Mumbai flight plans still up in the air
SAA has yet to make a
decision on reinstating
its direct flights to
Mumbai, despite repeated
calls by high-level government
leaders, including President
Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister
of Public Enterprises, Pravin
Gordhan.
SAA spokesperson, Tlali
Tlali, said, in a terse response
to a TNW call for comment,
that the airline “had not taken
a decision to reinstate the
service between Johannesburg
and Mumbai”.
A spokesperson from The
Presidency said the subject
of a direct flight had been
broached with Indian Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi,
reiterating that there was a
need to “open pathways for
people to travel with greater
ease between India and SA”.
Gordhan, who has publicly
stated that the flight was
cancelled in 2015 due to
state capture, said in a recent
statement that there was “a
lot of push” to have the route
reinstated as there were “huge
tourism opportunities”.
South Africa is also a major
trading partner with India,
with bilateral trade currently
recorded at around R110bn,
according to the Department
of Trade and Industry,
highlighting an additional need
for a direct flight for business
travellers and also cargo.
Shiksha Maharaj, who
heads up public relations
and customer care for One
Stop Tours, told TNW that
she believed a direct flight
was essential and made
common sense, particularly
since Jet Airways suspended
all flights in April. “India is
an affordable and visa-free
destination. SAA is bound to
fill its flights should the route
resume.” Shiksha added that,
while the cancellation of the
direct route had not affected
bookings – as, according
to her, customers adjusted
to the most competitive
options regarding price and
stopover programmes – the
convenience of flying direct
would often win out.
Director of the Fordsburgbased agency, Delightful
Destinations, Habiba Moosa,
agreed, and said there was
currently a lot of access to
India via the Middle Eastern
and African carriers, including
Emirates Airline, RwandAir and
Ethiopian Airlines. “But if there
was a better price, combined
with the convenience of the
shortest route, there would be
a lot of interest,” she said.
The most popular airlines
offering flights to India were
Air Mauritius, Air Seychelles
and Emirates, said both
agents, as they allowed for
“exciting stopovers” as add-on
destinations. Furthermore, Air
Mauritius and Air Seychelles
offer flights out of Durban,
where SA’s largest numbers of
Indian travellers reside.
MRU sees rise in bookings
AIR Mauritius has seen an
increase in corporate and
leisure bookings to India,
which its regional manager:
Southern Africa and Latin
America, Carla da Silva,
ascribed to the airline
offering the fastest flying
time between connecting
flights to Mumbai, Delhi,
Bangalore and Chennai.
“We have recently
increased frequency to
Mumbai, Bangalore and
Chennai.” She said Mumbai
and Delhi were the most
popular destinations for SA
travellers while Delhi was
where the popular Golden
Triangle tours started.
RwandAir to India and onwards
RWANDAIR has added
Guangzhou – the third
largest city in China and
a popular destination for
South African traders – to
its network.
Effective June 18, the
airline extended its existing
thrice weekly Kigali-Mumbai
flights to travel on to
Guangzhou. This now
allows travellers to easily
combine India and China in
one trip.
“RwandAir has a great
fleet of aircraft and
operates the A330 right
through to Mumbai, offering
an economy, premium
economy and businessclass cabin. Rates are
very competitive, with
fares starting from R6 922
ex-Johannesburg including
taxes. Our business-class
cabin features the fully
flat seats,” said RwandAir
sales manager, Sarah-jane
Silburn.
Sarah-jane added
that RwandAir offered
great connections from
Johannesburg and Cape
Town to Mumbai. The
airline also has an interline
agreement with Air India
that allows clients to
connect from Mumbai to
destinations around India.
Flight WB107 departs
from Johannesburg at
16h30 on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays,
arriving at 21h20. WB500
departs Kigali at 00h50
the next day and arrives in
Mumbai at 11h40.
WB501 departs from
Mumbai at 04h15 on
Wednesdays, Fridays and
Sundays, arriving in Kigali
at 07h30. BW106 departs
from Kigali at 09h45,
arriving in Johannesburg
at 15h15.
Exhilarating Nepal almost broke us
THE challenge of climbing
Mount Everest, the highest
mountain in the world has
made Nepal famous, but
what is less well known is
that it is also a favourite
destination for hikers and
other adventurers looking
for open spaces and
spectacular scenery.
Last month, together with
Anton Marsh, publisher
of TNW, we went as part
of a group of seven to
cross the Himalayas on
motorbikes. Our journey
from the town of Pokhara
across the Himalayas to
the ancient town of Lo
Manthang, on the Tibet
side of the range, turned
out to be epic.
Let it be said that there
was only one novice rider
in the group who got his
first motorbike when he
turned 60. Let it also be
said that, other than Anton
at 36, the average age of
the group of friends was
in the early sixties and
that our combined and
somewhat extensive motorbiking experience in Africa,
Canada, New Zealand and
South America meant little.
Nepal is surprisingly
accessible from South
Africa. Gulf carriers all fly
into the capital Kathmandu
and there are several
other options. Anton and
I chose Cathay Pacific
and combined it with
some business and fun
in Hong Kong. Visas are
not needed for Hong Kong
and it took us ten minutes
to get visas on arrival in
Kathmandu. There are
several motorbike
operators based in
Kathmandu but we took
a short flight a few hours
later to Pokhara, where
motorbike operator Hearts
& Tears is ideally based
for trips to The Forbidden
Kingdom, Upper Mustang,
on the other side of the
Himalayas.
