Travel news for people on the move
QATAR Airways has launched non-stop flights from Doha to Cape Town . The new direct service, which operates five times weekly, replaces the airline's previous flights to Cape Town which operated via Joburg.
From next month, the airline's new 787 Dreamliner, which features 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy class, will be used on the route.
Flights leave Doha on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 1.25am, arriving in Cape Town at 10.15am. The return flight departs Cape Town at 12.45pm and arrives in Doha at 11.30pm.
- Women safe on NYC subway
New York City has the safest metro system for female travellers while Bogota's public transport is the least safe, a survey shows. NYC took the top spot thanks to strong policing and a network of CCTV cameras and emergency communication kiosks at stations where there are no ticket clerks.
The survey by Crain's New York Business put Tokyo in second place for safety, followed by Beijing, London and Seoul, The Telegraph reports. The Colombian capital took the dodgy top spot, followed by Mexico City, Lima, New Delhi and Jakarta.
- Sistine chapel sets limit
The Vatican may begin restricting the number of visitors allowed into the Sistine Chapel as it seeks to limit the effects of millions of visitors, The Telegraph reports. Antonio Paolucci, the director of the Vatican Museums, told Vatican Radio that annual visitor numbers could be capped at 20000 a year, which, although it will make the chapel difficult to visit, will offer a vastly better experience for those who do get in. Some six million people trudge through the chapel in massive crowds each year.
- Bear selfies banned
The US Forest Service is asking visitors to wildlife parks to stop attempting to take "selfies" with bears in the background. The service says human interactions with bears at Taylor Creek, near Tahoe, have reached dangerous levels as visitors leave their cars to try to get photos. According to The Telegraph, the Forest Service is considering closing down the area completely as visitors ignore warnings from rangers. There have been two fatal attacks by black bears in North America this year and three by brown bears or grizzlies.
- Fastjet to Zanzibar
Low-Cost airline fastjet has begun flights between Johannesburg and Zanzibar. The three flights per week go via Dar es Salaam. Fares start at R2170, including taxes.
- Rwanda visa fees
SOUTH African passport holders heading for Rwanda now have to pay visa fees. According to Travel Buyer, nationals of the US, UK, Germany and Sweden will also have to pay a $30 (R325) fee to get a visa on arrival at Kigali International Airport or at land borders. Visas may also be bought in advance at the High Commission in Pretoria.
- Skype your pets
A UKRAINIAN company has developed a remote camera which allows travellers to check up on their pets from the road, Travelmole reports. Called PetCube, the camera allows communication via a speaker and has a laser pointer so you can make your dogs and cats chase a little red dot at home and get some exercise.
- Flying stinks
The bad smell from leaking sinks caused a Virgin Australia flight to Sydney to turn back to Los Angeles, Travelmole reports. The airline has denied reports from passengers that there was human waste running down the aircraft aisles, pointing out that the on-board toilets operate on a completely separate drainage system to the sinks. Passengers, however, said the stench was "unbearable".
- UK airports test bomb scanner
Heathrow and Gatwick airports are testing a scanner that can check the liquid contents on bottles for bomb ingredients without opening them. The Cobalt Light System, which is also on trial in Europe and Australia, could see an end to the ban on passengers carrying liquids over 100ml in their hand luggage, Travelmole reports.
- To Japan for whiskey
ONE of Scotland's greatest tourist attractions - and industries - has failed to make it into the top league of the imminent World Whisky Bible. According to The Guardian, whisky expert Jim Murray awarded first place to Suntory's Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013, calling it "near indescribable genius" in the 2015 edition. Not a single Scottish whisky made it into the top five.
- The tube gets funky
THE London Underground's new uniforms - which include a zip-up gilet with a bright red stripe and a combination of a fleece and a Harrington jacket - may not have been as widely welcomed as their creators hoped, The Guardian reports. A Twitter post said, "Wonderful - if they wanted to look like they were selling trainers in a sports store." Staff had been complaining for years about their uniforms, especially female workers who had to make do with cut-down versions of men's uniforms. Perhaps they should have kept quiet.