South Africa, the rainbow nation, was short listed as a destination for the IFA Convention 2008 by M/S Franklin Templeton Investments (FTI). The convention was for a period of four days - 25th January to 28th January, Compact Travels took a group of over 145 delegates for the IFA Convention 2008 of M/S Franklin Templeton Investments (FTI) to appreciate and honour some of the winners who have been closely associated with FTI.
The big 5 put together by Compact Travels was an incentive that comprised of

1. Jozi or the City of Gold including Gold Reef City
2. Indian delights in South Africa
3. A Taste of African quality
4. Up close and personal with Wild Africa at Lion Park
5. Sun City- the Vegas of Africa

Subhash, Perviz and Yazneen accompanied the group from Compact Travels and for those who wish to visit Jo'burg and wonder what to do, Perviz has put together the loads of stuff one can do in 4 days !!! What better place for an incentive in January than South Africa; fine weather and exciting destination as well. Those who made it will tell you all about it and those who couldn't, here is a brief synopsis of why the trip was one of the best ways to begin 2008.

1.Johannesburg and the Gold Reef City
We flew partly on South African Airways and some of us on Kenya Airways on the 25th January to the beautiful city of Jo'burg or Jozi or Egoli or the City of Gold. All these names are various synonyms given to the city of Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa located in the Gauteng province. Jo'burg is undoubtedly the economic and industrial powerhouse of sub-Saharian Africa. Jo'burg is like any other big city in the world - a New York, a London or a Mumbai.Unlike what you hear of it being extremely dangerous, it's like any big city which has a great influx of immigrants from neighbouring countries; it is bound to have some crime but that is normally confined to certain downtown areas and only those who try to venture alone in the dark can expect some trouble. When asking one of our tour guides if he was ever mugged he related an incident that happened to him a few months ago. While he was walking with his girlfriend they were surrounded by a few guys with a knife being held at his girlfriend's throat. This left him with no choice but to obey and the muggers took off with his cell phone wallet and trousers, but luckily left them alive! Otherwise, Jo'burg is a very exciting city and one can easily spend 2 to 3 days in Johannesburg as there are lots of exciting activities as we found out during our stay.

We stayed at the Garden Court Sandton City Hotel. The Hotel though 3 Star, has been recently refurbished and was a very comfortable and friendly place to stay. It can compete with any of the good 4 star hotels in India in terms of quality and standard. The Sandton area, is extremely safe, and has the most enjoyable shopping experience for all- from princely budgets to shoe string ones. Johannesburg is a fascinating city located on a high-lying plateau over 1500 m above sea level known as the Highveld region and is a must-visit city for people who want to see South Africa.

Due to time constraints and wanting to pack in as much as we could see in the few days on arrival, we went directly from the airport to Gold Reef City. Visitors to Gold Reef City can do a combination of activities; rides, shopping, guided tours, stay within Gold Reef and there is also a little “living theatre.” On the grounds of a former gold mine, houses and entire streets have been rebuilt true to the originals from the gold-rush times. Most of the employees of the resort are dressed in costumes from that era. Those interested in gold mining can see the gold-containing ore veins in an old mine, or observe in a small museum how real gold is poured into barrels. The largest gold resources in the world were found in the area of the Witwatersrand and it is therefore not a surprise that South Africa is one of the world leaders in gold mining. Johannesburg's other name, "Egoli" means City of Gold.

The gold-bearing stone is mined at considerable depth. The Western Deep Level Mine, with its shafts of depths to 3900 m, is one of the deepest in the world. Mining at such deep levels is usually highly problematic, because the temperature reduces by 1 degree every 33 metres deeper into the mine. So first you have to gear up for the trip by wearing one of the colourful helmets along with an outfit which the miners used to wear to go several levels below the ground to explore gold. Then a lift takes you down under and your tour begins. As in the mine, it used to be pitch dark in the 19th century, and to give you a feel of how miners used to work, you walk through areas with a torch to help you find your way and professional miners take you around.