Nepal starts and India
ends where the Himalayas
rise up out of the plains.
It is a bit like Lesotho
on steroids but instead
of rising up 3 000m, it
rises to over 8 000m,
dividinf the country into
two distinct climates. It
is relatively green and
densely populated on the
Indian side of the range.
People are mostly Hindu
and are somewhat familiar
with English. The monsoon
rains do not cross the high
mountains, so the people
on the northern Tibet side,
live in a dry semi-desert
with rivers made by melting
snow. Mainly Buddhist,
their culture and ways are
more aligned with Tibet. It
is like visiting two different
planets. What we did not
realise is that only now
have the Chinese started
building the first gravel
road linking the two sides
in a bid to increase their
trade with India.
The Forbidden Kingdom
The charming Forbidden
Kingdom is still rarely
visited by foreigners
and these are mostly
hikers. On average, only
about 350 foreigners are
admitted to the district
each month. The ancient
area had its own king
until it was integrated
into the Nepal republic
system 10 years ago.
That meant that a lot
of our riding was off-road
along tracks that are only
passable on donkeys,
motorbikes and in fourwheel-drive vehicles. Mud,
soft sand, rocky tracks
and river beds punished
our single cylinder 411cc
Royal Enfield Himalayan
motorbikes and the drivers.
Hearts & Tears provided
us with the full back-up
we needed. A back-up
vehicle for the luggage
and the wounded and
weary, a tour leader who
showed us the way (no
signposts or even a petrol
station) and a mechanic
who picked up the pieces
at the back. Starved of
oxygen at 4 000m we rode
our clutches in soft sand
climbing mountains until
clutches burnt out. The
mechanic would be an
asset to any Grand Prix
team and could strip down
a burnt-out clutch at the
side of the road and have
you going again in under
an hour. He changed a
punctured tube in under
ten minutes. It would be
unthinkable to do the trip
without the support of a
company like Hearts &
Tears supporting one.
Simple, clean accommodation and meals were
provided at guest houses run by friendly locals.
There was not much time for revelry and after
focusing on the road for hours we all slept well.
Only a couple of us reported the adverse affects
of the altitude when we were around 4 000m.
We were all extremely well-travelled but, as
mere adventure riders rather than off-road
experts, we were pushed to our limits and
beyond. All of us agreed at the end, it was a trip
of a lifetime.
The tours are commissionable. For more
info, contact Matt at ride@heartsandtears.com.
If you would like a link to a short video
contact davem@nowmedia.co.za.
Motorbike costs
Eight nights, including full board, motorbikes
and fuel was US$3 120 (R43 797) per
person. There is a shorter five-day trip that
only goes as far as Lower Mustang for
$2 400 (R33 690) per person. A special
permit is needed to enter Upper Mustang
which cost $500 (R7 019) per person.
You must be accompanied by a guide.
$100 (R1 404) was sufficient for drinks
and everything else was included.
Wendy Wu for solos
WENDY Wu Tours is
promoting a 10 day
Indian Experience
escorted tour for solos
from R45 874 per single
room.
The tour is valid for set
departures on October
10 and November 7.
Guests can discover
Delhi’s spice markets,
see the Taj Mahal at
sunrise, try block printing
and carpet weaving, spot
tigers in Ranthambore,
admire the Amber Fort
and learn to cook like
a local.
The tour includes all
accommodation, eight
breakfasts, seven
lunches, six dinners,
international flights and
taxes, all transportation
on tour and a local guide.
Tipping to be paid on
the tour.
Photocap: Visit the Golden Triangle
Travel Vision is offering a Golden Triangle special from
R12 263pp for travel until September 30. Rates include
five nights’ hotel accommodation, buffet breakfast daily,
traditional Indian welcome on arrival at Delhi airport, all
transfers, sightseeing and tours, English-speaking guide,
elephant ride (alternative by Jeep) to ascend Amber Fort
in Jaipur, road taxes, parking fee, fuel charges, interstate
tax and porterage at all hotels. Pictured are Travel Vision
reservation consultants Wesley Herrington and Maya.
Book it!
G Adventures is offering a 15-day special from R11 114 per person
sharing on its Delhi to Kathmandu on a Shoestring tour. The 25% saving
is valid for selected departures between July 1 and September 30. This
fast-paced tour ensures that travellers live every moment to the fullest
and includes sailing on the Ganges, taking a Jeep safari in Chitwan
National Park, and visiting the Himalayas in Nepal. It’s a mixture of
classics like the Taj Mahal and backpacker favourites like Pushkar. The
trip includes 11 nights’ accommodation in simple hotels or guesthouses,
one night on a sleeper train, two nights in homestays, one lunch, all
transport between destinations, orientation walks in Pushkar, Jaipur
Varanasi, Pokhara and Kathmandu, a visit to Buddha’s birthplace, a
sunrise hike to Savitri Temple, a guided tour of the Amber Fort and the
Taj Mahal and a visit to the India Gate and Connaught Place. T&Cs apply.
There is an 18-39 age restriction on the tour.
