Following
here are some typical questions that ZilwerWind Tours were asked.
Questions about (topics A-Z order):
|
I am a travel
Agent |
Recommended links:
1
A Tuscan Villa Guest House. 2
South_Africa Travel Guide
Questions and Answers
Q:
I would like to know more about South
Africa and its provinces.
A:
We assume that you have made the decision
to come to South Africa for your holiday, convention or business
travel. We do not therefore give information about South Africa on
our Web Site, but rather information about the technicalities of some
of the services we offer in Southern Africa. Just E-mail
us with your questions.
Q:
When is the best time to visit Southern Africa?
A:
South Africa is beautiful all year round. Our climate
is not extreme at any time of the year.
Q:
Is it safe to visit South Africa?
A:
Yes!
Q:
What about all the horror stories we see on the
television about the things happening in South Africa?
A:
Most of the things are not unique to South Africa, and
most can be avoided with some sensible behavior.
Q:
Who are you? (ZilwerWind Tours)
A:
See the "About Us page' please.
Q:
Where are you? (ZilwerWind Tours)
A:
Our Head Office is in Fish Hoek on the Cape Peninsula
near Cape Town in South Africa. From there we develop and control all
our activities on a national basis. What do you do? - (ZilwerWind
Tours) We provide visitors to Southern Africa
with all travel related services. See the About Us page.
Q:
What will a tour cost me?
A:
We do not do scheduled departures for tours, and
therefore we calculate each tour price on your requirements.
Q:
What will determine the price of a tour?
A:
There are a list of factors that we bring into account
when we cost a tour. Various guests have different requirements.
Accommodation, Meals and Mode of transport are some of the factors.
Q:
How do you establish what I want in a tour, so you can
work out a price?.
A:
We enter into correspondence with you. This enable you
and us to plan your tour or trip to your needs and budget.
Q:
You mentioned a list of factors that will influence
the price of a tour, name me some!
A:
The main ones are the types of transport, the types of
accommodation, the types and frequency of meals, the length of your
stay and the activities you want to partake in.
Q:
Will you develop a itinerary for me please?
A:
Before we do a complete itinerary development for you,
you must buy one component of your tour from us. I.E. the
accommodation, or tours, or air line tickets.
Q:
Why do you want me to buy something from you before
you will want to help me with my itinerary?
A:
Itinerary development and planning is very important
to make your dream holiday or trip. It is also time consuming for you
and us to get to the point where you are satisfied with what you are
going to do and pay for. We also need to know if you are serious
about your trip to South Africa.
Q:
Will you send me information about South
Africa, or other questions that I may have?
A:
With the greatest of pleasure. Just E-mail
us. We do it all the time. And if it
is a good question, we will include it here in this section!
Q:
Can I see whales in the South African oceans?
A:
Yes. The South African south coast provide some of the
best land based whale watching, that can be found.
Q:
When is the best time to see whales?
A:
The Southern Right Whales, ( Baleana Glacialis ),
visit this coast from July to December every year to calve and mate,
and provide excellent opportunity for whale watching, because they
often come very close to the shore.
Q:
Are there any other whales / mammals in the South
African oceans?
A:
Yes, many more. To mention a few: Humpback Whales (
Megaptera Novaengliae ) migrate through our waters between May
and December each year, while Bryde's Whales ( Balaenoptera Edeni
) are found slightly further of shore all year round. They are
however very seldom seen. Some towns on the SA coast have boat based
whale watching. Several dolphin species including the endemic
Heaviside Dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus Heavisidii ) may also be
seen.
Q:
Can I take a boat out, or swim out to see the whales
up close?
A:
Currently in South Africa it is illegal, without a
permit, to be in a whale's proximity any closer than 300m. Some
permits are awarded very selectively to responsible boat (motorized
and sail) operators in certain areas only, and they have clear
guidelines as to their behavior in the
proximity of a whale, never closer than 100m.
Q:
How can I see the whales then?
A:
South Africans are lucky, a large part of the prime
viewing coast line on the South African south coast is elevated from
the ocean. This type of Whale watching are often the preferred
activity, because it allow the watcher more time in a natural
surrounding, to observe the whales behavior.
Q:
Where is the best place to see the whales from the
shore?
A: There
are the beaten spots (Towns) where the crowds go to drink some
whale and see some beers , we however choose the spots where you
are less likely to find humans and more likely to find real
spectacular whale sightings. Even our guides cannot guarantee
sightings, because as we all know, whales are wild animals.
