The beauty of Cape Town is that the city is as diverse as it is small, allowing you to experience an incredible variety of atmospheres in just a hop, skip and a quick cab ride.

In the beach bars of Camps Bay many people spend their time watching sunsets. Simply walk along the Camp’s Bay beach strip and take your pick of the rowdy cocktail bars and beach-side cafes with excellent food and wine.

Once the day’s heat is a warm memory and the cooler balmy night sets in, most people head into the belly of the city for the bars of Long Street – the heart of Cape Town’s nightlife.

Bars range from the sophisticated to the completely laid-back. Park your car and take a stroll up this always lively, loud and bustling African street. Pass roadside food vendors and pop into whatever bar takes your fancy.

Pubs, plush lounge bars, sports bars, cocktail lounges and open air cafes all draw you in before sending you off and onto the next adventure.

Alternatively, simply head for the Waterfront and find a comfortable place to have a pint and something to snack on.
As an old harbour town, Cape Town has always had a busy nightlife. For a long time it was concentrated in Long Street and in the Main Road of Sea Point.

With the massive increase in the number of visitors after the end of Apartheid, the entertainment industry also started to boom. New pubs, music pubs, discotheques and nightclubs mushroomed up all over town. The development of the Waterfront still strengthened this tendency.
The biggest nightclub of Africa called Dockside is situated next to the fun park Ratanga Junction. The temple-like building houses a gigantic discotheque for up to 5000 people, bars, restaurants and conference facilities. They also have live music and big theme parties. The light and sound technique is of the best and with the hydraulic lift even a car can be heaved to the stage.

Here is my selection of the top hotspots:

1. Trailer Park on the roof of the Granddaddy: Chill out on an inner-city rooftop and enjoy laid back people and atmosphere.

2. HQ Bar: The up market bar in HQ restaurant – an excellent and cosy drinks spot.

4. Boo Radleys: Conversation, sensation, and a chef’s passion in a 50s style restaurant-bar. The crowd is diverse with 25 to 45 year olds.

5. New Space Theatre: Fringe theatre on Long Street.

6. Kink Bar: Edgy and off-beat club-vibe bar with loads of character. From minimal to tango on Park Road – it rocks – with an added surprise upstairs. Go there to see what all the fuss is about.

7. Hemisphere’s SKYY Lounge: Party 31 floors up. Make a reservation for the SKYY Lounge and you’ll have a VIP view of the dance floor, a private table with its own fridge and bottle of SKYY Vodka.

8. Asoka: Catch some excellent Cape Town jazz every Tuesday at Asoka, the popular Cape Town night club and bar is trendy, minimalist, and is perfect for laid-back nights out with style.

9. Club Chevelle: Chevelle is the latest addition to Cape Town nightlife. The 5-star club definitely has people talking and queuing to get a taste of the good life.

10. Bombay Bicycle Club: Expect the quirky to conformists.

Cape Town and the Cape region are famous for award winning wines and scenic vineyards which have so much character and charm about them. Many regions have perfected the art of winemaking so be sure to put together a schedule to visit the wine farms.

We booked a 3 day Cape Wine Tasting Tour and spent three fantastic days sampling the finest wines and soaking up the sunshine in the beautiful vineyards of the Cape Winelands. The wine tasting took place at a huge variety of wine cellars, accompanied by an expert guide. Our Cape Wine Tasting Tour was rounded off with a Wine and Food pairing course.
Whether you’re interested in learning more about South African wine-making, or if you simply love good food and wine, this tour will be a great treat! We enjoyed every ‘tasty’ minute of it.
With the following itinerary we would like to give you some insight into the tour we experienced.

Day 1: Franschoek
In the morning our guide collected us from our guest house in Cape Town and whisked us over the Hottentots Holland mountain range to the Paul Cluver winery. This winemaker offers a range of fine wines in the tradition of the old Cape wine masters. Continuing eastward the Heme-en-Aarde valley brought us to the Hamilton Russell and Bouchard-Finlayson wineries, home of South Africa’s premier pinot noir wines. Our morning of wine tasting ended with a gourmet cheese platter at Sumaridge Winery – the best of South African made cheeses.
At lunch time we had the opportunity to wander around the quaint town of Hermanus which is famous for the country’s best land-based whale watching. At the end of the first wine tasting day we checked in to your guest house in the Huguenot town of Franschhoek – a lovely place in the valley.

