With an increasing number of residents exploring the highways and byways of South Africa, local tourists should not be naïve in thinking that travelling around South Africa is without its own surprises. Before packing the Volksy with the veld skoene, binoculars and vuvuzela, there are a few interesting tips and services that all road-trippers should be aware of.
  • Do your research when choosing your destination and accommodation before confirming any bookings. There are a number of websites, such as www.tripadvisor.com, where tourists can give personal accounts of various destinations, hotels and sights and rate them accordingly.

  • If you're renting a car, make sure you get a vehicle with a radio that can tune into the newly-launched Tourism Radio on 90.2FM, which uses the Global Positioning System to track your vehicle's movements. At a cost of between R10-R15 a day, this convenient service provides useful and insightful information on all the areas, landmarks and routes whilst driving.

  • With the high rate of credit card fraud in South Africa, be sure not to hand out your credit card details to anyone, no matter how trustworthy they seem. Do not phone, fax or email them through. Rather book with a guesthouse, backpacker or B&B that has a secure online payment system such as Booksure (look for the padlock insignia on the website) to make sure you don't fall victim to theft.

  • Try to book directly with your guesthouse, backpacker or B&B instead of going through a third party website or company. This way, you avoid paying rates that are inflated by the built-in third party commission that is taken for every booking made.

  • South Africa may seem harmless to those who know the languages but if travelling to the north-eastern parts of Mpumalanga, Kwazulu/Natal and Limpopo, malaria can be a risk, so take your pills well in advance of your departure date.

  • Make sure that your accommodation facility knows in advance if you have any specific eating requirements. Some booking facilities also offer the opportunity to put requests like these in writing while negotiating the room booking.

  • Watch the seven o’clock news to get a full weather update. No one likes an unexpected thunder-fuelled Highveld storm on an empty petrol tank. Most radio stations also have a traffic report in their drive-time traffic show. Listen out for reports on accidents, closed roads or traffic jams.

  • Hotel concierges are a mine of information and are there to make your trip easier and more enjoyable. Your first question should always be to find out where the nearest clinic is in case of an emergency.

  • Make sure that your accommodation facilities are benchmarked by one or all of our national accommodation facilities. Ask if they have been graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa or are affiliated with FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa) or SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association).

  • It is also worthwhile registering with a 'Travel Buddy'. This system consists of a network of volunteers who are willing and able to assist and advise tourists who aren't familiar with their chosen destination. When you're in a pickle, you can call a local to bail you out. To find out more or to register, log onto www.satravelbuddy.co.za.

  • Exercise some ‘cultural intelligence’ and research the most spoken language of the region you're visiting. Learn a few useful phrases. Go online and visit www.salanguages.com to get some useful words and sentences in any of the 11 official languages.

  • According to the Cape Tourism website, safety tips vary from place to place. However, the basic guidelines usually remain the same, as outlined on www.tourismcapetown.co.za:
    1. Separate your cash and credit cards and don’t carry all your cash with you.
    2. Store all your parcels and baggage in the boot of the car and out of sight.
    3. Don’t let strangers help you at ATM's.
    4. Park in well-lit areas at night.
    5. Always drive with your doors locked and your windows closed.
    6. Explore your new surroundings in large groups.

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