None of the three offical hotels seem to be posting their prices or repsonding to e mails very quickly. Anyone have any recommendations for hotels very close (less than 1k) from the start/finishline basd on recent personal experience?
Someone Stateside must have done last year or the 1/2 before, or is it an urban IM myth just like IM Japan?
hey jude -
i’d say get yourself a sanga and prepare for a long wait; i posted some SA questions here a while back and heard nothing. . .
-mike
That’s a shame, Mick. The guys don’t normally let’s us down, although it does seems strange that no-one has done it.
The Beach Hotel in Port Elizabeth is directly across the street from Transition. I stayed there when the race was a 1/2 two years ago. I have never even had a parking space as close as my room was to transition. Also, there is a small pool at the hotel, that I was able to soak in afterwards and still here the race from. Its also right next to the Boardwalk complex where all the restaraunts are. Mara and Deepak from Premium-Plus Sports arranged my travel. Have fun, South Africa was the best vacation I’ve ever been on.
THanks, Jon . I am waiting for the Beach House to get back to me with information. Did you do a couple of days safari after? If so where and thoughts please.
We took a day trip to the Addo Elephant Park, which is about 45-minutes from Port Elizabeth and well worth it. We saw 2 lions, lots of ostritches and tons of elephants and it was beautiful. Its good pre-race activity because you are off your feet. Go with a guide, though, because the guides are cheap and the Park is huge so you will get lost without one.
After the race we spent the night at the Lalabella Game Reserve. This was truly spectacular. Its not as expensive as the real high end reserves like Shamwari, but it was very, very nice. We saw every animal immiginable. The reserve itself is about 30-square miles, with different elevetions and different eco-systems. The animals in the wild are completely unlike seeing animals in a zoo, and the reserve is so huge, you have no idea you are in an enclosed area. The guides are very knowledgeable and nice and the food is delicious. We spent one night there, but regreted not spending two.
After that, we drove the Garden Route to Cape Town. I did not like Cape Town that much - it seemed just like any other big city. But, on the way to Capetown, we spent the night in Plettinburg Bay at the Plettinburg Park Hotel which is the nicest place I have ever been. Its really expensive, but worth the splurge. Its on a cliff over the ocean, and its really unbelievable.
Have fun, let me know if you have any other questions.