Uganda has introduced an online visa application system!

Uganda has introduced an online visa application system (Uganda e-Visa) on 01 July 2016. Anyone intending to visit Uganda for tourism, business, study or other reasons is now required to obtain a visa online. The following types of visa are applicable:

• multiple-entry visa
• diplomatic and offical visa
• ordinary visa
• East Africa Tourist Visa (multiple entry valid for 90 days to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda)
• transit visa

How to apply online:

1. Choose visa or permit type
2. Fill in the application form
3. Add the required documents
   (see https://visas.immigration.go.ug/#/help/visa)
4. Submit your online visa application

If the application gets approved, an approval letter will be sent as an attachment to the email provided by the applicant. This needs to be printed out and be presented together with a valid passport/travel document at the port of entry.

Through the month of July 2016, it is still possible to get visa on arrival. However, the traveller arriving in Uganda has to go through the new electronic application process at the port of entry. This will only apply during July 2016, after which all visa applications shall be online.

Uganda e-Visa

Turkish Airlines to introduce direct flights Istanbul <> Cape Town!

The flag carrier of Turkey, Turkish Airlines, is set to introduce direct flights between Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) in Istanbul and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town on 30 October 2016. The airline will operate daily flights to Cape Town on board an Airbus A330.

• Istanbul 01:40 > 11:55 Cape Town
• Cape Town 18:00 > 04:50 Istanbul

Turkish Airlines currently operates flights to Cape Town via OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban. As a result of the new nonstop flight to Cape Town, the airline will increase the number of flights between Istanbul and Durban (via Johannesburg) from currently four to five flights a week, effective 31 October 2016.

• Istanbul 19:55 > 05:55 Johannesburg 07:10 > 08:25 Durban on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
• Durban 16:50 > 18:10 Johannesburg 19:25 > 05:10 Istanbul on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays

online flight booking on TravelComments.com >>

The 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race will return to Cape Town!

update (24 November 2017): Team MAPFRE from Spain just crossed the finishing line! Welcome to Cape Town!

update (24 November 2017): The first boats will arrive at Cape Town's V & A Waterfront around 16:30 local time!

update (24 January 2017): The Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18 will begin on 22 October 2017 with Leg 1 – a 700-nautical mile sprint from Alicante in Spain to Lisbon in Portugal. The boats will leave Lisbon for Leg 2 of the race on 05 November 2017 and are expected to arrive in Cape Town in South Africa about three weeks later (approx. 26 November 2017 +/-). The Cape Town In-Port Race will take place on 08 December 2017 and Leg 3 (Cape Town to Hong Kong) will begin two days later on 10 December 2017.

The Volvo Ocean Race route 2017/18 has been announced - and Cape Town in South Africa will again be one of the cities the famous round-the-world yacht race is going to make a stopover at. The 13th edition of the race will stop in eleven cities on five continents and will last around nine month (approx. 45,000 nautical miles). The 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race starts from Alicante in Spain with a 700-nautical mile (3-4 days) sprint to Lisbon in Portugal. Leg 2 of the race will lead the yachts from the Portuguese captial over 7000nm (22 days) to Cape Town. From Cape Town the sailors will embark on one of the toughest legs (Cape Town to Hong Kong) in the history of the Ocean race with an expected 32 days at sea and a distance of 11,900nm.
The departure date of the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race has not yet been announced, but it typically departs Europe in October.



Leg 1: Alicante > Lisbon
Leg 2: Lisbon > Cape Town
Leg 3: Cape Town > Melbourne
Leg 4: Melbourne > Hong Kong > Guangzhou
Leg 5: Guangzhou > Auckland
Leg 5: Auckland > Itajai
Leg 6: Itajai > Newport
Leg 7: Newport > Cardiff
Leg 8: Cardiff > Gothenburg
Leg 9: Gothenburg > The Hague

Cape Town first appeared on the Volvo Ocean Race route in 1973-74, in the inaugural edition of what was then the Whitbread Round the World Race. The Tavern of the Seas was so far a stopover in 11 ot of 13 editions of the famous round-the-world yacht race.

Eastern Cape: The attractions of the Sundays River Valley & the Greater Addo Area! (video)

The Emfuleni Corridor Tourism Association (ECTOUR), an umbrella body of tourism associations from various tourism nodes across South Africa's Eastern Cape, has released a new image video highlighting the various attractions of the Sundays River Valley and the Greater Addo area. The Sundays River Valley is located in the Cacadu District Municipality. It stretches stretches from Addo in the south to Kirkwood further north. The valley is known for its evergreen world of citrus trees (the trees are in full bloom in October and bear fruit all winter) as well as for the world-renowned Addo Elephant National Park, which has the Big 7 in their natural environment within its borders. Enjoy!

South Africa's most punctual domestic airlines in June 2016!

