Travel Appointment: 2008

AA Travel Report 1

Automobile Association of South Africa (AA TravelExperience)
Om die verslag in Afrikaans te ontvang laat my gerus weet by tygervalley.te@galileosa.co.za

TravelExperience one stop travel shops form part of the Automobile Association of South Africa's (AA) Travel Division.

AA Travel Appointment will inform you on a regular basis about the services and products TravelExperience Tyger Valley and Somerset Mall offer you.

We will keep you up to date on issues of local and international travel and will do interesting reports on these and how it affects your travel planning. In this issue we address all the services and some of the products on offer.

The next issue will take a closer look self drive travel and the permits involved. Travel Appointment reports will also have a look at road conditions, airport facilities, interesting country information and comments on products.

You will see that I have outlined the services we offer in our one stop travel shops and you can read more about them by clicking on a subject. I will go into more detail about each service and subject in future reports.

To comment on this report, please drop us an e-mail or add your view to http://travelappointment.blogspot.com or visit our web site www.exploreabroad.co.za

Regards,

Andre

Issues that AA TravelExperience Tyger Valley address this week that will add value to your travel arrangements are:
Travel and holiday planning and assistance
Travel documentation i.e. International Driving Permits (International Driving License)
National and International Air, Rail and Road Travel arrangements
Country and road report (subscribe to receive regular updates)
Essential gear and travel retail products
Travel Checkpoint
TravelExperience Shops can add value to your travel arrangements for:
Self drive holidays
Cross-border adventures with your family
Exciting overseas holidays
One-stop travel shop

TravelExperience Tyger Valley and Somerset Mall shops are conveniently located in shopping centres and they offer the following services:
Travel and touring information
Travel documentation
International Driving Permit (International Driving Licence)
Carnet de Passage (temporary permit required when travelling cross border)
International Camping Card
Letter of Introduction
Assistance with Visa applications
Travel Insurance
Third-party insurance when visiting Mozambique or Zimbabwe
Travel Bookings

Let TravelExperience Travel Consultants book your next trip.
All national and international travel arrangements
Arrangements for car rental and accommodation
Exclusive travel and tour packages including
Cruises
Incentive tours
Accompanied tours and
Normal individual travel plans.
Essential Travel Gear

TravelExperience shops offer a range of retail products:
Safety gear
Leisure gear
Travel gear
Auto-valet products
Tom Tom personal navigation devices (GPS)
Maps and travel guides
Travel Checkpoint

Only TSA-Approved Luggage Locks for Travel to the USA

If you're planning on travelling to the US, make sure your luggage locks are TSA-approved as these are now mandatory in the US.

The US's Transport Security administration is responsible for screening all airline luggage passing through the US and the baggage handlers posses a classified tool that can open TSA-approved padlocks and combination locks.

If they are unable to inspect your case for security purposes, you run the risk of having your lock or suitcase destroyed.

The UK and New Zealand are expected to follow suit with these arrangements.

Visit our stores so that we can assist you with approved products.

Travel Gear

AA Adaptor Plugs

Travelling to a foreign country is great, but can also be frustrating if you cannot operate your electrical equipment.

Our adaptor plugs can be used in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK and Europe - so find the one that suits your destination.

Road and country report

Advisory: R62 Calitzdorp/Ladysmith: Reports indicate that construction is in progress with stop/go operations in Huisrivier Pass.

Please be advised that this report is an advisory and TravelExperience Tyger Valley cannot accept any responsibility of any omissions or errors, nor are we responsible for any damages or delays. Information is used at own risk.

TravelExperience Shops are located in Tyger Valley Shopping Centre and Somerset Mall

The sweet temptation of trying to Tango.doc

The sweet temptation of trying to Tango

For most aspiring or even social Argentine Tango dancers, travelling to Buenos Aires is a Mecca-like pilgrimage that they have to do at least once in their lives.

