The HfP chat thread – Sunday 12th December

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• Froggee says:

  12 Dec12 December 12:48

  I got the Mrs one from Frette which she very much likes. They are seriously pricey – I spent a bit of time looking at them before I decided on that. It helped that the one I bought was half price. I ordered direct but that was pre Brexit so import tariffs could make it messy. Harrods have the Unito but at full price (£275) although you may have 12% off on Amex. Failing that White Company like everyone else.

  • Froggee says:

    12 Dec12 December 12:49

    Sorry – that was for AndrewMc

  • Lady London says:

    12 Dec12 December 17:01

    I think Frette is stocked by both Harvey Nicks and Harrods. Possibly by Selfridges, so long since I have been in there. So you might be able to stack if the usual Amex offers recur.

    One of the hotelsI stayed in also had Frette robes in the rooms purchaseable but I can’t remember which. Could have been The Savoy a while back.

• James says:

  12 Dec12 December 14:04

  Just saw the news about scrapping the quarantine for close contacts of Omicron, just daily self tests instead for 7 days. Brings in to question the Day 2 PCR/quarantine policy. Seems odd to have a situation whereby confirmed omicron contacts don’t have to do anything other than self test, yet non-contacts have to quarantine and have a PCR?

  • Blair says:

    12 Dec12 December 14:08

    James, the whole of the past 20 months has seemed odd…. Travel tests merely being one part of the sh1tshow jigsaw.

  • cats_are_best says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:26

    The day 2 PCR etc. were instituted without much to go on as a “perhaps it’ll help”, aka panic, measure.

    As more evidence builds, it’s looking irrelevant, Omicron was already here and spreading.

    As others found with Delta, even rigorous quarantine measures failed to keep it out.

    Question is whether the government will recognise that, or keep it as a signal that they’re ‘doing something’.

    • Magic Mike says:

      12 Dec12 December 16:51

      All the time the opposition keep on screaming “lock me down harder!” the gov’t aren’t going to be easing up, whatever the data says.

      • Blair says:

        12 Dec12 December 20:39

        What opposition? We haven’t had one at Westminster for quite some years

• David says:

  12 Dec12 December 14:05

  I will qualify for Bonvoy platinum by stays is there any advantage in doing so – now status is extended ?

  • Blair says:

    12 Dec12 December 14:11

    Are you saying you are already Platinum but would requalify for 2022 (based on 2021 activity) rather than relying on status extension? In past years there was an advantage to having secured a higher tier but that was when Marriott gifted everyone half the nights needed for their current tier. We already know that 2022 will simply be a status extension for all so doesn’t seem to be an obvious benefit to securing Plat the hard way. You will get a 50 night gift choice which you may care about.

  • Harry T says:

    12 Dec12 December 15:07

    Annual choice benefit (five SNAs, five elite nights, etc).

    • David says:

      12 Dec12 December 15:38

      Yes I’m already platinum was nearly there when Marriott made the extension announcement – would be good if you got an extra year if you actually qualified

      • TGLoyalty says:

        12 Dec12 December 16:31

        Would’ve but alas no. They expect you to just be happy with your SNAs

      • Harry T says:

        12 Dec12 December 16:56

        I earned Ambassador status this year and I don’t benefit from the status extension at all lol

• Alex says:

  12 Dec12 December 14:38

  Take that Sir Lewis and Toto! 🤣

  • Andy says:

    12 Dec12 December 14:54

    Feels a bit like an Engineered victory for Max, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. I was rooting for Max and really wanted him to win it on track by beating Lewis properly. Under the regs cars aren’t allowed to un lap on safety car. I understand they changed to give us that last lap excitement but makes the sport look a bit of a joke tbh.

    • r* says:

      12 Dec12 December 15:22

      Masi wants attention, it wouldnt have happened with whiting. Masi seems to base the rules on what will get the most tweets.

    • Blindman says:

      12 Dec12 December 16:20

      “Under the regs cars aren’t allowed to un lap on safety car.”