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has published the on-time performance results of domestic airlines’ flying out of OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, and Durban's King Shaka International Airport in June 2016.
On-Time Performance is measured by comparing the actual off-block time (when aircraft pushes back) against the airline schedule time for a departing flight. The measurement is done in accordance with the IATA (International Airlines Transport Association) universal standard benchmark with considers a 15 minute deviation from the scheduled time as an on-time departure.

OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2016 (airport target 87%)

1. FlySafair - 94.62% (May 96.20%)
2. Airlink - 91.21% (May 91.86%)  
3. South African Airways - 89.18% (May 90.08%)
4. Kulula.com - 89.00% (May 84.13%)
5. British Airways Domestic - 87.64% (May 84.33%)
6. Fly Blue Crane Aviation - 86.76% (May 93.94%) 
7. CemAir - 83.23% (May 84.24%)
8. Mango - 81.53% (May 85.48%)
9. SA Express - 76.34% (May 74.35%) 

Cape Town International Airport - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2016 (airport target 90%)

1. FlySafair - 94.76% (May 98.66%) 
2. Airlink - 90.65% (May 90.90%)
3. South African Airways - 89.48% (May 93.29%)
4. British Airways Domestic - 86.37% (May 88.76%)
5. Kulula.com - 84.79% (May 88.46%)
6. SA Express - 83.73% (May 73.11%) 
7. Mango - 79.98% (May 88.59%)   
8. CemAir - 76.92% (May 84.38%)
9. Fly Blue Crane Aviation - 76.32% (May 83.33%) 

King Shaka International Airport, Durban - 15 Min on Time Performance June 2016 (airport target 91%)

1. FlySafair - 99.07% (May 99.10%)
2. Airlink - 93.70% (May 94.57%)  
3. South African Airways - 91.06% (May 93.09%) 
4. Kulula.com - 88.64% (May 85.99%)
5. Mango - 85.04% (May 87.85%)
6. British Airways Domestic - 84.83% (May 81.21%)   
7. SA Express - 79.49% (May 77.60%)   

online flight booking on TravelComments.com >>

Johannesburg: Major delays at OR Tambo International Airport!

update (05 July 2016): According to Tourismupdate.co.za, the situation at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg has reportedly eased although there are still queues. The Department of Home Affairs has stopped a number of biometric sets, which has made a big difference to the situation.

Both outbound and inbound travellers at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg are advised that South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has changed over to the biometric system. This causes massive delays as capturing biometrics is taking the immigration officials significantly longer to process passport holders. Delays are currently taking up to 2+ hours. (see the comments in the embedded post for updates regarding the delays!)

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Supermarket prices in South Africa!

To give you an idea on the supermarket prices in South Africa, we have set up a list of what we think are the most typical items travellers usually buy. It hopefully helps planning your holidays in South Africa. Safe travels! [exchange rates in the daily news update]

• bread - from R7.50/loaf (600g)
• Rama Margarine - from R8.00/125g
• eggs (large, free range) - from R17.60/6ea
• mixed fruit jam - from R11.50/290g
• peanut butter - from R18.30/250g
• Nutella - from R34.00/180g
• Bovril - from R23.00/125g
• Marmite - from R23.00/125g
• baked beans - from R6.70/can (400g)
• bacon - from R27.00/200g
• milk - from R10.50/1l
• muesli - from R32.00/450g
• porridge oats - from R17.00/500g
• yoghurt (plain) - from R6.50/175g
• cheese - from R18.00/125g (sliced gouda/cheddar)
• potatoes - from R13.00/kg
• tomatoes - from R12.50 (750g)
• onions - from R8.00/kg
• mushrooms - from R20.00/250g (white mushrooms)
• cucumber - from R7.50 (local english cucumber) 
• lettuce - from R12.00 (crisp lettuce)
• avocado - from R15.00 (Avocado Bachelor)
• pasta - from R10.50/500g (macaroni)
• pasta sauce - from R26.00/405g
• instant soup - from R11.00 (Cup-A-Snack e.g. Chicken & Mushroom Noodle Soup)
• biscuits - from R7.00/200g
• rusks - from R27.00/500g
• chewing gum - from 13.00/pack (Dentyne)
• boerewors - from R63.00/kg
• steak - from R89.00/kg (T-bone)
• chakalaka - from R13.00/can (410g)
• chutney - from R23.00/bottle (Mrs H.S.Ball's Hot Chutney 470g)
• hot sauce - from R18.00/bottle (125g)
• potato chips - from R5.00/30g
• bottled water (still) - from R4.00/500ml 
• Coke - from R9.50/500ml
• orange juice - from R11.00/500ml
• beer - from R9.50/330ml (Hansa)
• beer - from R10.00/330ml (Castle/Tafel Lager)
• beer - from R12.00/330ml (Windhoek Lager)
• cider - from R13.00/330ml (Hunters Dry)
• cider - from R14.00/330ml (Savanna Dry)
• wine - from R28.00/750ml or R72.00/3l box (white)

The list above is probably missing some items. Let us know what you think is missing & we will add it!