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Airport Lounge Review: Salon Vallee De Mai, Mahé (Seychelles) International Airport

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Dan and I had a little over an hour to kill in the Mahé airport when flying back from the Seychelles to Abu Dhabi (and eventually to New York). The Salon Vallee De Mai Lounge in the Mahé airport offers complimentary entrance to Priority Pass members, so we went in for an adult beverage. This is my review of the Salon Vallee De Mai lounge (as of November 2022).

The Seychelles just before we left to fly home = (

THE SPACE

The Salon Vallee De Mai lounge is located on the second floor of the Mahé airport, up a short flight of stairs across from the Takamaka Rum bar. The entrance is quite pretty and keeps with the “tropical island” theme, which follows throughout the lounge.  As you will read below, while some areas were lacking in the lounge, the decor was not one of them. From the ceiling to the tables and chairs, I was definitely getting “tropical vacay” vibes – too bad we were leaving!  The check-in lady was lovely and answered all of our questions.  Once inside, the lounge opens up into a large room scattered with tables and chairs spread throughout. The ones on the right side have great plane views!

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Resort Review: Mango House, a Hilton LXR Property In The Seychelles

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If you read my first blog post this year, you know that Dan and I spent US Thanksgiving in the Seychelles, an island nation off the coast of East Africa! During our trip, we stayed at Hilton’s new LXR property, the Mango House (its featured on some Hilton IG ads). Our stay was great and we could have stayed longer. This article reviews the hotel and its amenities.

The Mango in the Seychelles.

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A Wonderful Week In The Seychelles (East Africa)!

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Dan and I travel every US Thanksgiving, mainly because its quiet and we get two days off of work without taking any vacation. This year we traveled to the Seychelles (after 3 nights in Abu Dhabi) to explore more of the Indian Ocean (after going to the Maldives two Thanksgivings ago). We loved our time in the Seychelles, but due to the time it takes to get to the Seychelles, would probably reserve another visit for when we have longer to explore the surrounding area. This is my review of what we did and where we stayed during our week on the Seychelles!

Rainbow in the Seychelles.

THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS

The Seychelles (pronounced like the plural of a “seashell” found on the beach) are are group of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, directly east of Tanzania and north of Reunion and Mauritius (and along with Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte, referred to as the Vanilla Islands). The Seychelles is its own country that is a part of the continent of Africa. Prior to gaining its independence, the Seychelles were occupied by both the French and the British. As a result, most people speak English, French, and the local Seychellois language. Here is a map of the Seychelles’ location – kind of in the middle of nowhere in the best way possible.

The Seychelles on a map.

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Airport Lounge Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Johannesburg (JNB)

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After our lovely visit to Newark’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in February, I was totally excited to visit Virgin’s Clubhouse at the Johannesburg, South Africa International Airport. In fact, it was the only thing getting me through the depression of going home, LOL.

Happy in Cape Town, South Africa the day before departure.

ENTRANCE TO THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE.

Despite a number of lounge options in Johannesburg’s international terminal between Priority Pass and our American Express Plaitnum card, we heard that the Virgin Clubhouse was the nicest and went promptly there (after a little shopping in the Out of Africa shop!). The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located on the second floor of the international terminal, just a bit further down from the aforementioned Out of Africa store. We took the elevator up. Checkin was quick and consisted of presenting an American Express Platinum card and boarding passes. I particularly loved the flower wall at the entrance.

Entrance to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Johannesburg from inside the club.

Said flower wall! Small, but mighty cute!

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A Splendid Saturday On The Franschhoek Wine Tram!

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After fully recovering from Covid in Cape Town, South Africa (a wild story!), my husband and I had a few Covid-free days to explore the area before flying home. We took advantage and signed up for a South African activity that I have been wanting to do for a long time – wine tasting on the Franschhoek Wine Tram! This article shares valuable information for those planning their own Franschhoek Wine Tram tour, whether from Cape Town or not!

FRANSCHHOEK TOWN

Of initial importance, the Franschhoek Wine Tram visits wineries in and around Franschhoek, South Africa (not Stellenbosch town). Franschhoek is a small town, originally founded by the Dutch, a little over an hour outside Cape Town that is famous for its wineries and gorgeous scenery. Franschhoek very close to  Stellenbosch (and part of the Stellenbosh municipality), another popular wine town in Cape Town. Tourists visit Franschhoek to taste wine and visit the downtown area, and they come as both day trippers from Cape Town and those staying a few nights. Franschhoek, like Stellenbosh, is filled with cute bed and breakfasts, shops, cafes, and restaurants that and could easily occupy a few days. We only had one day, so it was a day trip from Cape Town for our visit!

Gorgeous Franschhoek in the South African Fall!

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