Simonne & Anthony
Simonne & Anthony
Travel & Hotel Information
Booking Travel
If you are looking for help to book travel or excursions while in South Africa, Simonne's Aunt Debbie works for Travel Connections, a travel agency based in Johannesburg, South Africa that specializes in booking and arranging international and domestic travel for clients from all around the world. There is a minimal cost associated with the services***
Debbie Lai
Travel Connections
26 Girton Road, Parktown
Johannesburg, Gauteng 2193
South Africa
Email Address: DL@travelconnections.co.za
Cellphone number: +27-83-236-3628
Office number: +27-87-110-1800
https://www.travelconnections.co.za/
Booking Flights: It would be best to start looking for flights sooner rather than later for those that are traveling internationally. Typically, our family will book our flights anywhere between a 5-9 month timeframe from date of travel to get the best prices. The closer you get to the dates, the flight prices increase. It could also be helpful to set a flight tracker to track fluctuating flight prices.
Ceremony Location
St George's Cathedral
Wedding Reception Location
Webersburg Wine Estate
Wedding Hotel Information
Lord Charles Hotel
There are 30 rooms that have been set aside in a designated room block with a special rate. The deadline to book for the room block is January 17, 2024. After this date, the rooms will be released to the general public so please book your room as soon as possible.
To Book: Please contact Debbie Lai at DL@travelconnections.co.za or send her a WhatsApp message at +27-83-236-3628. She will work with you to book your rooms at the Lord Charles Hotel through the room block with the special rate. Again, the deadline is January 17, 2024.
Room Block Rates:
R2640.00/$138 USD per room per night for a single or double occupancy and the following children’s rates will apply.
Children 3-12 years old (up to 2 children sharing in a room (R500.00/$26 USD for 1 child/R750.00/$39 USD for two children) sharing with adults should they have sleeper sofa deluxe rooms available (subject to availability).
Transportation from Hotel:
We will be providing shuttles from the hotel to the ceremony at St. George's Cathedral and the reception at Webersburg Wine Estate and back to the hotel at the end of the night.
Airports
Cape Town International Airport
There are several direct flights from the United States to Cape Town. If you would like a direct flight, United Airlines flies from Washington Dulles Airport to Cape Town, New York/Newark to Cape Town, Delta Airlines flies direct from Atlanta to Cape Town.
O.R. Tambo International Airport
Sometimes you can find cheaper flights from the United States to Johannesburg and then take a quick domestic flights from JNB to CPT. There are more flights available flying from the US to JNB than to CPT but you have to keep in mind your travel from JNB to CPT.
Accommodation Suggestions for Those Staying in Cape Town on Vacation/Holiday (pre or post-wedding)
THE GREY
The Grey is an amazing boutique hotel in the De Waterkant area of Cape Town. It is close to everything in the city center. This would not be a great place to commute from the city center to the winelands as it is a 45-60 minute drive.
Anthony and I stayed here during our visit and we absolutely loved it! The staff are so helpful and friendly and they really take the time to get to know their guests. We chose the package to include breakfast and the breakfast was delightful, no cold scramble egg buffet here! They also have a Sky Bar on the roof deck and the Piano Bar connected.
Tintswalo Atlantic
Tintswalo is an amazing hotel in the Chapmans Peak area. If you are looking for a place to stay before or after the wedding, this place would be so memorable. It is located right on the water and provides amazing views of the ocean and mountains.
12 Apostles Hotel & Spa
Another amazing hotel in the Cape Town area that provides an amazing view of the 12 Apostles mountain range in the Camps Bay area. This would be a great place to stay if you are looking to relax before or after the wedding. Camps Bay is an iconic Cape Town location and there is so much to do in the area.
Currency
The currency used in South Africa is the ZAR (rand). The exchange rate will fluctuate everyday. I suggest downloading a currency converter app if you are interested in knowing the exchange rates. The US dollar is usually a lot stronger than the ZAR which means our money goes further which is always a good thing!
For those that are traveling from the US, Canada, or Australia, there are always options to exchange money in the airports but they typically charge a fee. Most places in South Africa accept VISA and Mastercard. You will find places that accept American Express or Discover (Diners Club) but these are the less popular options.
Most banks will also allow you to withdraw money from an ATM for a small fee. This is typically what we will do if we need to have cash on hand. However, when we were visiting in December 2022, we ran into some issues using our Ameris Bank card in South Africa when trying to withdraw money from an ATM due to the type of bank. We did not have an issue using big named banks such as Bank of America or Chase, etc.