Besides taking you several levels below ground level, they take you back in time narrating to you the history of miners and how they used to go about exploring gold. The experience really opens your eyes to the excitement riddled with hardships faced by the people who came to Jo'burg in herds for the gold rush and the joys and tears that went with it. From there we went to a room where the gold was melting in the furnace and being poured into a container for our benefit. Gold is the most pliable metal and to see liquid gold in such quantities made all our eyes twinkle. We were then allowed to see and touch a 12kg gold bar, and all of us awe struck people went in turn and touched the gold bar as if it were some Godly apparition.

2. Indian delights in South Africa
By this time our eyes had had their feast but the tummy cried out in hunger. We were divided into 2 groups and one group went to the Vintage India restaurant for lunch, while the other went to Saffron India. Since the delegates on Kenya Airways arrived in much later, they first went for lunch and later visited Gold Reef City. As depicted in Sanskrit literature “Atithi Devo Bhava” means “Guest is truly your God”, Vintage India welcomed us into its plush dining hall. The soothing ambience is complemented with attentive service and an outstanding menu delicately planned by their executive chef flown from India, giving you the taste of Indian culinary delights.The Saffron takes you on an exotic journey through India captivating you in its foreign and mysterious selection of authentic North Indian foods. Not only offering a fantastic selection of mouth-watering dishes, but also giving an entire Indian experience.

3. A Taste of African quality
While we are talking about food, for meat lovers staying in Sandton city, a visit to the Butcher's Shop & Grill in Nelson Mandela Square is a must. They specialize in 'Dry and Wet Aged' grain fed prime cuts from the Karan Beef feedlot and the shop prides itself in using the best South African Beef available. You can see and eat most kinds of meat, game and sea food. So it is one of the popular places to visit for hard core non-vegetarians.The Nelson Mandela Square is a lovely square with a huge statue of Nelson Mandela surrounded by eateries including cafeterias and restaurants all around the square - from Thai to Italian, African to Chinese. It's a lovely place to visit and dine at any time.With our tummy full and feeling happy with the world we went to our hotel and checked in. After that most of us flew out on a shopping spree. They have done a world survey and confirm Indians are one of the biggest shoppers and we were right out there to prove the same.

a) Sandton City Shopping Centre
The hub of tantalizing trends, forging fashion and energetic elegance, Sandton City Shopping Centre is the place to meet, to shop, to be seen. Cosmopolitan and zesty, with over 300 vibrant shops, Sandton City is located in Sandton's prestigious Central Business District and offers a vibrant retail and leisure experience in breathtaking surroundings. For local and global fashion, Sandton City has your style with some of the world's most refined brands and respected local designers. For shopaholics in Jo'burg, Sandton is the place to be and you can see your Rands vanishing pretty quickly..

b) Moyo
In the evening we went for dinner to Moyo. Moyo is the Swahili word for soul. Built around a massive granite rock and deeply rooted in the foundations of Melrose Arch, Moyo at Melrose has à la carte seating capacity for 500 guests. Setting the pace for sophisticated African dining and entertainment, Moyo establishes itself with a bold step. The Moyo food adventure will carry you through Africa: from the Savannas of the South, along the Coasts of the East, across the Deserts of the North and deep into the Jungles of the West; on a gastronomic journey beyond measure.Your taste buds are enticed by the sweet scent of coriander and fresh aroma of rose petals, cumin, paprika and saffron spice which urges you to explore the diversity and sophistication of African cuisine. The varied and eclectic à la carte menus as well as the abundance of the communal set menus offer a testimonial to African hospitality and personal invitation to the feast combining like pieces of a puzzle is the thread of African music running through the air. It creates the pulse, the rhythm, and adds to the Moyo (soul). Sporadic interaction of Moyo performers at the table or fancy foot work from Puntsula dancers gets your feet tapping and the vibe of a band on the stage gets everyone dancing for more. There was face painting and we got our faces painted with flowers and looked, if not pretty, very happy and excited. The speed of the service was altogether for those who are not in a hurry for tomorrow is another day and the meal took a good two hours to only reach the dessert. The helpings are big and the food is for the Gods.

