South Africa requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all foreign visitors and citizens over one year of age travelling from an infected area or having been in transit through infected areas. Infected areas include Angola; Argentina; Benin; Bolivia; Brazil; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Colombia; Congo; Cote d’Ivoire; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ecuador; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; French Guyana; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Kenya; Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Rwanda; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Sudan; Suriname; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; Uganda; United Republic of Tanzania; Venezuela.

A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate should be:

approved by the World Health Organization (WHO)
administered at least 10 days before departure to South Africa at yellow fever-approved vaccination centers (the vaccine offers protection 10 days after administration)

Malaria: Most of South Africa is malaria-free, but if you are visiting the Kruger National Park or low-lying parts of northern KwaZulu-Natal, be aware that you are entering malaria areas and should take precautions in the form of prophylactic medication.

HIV/Aids: While southern Africa has a high prevalence of HIV/Aids, your only real risk of contracting this syndrome is if you have unprotected sex with an infected individual. There should be no reason for unprotected sex as condoms are freely available in pharmacies and convenience stores. Anti-retrovirals are issued free to rape victims at South African hospitals. Should you be the victim of a sexual assault, it’s essential that you get prophylactic treatment for HIV/Aids within 72 hours.

If an illness, accident, or other covered unforeseen circumstance forces you to cancel or interrupt your travel plans, you face two potentially major financial losses—money invested in nonrefundable pre-payments and flights as well as medical expenses that in many instances may not be covered by health insurance. Travel insurance can be relatively inexpensive, especially when you consider how much you could lose if something goes wrong before or during your trip.

You will fly into Cape Town International Airport. We suggest arriving by lunch time. The check in time at the hotel is 2pm so that will give you time to collect your luggage and make your way via taxi to the hotel which is approximately 40 minutes drive from the airport (traffic dependant)

If you wish to fly into Johannesburg (Oliver Tambo International Airport) first then you can book an internal/domestic flight to CT with any of the following airlines:

• British Airways
• Kulula.com
• Mango Airlines
• South African Airlink
• South African Airways
• South African Express

Cape Town International Airport
Tel: +27 (0)21 937 1200
Email: customercare@airports.co.za
www.acsa.co.za

OR Tambo International Airport
Tel: +27 (0)11 921 6262
Email: customercare@airports.co.za
www.acsa.co.za

Our Hotel has recommended the following service provider – Noordhoek Taxis. You can contact them for a quote and to make arrangements for collection – http://noordhoektaxis.co.za/contact-us/ If you provide your travel itinerary ahead of time we will try to co-ordinate with other guests so that you can share the cost of the transport. It may entail a wait so that you can connect with other guests arriving at a different time to you but it will save you on transport costs.

If you have not pre-arranged a transfer you will also find ACSA (Airports Company South Africa) approved metered taxi and shuttle operators located outside the arrivals terminals. We strongly recommend that you make use of these approved operators (the ACSA logo will be displayed on their vehicles).

It is advisable to travel with your credit card so that you do not have to carry too much cash on you at any particular time. Remember to notify your bank before leaving that you will be travelling!

The country has a well established banking system that will allow for foreign currency exchange inside the bank and at airports (you will need proof of identity). You can always change out some currency at the airport on arrival so that you have some initial cash on you for your taxis, tips, first day expenditures.

Limit the amount of money you carry on your person at any one time. Don’t accept offers of assistance at ATMs (unless by clearly marked bank officials) and keep your pin numbers out of the view of others.

When using a credit card in restaurants/petrol stations they must bring a portable credit card machine to your table/car. Do not let the waiter/retail person take your card away. Report stolen or lost cards immediately.

February in Cape Town is one of the best months for visiting the city and surrounding areas. The windy season has passed and you will be offered up long summer days, gloriously warm weather and magnificent sunrises and sunsets! Day time temperatures can go as high at 30 degrees Celsius! Sunrise is early – around 6.00am and sunset 8.30pm.

Our most active adventures will be our paddle with the penguins and cycle in the winelands. They are laid back and anyone of general fitness can safely participate in both activities. If you have not ridden a bike in a while you may need to practice a bit before ☺. If you have any health concerns please check with your doctor.

This is not a yoga bootcamp! If you have never done yoga then now is always a great time to start. Learning the art of pranayama and meditation in the mornings is a lovely part of the practice that anyone can enjoy. Our asana practice will accommodate all levels! Please just inform us beforehand if you are taking care of any old or new injuries and any medical conditions that you have.

Our tour guide will collect us from the hotel each day at 10.45am for the day’s activities. We will be travelling as a group in one vehicle so if you choose not to join us for the day then you are more than welcome to stay at the hotel or hire a vehicle for your own use for that day. Please note that the cost of the retreat includes all activities and should you choose not to join the group there will be NO REFUND on those activities. But we truly believe that there would be no reason for not wanting to spend the day with our group of awesome yogi travelers!

