Johannesburg - It has been a tough year and all you’d like is a nice, relaxing festive season holiday abroad.
But that’s not looking likely as the rand is at a record low, it appears you’re not going to get a 100 percent Christmas bonus (if you get one at all) and next year is shaping up to be another tough year financially.
Don’t despair – while you may not be able to afford a holiday overseas, you have the world on your doorstep ...right here in South Africa!
The Wild Coast is just hours from most major cities and – like Thailand’s Ko Tao Island or Ile aux Cerfs in Mauritius – it has villages like Coffee Bay and Hole in the Wall, which boast secluded sugar-white beaches, clear turquoise waters and opportunities to kick back and relax or get up and explore.
If Down Under’s your preferred destination, Clifton in Cape Town is Sydney’s Bondi Beach’s less crowded and far-more-affordable twin. And the Karoo has the same wide-open, big-sky charm of the Outback – without the flies.
If America’s calling, then cruising Boyes Drive in Cape Town will make you feel like you’re on Los Angeles’s world-famous Mulholland Drive, while the Garden Route offers the same scenic drive as California’s Pacific Coast Highway and the Cape Winelands will bring to mind Nappa Valley.
But if Rio de Janeiro’s more your speed, you can party the night away in Long Street, Cape Town, while a trip on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway will feel like a visit to the Brazilian city’s world-famous Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Best of all, you don’t need a visa, foreign currency or to get your tongue around “G’day, mate”, “Sawasdee krab” or “Olá. Como está?”
Interestingly, you won’t be alone. South Africans are increasingly opting for staycations, with bookings for Flight Centre’s Red Label South African holiday deals growing by a whopping 95 percent since their introduction in April.
Overall, Flight Centre has seen South Africa as a destination grow by 11 percent this year, says Flight Centre marketing manager Nicky Potgieter.
“It’s not surprising,” says Potgieter. “South Africans are fortunate to have the world in one country, which makes travelling domestically diverse, exciting and affordable.
“With the weak rand and in these uncertain economic times, more and more South Africans are finding it hard to travel abroad. Fortunately, they don’t need to, thanks to the diversity offered by South Africa.”
South Africa is one of Flight Centre’s top travel destinations, along with Thailand and Mauritius.
“South Africans have a range of activities to choose from. From relaxing on a beach, swimming with sharks and going on safari, to dancing the night away, and from scenic attractions to cultural experiences, South Africa has it all.”
l www.flightcentre.co.za
Saturday Star