HOTELS, INNS & RESORTS -

,_ . . '. - . - ,.I, '" ..

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Oneforthe~ u®©(Q)u~~ B rian Bechard truly personifies the

meaning of a Southern Sun 'Frequent Guest'. He has spent over 200 nights at the Holiday Inn Garden Court Port Elizabeth King's Beach over the past two years, a testament to the warm hospitality and caring extended by the hotel. Brian now holds a Frequent Guest 'Director' card, with a host of outstanding benefits.

Neil Bald, the general manager, rewarding Brian with a complimentary stay at the magnificent Malelane Sun Inter-Continental at the Kruger National Park.

'BoZO the Clown' recently brought

a smile to the Cape Sun Inter-Continental. He was on location in Cape Town to produce a Laurel and Hardy movie, which will premiere in South Africa within the next few months.

Golden I

jjJ S)jjJ BjJ-~0 Cape Sun Inter-Continental has always been recognised as one

of the leading conference hotels in Cape Town. This reputation for excellent service was acknowledged when the hotel received the 'Golden Arrow' award for the best Conference/Exhibition Venue for 1997. The award was voted by 2000 subscribers to PMR magazine who constitute South Africa's top professional conference and exhibition organisers.

Southern

SUN NEWS

Chain

D iana Ross arriving at the Sandton Sun & Towers Inter-Continental for

the opening of the spectacular MTN Sundome. Her one-night gala performance was a box office success and spectators were treated to a night of absolute bliss.

Mandela launches initiative

Seen here welcoming the

President is Mike Jackson,

Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Durban

wna«; to the Cape Sun Inter-Continental The Cape Sun Inter-Continental

actively participates in various conservation projects, one of which is ralsmg funds for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Wildlife is one of Africa's precious assets and the hotel is committed to ensuring the success of this unique project.

Pictured with the cheetah are: seated, Patrice Clogg, Cape Sun; standing from left, Richard Weilers, Jasper van der Westhuizen, Michael Pownall and Tony van Rhym.

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Southern

SUN NEWS

~p international hoteliers were ..l. recently invited to Durban for

President Nelson Mandela's launch of the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, hosted by the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Durban. TIlls is the grand plan which promises to transform the area bordering Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. The SDI is a joint programme

by these three countries aimed at kick-starting economic development in pristine regions which includes beaches, coral reefs, big five reserves, mountains and a rich cultural heritage.

• RABBI HARRIS CELEBRATES

10 YEARS I N SA President Nelson Mandela with Patrice

Clogg, Cape Sun Inter-Continental at a special function to commemorate Chief Rabbi Harris's tenth armiversary in South

Africa. The celebration included notable dignitaries, South Africa's leading Jewish community, diplomatic corps and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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course.

Selborne Sun Inter-Continental Lodge and Golf Resort PO Box 2

Pennington 4184 South Africa

Tel: 27 (323) 975-1133, Fax: 27 (323) 975-1811 or call Central Reservations: 0800 11 77 11

For the very best golfing and relaxation take a break at Selborne Sun Inter-Continental Lodge Et Golf Resort

S et on South Africa's Golf Coast, Selborne Sun Inter­ Continental Lodge and Golf Resort offers one of the best golfing experiences covering 80 magnificent hectares of indigenous coastal forest.

Not only are there majestic views of the Indian Ocean from 11 holes and an abundance of birdlife to add to the setting but the course will test even the top low handicap golfer. Selborne Sun Inter-Continental Lodge and Golf Resort really

is the most exquisite retreat for both the actively inclined and those preferring complete relaxation. For beginners looking to lower their handicap there is a resident PGA professional to guide you round the 18 hole championship golf course.

Alternatively you can hop on the daily shuttle to relax at the Private Beach Club and soak up the sun, or follow one of the many forest walks which are home to over 150 bird species and small bushbuck. And end the day with a few games of tennis on the floodlit tennis courts, followed by cocktails at the plush cocktail bar and dinner 'al fresco' at the terrace restaurant or a la carte at the elegant indoor restaurant. §

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with the great unwashed. Mandela on the other hand, move about completely on his own - he imply gets up and goes where he wants to go without fus . Perhaps some of the other African

leaders are irritated by his refusal to sign on to their excesses. Mandela travels light and he travels fast. He does have a presidential plane but he generally flies in to his destination, makes his speech and then leaves. He doesn't stay for three days and he doesn't have a vast entourage to lead him around. He does not have a cavalcade of cars, just one in front and one behind. You barely notice him moving around - The police, apparently, still jokingly call him the 'Black Pimpernel' - his apartheid era nickname when he evaded them for so long. As well as his minimalist personal style, he has, unlike other

leaders, chosen not to cling to power. He is entitled to a second term as president but has chosen to stand down after just one - setting an example some other world leaders would do well to follow.