Cape Town is a foodies paradise! Restaurants offer meat, seafood and vegetarian options. And of course some amazing wines!

Should you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies please advise us as soon as you make your deposit

The rooms are equipped with a television, fridge, tea and coffee station and Wi-Fi

The rooms are equipped with a television, fridge, tea and coffee station and Wi-Fi

Bring suitable yoga attire for our morning practice and something a little warmer for our early morning beach meditation. Yoga mats and props will be provided.

Refer to the detailed brochure for a more comprehensive guide on our day’s activities. You will see that most activities are pretty laid back – lots of time outside walking, sightseeing, on the beach, cycling, and being in nature.

When we are out and about during the day you will need comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, beach towel, swimsuit, etc. Most days we will not return to the hotel to change for dinner so it will be best to bring a small backpack for the day so that you can always take a change of clothes if you wish. All the restaurants we go to for lunch and dinner have a relaxed outdoor eating atmosphere so wearing a casual shorts, summer dresses etc are all acceptable attire.

If the wind comes up at night it may be a little cooler so a light jacket and a pair of relaxed pants/longer dress are always a safe bet. The motto of CT summer socializing is smart-casual!

Cape Town is a photographers dream so a camera is a must!!! Remember to bring all your chargers! And extra batteries! You don’t want to go flat mid shot!! Remember to bring your international adaptors so that you can charge your phones, cameras, laptops etc.

If you are heading out for a game viewing adventure before or after our time together then a couple of neutral-toned items will be useful, but there’s no need to go overboard and kit yourself out like David Livingstone, out to explore Africa for the first time.

In urban areas tap water is usually of high quality and safe to drink. It’s quite safe to have ice in drinks and to eat salads. However, if travelling to remote rural areas and the bush (which we won’t be doing in our time together) you should take your own drinking water along or buy bottled water. Avoid, however, drinking water from streams and rivers, especially in areas where there is human habitation. These may carry water-borne diseases. But if you encounter an unpolluted mountain steam, a drink should be most refreshing.

South Africa is a country which offers visitors a wealth of experiences! Should you wish to extend your stay (or arrive earlier) to explore other parts of the country we will be more than happy to direct you to our tour operator partners who will be able to assist you in planning and budget for an extended stay. These include Safari experiences in any part of the country that can be tailored to suit your budget.

South Africa has a well-developed healthcare system. There are public hospitals throughout South Africa, but as in many other countries, you’ll probably get quicker care at a private hospital. Be sure to top up on medical insurance before leaving home. Well-qualified doctors, dentists and other specialists can be found in the main centers but you will have to make an appointment to see one, unless it’s an emergency.

A service that has been designed specifically with international visitors in mind is the provision of travel assistance packages, costed at a daily rate, which include emergency assistance. These services include dedicated hotline numbers that can be called in case of an emergency and liaison with visitors’ travel insurers under such circumstances.

While they are not emergency service providers themselves, they use a network of such providers to respond to clients’ emergency needs. One such package is SA Assist, provided by Africa Incident Management (AIM) Centre, which also runs SATIB24 Crisis Call – a crisis call service widely used in the South African tourism and hospitality industry to respond to emergency incidents.

Personal medication: There are pharmacies throughout South Africa, and many everyday medications, such as painkillers, are available over the counter. Some large chain stores, like Clicks, also have in-store pharmacies that offer good value for money.

If you have a specific medical condition, it’s wise to carry the relevant doctor’s prescription with you. In the event of you losing your medication, a qualified pharmacist should be able to source a replacement, even if the trade name differs in South Africa.

Most parts of South Africa can be safely visited by travelers, provided they take common sense safety precautions, as recommended in most countries and big cities.

Here is some good South African safety advice:

• Avoid deserted areas at night, stick to busy and well-lit streets
• Don’t wear flashy jewellery – in fact leave it at home.
• Keep photographic equipment close to you at all times.
• Keep car doors locked and windows closed, and carry a map in case you should get lost. Don’t leave bags or valuables on the seat next to you – rather lock them in the boot (trunk). Park in well lit areas.
• Don’t leave luggage unattended.
• Store valuables in the hotel safe and leave your hotel room door locked at all times, even when you are in it.
• If you’re in doubt about a place you wish to visit or how to get there, have a word with your hotel concierge first or contact the National Tourism information and Safety Line on 083 123 2345. If you need a taxi, ask the hotel to order one on your behalf from a reliable service.
• In rural areas, watch out for wild or farm animals – road signage will warn you when you need to take care.

Please find attached our Terms and Conditions documents