. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse94407dc.jpg The front entrance... the valets are always ready to help out with even the smallest detail, including walking you to your car with an umbrella in the rain. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0516e668.jpg The Lobby http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0cc1dc50.jpg The Main Staircase http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps04614ccc.jpg The reception area http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0944edca.jpg The Oyster Bar... a great place to have tea and cake. Or stronger cocktails... http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4c848f05.jpg The restaurant where breakfast is served. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps08a04291.jpg Another area where High Tea is served, with a good tea and vast assortment of cakes and treats. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps93783ca4.jpg One of the atriums... I loved the fans. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps828b5265.jpg Sengeta the resident cat... you usually saw him walking around in the hotel during the day, but one cool evening I was very amused to see him sitting on a recently arrived (and warm) hood of a red ferrari. I doubt the owner would have approved, but we all found it very amusing. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps15415721.jpg Beverage cart alongside the pool http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psd1fc61af.jpg The Gardens http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps69899705.jpg The beach facing facade of the hotel http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psa8118c05.jpg The Main Pool area and pool bar http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps00120c2a.jpg And of course... a creative marriage proposal made on the beach that day (it worked well on the victim hehe...) |
After a short delay we booked into our room. We had booked the Classic Sea View room aka.. a normal room with a sea view. There are several categories higher than this - luxury rooms, suites, family rooms, garden villas and the presidential suite.
Many people would perhaps find the room small, but we loved it. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psbfd36706.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps87f68529.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6e53490.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7236ba09.jpg Daily fruit... apples are great for a walk along the beach. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03b3b580.jpg Toiletries provided http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps45f9e945.jpg View from the balcony http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps11fc11e1.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psd0329e16.jpg More views from the balcony http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps65238ce4.jpg A great place for a sunset drink After unpacking we headed up to another bar to have some cocktails... http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psfa42e825.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps11493c58.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psc8897bfd.jpg Time for a mojito http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psc56912a4.jpg And a chicken sandwich http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps92ed3a92.jpg View of the pool from the bar It was at this time that the local wildlife became interested in our peanuts... http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psb242f862.jpg I've always found vervet monkeys are up for a fight... and I was right. If you try shoo them away they tend to growl and do all sorts of terrifying things with their hands... sort of like some sort of macabre scene out of Ace Ventura. That said, I've found that they're not particularly fond of pillows, perhaps because they don't look like hands... so a few aggressive movements with the bar pillow and the monkey ran way and didn't come back. Of course, he did sit in the nearby tree sulking for the rest of the time. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b2e98fa.jpg This fellow was a lot more friendly and we ended up feeding him a great deal of things, which he accepted graciously. We then went for a short walk along the beach before retiring for the night... http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps58b9eb4f.jpg Kite-surfers doing their thing... it really is a remarkable sport |
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Dusk http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c68573d.jpg Turndown service... room service is twice daily. The next day we decided to have breakfast on our balcony. You can do this for a small fee ($3) for the tray charge, and you can pretty much ask for anything you want. We enjoyed having Oysters and salmon most days, though the menu is extensive and varied. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psf77de594.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psea882a5c.jpg The Clock Library... a great place for a good read if you are tired of the sun. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9003a0bc.jpg French fries and coca cola room service http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psb862ef5e.jpg Chilled champagne http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2844918d.jpg Chocolate coated strawberries and cream On our final night we ate at their signature restaurant, the Grill Room, which turned out to be a culinary feast. The service and food was out of this world. (Apologies for the dark pics... the lighting in the restaurant was poor) http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1189682b.jpg Snails http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6790e5d9.jpg Duck a la 'peach' http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b2a1e76.jpg Cinnamon brownie & caramalized apple http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...pse1125a30.jpg Aunt Bea's cheese cake http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psc865e578.jpg A decent Vergelegen port We were sad to leave the Oyster Box. It had been a week of fantastic rest and indulgence. The staff are the friendliest we have ever encountered, and the facilities are beyond reproach. The hotel is also well priced, at under $300 per night for what I consider to be a great product. There is very little to criticize at this hotel, and I would recommend it to anybody who visits Durban. |