Day 2: Stellenbosch
The next morning we started our day with a wine tasting at Plaisir de Merle, a showcase estate associated with wines of unsurpassed quality. At Vrede en Lust we enjoyed a vineyard tour and a wine tasting.
A picnic lunch at Cowlin Winery allowed us to experience both the old and new in the living Cape tradition before continuing on to L’Ormarins for another wine tasting. After a short drive through tour of the scenic town of Stellenbosch we checked in at Rusthuiz Guest House for the evening.

Day 3: Somerset West
On our third and unfortunately last day we drove to a Wine and Food Pairing specialist in Somerset West for a three-hour Wine and Food matching session. The session included a light lunch as part of the course. After lunch we went to Lourensford for a wine tasting and then to Vergelegen Estate for another tasting and a walk through the gardens. At the end of our Cape Wine Tasting Tour we’ve been transferred back to our Cape Town accommodation.

From Malaysian slaves, Dutch, English and French explorers to indigenous Khoisan people, the origins of Cape Town’s three million inhabitants are extremely diverse. Since Cape Town’s establishment as a halfway stopping point on the ‘Spice Route’ to India in the 1600’s, the centuries that followed saw an influx of explorers, settlers and colonists arriving in the ‘fairest Cape’ to live among the indigenous tribes already there.

Together with South Africa’s recent colourful and often painful history during the apartheid years, it’s small wonder that the city has emerged as a vibrant, edgy and eclectic place with a rich and textured cultural heritage. In Cape Town, the arts are alive and there’s a lot to see and do.

Theatre venues in Cape Town combine food or drink with jazz, cabaret, Shakespeare, musicals… whatever your taste, the city has the live performance venue to suit you.

Cape Town Theatres that I would suggest:

Artscape
Situated on the Foreshore, Artscape hosts major drama productions and is also home to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. You can enjoy regular classical concerts, as well as ballet, opera and theatre.

The Baxter
The Baxter Theatre consists of three different venues and offers a wide range of performing arts, from kids’ shows to Zulu dance spectaculars.

Kalk Bay Theatre
With only 78 seats, The Kalk Bay Theatre is an intimate theatre and restaurant. A great place for a night of unique entertainment and dining

On Broadway
With its casual ambience, On Broadway offers unique and contemporary local theatre in a restaurant-style setting.

Theatre on the Bay
On the edge of the Atlantic Seaboard in Camps Bay, this theatre hosts conventional plays and one-person shows.

Cape Town also prides itself on being a happening art venue. Check the local press for details of upcoming exhibitions, as exhibition venues are often not only limited to the city’s major galleries.
However for a taste of South African art culture, try the following:

South African National Gallery
This world-class gallery has a collection of South African and international painting and sculpture.

Rust-en-Vreugd
This museum is a good place to learn about Cape Town’s colonial past. Housed in an 18th century townhouse with a large back garden, the range of contemporary paintings is wide.

District Six Museum
This is a fascinating window into the painful and colourful history of South Africa. The museum is homage to the now obsolete District Six, a settlement that was destroyed by the South African government during the apartheid years. Note that all township tours stop here first to explain the history of South Africa’s pass laws.

South African Jewish Museum
This modern gallery documents the history of the South African Jewish community, which today numbers around 90 000. Adjoining the museum is the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, where the history of anti-Semitism is set in a South African context and is likened to the local freedom struggle.

But nothing beats actually meeting people. South Africa’s many cultural villages offer a close-up insight into the country’s traditional cultures.
In the major centres, township tours will put you in touch with real South Africans and their history.

In the rural areas, community tours will help you get to know the country through the eyes of those who live there. You can discover ancient Setswana astronomy through the lens of a grandmother with an intimate knowledge of the ancient traditions. Also, how about being taught to cook line fish the traditional way by the fishing community in Kalk Bay?
Remember, no matter where you’re from, this is where your roots are. It’s pretty much accepted that human life started in Africa. Most people look at the world differently after a tour of the Cradle of Humankind near Johannesburg – one of the richest hominid fossil sites in the world.