      Er… yes they are.

      However ALL cars should have been unlapped.

      In hindsight-to avoid the race finishing under a safety car (boring) -they should have red flagged it and then had another start for the last three laps.

      Red Bull strategy won as they took all the opportunities to maximise their chances.

      Thing is-what is worse-Leaving as is – or changing the result due to Admin staff?

      Imagine that happening in the 1966 World cup…
      The ball was not over the line, but the resulting “goal” turned the match into a thriller.

  • ianM says:

    12 Dec12 December 15:47

    the ‘sport’ is a joke, of no interest to me any more. They should be boycotting the middle east not grovelling for oil cash. Money talks for sure.

    • mutley says:

      12 Dec12 December 17:34

      I agree, money talks; Russia, Saudi Arabia, The UAE, China.

      It was funny to see the flat track bully Toto “Lurch” Woolf going into a monumental sulk. A temper tantrum last week when he doesn’t get his own way, and now shows his true colours as a sore loser by refusing to talk to the media. In stark contrast to the two drivers sportsmanship at the end.

• Aston100 says:

  12 Dec12 December 14:56

  A proposed fourteen night trip to South Africa at Xmas 2022, via BA.
  Wanting to do up to 7 nights in Cape Town and up to 7 nights in Kruger. Want to minimise any time in Johannesburg, ideally just 1 night.

  It feels to me the best way would be to fly to CPT, as the holiday can begin right away.
  Do 6 nights in Cape Town and then fly to Kruger and do 7 nights there.
  Fly to JNB and stay overnight and then flyout to LHR the next evening.

  Is there any advantage to flying out to JNB and returning from CPT? Will likely need to overnight in Johannesburg either way.

  Thanks.

  • Jen T says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:11

    There are so many flight connections between CPT and JNB, it won’t be a real delay to your holiday if you fly to CPT via JNB. Kruger element can be exhausting (early mornings, etc) so Cape Town and surroundings might be a nice relaxing opportunity following that. Prices are high at that time of year so one itinerary or flight option may make the decision for you. There is plenty of stuff to do for a day if you find that time in Johannesburg.

    • Aston100 says:

      12 Dec12 December 17:11

      Hi Jen. You might be right about needing downtime following a week-long safari.
      I was hoping the overnight in Johannesburg including hopefully a late checkout would let me relax there.
      If I were to do Kruger first, I would be spending the arrival day locally in Johannesburg (don’t want to risk a missed unprotected same-day connection to Kruger) and flying out the next morning to Kruger. After a week there, I’d fly directly fly from one of the (3?) airports in/near the national park to CPT without coming back to JNB.
      Not sure if this would be better than going into CPT first and flying home from JNB, other than the week long relaxation in Cape Town following the safari.

      • Jen T says:

        12 Dec12 December 18:10

        The drive to Kruger from JNB is fine and definitely a lot cheaper than flying in/out of the park area – then you wouldn’t have to worry about your connection. I have no idea what your budget/sense of adventure/requirement for luxury is, but I can highly recommend the park’s own trips (3 nights usually I think) bookable on SANParks online. Granted that it’s a different experience to the luxury lodge life, but it’s wonderful too. Also 7 days in Kruger is quite a long time – most people do 4 or 5 maximum unless you are very keen to find a particular animal, etc.

        If you are willing to explore the Cape Town area a bit wider (out to Franschhoek for example) you can easily fill the extra days.

        I agree with Blindman about busy levels of people at that time of year, but there is always something to see in Kruger in every season. Also, the game reserves close to Port Elizabeth are just as good if Kruger is not a ‘must have’ on your list and you can do the Garden Route that way.

        • memesweeper says:

          12 Dec12 December 18:59

          +1 to all that @Jen T just posted

    • FatherOfFour says:

      12 Dec12 December 20:49

      Slightly OT but.. For those who’ve done safaris with kids before… what’s the youngest age you’d recommend taking them? Currently have 4 under 9s. Youngest two are nearly 4. I’m thinking we’d struggle before the youngest are 8,purely because it will be easier trekking around once they are more independent. Thoughts?

