Click here to view the latest availability of flights to Sal Island, Cape Verde from Birmingham, Manchester and Gatwick airports.
For more information contact the Thomson office in Sal on (00238) 2429110.

Key
SID: Sal airport
BHX: Birmingham airport
LGW: London Gatwick
MAN: Manchester airport

Click here to view the latest flight offers direct from Thomson.
Last update Monday 20th July 2009

Airport codes
SID: Sal Airport Amílcar Cabral International Airport, Sal Cape Verde
BHX: Birmingham Airport, West Midlands, UK
LGW: London Gatwick Airport, UK
MAN: Manchester Airport, Uk

For more information or to book contact the Sal office on (00238) 2429110

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Price shown is inclusive of all taxes, charges and fuel supplements, they do not include meal on flight
Please note that the web price is with hand luggage only and the cost, per item, to add on hold luggage is £8.50
Whereas our price includes 20 kilos of hold luggage and no limit on number of bags plus 5 kilos of hand luggage
All prices are subject to change – please confirm at time of booking
All payments must be made in cash Euro or Escudo

Friday 29th May
20.00Raios vermelho
21:00 – Parade
Gay (Mulherres Vulcao) against Girls
(Gsh)
Gb
(Gbs)
Black Angels
Street Dance
22:00 – Esplosao 4
23:00 -Tiu lino
00:00 – DJ Suul

Beer 100ECV

Saturday 30th May
12.00 DJ
Football & volleyball tournaments
Beach games

20:00 – Soldados de ja
21:00 – Sanca e banda
22:00 – Ary
23:00 – Nazalio Fortes e Banda

Beer 100ECV

Sunday 31st May
Music All day
16.00 Miss Sixty Competition
Dj Paty
18.00 Party

Beer 100ECV

Something very different, a top jet air formation team from France were going to be displaying their talents over Santa Maria bay on Sunday, at 10am, we were told.
It didn’t take long for word to travel and people were planning to be in bed early on Saturday night in order to be up bright and early for the event. It was part of a series of events that have taken place to celebrate 25 years of the aviation company ASA.

Sunday morning: I left my house at 10am, even though things usually run very late here, I didn’t want to risk missing this momentous event…

I arrived at the beach, and was amazed to see it was completely full, a sight not seen before, not even at the annual music festival. Everyone who lives on the island must have been there; families, groups of friends, all the different communities that live here (Italian, French, Senegalese, Portuguese to name a few). Any available roof terrace was taken up, and the Beach Club Bar was full. There was a youth drum band energetically beating out Cape Verdian rhythms, there was a stage with a pa and loud music playing causing feet to tap and hips to wiggle….

The commentator kept announcing ‘the little planes will be here soon….’ (that’s how I translated it anyway), and lo, around 10.30, they arrived….

Truly incredible, 7 jets (Breitling team, from France) flew over in formation, so close together it hardly seemed possible. They thrilled us with almost half an hour of swooping and plummeting, acrobatics and feats of aeronautical skill, occasionally two or three jets broke away, and then flew at each other from separate sides of the sky to just miss each other by inches…. Well that’s how it looked to us on the beach anyway, as thousands let out a collective sigh of relief and then a giggle of amazement at the daring feat…..

There were even Lifeguards on duty on the beach, in smart orange ASA t-shirts; no-one was allowed into the sea until the show was over.

It was fabulous, I was so glad not to have missed it.

As the planes flew off over the horizon after the finale, everyone clapped, people hurled themselves into the sea, and Santa Maria beach resembled a thriving holiday resort with a crowded beach, maybe one day in the future it will always be this busy, but for now we are the lucky ones experiencing our relatively untouched long white sandy beaches, clear water and endless blue skies…..

Door to door shipping of anything, either personal or commercial goods can be arranged from almost anywhere in the world through to most islands within Cape Verde.
For packages which need to be received rapidly and/or are relatively light, air freighting of goods is usually the most cost effective form of shipment above DHL and the standard post office prices. For items which are heavy or if you need to send a greater quantity of goods then sea freight becomes a better option. Shipping items to Cape Verde via sea freight is usually in 20ft (30 cubic meters) or 40ft (60 Cubic meters) standard containers, if you do not need to ship a full containers worth of goods then it is usually possible to send only part load containers.

If the goods being sent to Cape Verde are new then it is necessary to pay import duties upon their arrival even if they are for personal use. In order to clear the goods through customs it is necessary to have an import license for your company or to use an import agent who can act on your behalf to clear the goods.

Import tax in Cape Verde is charged as a percentage of the cost of the goods plus the cost of shipping. On top of this tax you will also have to pay 15% IVA (VAT) which is calculated on the cost of the goods + the shipping cost + the import tax.

Tax rates vary according to the product being import. Below are some examples of products and there applicable tax:

Furniture such as beds, tables and chairs, kitchen units etc generally = 50%
Crockery and kitchen electrical appliances = 30%
TV’s and Stereos = 20%
Clothing = 30%

New vehicles such as a general diesel 4×4’s = 20%
In addition to this 20% tax, for used vehicles there are further taxes. Again these are calculated on the cost of the vehicle plus shipping cost.
Examples of these are as follows:
Over 4 years and up to 6 years = 30%
Over 6 years and up to 10 years = 60%
Older than10 years = 150%

These import duty percentages are guidelines only, taxes may vary on individual products within categories.