Fossilised footprints near Cape Town, and the wealth of rock paintings and surviving shelters in KwaZulu-Natal’s Drakensberg mountains and elsewhere in the country, all testify to humanity’s origins on this ancient continent.
More recently, South Africa’s history has been one of conflict and confrontation, but also of reconciliation and restitution. You can explore the battlegrounds where the bloody events that shaped the country took place.

From Isandlwana or Talana in KwaZulu-Natal to Soweto in Johannesburg or Langa in Cape Town, our land tells a story – but one that can be difficult to interpret, so it’s worth doing a guided tour.
Go back to the past – visit the Women’s Monument in Bloemfontein, or the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

Get a feeling of unity. A trip to Robben Island will show you how powerful that attitude can be. They have taken a place of oppression, isolation and despair and turned it into a symbol of forgiveness and hope. That’s what South Africans are doing with the whole country.

Other interesting cultural experiences:

Cape Minstrel Carnival:
The New Year and Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Second New Year) Coon Carnival dates from 1834 and the liberation of slaves. Every year about 12 troupes ranging from 200 to 1 000 men and boys dressed in costumes influenced by those of 19th-century American minstrels, march through Cape Town, performing as they walk. They finish by competing before an audience at Green Point Stadium.

Soweto:
Book a tour of this sprawling ‘township’ and see a different South Africa. Shacks built from any available material, regulation two-room houses, mansions, shebeens and road side stalls line the streets in this vibrant city, parts of which are often still shrouded by the smoke of coal fires.
The Pioneer Open-Air Museum, Pretoria:
The warm, yeasty smell of freshly baked bread greets visitors to this Voortrekker farmhouse, built from raw earth and anthill bricks, with dung floors. Staff dressed in period costume take you through the rudiments of butter churning, soap making and milking, and treat you to a “pioneer’s picnic” under whispering willows.

A Swazi picnic at Lupisi, White River:
A Swazi chief, his elders and their wives dressed in red, white and black cloth meet you when you arrive at this ‘picnic site.’ They lead you to the shady banks of a river, singing your praises as you walk, and place you before tables laden with traditional dishes cooked on an open fire. Singing and dancing entertain you while you eat.

The Basotho Cultural Village, Qwa Qwa Park
This collection of beehive reed-and-stick structures, and mud huts decorated with combed and painted patterns, is truly authentic in that it was built and designed by the Sotho people who work and act here. Your visit is announced to the headmen and you are invited inside the khotla, or courtyard, where you taste sorghum beer, watch men weaving large grain baskets and, have your fortune predicted by a Sotho traditional healer.

Shakaland:
A call from a lookout hut on high poles announces your arrival at this Zulu village, where you can watch spear making, beer brewing, beadwork, weaving an even traditional stick fighting. Then help yourself to dinner from three-legged pots and eat it from a wooden spoon. Thatched huts with electricity provide comfortable accommodation.

The following articles will cover all aspects about South Africa like culture ad heritage, tourism, entertainment and leisure, great journeys, food and wine, nature, safari and wildlife, adventure and sport.

Today let’s discover the adventures.

South Africa has a coastline of 3 000 kilometres along with breathtaking mountains – often side by side. The country’s diverse terrain, together with an ideal climate for outdoor activities makes it the perfect ground for adrenaline seekers.

South Africa offers world-class climbing, surfing, diving, hiking, horseback safaris, mountain biking, river rafting and just about any other extreme activity you can name.

It’s famous for some of the best, and most diverse, rock climbing in the world. The cliffs are big, wild and still being discovered. Cape Town is particularly well endowed, but the action is far from limited to the Western Cape.

River trips range from mostly scenic, but also wild water adventures. The art of canyoning – known as kloofing in South Africa – is another hot favourite. You hike up a rugged river gorge arriving at a series of rock pools at the Kamikaze Kanyon where you can jump from 3 metres to 22 metres high.

There are over a hundred listed paragliding or hang gliding launch sites available. Up in the air you will find many opportunities for helicopter rides, balloon flights, aerobatics, skydiving and micro light flights.

