Touring South Africa
We all know that with today's economy most people do not consider travelling overseas as a viable holiday option, it's expensive right?
Well it depends on where you travel, take the Republic of South Africa for instance, it is well known for places like the Kruger National Park, Knysna rainforest, the magnificent Karoo that thousands of people visit to see the yearly wildflower bloom.
South Africa has the most magnificent coastline with beaches to suit all tastes, from quiet little coves to Sandy bay and the bustling beaches of Durban and Amanzimtoti.
This country truly has it all when it comes to tourism and yet few people are aware of how cheap it is to travel here, a U.S Dollar buys you 10 Rand, a British Pound buys you 15 Rand.
The average hotel (three star) will charge you between $30 -$50 per person per night and I am not talking about the really cheap places, if you are not too fussy about your accommodation you can get it cheaper.
Fuel will cost you about $ 1.25 per litre and renting a car is really the only way to go, I would not advise going with a tour group unless you are very old.
South Africa is often described as having a high crime rate and it is true, however it is like most other countries, there are areas that have high crime rates and there are areas that have low crime rates, common sense should enable any traveller to South Africa to avoid getting into trouble.
I would advise avoiding the big cities when you first travel here, when you get off at Oliver Tambo International head out towards the province of Mpumalanga using the N4 highway, this is a relatively safe area, accommodation is cheaper and the people lead a more rural type lifestyle, so they tend to be friendlier and more helpful.
On your way to the more popular tourism spots like the Kruger Park be sure not to miss the less well known places like the picturesque Blyde River Canyon, Mac Mac Falls, Burks Luck, the Potholes and God's Window.
The Suwala caves also deserves to be mentioned often missed by travellers going down to Kruger Park.
To stay well within your budget it is prudent to do most of your shopping in bigger towns, so if perhaps you were heading down to Kruger, stop over in Nelspruit or Malelane and do your shopping there, you will pay a little more inside Kruger so avoid that if you can.
It is a basic rule, make sure you buy anything you need before you arrive in the tourist areas, things will be slightly more expensive there.
South Africa is not a small country and there is a lot to see, the most expensive cost of your holiday will be airfare so to make it worthwhile try to have at least two weeks at your disposal, I assure you it will stil not be enough time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7972162
By: Delon Duvenage