~ Mandela also tends not to hide his feelings when he is bored or o ~ tired. One Sarurday a journalist had no choice but to take his t three-year-old son to a press briefing involving Mandela and ;:: :r former US secretary of state, Warren Christopher. After a while

He was the fi rst

guest of the

White House

who chose

not to wear a

black tie

Free. spmt Mandela spotted the young boy between the feet of the reporters and playfully wiggled his fingers to try to get a response from the child. A visibly irritated Christopher continued to answer questions.

Evenrually, while Christopher was giving a rather long-winded answer to a particular question, Mandela stood up and went through the crowd to say hello to the child. The young boy was consumed by shyness but Mandela persisted: 'Come on, talk to me', he said. But the child covered his face and buried his head. Mandela tapped him gently on the shoulder and said: 'One day when I am as important as you are I won't talk to you either.'

As the saying goes 'Early to bed, early to rise', Mandela prefers to be in bed between 8 and 9pm. Consequently, banquets involving him tend to start early so he can leave by 7.30pm. If necessary, though, he will stay up. Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi kept him up once until midnight

but Mandela succumbed to a doze during one of the many (long) speeches. His staff revived him and he stood up and said simply: ....

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'Gosh, that was a long speech, I will be rather more brief'. And he was. Another habit Mandela has is to introduce his various guests to

gardeners, drivers or even to members of the public who might merely be walking by. While most ofhis guests are gracious about it they are often surprised. If the meeting is at Tuynhuys he walks them over to the big steel

gates, attracts the attention of a passer-by and says 'Hello, this is my

friend King President that'. or the President then has to shake hands with the people on the other side of the gates! If the meeting is not at Tuynhuys he tends to introduce· them to gardeners or drivers and occasionally to one or two of the journalists. Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, was one of the most

surprised when Mandela took him by the arm and walked him across to two rather-less-than pristine looking gardeners leaning on their spades and shook hands with both of them. Mandela regularly tells jokes at his own expense and has a stock

of about six stories that centre around someone not knowing who he is or what he does. The one he often tells when receiving an honorary award is that

he was trying to reach someone on the phone one day and he got through to a woman who told him he was cheeky. She asked if he was an educated man but then said that if he were educated he would not be insolent like this. She said she bet he didn't even have matric. Mandela then says: 'Now that I have this doctorate (or similar award) maybe I could talk to her again, now I am an educated man.' He is one of the greatest leaders of all time and appears

comfortable with the adulation, but he does not seek it. Like most 80-somethings he can feel very tired but when he comes across a cheering crowd it appears to instantly lift and revive him. Considering his 27 years in prison and his divorce from his wife, Winnie, he led an often lonely life, prior to Graca Machel's arrival, and the response from the public kept him going. However, Mandela never, ever acknowledges that he, as an

individual deserves such adulation. He always makes the point that he is only a representative of the AN C and takes care not to fuel anything

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humility is an inspiration to

that might look like a personality cult. A qualified lawyer, Mandela is not a quick-tempered person, but like all those on a slow fuse he can blow up now and again and is, apparently, awesome once angered. He will answer questions that most Heads of State would not even

everyone and he continually challenges the

acknowledge at press briefings and as a consequence journalists ask him questions that they would not ask of most Heads of State. Occasionally he develops a chilling, steely look in his eye. The other tell-tale sign to 'back off' is slight but noticeable clenching of the jaw and he has been known to berate a journalist for an

impertinent, or ill informed question. So What Happens After Mandela? (WHAM) has been, and is, a

frequently asked question. Mandela's response is that it's not an issue. He will always say that Vice President Thabo Mbeki has been effectively running the country for some time. Mandela reiterates that he is only a servant of the ANC and that his personal contribution is not significant. It is likely that the ANC will create a post for Mandela when he

steps down, possibly as honorary president. It would be a role that would not undermine Mbeki but would give him status within the party. Mandela's years of political activity and imprisonment meant he

missed out on his children and on children generally. He will be halfway through his 82nd year at the turn of the century and will be at the top of the guest list of many a millennium party around the world. But rather than be with other world leaders and dignitaries he will probably choose to be with the children of South Africa, his family and with the woman in his life, Graca Machel. !!l