Thousands of kilometres of hiking trails wind around the country in desert, forest, mountain or coastal terrain, many with mountain bike trails adjacent.

There are wonderful easy horse trails through vineyards, on the beach or in the mountains and – for the more adventurous – horseback safaris in big game country.

If it’s a very quick high you’re after, the 216 metre Bloukrans Bridge on the border of the Eastern and Western Cape has the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.

Those who love heights can abseil over crashing waves at the western head at Knysna, hang out a kilometre high over Cape Town, do a combination abseiling and canyoning trip on the Storms River Gorge, or rap jump down buildings in Durban or Johannesburg. You are surrounded by awesome views and the deep blue Atlantic at your feet. Pure adrenaline!

Most people book their tour directly from the UK as a complete package, which usually includes international flights, hotels and transfers on the mainland, flights out to Galapagos, and the complete cruise in the islands. Most packages will fly you to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and then on to either Baltra or San Cristobal airport in Galapagos where you embark immediately onto your boat.
It is also possible to make your own arrangements for a Galapagos holiday. Alternatively, you can book your cruise once you have arrived in Ecuador. Local agencies have their offices in Quito or Guayaquil and most speak good English. Prices are often cheaper this way. However, many boats run on fixed departure dates and you may not find vacant places on a trip that suits you. This option is most suitable for those with plenty of time to spare. Also, the national park limits the number of visitors to each island and coordinates each ship’s itinerary.
Inspectors will check your luggage at the airport in mainland Ecuador, before check in to Galapagos and upon your arrival to the islands, to ensure that the risk of introducing new pests and diseases is minimal.

There is always something interesting happening in Galapagos, whatever the time of year, and there is no off-season. From about June to November is the ‘garua’ season when the weather is relatively cool and dry.
August is the coolest month with average daily temperatures ranging from a minimum of 19 to a maximum of 24 degrees centigrade. The sea is cool and can be rather rough. During this period most of the animals which rely upon the sea for their food will be breeding. These include sea and shore birds, marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals. Between about January and April is the warm season, with higher temperatures and occasional heavy rains. The hottest month is March with an average maximum temperature of 30 degrees. The islands turn green as the arid lowlands bloom, and all the land birds and reptiles start to breed. The sea is also warmer and calmer.

Galapagos is one of the very best places in the world to photograph not only wildlife but also plants, landscapes and lava patterns.

The Galapagos Islands were formed about 3-5 million years ago. They are the tips of gigantic undersea volcanoes and the area is one of the world’s most active volcanic regions. Some of the volcanoes are still active and there have been over 50 eruptions in the last 200 years. Each island is a volcano, except Isabela, which is made up of 6 volcanoes.

Although 97% of the land area of Galapagos is protected as a national park, it suffers from some serious conservation problems.

Early settlers brought in domestic animals and plants which have spread across large parts of the archipelago. Some of these animals have now become wild or ‘feral’, and are having a detrimental effect on the native flora and fauna.

More recently, illegal fisheries for sharks, lobsters, and sea cucumbers have been operating in the marine reserve, not as local artisanal fisheries but for export to countries in the Far East and elsewhere, many of which are also funding the operations. This has highlighted the need for effective patrolling of the National Park and Marine Reserve. Many of the solutions are expensive and funds are urgently needed.

As the Galapagos Islands are volcanic, there were initially no plants on the islands. There is still plant life though introduced by humans, via birds and seeds that were transported to the islands. The coastal zone consists of mangrove trees, shrubs, herbs and vines grow near the shore. The Dry or Arid zone is where cacti trees are found. For instance: the Candelabra Cactus, Giant Prickly Pear and Lava Cactus.
There are 29 species of land birds living in the Galapagos Islands (22 endemic) and 19 species of sea birds that breed in Galapagos (5 endemic).
Galapagos is also famous for mammals as sea lions, fur seal, whales and dolphins.
The Marine Life consists of Sally Lightfoot crabs, Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Shark and Surgeonfish.

You will also see reptiles as the Giant tortoise. There are now only about 15,000 in the Galapagos and only 10 races. Originally there were over 250,000 tortoises on the islands and 14 races. Other reptiles to find are the land iguana, the marine iguana, the green turtle and snakes. It’s a unique place to be.

