Hope For the Holiday Shopaholic

There is little doubt that shopping, both locally and overseas, can become an obsession for the vast majority of us and experts agree that as many as 90% of 'shopaholics' are of the fairer sex. Thousands of women the world over actually travel internationally for one thing and one thing only - to fill their suitcases with exotic and not-so-exotic collectibles and clothing!

The Far East is a shopper's paradise

The Far East is renowned as a shopper's paradise, especially if you are looking to upgrade all your gadgets and gizmos. Digital cameras, iPods and laptop computers go at a veritable steal in cities like Taipei and Bangkok, and in the commercial centres of a friendlier China, brand name clothing, shoes and accessories are available to the discerning shopper at a fraction of the cost.

Dubai is a desert capital that has been carefully and craftily designed to seduce even the most frugal of spenders and an African safari can only really be kept alive in our memory once we have collected those oversized, hand-made curios.

The War on Terror has compounded the problem of getting your booty on the plane

All this may be good and well, especially for the economies of these shopping-friendly nations, but since the Bush administration declared its War on Terror, it is a tad more difficult getting your booty onto the plane.

There is a list as long as your arm of items strictly prohibited on any aircraft and, even if you can legally transfer your bundles and bags, the excess baggage regulations will be punitive to say the least. At the end of the day, what you have saved on the item itself will probably be gobbled up by the airline's excess luggage rates.

Let the excess luggage experts ship your vacation treasure on your behalf

The innovative South Africans have found a solution to this very problem and have dedicated companies that will take care of your holiday treasures for you. Any excess luggage will be collected from your destination in either Cape Town or Johannesburg and then shipped to the international airport closest to you.

So whether it is a 1 metre giraffe carefully carved out of the indigenous woods of Zimbabwe or a ton of funky Thai apparel, it is possible to hand the entire transport nightmare over to the experts - lock, stock and smoking barrel. Quite simply, if you have the liquid cash to buy everything you see on holiday, go mad! The excess luggage experts will do the rest.