British Airways DUR-JNB Boeing 737-400 13:00 - 14:00 Business Class Seats 2A & 2C http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b917090.png http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps345e3b8d.jpg After checking in at the friendly Club Desk, we passed security and went to the SLOW lounge, BA's domestic business class lounge in South Africa. The lounge had no view of the runway, but that was not unexpected (as I mentioned before, SAA gets all the best views). The lounge was comfortable and extremely well catered for, with a large variety of snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The bathrooms were clean and stocked with Molton Brown products. Eventually we made our way down to the gate only to be told that the flight had been delayed for an hour due to a technical issue. After peering through the window I noticed that an oil spill team was busy at work beneath the nosewheel of our plane. Not a good start for BA! http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psa1a849b7.jpg That's the one thing I don't like about BA here in South Africa - the fleet is old. Averaging 24 years, they only fly 734's... unlike SAA's much more modern fleet. Even the budget carriers here have 738's. Boarding eventually commenced, and the captain apologized profusely, saying that there was a hydraulic fluid leak that needed to be repaired. The Club cabin is arranged in a 2-3 configuration, in three rows. The seats on the left have a small gap in between for valuables, and an extra tray for drinks/books etc. The set-up is comfortable, though the leg room is not as generous as SAA's. The three seats to the right are not optimal, and there is no guarantee that the middle seat will be open on a flight, which I think is rather weak for any business class product. So if you fly BA, always sit in A/C! http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps600a9d36.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps53d07977.jpg Pre-flight drinks... Orange juice/Water/Apple juice. No bubbly unfortunately (though this changed after take-off) http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps82a36a35.jpg On our way http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1f7becc1.jpg Speeding along http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps961005ae.jpg Gear up! http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psb390ccec.jpg Views of Durban and Umhlanga http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps35e598c7.jpg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2a187d3e.jpg Some greats views of the Drakensberg http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps473d2e8f.jpg Salad Starter http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3d9e286.jpg Chicken curry was delicious (four selections : chicken curry/vegetarian/beef fillet/fish) Desert turned out to be the Lindt Chocolate ball, but I couldn't complain too much... I finished my main during the descent. BA usually provides some great Haagen-Dazs to finish off the meal, but this flight is very short. http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7b63d2c7.jpg Terrain changing as we approach home http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ps56889069.jpg Although I was initially irritated by the delay, BA once again showed that they provide a superior product to SAA domestically. Our one-week holiday was finally over, and we had sampled the best of BA and SAA locally, as well as having the privilege of staying at the Oyster Box. Thanks for reading! Comments are most welcome... |
SAtraveller, what a great report with beautiful pcs.
We don't see many SA trip reports so this is a treat. Beautiful hotel and view from your room. Loved the monkey. :cool: Thanks for posting. |
SATraveller
Wonderful report, great photo's. I had heard that Durban was not great, but your photo's of the hotel, beach, ect were fabulous. The hotel looks lovely. Thanks so much for sharing. |
Delightful report with wonderful pictures. I love a water view. And it was certainly nicer than the Durban Hilton where we stayed some years ago.
I particularly enjoyed the pictures of the hotel cat and the marriage proposal. |
Thanks for sharing SAtraveller
This just makes me want to visit SA even more. |
Nice report, thanks for posting. Loved the monkey!
On a random side note, it was great to see a photo or two of the airport at La Mercy. Many years ago - around '97 I think - while working in London I spent months working on a very long and involved (and ultimately futile) bid for the contract to build that airport. I remember the politics involved were horrendous, and concluded at the time that it would probably never get built. Having not given it a thought for years, I'm glad to see that it did finally materialise (though judging by this wikipedia entry it took its sweet time). |
Originally Posted by SFO777
(Post 21127117)
SAtraveller, what a great report with beautiful pcs.
We don't see many SA trip reports so this is a treat. Beautiful hotel and view from your room. Loved the monkey. :cool: Thanks for posting.
Originally Posted by LongingForORD
(Post 21127289)
SATraveller
Wonderful report, great photo's. I had heard that Durban was not great, but your photo's of the hotel, beach, ect were fabulous. The hotel looks lovely. Thanks so much for sharing.
Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
(Post 21127312)
Delightful report with wonderful pictures. I love a water view. And it was certainly nicer than the Durban Hilton where we stayed some years ago.
I particularly enjoyed the pictures of the hotel cat and the marriage proposal.
Originally Posted by TomVexille
(Post 21127895)
Thanks for sharing SAtraveller
This just makes me want to visit SA even more.
Originally Posted by mad_atta
(Post 21128762)
Nice report, thanks for posting. Loved the monkey!
On a random side note, it was great to see a photo or two of the airport at La Mercy. Many years ago - around '97 I think - while working in London I spent months working on a very long and involved (and ultimately futile) bid for the contract to build that airport. I remember the politics involved were horrendous, and concluded at the time that it would probably never get built. Having not given it a thought for years, I'm glad to see that it did finally materialise (though judging by this wikipedia entry it took its sweet time). |
Originally Posted by SAtraveller
(Post 21129054)
Thank you for the comment LongingForORD. I consider this to be the best of Durban. If you ever come to SA, I would recommend Cape Town and the Kruger National Park. The rest you can skip by ;)
Can't wait for my next trip to SA in September, will be transiting thru JNB (with a couple of stops to re-group at the Sandton Hilton). I have never been to the Cradle of Humankind, is it worth a tour?? Your lovely photo's have made me re-think Durban. |
GREAT TR!
Thank so much for your trip report. Really enjoyed it...
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That's really great -- never saw a more alluring hotel report than yours. And as you say: really NOTHING visible to raise any objection. Thanks for your efforts in showing it in such warm detail, it provides a lovely daydream for those of us who have never been there.
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