It barely qualifies as part of Africa as the countries are separated by hundreds of kilometers of sea and 165 million years evolution which is long enough for Madagascar’s plants and animals to evolve into some of the weirdest forms on the planet. No other place in the world consist over 70 varieties of lemur, including one that sounds like a police siren, the world’s biggest and smallest chameleons, and the last stomping ground of the elephant bird, the largest bird that ever lived.
Near Ifaty in Southern Madagascar you will see forests of twisted, spiny ‘octopus’ trees. Be on the look out for the carnivorous pitcher plant found around Ranomafana, there are over 60 varieties of them. Not for nothing is Madagascar regarded as the world’s number one conservation priority.
Madagascar consists mainly of a block of crystalline rocks. It is generally described as a plateau, rising sharply from the narrow plain of the east coast and descending in a series of steps to the strip of sedimentary rocks along the west coast. The high plateau is much indented and on the eastern edge, cut by deep gorges and waterfalls. There are numerous volcanic outcrops that produce heights over 6,000 ft (the highest point being Tsaratanan, at 9,450 ft) and two former volcanic areas, Ankaratra and Andringingtra, which are over 8,500 ft.
The eastern coast is almost straight and has very few anchorages. Behind its coral beaches there is an almost continuous line of lagoons from Foulpointe to Farafrandana.

The wildlife is astounding. There are 223 species of amphibians of which 221 are endemic. Out of the 340 species of reptiles, 314 are endemic. 2/3 of the 100 species of true chameleons are to be found on the island. There are some 240 species of birds on the island and half of them are endemic. Perhaps it has the planet’s highest endemic ratio of birds. Five bird families are unique to Madagascar. 97% of its mammals are endemic. There are some 131 species of mammals of which 31 belong to the bat phylum and all of which, except 12, are endemic.
One cannot say how many species of lemurs there are in Madagascar today because between 1997 and 2006 some 15 new species have been found in its forests. The list runs up to 75 species as of now, though some 15 species have gone extinct. Some of these extinct species may have been the size of a gorilla. Today some of the known species are in danger of extinction and others are vulnerable.

The island of Madagascar offers a variety of possibilities for the adventurer and the seeker of new experiences. Every visitor finds the ideal vacation thanks to the different climate and area zones on offer on this fascinating island. Adventure seekers find an excellent area to indulge their pleasures there.
Madagaskar offers great fishing possibilities in Belo Tsiribihina, Morondava, Mitsio island, Nosy Be island, Sakatia island, Sainte Marie island, Ifaty, Anakao and also in Fort Dauphin. These are only the best known.
Great fishing possibilities are offered in Belo. Some anglers who have gone to these regions thought it was a paradise and even an improvement on Mauritius, which is particularly renowned for fishing.
Mountaineering is great in Tsaratanana Mountains, the Tsingy D’Ankarana and the Tsingy de Bemaraha.
Also, discover the grottoes of Andranoboka at Mahajanga, the caves of Andavadoaka at Morombe, the grottoes of Sarodrano at Anakao, at Mahasoabe near Fianarantsoa and many caves in the Tsingy of Ankarana.

Opportunities to go river rafting with a rubber dinghy are offered just the same as tours by dug-out canoe or river steamer. Well known is the adventurous river journey of Miandrivazo to the west coast on the Tsiribihina river.
For fans of horse back riding there is the possibility to hire a horse and to explore and enjoy the area on its back. Best places for this activity are Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Mahavelona, Mantasoa, Tamatave and Ramena
The popular windsurfing is already possible at very many organized sites on Nosy Be and Sainte Marie.
Well-equipped diving centres can be found on the island of Nosy Be, at Sakatia, Sainte Marie, Anakaoa, Ifaty, Belo Tsiribihina and Morondava. The hotels of Sainte Marie and some plants at the coast send boats out with well-informed skippers for whale observation from July till October.
There are many options for wandering and trekking due to the different landscape zones, so that for every taste something is available. Examples of beautiful walks include the Tsingy d’Ankarana, from Apefy to the Lily waterfall, along Canal de Pangalanes in Abohitsara, and the many walks in the separate reservations.
Highly recommended walks are the smugglers path of the Lac Alaotra, the Masoala trek of Maroantsetra, trekking routes in the Isalo National Park and also in the sacred Andringitra mountains where adventurous travellers can climb the Pic Boby which is the second highest mountain of Madagascar and offers some of the best trekking on the island. Explore!