Importation of Personal effects:
If you plan on moving to Cape Verde then you are eligible to benefit from a law which stipulates that you are entitled to import your own used personal belongings tax free if living or retiring to Cape Verde.
If you wish to import personal household effects you do not need to pay import tax providing that the goods are used and not new. As with everything being imported, new or used, Customs will inspect the goods on arrival to ensure that they are indeed used and not eligible for taxation.

Cape Verde Imports is an import and shipping agent based on the island of Sal, Cape Verde, specialising in the complete logistics for the transport of goods to any island within Cape Verde from anywhere worldwide.
For any enquiry’s or further information on the full door to door service by either air or sea freight including customs clearance and delivery or just for import agent assistance within Cape Verde please either go to Cape Verde Imports for more information or email info@capeverdeimports.com.

Inter-island flight promotion:


Sal, São Vicente and Praia from 3.495$00*

Boavista – Sal or Sal – Boavista from 2.995$00*

Praia – São Filipe or São Filipe –  Praia from 2.995$00*

Praia – May or May – Praia from 2.995$00*


Guarantee YOUR seat by booking now!

For more information, contact your Travel Agent or Halcyonair by phone: 00238 241 23 24, fax: 00238 241 23 62 or email: reservas@halcyonair.com

(* Fare conditions: Taxes included, price per course, does not allow changes, cancellations and no refunds, limited places, tariff valid from 12 March 2009)

Leading travel site, expedia.co.uk, has ranked Cape Verde at number 4 of the top 10 destinations to visit worldwide with “Year-round sunshine, white sand beaches and Creole culture perfectly mix to offer you a relaxing holiday.”

New Zealand was ranked at number 1, followed by Argentina and China.

Expedia is the UK’s largest online travel agent.

“Hilton will become the first upscale international brand to operate in Cape Verde, a region with encouraging economic and tourism growth projections, some liken to that of the Canary Islands. Expansion in Africa is key to Hilton’s development strategy, as is identifying new emerging destinations like Cape Verde. The new Hilton Worldwide Resort, located in the heart of the main resort area of Sal Island will draw visitors year round to enjoy an outstanding resort experience in fantastic sunny weather, and we are delighted to have signed this management agreement,” said Jean-Paul Herzog, president, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Africa.

Hilton Cape Verde will be Hilton’s ninth property in Africa. The principal airport for Cape Verde is a short 18km (11.2 mile) drive from the resort. The three-storey new build beach resort will feature a spa, health club and swimming pool, in addition to a restaurant, two bars and a nightclub. For special events and business travel, the hotel will also house a ballroom, conference and meeting rooms, and a business centre.

Jacques Monnier, CEO, Vela Verde Tourismo SA said, “The signing of this agreement with Hilton is a clear indicator of Cape Verde’s economic and tourism potential. We are excited about bringing the first Hilton hotel to this archipelago that will offer a world-class guest experience and resort standards.”

“The Hilton Cape Verde is an exciting addition to our stellar resorts portfolio and to the greater collection of Hilton Hotels around the globe,” said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president, Brand Management – Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to continued growth in Africa, across the continent’s incredible diversity of destinations, cultures and business opportunities.”

Hilton currently operates eight hotels in Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa. Additional Hilton properties are under development in Africa in Equatorial Guinea (Malabo), Uganda (Kampala) and Ghana (Accra).

In the U.A.E, properties under development are the Residence, Beach Club and Conrad – all in Dubai, two Worldwide Resorts in Ras Al Khaimah, and the first Conrad Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The signed development pipeline also extends to Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan (Amman & Aqaba). Furthermore, the new-look Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa is scheduled to open after a complete facelift is completed in October 2008.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 2,900 hotels and 490,000 rooms in 76 countries and territories, including 100,000 team members worldwide.

The company currently operates 43 hotels in the Middle East and Africa – 18 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another ten hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton’s heritage in the Middle East stretches back nearly 50 years, when it became the first international hotel brand to open a property in Egypt – the Nile Hilton in 1959. It was also the first international hotel brand to open a property in the UAE over 35 years ago – the Hilton Al Ain in 1971 and has a signed development pipeline of an additional 15 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda and Ghana.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity (www.behospitable.com)

The President of the board of the board of directors for the Aeroportos e Segurança Aérea (Airports & Aerial Security) stated that the performance of the company last year was “excellent”. Mário Paixão Lopes went on to say that this was chiefly due to the implementation of Human Resource management as well as completing the “2004-2008 business plan”.

Paixão acknowledged however, several areas which need further attention, including on Sal, the structure of baggage handling and border control when entering and leaving the country.

The ASA celebrates it’s 25th anniversary this year.

Source: Inforpress

The national airline of Cape Verde, TACV, has announced that as of June it intends to service the high demand from Spanish tourists by providing a weekly direct flight from the Spanish capital to Sal.

The airline, which has been heavily promoting Cape Verde in recent months along with Cabo Verde Investmentos, the national agency for foreign investment, intends to make the prices “competitive”, in order to boost tourism.