Siyandiza Travel

14/03/2023

The 2023 F1 circuit looks like it will be the most exciting one! Don’t miss your chance to experience it live. Let’s go vroom vroom 🏎️

14/03/2023

Vroom vroom

18/03/2022

21/07/2021

The weather in Gauteng this week is sunny but cold. I’m really not a winter person and I find that when it gets this cold I just want to catch a flight to warm sunny weather where I can chill on a hammock and drink a fruity cocktail that probably has way too many calories.

Currently we are on almost every conceivable red list and have only a handful of destinations that will have our South African passports. Dark days indeed. But it’s not all gloomy and cold we can still go to Zanzibar and Maldives. Think white Sandy beaches, swimsuits, beachside loungers, hammocks…and guess what? If you are up for it we have incredible rates for three 5 star resorts in the Maldives that are really begging us to leave sunny icy Gauteng. Are you game?

5* Kandima Maldives from R31 022 per person sharing includes: return flights ex Johannesburg , return domestic flights and speed boat transfers, 5 nights in a beach studio, 2 nights in an aqua villa, breakfast and dinner daily, green tax, unlimited selected non alcoholic drinks during meal time.

5* Lily Beach Resort & spa from R47 782 per person sharing includes: Return flights ex Johannesburg , return domestic flights and speedboat transfers,5 nights stay in a beach villa, 2 nights stay in a deluxe water villa, Platinum plan all inclusive (breakfast, lunch, dinner & Unlimited selected drinks daily),green tax. Bonus: 3 free activities (coral snorkelling, sunset fishing trip, sunset cruise and/or local island visit), snorkelling equipment,non motorised water sports, mini bar maintained daily.

5* Ayada Maldives from R 50 298 per person sharing includes: Return flights ex Johannesburg , return domestic flights and speedboat transfers, 5 nights stay in the beach villa with pool, 2 nights stay in an ocean villa with pool,Breakfast lunch and dinner daily, green tax. Bonus: Welcome drink, butler service,Use of snorkelling equipment and kayak, Access to resort wellness & entertainment program.

15/06/2021

It’s hard to believe that it was only 2 years ago that this was the best time of the year to book for bargain island escapes. We had choices aplenty from Bali, Phuket, Zanzibar, Mauritius. Covid 19 has really made us rethink our travel bucket lists but many of us still long for those Indian Ocean breaks.

The good news is that the Seychelles announced that it will open for vaccinated South Africans. Days later Phuket tourism made a similar announcement for international travellers, we are still hoping South Africa is on the list. No 14 day quarantine but tourists will not be allowed to travel to other regions of Thailand, I can live with that. Mauritius is still closed, and Bali still requires the 14 day mandatory quarantine on arrival. But we are so grateful to Zanzibar, Kenya and The Maldives for quarantine free beach breaks, and they are all still the closest we can get to paradise during this pandemic.

Zanzibar from R10 285 per person sharing: 7 nights Filao Beach Resort 3* breakfast and dinner daily, return flights from Johannesburg.

Mombasa (Kenya) from R14 365 per person sharing: 4 nights Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort &Spa 5* all inclusive (all meals & selected drinks), return flights from Johannesburg

Malindi (Kenya) from R13 999 per person sharing: 4 nights Sandies Tropical Village 3* all inclusive (all meals & selected drinks), return flights from Johannesburg

Seychelles from R16 760 per person sharing: 7 nights Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort 3* with breakfast, return flights from Johannesburg (must be vaccinated)

Maldives from R21 250 per person sharing: 7 nights Biyadhoo Isoand Resort 3 * All inclusive, return flights from Johannesburg.

All packages exclude PCR tests which are required.

02/06/2021

Egypt is a destination that has tons of pop culture references and also rich in history. From the cleopatra, sphinxes, the mummy, the Red Sea and Moses; Yet it is still one of the least explored of the biblical ancient nations.

What many people don’t know about Egypt is that is it has great ecological as topological diversity. From city scapes to dry deserts to the longest river in the world to their white powdery sandy beaches. It has history dating back centuries so a traveler would never get bored.

Based on what Egypt has to offer tourists it certainly deserves to be on more bucket lists and the good thing is that it is currently open.

7 nights Packages start at R18 000 per person sharing include:
✓ Return airport transfers
✓ 2 nights accommodation in Cairo (4 star hotel) including breakfast
✓ Tour of Giza: great pyramids, Sphinx Valley temple, Tshireltso Egyptian Museum
✓ Transfer to Sharm El Sheikh
✓ 5 nights accommodation in Sharm El Sheik (4 star) all inclusive [* This Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea is known for its sheltered sandy beaches, clear waters and coral reefs. Naama Bay, with a palm tree-lined promenade].

23/02/2021

We are always planning and looking forward to what a post Covid 19 travel industry looks like. Currently the travel destinations open for South African passport holders are also coincidentally those destinations which South African passport holders don’t require a visa to travel to. Yea, I mentioned that dreaded “v” word: visa.

In my time doing this I have realised that South Africans are terrified of visa applications and prefer to steer to those destinations where they can skip the fuss... off course this blocks off most of Europe, North America, the Middle East and FarEast Asia. But what is a visa really?

Currently many visa applications just require you to provide the standard biographical details, employment and earning information and travel details. With the employment and earning information sections this is just to establish if you’ll have the means to feed and house yourself during your stay and if you have a job to come back to after your trip. Basically trying to fish out possible overstayers. This process is usually impersonal, except with certain destinations like the United States, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Australia who require you to physically show up for an “interview”. Most of these interviews are not as terrifying as legend will have you believe if you are really just visiting... just show up with your documents and be consistent and truthful with your responses and your visa will be granted. Many of these countries approve millions of visas a year from unemployed people who have their travel sponsored by someone else who is gainfully employed (including self employed). Out of all the things that should scare you about travel, visas should be the least of your worries.

Post Covid 19, many countries are likely to introduce a “health passport” requirement that will confirm if you took a valid Covid 19 test in the last 72 hours and/or if you have been vaccinated against Covid 19. This will likely be a universal requirement much like the yellow fever vaccine which is mandatory in many African countries, just another booklet or sticker in your passport. I will note that the covid 19 test is already an entry requirement everywhere. But what is exciting is the work IATA is doing to integrate the “health passport” into airline booking systems that will cause less of a hassle for travellers when checking into airlines and/or clearing immigration. Many of us who already travel with what seems like a Bible of travel documents held together by an elastic band this passport is likely to be one more booklet that you need to remember when catching your next flight l. I hope IATA considers the environment and makes it a electronic.

10/02/2021

Since it’s the month of love and the weather is still cloudy and wet in Johannesburg I thought I would write about one of the most favoured honeymoon spots in the world: The Maldives. The Maldives is a collection of islands also known as atolls in the Indian Ocean. Known for their white powdery beaches, azure blue oceans and over water villas they’ve stamped and owned love and privacy like very few destinations could.

Because The Maldives isn’t just one hunk of land but spread out in 26 atolls. It promises privacy, usually all inclusive rates and paradise. Many resorts offer unlimited drinks, water sports and on site entertainment and one of the few places where one can unwind and watch the world go by.

But what is not commonly known about this particular destination is that it is also child friendly and many of its resorts offer baby sitting services and kid’s clubs which allow the parents to chill while enjoying the peace

I don’t know about you but I could really use some white sand, blue oceans, private villas and clear sunny blue skies....