Durban - The Polynesian islands of Bora Bora have been voted South Africa’s most romantic travel destination. This is according to a Valentine’s Day poll conducted by South African online travel agency Travelstart, which asked its 80 000 Facebook followers to select their dream holiday location.
Respondents could choose between local hot spots such as Cape Town or Victoria Falls, or select exotic locations such as Switzerland or Rio de Janiero. Traditional romantic spots like Venice and Paris were highly sought after, as was the Taj Mahal in India. Las Vegas, synonymous with on-demand weddings and 24-hour casinos, was voted the least romantic holiday destination.
With more than 35 percent of the vote, the islands of Bora Bora walked away as the winner. This exotic getaway spot was followed by Thailand, another favourite of South Africans looking for white sand and sunny skies.
It must be said that when price is taken into account, many South African’s would probably opt for closer (and cheaper) destinations such as Zanzibar, Mauritius and Mozambique.
Nick Paul, social media manager at Travelstart, explained that, in their experience, one of the key aims for many South Africans when booking a holiday was to stay within budget. With Bora Bora being a destination at least 50 hours travel away, and likely to set couples back about R80 000, this would be a deterrent to many travel plans.
With this year’s Valentines Day having come and gone, it’s never too early to start planning (and saving!) for the next one. - The Mercury