Mozambique features 2500km of pristine beachfront on the mainland, with a number of good natural harbors.
If you love isolated places, conservation, safaris or activities like fishing and diving, keep an eye on the remote Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, where one of Africa’s most exciting new eco-ventures is taking shape.

In an untouched area, the Cabo Delgado Biodiversity and Tourism Project will offer a rare combination of big game safaris and tropical coastal activities while funding comprehensive conservation and community development initiatives! Cabo Delgado has been declared among its most important African conservation projects.

Mozambique has an exceptional biodiversity, with over 15 different land habitats, including endangered coastal forest. Viable game populations include Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo, Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog and several Antelope species.
A marine survey revealed rare habitats such as sea-grass beds and found coral reefs that are among East Africa’s richest, with diverse fish life and endangered species including turtle, humpback whales, dugong and whale shark. It makes Mozambique one of the world’s most fascinating places for diving and snorkeling.

Mozambique is also a great adventure for 4×4 enthusiasts. There are more than enough 4×4 routes for the rough and tumble brigade although the less adventurous can explore the island in random 2 wheel drive car.
Investment in the road infrastructure has ensured that visitors can now travel further than in the past and is allowing visitors to the country more options for their beach holidays.

Several small island paradises can be found off the coast, including the Bazaruto Archipelago made up of five islands, some of which are protected national parks. The islands offer beautiful beaches, abundant bird and marine life, and lovely coral reefs.
Fishing is world class and includes salt water fly-fishing and big game fishing for marlin and sail fish (tag-and-release)
Over 1200 species of fish have been identified in the coastal waters of Mozambique.

Mozambique has been included in a vast transfrontier park incorporating wilderness reserves in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, it is the world’s largest reserve and infrastructure for visitors.

The major thinking of most British timeshare owners is how to sell their timeshare after the rising costs of maintenance fees. According to newspaper articles some of the big European players such as Diamond Vacation Club appear to be in constant battle with their members over rising maintenance fees.
Also, with the weakening of the pound against the Euro some timeshare owners have literally seen their maintenance fees double! Timeshare is obviously not protected against outside influences such as inflation, but is this really the major problem?

The maintenance fee is used to keep the property up to a certain standard. Taking this logic one step further, if the price of building materials, labor wages, and consumer goods rise; the maintenance fee will have to increase to cover those inflated costs. This aspect can be considered as reasonable. How much of these costs are truly related to inflation though? Most timeshare owners are astounded at the rise in their maintenance fees or the number of “special assessments” that are levied on them to maintain their property.

Another aspect that causes financial issues concerns timeshares that are part of a hotel resort. People who are not in the hotel business are generally unfamiliar with the costs of maintaining a hotel. These expenses differ drastically from the expenses of maintaining a home because hotels must be fully refurbished every 3-5 years to stay modern and to keep their star rating. Obviously there is a lot more to cover than in a single home and therefore it is a pricey incidental.
Considering the lack of control over these high and variable expenses, one could ask where the benefits of such an ownership are.

At this point let’s compare the yearly holiday costs vs. maintenance fees.
Most of the families that own timeshares would have been better off saving for holidays every year. Even some of the people who use their timeshare every year could have saved more money by paying for their holidays yearly because of the significant rise in the costs. Hotels do not have the ability to pass all of their costs on to the consumer which is the point at issue that timeshare owners are dealing with. Hotel prices are based on the number of travelers to their destination, because they would rather be full (or close to it) than charge higher prices and have large holiday rates. Particularly during times when most consumers cannot afford holidays, hotels tend to be cheaper. Timeshares do not have that same link; in fact it’s quite the opposite, as members are paying to keep the resort running in a financially viable manner.

Unless people take holidays for two months out of the year – every year – for many people the yearly maintenance fee is greater than what they pay for their holidays. Putting that same money in savings will give people more flexibility and more money in the short and long run.