c) The Convention
Dinner ended our first day and we went to bed anticipating a new day. Morning brought in the sunshine and a huge breakfast of meats, fruits, vegetables, juices, tea and coffee a feast for the kings, after which we had to go to the convention centre for the IFA Convention. Of course the participants attended the convention while the three amigos of Compact Travels were escorting round after round of delegates to the venue. The amount of walking we did that morning was enough exercise to be able to again eat a big meal without feeling guilty.The Convention centre itself was awesome. The mere size and ambience made our jaws drop. It was beautiful in its grandeur and had the majestic appearance of a palace. The high ceilings, ornate decor and lighting created an image of absolute opulence. It gave you the feeling of treading carefully in the presence of the rich and powerful.

d) The Raj Chain of Restaurants
After the convention we went for lunch to an Indian restaurant Raj in Sandton. The Raj chain of restaurants were started by Dr Arun Jairath, an Opthamologist who came to the country 21 years ago from U.K. His passion to provide the best of Indian cuisine led to the opening of the Raj chain in South Africa. The service is efficient and friendly and the food is undeniably the most authentic Indian cuisine available in the country. The food is spicy, delicious and very traditional with the menu offering a large variety of authentic Indian culinary styles. You will not be disappointed with your "Indian" experience at The Raj Restaurant. The only disappointment will be that you didn't visit them sooner. Interestingly the city of Durban has an 80% Indian population hence the Raj Chain aptly fits in the cultural group of South Africa.

4. Up close and personal with Wild Africa at Lion Park
After lunch we went to the Lion park in Muldersdrift, featuring four prides of lions, of various ages. This small game area also boasts a number of rhino as well as other herbivores. The lions are enclosed in a high-security area while the greater park area is given over to the other animals. For the adventurous, photographs with lion cubs are permitted under supervision. A restaurant and curio shop is situated in shady surrounds, and yes your guess is right - all nearly forgot the park and rolled up their sleeves for a huge shopping spree. In the caged area with cubs, one cannot touch the head of the cubs without an aggressive response! The cubs were cuddly and lovable, especially one cub who was obviously in the throes of teething as he wanted to chew on anything available. Up to three months the cubs are kept in an enclosure and people are allowed to play with them, after which they are kept in another area as they could play a bit rough with untrained people.In the park we fed the giraffe who stuck out his long tongue in a cone formation and picked up the food from our hand. It felt very much like you were playing with a tall dog licking you all over. We then fed the ostrich who pecked the food off our hands and we all laughed and giggled and behaved like little children.After the park we went to a Theme Dinner at one of the Raj chains before returning to the hotel. Like the Oscars, the Theme Dinner was preceded by the award ceremony where all the achievers were presented an award by the great team of Franklin Templeton Investments - a proud moment for all present ! This was followed by four different varieties of African Dances, very unique, strenuous and colourful with a rhythm that set the mood for the night, followed by a birthday celebration for one of the boys, ending in revelry, drinks, laughter and a swinging crowd enjoying the night.

5. Sun City- the Vegas of Africa
The next morning , 27th January the last day of touring we went to the famous Sun City, a beautiful man made resort. Of course needless to say on our way we made a shopping stop at the Hartbeespoort Dam village flea market. You cannot imagine the joy a shopper can derive from this market. You can get anything from local made art and craft, clothing, souvenir, toys; you name it and they have it. Exercise your bargaining skills at this market place and see if you can beat them down to your price. It is an enjoyable shopping experience and everyone behaved like little children being let loose in a toy shop. You can imagine with all the beautiful African artifacts and gifts to buy for everyone back home it took some convincing to get everyone back into the bus and on our way to Sun City. The Sun City Resort in South Africa provides entertainment for everyone! South Africa's Sun City Resort dazzles visitors with its glamorous casinos, gourmet restaurants, extensive sports facilities and star-studded spectaculars.