      • WaynedP says:

        13 Dec13 December 15:21

        Depends.

        As a child in SA, I enjoyed family self-drive safaris from age 6 (my brother was 4), but that didn’t require flights.

        It’s easier on self-drive safaris as you can dictate your own itinerary of drives and meal-times. Luxury safaris are more luxurious but less flexible and potentially more stressful for parents with younger children.

        You will get a feel yourself for what works for your family. We had three under the age of three, and my wife and I had to prepare carefully in advance and work as a slick team when it came to holidays to ensure that we (as parents) also enjoyed a relaxing time away.

        We didn’t try to fly anywhere for a good 3 years, and only started to venture out on more elaborate holidays once we had mastered the cheap, nearby static caravan beside the beach type break where if anything went drastically wrong, we could just chuck everything back in the car and head home early with minimal stress or financial loss.

        We introduced ours to short (couple of nights) self-drive safaris in SA around age 4, 5 & 6 and went on our first full week self-drive safari together about 7, 8 & 9 with great results.

        • Rhys says:

          13 Dec13 December 15:56

          Self drive safaris are great. Whilst you won’t necessarily spot as much as with a guide, they let you take it all in at your own pace. I would always recommend doing a mix of both!

  • Blindman says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:26

    IMHO I would not go to Kruger over Xmas.

    Not the right time of year and packed.

    Spend time on the garden route from CPT.

    Go to Kruger September-Dry season and less crowds.

    • Aston100 says:

      12 Dec12 December 17:05

      Restricted to school holidays I’m afraid, and already got somewhere else booked for summer 2022 (not that I’d want to go to SA during their winter if I can help it).
      Also got a companion voucher that will need to be used by end of next year.
      So Xmas holidays 2022 are probably the only realistic time if I want to use the voucher.

      • The cyclist says:

        12 Dec12 December 17:35

        Why don’t you ask your teachers for some time off and promise to catch up when you return?

  • WaynedP says:

    12 Dec12 December 17:34

    Visit http://www.sanparks.org/forums

    Very friendly and helpful community and great place to get valuable knowledge on best camps to visit at that time of year.

    Pity you’re stuck to school holidays but KNP is a great experience. Getting up super early and sitting in the queue of cars to exit camp gates as soon as they open, sipping on a hot coffee and dunking chunky Ouma rusks is an integral part of the adventure, not to be missed.

    • Aston100 says:

      12 Dec12 December 18:50

      Thanks for that. I’ve got itineraries and camps (including accommodation type) all planned already. Was just a bit unsure on route(s) to SA and back, and whether to do Kruger or Cape Town first.

  • WaynedP says:

    12 Dec12 December 18:48

    6 nights in KNP is plenty.

    I would split between two camps to minimise pack-and-trek.

    1st prize is a perimeter view rondawel in Lower Sabie if you can get it. Bookings open roughly 11 months in advance.

    3 nights in Satara and 3 in Lower Sabie ideal, entering and exiting KNP by the closest gate to each (Orpen and Crocodile Bridge respectively).

    Otherwise Pretoriuskop as an alternative to whichever you can’t get out of Satara or Lower Sabie.

    While a sedan like a Toyota Corolla is fine in the Cape and Winelands, it’s worth paying a bit extra to hire a vehicle with higher driving aspect in the KNP. Being seated a couple of inches higher vastly improves your game viewing experience (cushions under bottom also work well). You don’t need an expensive 4×4, just hiring something modestly pricier like Toyota Avanza or RAV or Ford Ecosport is much better than a low slung sedan.

    If you can’t hire a vehicle in which all of your children get a window seat, I suggest you establish a rota and stick to it like glue. A compromise for any middle seat occupant (like control of the best pair of binoculars for example) also highly recommended.