pomposity of otherworld leaders

At the southernmost point of Africa, the Mother City offers some of the

most breathtaking scenery and coastlines. Ella Sheridan takes

time-out in Cape Town

A s we banked to the left the pilot instructed us to glance out of the left-hand windows. Everyone gasped. There stood Table Mountain neatly covered in a cloth of white cloud, and there cosily sat in its guard lay Cape Town. This is, without

doubt, one of the most beautiful cities to fly in to. And the magnificence of Table Mountain and its sisters are as awesome a greeting today as they were to the first Dutch settlers in 1652. The Dutch East India Company claimed Cape Town in the 17th

century and used it as a victualling station for its vessels. Very quickly the Cape of Good Hope became renowned for its hospitality to weary sailors. Hospitality that can be felt today

~ together with the many changes this city has undergone. ~ Arriving into central Cape Town by road you drive along the ~ Strand. This stretch of road signifies where the sea once lapped the ~ coastline. The Castle of Good Hope - once guarded by the sea -

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to the was built between 1666-1679. It is Cape Town's oldest building and remains standing guard on the Strand as permanent reminder to the extent of Cape Town's reclaimed land. The pentagonal fortification with bastions on each corner used

to hold out the Pacific waves, but now serves as the military museum housing 300 years of Cape Town's military history. Look out over the castle and you will see just how much of Table

Bay is reclaimed land - about one square mile - much of which is home to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront development. The Waterfront - named after Queen Victoria and favourite son, Prince Alfred - was built in 1860 as a working harbour, it has since become one of Cape Town's biggest attractions housing an abundance of entertainment, as well as its primary harbour industry. Craft markets, restaurants, bars, theatres, cinemas, the Two Oceans Aquarium - where you can see more than 4000 creatures, great for children - and numerous hotels which form the perfect place from where to plan your stay in Cape Town. No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a trip up

Table Mountain. And although the revolving cable car offers an easy and quick way to conquer its beauty, I think the only way to truly appreciate the sheer size and beauty is to climb. I chose a fairly easy route which after a number of hours left me gasping for a well­ deserved drink at the top, but you won't be disappointed. ....

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Welcome to the

T he new R200 million, 546 room Holiday Inn CapeTown Waterfront recently opened its doors to welcome guests to the city's first full-service Holiday Inn and Africa's largest operating hotel.

Situated just 175 metres from Cape Town's major tourist ~ attraction, the V&A Waterfront, the new hotel offers easy access to o t;; beaches and the city centre, making it an ideal base for both ~ business travellers and holiday makers. (2 In keeping with this, the well-appointed rooms include 511

standard rooms, 27 Executive rooms and three suites. There are also five specially equipped rooms for handicapped guests and 50 per cent of all guest rooms are non-smoking rooms. Most rooms have mountain or sea views and all are fitted with the latest facilities including well-lit, spacious work areas, a computer data point, a cellular phone charging point and a sophisticated television entertainment system offering a selection of the latest movies. In the hotel guests can choose between two restaurants or enjoy

a drink at the lobby bar. There is also a fitness centre, swimming ~

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pool and curio shop, as well as meeting rooms for business guests and secure underground parking. As befits an international, full-service hotel, the Holiday Inn

Cape Town Waterfront offers a complete range of services. These include an innovative breakfast check-out service, which allows guests to take their time and enjoy breakfast, without having to rush to the check-out from the breakfast table. Other services include room service, valet, a tourist desk, car

hire and a free shuttle to the V&A Waterfront. The next time you're in Cape Town, General Manager Barry

van Coller and his team would like to welcome you to the new Holiday Inn Cape Town Waterfront. .all

To book call Central Reservations within South Africa 0800 11 77 11

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Situated a stone's throw from Cape Town's major tourist attraction,

the V &A Waterfront. The new hotel offers easy access to

beaches and the city centre ...

Offer expires 31 August 1998. Conditions apply

Special Opening Offer

R17S per person, per night, sharing

R3S0 single per night

Includes free Frequent Guest membership and 200 free Sun Rands

Every morning you can expect a full delicious traditional breakfast served with a warm Holiday Inn smile. That's what

Best-A-Breakfast is all about. We keep up our high standards by holding true to four simple promises: Quality,

Service, Selection and Value. When you compare, we're sure you'll be back again and again. See you in the morning.

iii ",otl &0 ~ ~\'U'\.

Garden Court"

Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Garden Court bring you Best-4-Breakfast in association with ~ 1K!CJ't1. NeStle" ~.