Dreaming in dappled shade on the shores of the Zambezi, The River Club is located upstream of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls, about 30 minutes from the Falls and 45 minutes from the airport. It shares the turn-off with Tongabezi and the two are about five minutes apart by boat. While Tonga hugs the shorline, River Club is set quite high on the banks of the Zambezi -- both the rooms and the public areas sweeping views of the river. The infinity pool is stunning and really

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After many months of valiant resistance, I finally broke down under the constant advertisements for cheap flights flogged by the European budget airlines, and bought my girlfriend and myself a pair of 6 tickets to Venice (no, that's not a typo) on Ryanair. If you're curious, 6 is about $12 US. Of course, the flight did leave Stansted at 6 in the morning (which meant getting up to catch a 4AM bus); flew into Treviso (rather than Marco Polo, thus necessitating an hour-long bus ride to Venice); and

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Very much an insiders secret, Ten Bompas is a boutique hotel located in Dunkeld West, an upscale neighbourhood located in the centre of the posh northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Its exterior dcor is subtle, with only the sign for the restaurant, Sides, distinguishing it from the neighbouring houses. Inside, it looked more like a posh restaurant than a hotel, with the bar to the left and the dining room on the right. The maitre ds desk doubled as reception. All three were staffed by chic people

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I've logged a lot of time in Joburg over my years travelling to Africa, and IMO The Saxon is easily the citys top option. It's located in Sandhurst (30-40 minutes from the airport in normal traffic; 10 minutes from Sandton City). Sandhurst is a very posh neighbourhood populated by mansions tucked away behind tall walls and imposing gates. The architecture is mostly that unique modern South African style a bit like an Art Deco take on neo-classical, with a lot of tall stucco columns and imposing

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