This table shows the tricky structure of rising fees

A significant increase in fees came with the takeover of former Sunterra by DRI (Diamond Resorts) and for 2 years there was plenty of mud slinging. DRI needed to rebrand the resort and the previous company allegedly did not account correctly and was not recovering enough fees from its members. The question is why? In fact in 2008 the base fee increased 14% and yet in 2009 DRI wanted another 20% from its members on top of their 2008 fees. All in all the members are paying now an extra 30% to DRI for running the club although the restructuring is now complete.

Are DRI and other resorts recovering enough fees from its members to cover the overheads of running the resorts? If not, why is that possible?
High pressure sales tactics obviously didn’t sell the product as a maintenance burden. Many disillusioned timeshare owners decided not to keep up with their maintenance payments and try to get rid of their ownership.
Perhaps the developers didn’t calculate such losses within their budgets? Is it that those owners who do keep paying their annual fees have to pay more to recompense these losses? Are there any means to break out of it? Somehow everybody has been let down in this circle, however, many problems result from the fact that some products haven’t been sold as what they really are, the results have potentially created financial burdens all round.

It may be worth asking yourself the question, are you the one owning the ‘goodies’ or do the ‘goodies’ own you?

Allegedly statistics suggest that customers continue to pay maintenance fees because they like having the benefits of a timeshare. If this is the case, then it is left to question why so many timeshare owners desperately try get rid of their timeshare which they consider more as a financial burden than an asset. Buying a timeshare is an expensive purchase in the first place and due to increasing maintenance fees it steadily costs the client more and more as time goes on.

Many timeshare owners keep paying their maintenance fees, because they don’t want to lose the money they initially spent on it. “Will the consumer pay the $800 or give up the $24,000 they have already spent?” asked the chairman and CEO of Diamond Resorts International. This is only one consequence if owners stop paying maintenance fees. They could also end up in court being forced to pay their fees.

Increasing maintenance fees can quickly drain financial resources and timeshare owners try to dispose of the financial burden, but selling a timeshare is another tricky aspect. It will usually be for a substantial loss, if they can sell it at all. Developers are not willing to buy it back and many timeshare owners find themselves tied up in a deal for decades due to a perpetuity clause in the contract.

Mr and Mrs Horwell who are trying to dispose of their timeshare state that “The maintenance fees continue to rise to a point where we don’t think it is worth keeping it. We called the resort and asked about giving the week up by not paying the yearly fee. They said we cannot do that. It was suggested that we try to sell it”. They then figured out that they would have to pay a transfer fee of about $700 along with the maintenance fee of $800, thus resulting in them having to pay $1,500 just to get out of it.

The case of Mr and Mrs Harrison is quite similar; “We have a timeshare week in Fuerteventura and spent 2 successful holidays there, but have found the maintenance fees going up year by year and now we feel that it would be cheaper for us to book a holiday via the internet. We are not sure what to do though. If we just don’t pay the maintenance fees we risk eventually being taken to court. The only people we have managed to find who will sell it for us are asking for about £180 advertising fees up front and this sounds like a bit of a scam to us” – and they are right to be suspicious of companies requesting up front fees. Once the fee has been paid, these companies have little or no incentive to put any effort into finding a buyer.

Many holiday makers considered timeshare as a better value option to enjoy high end holidays. It is left to question whether this is really the case. It is rather cheaper to book a holiday via internet today. Holiday makers can book high quality apartments much cheaper and without the burden of paying annual maintenance fees, especially in this very competitive marketplace. There are millions of cheap holidays to search and book online. Due to the economic downturn hotels also offer special deals. Customers can book online in a matter of minutes or over the phone with the help of travel experts.

With the ongoing crisis that the global economy is experiencing today, no sane individual would continue to pay for something that provides insufficient returns or nothing at all. Then, why do timeshare owners keep paying for hefty maintenance fees, special assessments, exchange fees, property taxes and other associated fees every year even though they might not make use of their timeshares? Because the contract that they signed at that euphoric moment when they were buying into a “lifetime of luxury holidays” commits them to do exactly that! We all know that hindsight has 20-20 vision, but the reality is that simply booking a holiday online, as and when you want to, can be a lot less stressful and in the long term, an option which offers much better value.