    • Aston100 says:

      12 Dec12 December 18:54

      Thanks again.
      Was going to do 3 nights Lower Sabie and 2 each at Satara and Oliphants (though if doing only 6 nights overall, it would be as you suggested: 3 each at Lower Sabie and Satara, but with a trip to Oliphants for lunch).
      Was going to hire a Rav4 or similar.

      Thanks.

      • AFKAE says:

        12 Dec12 December 19:09

        You can pick pretty much any car, the roads are all good.
        My eldest was there for two weeks early November (he knows the area well as he is a trained safari guide and worked there for a year). He just had a Toyota Yaris (I know coz I paid for it 😉 ). He said the park was really quiet not many domestic tourists, never mind international.

        • WaynedP says:

          12 Dec12 December 20:03

          1) SA school holidays will make KNP completely different at Christmas versus early November, in terms of visitor numbers.

          2) My car suggestion had nothing to do with road condition, rather viewing experience for a newbie, for whom eye height above the savanna and slow driving speed are best friends.

          Aston’s RAV4 is a much better choice than a Yaris in the circumstances.

      • Jen T says:

        12 Dec12 December 20:21

        Have you looked at doing any of the Wilderness Trails instead of staying at the camps and driving yourself? It’ll take some of the work out of the week for you.

  • Tracey says:

    12 Dec12 December 19:58

    Add a trip to Victoria Falls for some R&R at the end!

• Shanghaiguizi says:

  12 Dec12 December 15:09

  Anybody got any insight into which way the Philippines is going to go in terms of opening up?

  Also what’s the best way of burning through avois to get to Cebu in business? Qatar via Doha looks the best. Am I right in thinking if my journey starts outside the U.K. the tax will be less? So Amsterdam or Paris?

  • manilabay says:

    13 Dec13 December 08:37

    I had attempted to book a Virgin Economy ticket with connecting flight onto PAL via Hong Kong, upgrading to Upper Class with points on the LHR-HKG leg. This seemed like a good option until PAL cancelled the HKG-MNL leg – they either offered a 16h connection, maintain the ticket to HKG (which is going to be impossible to enter I suspect until next year) or refund. May be an option later in 2022/23.

    Also note, if you’re thinking of travelling on two separate tickets via HKG (because there is often availability on HKG-MNL/CEB awards) you will be denied boarding as they have to be on a single ticket.

    As for oneworld, availability on QR/CX is extremely poor – I can find barely anything with LHR/LGW-MNL routing. I assume Cebu will be similar and I think it is due to PH government current restrictions on inbound travel resulting in reduced availability. I think the only other oneworld option that has availability is Malaysia Airlines.

• Shanghaiguizi says:

  12 Dec12 December 15:11

  Anybody got any insight into which way the Philippines is going to go in terms of opening up? I’m planning a trip March next year.

  Also what’s the best way of burning through avois to get to Cebu in business? Qatar via Doha looks the best. Am I right in thinking if my journey starts outside the U.K. the tax will be less? So Amsterdam or Paris?

• r* says:

  12 Dec12 December 15:37

  Is there a state taxi company in abu dhabi like in dubai? Or whats the best way to get a metered taxi from yas island to dubai? 🙂

  • Blenz101 says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:06

    Yes. Similar system to Dubai. They have an app or you can use Careem or Uber for further options.

    Cars are silver in AD with standard yellow roof sign.

  • cats_are_best says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:15

    Pretty much the same as Dubai, I think both are controlled by the same overall organisation.

    Normal AD taxis are silver with a yellow sign on the roof.

    If you’re at a hotel just ask them to call you a normal taxi if there aren’t any waiting outside.

    Otherwise you can phone or use the app, see…
    https://www.tamm.abudhabi/en/aspects-of-life/vehiclestransportation/transportation/RoadTransport/Abu-Dhabi-Taxis

  • Harry T says:

    12 Dec12 December 16:57

    I would recommend Uber tbh.

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