DEPARTURE LOUNGE //SUMMER 2020
Amsterdam, where bicycles and canals literally go together.
G o
News on the
VISITING AMSTERDAM?
YOU’LL PAY MORE IN 2020
Amsterdam will hike its tourist levy on
January 1 in a bid to prevent the Dutch
capital from getting (more) swamped
with tourists.
There will be an additional flat fee of
€3 (about R49) per person per night for
guests staying in a hotel, on top of the
current 7% room rate. Tourists staying in
Airbnb rentals will also pay an increase of
10% per night. Meanwhile, those staying
at campsites will pay a flat rate of €1
(about R16) per person per night.
A couple staying at a €120/night hotel
for a week, for instance, will pay an extra
€117.60 (R1 928) on their accommodation.
While the move will see Amsterdam
carry the highest overnight tax in Europe,
city officials say the levy is needed to
stabilise numbers that already sit at
20 million tourists a year. Officials say
that revenue from the levy will be used
to help keep Amsterdam safe and clean,
and to maintain infrastructure.
12 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
SURF’S UP … IN
LANDLOCKED BRISTOL
No sea? No problem, according to the
owners of Bristol’s new inland surf
attraction, just two hours west of London.
The new artificial lagoon, called The
Wave, is open year-round to everyone
– from beginner “groms” to seasoned
pros. But don’t worry about someone else
crowding your perfect wave: the pool is
180m long and generates a wave around
every 10 seconds (up to 1 000 per hour),
“from mellow little rollers of 50cm to
barrelling beasts of almost 2m in height”,
reports Lonely Planet.
Construction is already underway to build
another site in London, set to open in 2023.
COURTESY WAVEGARDEN.COM
BEAT JET LAG WITH AN APP
The dreaded “lag” may be a thing of
the past thanks to a new app called
Timeshifter, which helps you start
adjusting to the time zone of your
destination faster.
It’s based on the latest research in
sleep and circadian neuroscience and,
according to the developers, utilises
the same technology that elite athletes
and astronauts use to perform at their
best. The app was created with Harvard
Medical School Associate Professor
Steven Lockley, who specialises in
circadian rhythms, sleep and jet lag
and works with Nasa astronauts and
Formula 1 drivers, among others.
Timeshifter allows users to create
their own personalised plans based on
sleep patterns and travel itineraries,
with options to start adjusting to the
time zones before they leave – or by
taking melatonin to adapt more quickly.