South Africa is fondly known as the Rainbow Nation. Encompassing almost 3,000km of coastline, 471 thousand square miles of land and innumerable areas of natural beauty, it’s a fitting name for such a diverse and colourful country. With so much on offer to see and do, some level of planning is essential. With that in mind, here is a collection of the best resources for planning a holiday in South Africa. Including both online and offline resources, you can prepare fully before you travel. Also, when on the road you can relish the convenience of some of the very best guide books.
The best online resources for planning a holiday in South Africa
If you have never visited South Africa before, you will want to start off with some initial reading to get an idea of the culture, attractions and sights here. One of the best places you can start is with a visit to the South Africa tourist board website. Purpose built for visitors coming to South Africa, it’s easy to use and full of all of the relevant information you could possibly need. That said, its focus is around mainstream sights and attractions, so don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
The Foreign Office website is regularly updated with the latest travel advice for a variety of countries, including South Africa. It provides advice about any travel restrictions which may be in place as well as strike information and more. As such, it’s useful to check this before travelling to South Africa.
Just like Wikipedia, Wikitravel is a crowd sourced website meaning that many different people can contribute to it. This means that the information found here isn’t always one hundred percent correct. To get bite size knowledge however, it’s a useful resource for trips to South Africa. Just be sure to double check the information on an alternative source before making concrete plans.
The famous company Lonely Planet is fantastic for finding out about major attractions and things to do while on holiday here. The website has recently been redesigned with a fresh new look. As an added bonus, it’s partnered with Viator (a travel experiences booking site). If you find an experience you definitely want to enjoy on your trip, it’s really convenient to book it then and there.
If you have specific questions that you are unable to find the answer to online, don’t forget about the power of forums. TripAdvisor is of course the best known and has specific forums dedicated to all things South Africa. Virtual Tourist and Fodors are also good places to ask questions and get handy replies from people who have travelled there first hand.
For accommodation, handy travel tips and advice and more, the following websites are also useful and interesting websites to consider:
• Cape Stay
• Go Africa
• Safari Guide
• South Africa Travel
• SA Venues
Last but not least, don’t forget to utilise social media! There are plenty of articles, blogs and photos out there that you might not otherwise find. Use the search features on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Google + and even Pinterest or Stumbleupon to discover plenty of great information.
The best offline resources for planning a holiday in South Africa
In a world where the internet is growing ever more important, guide book sales are falling. That said there are many benefits to taking one with you and can come in handy. One example includes the cost of internet roaming fees; sometimes it just isn’t worth the battering on your bank account. Here are some of the best titles around.
Lonely Planet existed in print way before it ventured onto the internet and their books are still regarded as some of the very best guide books around. You can get the “Southern Africa travel guide” which is handy for people who are visiting several different areas. If you are concentrating on one region or city, look at other options. Guides such as “Cape Town and the Garden Route” give more specific and in depth information.
Rough Guides are also well known for their guide and reference books. They have a number of titles all about travel in South Africa. Each will offer some great tips while exploring this dramatic and diverse country.
Naturally, there are hundreds of resources to choose from! The ones I have highlighted here however will make a good base point to start your research for a holiday in South Africa.
If you have suggestions for more useful resources, leave a comment!
We have just had a wonderful holiday in South Africa and hired car from Budget through Economy Car Hire. No complaints about the service from either but we were surprised that the Voucher did not seem to give enough information to the Budget office about what car we should have and that although we had a second driver, this would have to be paid for despite Economy saying it was included in the price. Whether we actually paid for this, I don’t know as Budget made a charge but without giving any details, we know the petrol tank was not full,but what else? Perhaps Economy should be told what charges and why have been made to their customers.