What was meant to be a week long trip to the Northern Cape stretched to five weeks for KwaZulu-Natal couple Sarah Korck and Marek Urban.
The best part is that the couple managed to travel on a budget in what they dub the ‘best road trip of our lives.’
“We had a particular video in mind that we wanted to film, so we set out on a ‘week’ long trip into the Northern Cape,” the couple told IOL Travel.
“The people we shot the video with were talking about a meerkat sanctuary in the Kalahari Desert where the meerkats come to you and sit on your lap. We wanted to tick that off our bucket list and somewhere along that trip, we decided to travel around South Africa."
Despite many travel and tourism establishments closed and encountering many unreliable places along the way, the young couple made the most of their adventure.
Among their favourite places were the Kalahari Desert, Augrabies Falls in the Northern Cape, Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape and Hole in the Wall and Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape.
They hope that their adventure entices travellers to explore South Africa while finding ways to travel on a budget.
“South Africa is unique as each province has something different and exciting to offer. Go through each province with an open mind and enjoy what it has to offer. It’s also a good idea to travel with a flexible mindset, especially nowadays because planning activities and then arriving at a business that isn’t open can be rather frustrating.
“Get into the habit of phoning businesses rather than just looking at the information available online, this way you get first-hand information,” Korck advised.
When asked about their budget, Korck said: “Initially we didn’t realise that we would be gone for as long as we were, so we didn’t set out with a particular budget in mind. We tried to travel in a budget-friendly manner and spend our money very carefully. We kept a record of all the money we spent during our road trip and adjusted our spending accordingly.”
The couple found that camping was a great choice for those on a budget. They also frequently opted for cooked meals rather than dining out. The doting couple said travellers should research different accommodations and activities to see which one is cost-effective and worth visiting.
They also encourage travellers to carpool with friends or family to split the transport costs. Korck does advise that South Africans be mindful of Covid-19 regulations when planning road trips with their loved ones.
The couple who are currently in the UK plans to travel to France in December. They are hoping to enjoy a ski holiday.
“We are continuing with our budget travels overseas and have found what we think is the best way to travel internationally on a budget,” she added.