Q:
Do you do whale watching tours, and how long does it
take?
A: Yes
we do. To tour the entire whale route in South Africa, may take
several days to a week, if not more. Such a tour may include some of
the most picturesque coastal villages and towns. Country style guest
farms with a traditional spread are used for the overnight stops,
while the days may be taken up with drives along some of the most
spectacular coastal drives to be found. Whale watching is a time
consuming activity and is best combined with other attractions along
the route.
Q:
I have an above average interest in marine life, can
you provide me with specialized itinerary?
A: We
have standard tours for whale watching, but special itineraries for
whale or marine life enthusiasts can be put together. The Two Oceans
Aquarium and the Natural History Museum (with amongst others a full
size blue whale skeleton) in Cape Town, may be included to name but a
few. We make use of specialist whale guides and for special interest
groups, the local marine biologists can also be called in. Please do
not hesitate to contact us to arrange a WHALE of a tour.
Q:
How do I pay you?
A:
We accept, all major credit cards, travelers
cheques, and cash. Payment by direct credits (deposits) and/or credit
transfers and/or personal or business cheques are subject to the
funds being available (cleared) in our bank, 45 days before the
service commences. 
Q:
Do you accept credit cards on your web site over the
Internet.
A: No.
At this point in time we do the transaction by fax.
Q:
Can we bring our children on tour?
A:
We prefer not to tour with children other than if it
is a private tour and all guests belong to the same family.
Q:
I do not speak or understand English very well, can
your guide speak my language?
A:
Foreign language (other than English) guides may be
available by prior arrangement.
Q:
I have very strict dietary requirements, will you be
able to accommodate me?
A:
As long as we know about your exact requirements,
ahead of the time, we identify restaurants that will be able to
provide you with the correct food. Food preparation to your exact
taste, could be difficult in the more rural parts of South Africa. We
find that our Oriental visitors very often carry a lot of food with
them, because of their unique taste requirements.
Q:
What about Malaria in Southern Africa?
A: Some
northern parts of South Africa are malaria areas. The Malaria (
Anopheles ) mosquito carry the very
dangerous and deadly malaria bacteria and humans may get infected by
it when bitten by this mosquito. If you consider traveling
to places in the world where these mosquitoes
are found, please ensure that you educate yourself on the matter,
extensively. British Airways Travel
Clinic have a very up to date web site with regard to Malaria we
strongly recommend that you visit this site AND talk to your
physician BEFORE you visit a malaria area.
Q:
I would like to know more, because I am
interested, what do I do now?
A:
We can communicate directly with you or put you in
connection with one of our representatives if there is one in your
country or close to you. Every visit is unique, and we cannot assess
your exact need by some form of automation, so we prefer to
communicate with you about your visit. Therefore PLEASE send us a
free format Email , or go to
the "Whats Next" page
and complete a general questionnaire, and
mail it off to us.
Q:
I am a travel agent or a tour group
orginiser. I want to become a representative for ZilwerWind tours in
my City and / or country. What do I do now?
A:
Please contact us directly, we would be glad to hear
from you. You can contact us by Email
, or go to the "Whats Next"
page and complete a general questionnaire,
and mail it off to us, or look at our "contact
information" page and contact us.
Q:
I have Friends or Relatives or Business associates
visiting from overseas. What do I do now?
A:
You are getting people from overseas for a visit, and
have not seen them in 5 years. The last time was when you visited
them and they spoiled you rotten.
You are excited to see them again, and want to make their visit a joy for all. They will be staying with you for some time. You want to catch up on all the news and also show them around South Africa. You are actually thinking of taking a break yourself and go visit the places you saw last when the children were still in school. That was 20 years ago and such a lot has changed since then. You may need a bigger car for the trip, but do not really feel like driving around yourself, and the more you think about this, the bigger the problem becomes. Guilt starts to set in when you think that you have seen the world but have never been on top of Table Mountain and you live in Cape Town.
There
is a solution.
Contact ZilwerWind Tours we help people like you,
all the time. We help with your visiting family, friends and business
associates. You can do what you want to do, your guests can do what
they want to do, and if you want to, you can enjoy a break with them
and see South Africa.
Every situation is different! All of our clients are individuals and therefore we develop every visit according to the needs of their particular situation. We can do your entire trip for you, or just the parts that you do not want to do yourself. You can make use of our itinerary development service. Hire a car through us. We will find and book accommodation for you, or book a tour with us.
Email us with your further questions.
Last updated 24 January 2008