The full variety of entertainment on offer ranges from slots to safaris; theatre extravaganza to a games arcade for children; horse riding to golf; the Valley of Waves to The Lost City… whatever it is you're looking for, you'll find it at Sun City in South Africa.Sun city's flagship hotel, The Palace of the Lost City, takes its architectural interior themes from a lavish lost African tribe fantasy. The scattered sandstone remnants of ancient African cities, once the hearts of the great trading empires built on gold and ivory and inspired by lost empires. This hotel has been created in a hidden valley in the mysterious Pilanesberg Mountains. Here, life moves with the rhythm of the ancient continent, while a new African nobility take their ease amid sumptuous luxury. At the Palace, you will encounter the Africa of today, and hear the echoes of an Africa long past. Set like a gem as the centerpiece of Sun City the Palace with its opulent creation of carvings, mosaics, textures and views is a must see for every visitor to Sun City.No other country says “diversity” quite like South Africa and in Sun City they celebrate it. A visit to the Cultural Village to see first-hand how the different cultures live; their songs, dances and rituals. Be daring and take part in the food tasting ceremony that includes delicacies like crispy Mopani worms, Mabele and Morogo. Unfortunately when we were there, they had run out of worms, so we had to take a rain check on that till the next trip. While there we danced with the African Dancers, not as easy as it looks and played their musical instruments much to their musical horror and our delight, with all inhibitions thrown to the winds.

The Crocodile farm was again an exciting sight for some who were in absolute awe of God's powerful creatures. The Valley of the Waves is the most advanced Water Park in South Africa. A large lagoon dominates the scene with a wave machine capable of generating 1.8 metre waves every 90 seconds. This water park has five exhilarating rides- from the aptly named Temple of Courage, swimmers drop a heart- stopping 17 metres down a chute and under a bridge before splashing into a small pool at the foot of the slide. Many did venture out and narrated the awesome experience. A variety of sports activities may be enjoyed at Sun City. Year round good weather in this part of South Africa, ensures that tennis, squash, swimming, golf, mountain biking, horse riding jogging and parasailing are all on offer throughout the year.Another hot favourite was parasailing which had many takers as well. A parasail that keeps you grounded - well almost. As you soar above the tree-line, you feel the gentle throb of the power boat anchoring you to the line, but it's tenacious and that's the adrenalin kick. You gently sway in the wind, then nose dive like a swallow as you plummet towards the water, and then suddenly tango into the wind with an effortless ballerina's pirouette. Members of our group so enjoyed the parasailing experience, left up to them they would have loved to continue parasailing but time restraints forced them to return to the bus for our return trip to Johannesburg.

Some of our tour participants while enjoying the Sun City ran into Hussain and Tina of Nach Baliye who were also relaxing in this beautiful resort. Of course they were delighted to see the dancing couple and their excitement knew no bounds while they proudly took some photographs with the couple. Many wondered why they shouldn't return to Sun City for a holiday either with their family or probably for a honeymoon or a second honeymoon visit.All good things must come to an end and so also our trip. We went back to the hotel stopping on our way again at one of the Raj restaurants for dinner. On our way to the dinner, one of the four coaches taking us around broke down. It did cause a bit of a panic as day light was drawing to a close and a breakdown on the highway is not really the best thing to happen. However our associate tour operator in South Africa tackled the situation and soon things were back on track.

We returned to the hotel safe and sound and set off next morning after breakfast for the airport for our flight back home. Again there were some hiccups when someone lost his passport and the other lost his bag. The passport was soon found at the exchange counter where he had forgotten the same while the bag was located at the hotel which the passenger had not seen to the loading onto the coach. However the bag could not reach the airport on time and was later sent to the passenger on board the next flight. The Compact Travels team on behalf of all wishes to thank Tauseef, Sunil and their entire team from South African Airways as well as Chep, Seigfred, Roheena and their entire team from Kenya Airways who ensured that all delegates had a great experience both in and out of South Africa. We also extend our sincere thanks to all in South Africa as well as in India who helped us put together a great event for all the winners at FTI. And so ended a beautiful event, and for all reading this article we would say - Go and Enjoy South Africa. Enter the unknown territory and allow your adrenaline to flow! If you need help in organizing your tours loaded with excitement, fun and adventure, we at Compact Travels are there to help you always as we believe in exploring places like never before.

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