This was the case for me and I was not disappointed.

Article by Natanya van der Linden

Buenos Aires proved to offer absolutely everything the tango aficionado could hope for. There are tango dance classes; singing classes; musical reviews; supper theatres; shoe shops; dress shops; music stores; art for sale; TV and radio stations; museums and even tango-themed hotels (rooms complete with tango murals, street lamps and interior cobbled passageways). It's even possible to study for a degree in tango at the Academia Nacional del Tango.

I don't know of another city in the world that has such a love affair with one particular style of dance. And a love affair it is. With enthusiasts aged from 8 to 80, Argentineans embrace its history, its essence, its passion.

Despite its rather unsavoury beginnings in the sleazy brothels and immigrant communes of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, through its golden age in the 1930s to 50s, to its extremely popular modern-day form, Argentineans adore their national dance.

Foreigners love it too. Like a secret subculture, tango has quietly spread its roots across the world and over the past decade or so tango studios have blossomed in places as diverse as Holland, Japan, Canada, Israel, Scotland and South Africa.

'You can close your eyes and let everything else fade away'

There are countless tango shows every night in the city and many of them are aimed purely and unashamedly at tourists. Seamless tango sausage factories that include a free pick-up from your hotel, a mediocre meal and a glitzy tango cabaret, all timed to get you swiftly out the door in order to set up for the next show. But then what more does your average tourist - who wants to experience just a touch of tango - want or need?

Luckily for those who do want more, there is more.

You may have to delve a little deeper into the city, but it is there. Traditional tango, modern tango, experimental tango, same-sex tango, erotic tango and tango in every shape and form.

The best place to start for a bit of authentic tango, though, are the numerous late-night milongas (tango dance socials) that take place almost every day of the week.

Here ageing tango maestros, usually in equally ageing but exceptionally atmospheric dance halls, instruct nubile young dancers in the subtle and seductive art of tango dance. No flash moves here, no kicks or ridiculously intricate footwork, just the gently passionate leading and following of a man and woman across a wooden dance floor.

As a local tango dancer told me: "When a man leads you well in tango, you can close your eyes and let everything else fade away. It becomes the most intimate and intensely connected three minutes you can have with a stranger while being fully dressed and in front of a hall of people.

"Then the song ends, you politely nod thank you and go and sit down and wait for the next stranger to take you on a three-minute journey into tango bliss."

The two areas of Buenos Aires most associated with tango are the somewhat dilapidated old town of San Telmo and the residential barrio of Abasto.

Buenos Aires has a very good system of public transport, including an underground train system (called the Subte) and relatively inexpensive ever-present yellow and black taxis, so getting to and from tango venues is quite easy from most parts of the city.

· Malaysia Airlines flies directly to Buenos Aires from Johannesburg and Cape Town, while South African Airways offers flights via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

· Look out for well-priced, seven-day tours to Buenos Aires, particularly in the low season, with a variety of South African travel agents. Packages usually include flights, accommodation and breakfast and often include a tango show and half-day city tour as well.

· If you are interested in learning tango and you are planning to spend a while in the city, you might like to join a weekly or bi-weekly group dance class. If you are only there for a short stay or would like to improve quickly, private lessons are recommended and can be taken by couples or individuals. You can also choose to have a male or female dance instructor, or both, usually for the same price.

· Private dance lessons vary greatly in price, depending on the skill and experience of the instructor, and can range anywhere from R60 to R600 per hour for a tango maestro. If you don't speak Spanish, remember to request an English-speaking dance instructor when you book.

· For information on everything tango-related, including schedules of tango classes in Buenos Aires and other parts of the world, visit Tango Data and To Do Tango. Also see the tango publications El Tanguata, BA Tango, Guia Trimestral and Tango Map for seemingly limitless listings of dance teachers, classes, shows and milongas. Time Out, the excellent city guide (in English) to Buenos Aires, is another useful source of tango information.