 Just Browsing: Travel websites
Georgina Guedes
If you haven’t already, now is a good time to start thinking about what you want to do for the December holidays. There’s a reason that the internet has eaten away at travel agents’ profits in the last decade – convenience. So plan your leisure – at leisure – using these websites.
Tourist in your own country
Most South Africans return to the same local holiday destination year after year, but since South Africa is one of the most diverse and fascinating places on the planet, we should all make an effort to see more of it. Visit www.southafrica.net to learn about new and unusual destinations in this country, save a list of favourite destinations and plan a trip online.
Also drop in at www.southafrica-travel.net.
Where to stay
Searching for accommodation online is a breeze, with endless sites contending for the top spot. Visit www.sa-venues.com, www.wheretostay.co.za, www.sleepingout.co.za or www.stayinsa.co.za. And if heading beyond our borders, check out www.allhotels.com, www.hotelclub.com or www.hotels.com.
Backpackers on a budget should try www.hostelz.com, www.bootsnall.com or www.hostelworld.com, or, closer to home, www.backpackingsouthafrica.co.za, www.coastingafrica.com or www.backpackers.co.za. Backpackers’ hostels sometimes have double rooms as well as dormitories, so they’re a great way to visit other countries cheaply – if you’re up for a bit of a “joll”.
And if you’re feeling really adventurous, join up at www.hospitalityclub.org for a list of free places to crash around the world – on people’s sofas.
Embrace the world
Of course, if booking accommodation, you need to know where you want to go first. The biggest benefit of the web is that you can check out pictures of chosen destination to be sure that it lives up to its promise. Visit www.virtualtourist.com for people’s stories of their experiences of different destinations around the world, hotel reviews and things to do – all accompanied by user photos or videos.
Also try www.destination360.com or www.travelape.com for a limited but interesting selection of destinations.
Off the beaten track
If you’re looking for something far from the madding crowd, where “authentic” is the watchword and you’re the only tourist around for miles, check out www.unusualdestinations.com. With their help, you could end up on Madagascar’s Lemur Island or Ethiopia’s Gondar – the Camelot of Africa.
Unsurprisingly, www.off-the-beaten-track.net also helps you plan the less usual holiday, with an online planner to boot. Also have a look at www.bravenewtraveller.com.
See the world, save it
With travel increasing that carbon footprint every time you so much as poke your nose outside the front door, the more environmentally-conscious traveller uses these sites to plan their green vacation: webecoist.com, www.itsagreengreenworld.com, www.greentraveller.co.uk and www.greentourism.co.za.
Learn all about sustainable tourism lodges like Bulungula (www.bulungula.co.za) or find out about spending a holiday in a yurt (www.greentraveller.co.uk/yurt-holidays).
Kids – don’t leave home without them
Children change the international travel game. Aside from the horror of being “those people” on a long-haul flight, you never know what it’s going to be like for your children when you get there. What will they eat? Is it a permissive culture? Will there be enough to do? Fortunately, sites like www.travelwithyourkids.com and www.travelforkids.com take some of the fear out of the unknown, and provide helpful tips on packing and coping as well.
Just make it happen
If you’re more of a package-deal person than a holiday planner, then visit www.clubtravel.co.za, www.flightsite.co.za or www.computravel.co.za for an online experience that works just like a visit to a travel agent. Buy your package and off you go.
Postcard holidays
And then, just for the pure glory of the visual experience, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel to get inspiration about the kind of photographs you should be taking and the kinds of experiences you should aim to have. |
