7 Travel Tips for First Time Travelers

Starting something off on the right foot can make your trip and end results so much better, yet many people find that when things do not go as planned, it can ruin everything. Here are some things you can do to plan ahead for your next travel experience.

If you are a first time traveler, you may find these helpful:

1.      Be open to learning new things. Travel can be a great deal of fun but you will experience new and different things. Some people find this creates anxiety because they’re not expecting it. So be prepared and be open to the new experiences.

2.      Get cheap bus tickets when you purchase in advance. Use Greyhound bookings and plan your travels in advance and you can save a great deal of cash on your tickets.

3.      Learn the basics of the language. If you’re traveling someplace that speaks a different language, take the time to learn the basics. You don’t have to be fluent but it will help to have a background of understanding.

4.      Travel in a style that suits your values and interests. Don’t worry about what other people say about where and how you should travel. If you want to take a trip to Cape Town, Durban or even Johannesburg then go for it!. Whatever you want, this experience is yours alone.

5.      Try some street food. This is a great way to experience the unique cultures of other areas. Don’t be afraid to try the street food.

6.      Pack lightly. Far too often, people are over-prepared and they pack too much stuff. This is an even bigger problem if you make purchases, like souvenirs while you are there. You’ll have to haul a bunch of stuff back with you that you might not have room for.

7.      Practice festive safety season and know where you are and when, if traveling during the holidays. Have fun but get back home safely.

If you are planning your first travel soon, Greyhound bookings can help you find cheap bus tickets to your destination. 

Where to go in SA for a family vacation

Destination 1: Teniqua Treetops – Sedgefield, Garden Route

The most awesome thing about this destination in my opinion is that you sleep in a tree house. Yes, you read that right! You and your family literally sleep in a tree house, surrounded by a magical forest with lovely woodland trails and even a fairy or two. The uniqueness of this experience and the safety of your surroundings allow your children to explore the forest, swimming pool and games rooms with outside braais on their own, while you bask in the beauty around you. You are also right on the Garden Route and Sedgefield offers local markets and beaches.

 

Destination 2: Cathedral Peak Hotel – Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal

This is a no-brainer. Just take a look at pictures of this place and you will be phoning in your booking. This is not just one of the most beautiful places in SA, but also a World Heritage Site. The expansiveness of the majestic mountains will not be lost on you and there is plenty activities for your children – whether you participate or not. There are planned activities during peak holiday season, a separate children’s dining room as well as babysitters! Five course meals for the adults will have you begging for more and the frenzy of so many people (the hotel has 104 rooms) is absorbed by the beauty of your surroundings. Enjoy walks, views, the amphitheatre and rest up!

 

Destination 3: Sparkling Waters Hotel – Rustenburg, North West Province

This 3 star hotel is highly recommended by the AA and is a graded Hotel & Spa situated in the heart of the Magaliesberg Range – a mere 90 minutes’ drive from Johannesburg. With more than 16 on site sport, recreation and outdoor activities, this caters for the whole family. Your options include tennis, volleyball, mini golf, mountain bikes, hiking trails, outdoor action cricket, paintball war games, very well equipped games room, playpark, heated splash pool, cold pool, the spectacular Magaliesberg Canopy tours, Sparkling Health Spa and more. The Health Spa even includes treatment for kids in their own salon when numbers allow!

 

What other spots have become your family favourite? Share with us in the comments below!

Why you should choose Cape Town for your spring break

1.Robben Island

When you are in Caep Town, Robben Island is an absolute must! This half-day tour will take you to the former prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years behind bars, fighting for freedom. Many other members of political parties were jailed alsongside him and one of your guides will most likely be an ex-political prisoner, which gives you a beautifully coloured picture of what it was like. The tour includes the prison and the whole island, which is fascinating. Traveling to the island by ferry should also not be dismissed!

 

2.The penguins at Boulder Beach

Swimming with the penguins at Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula near Cape Town is a real thrill, especially if you have kids traveling with you. A small portion of the beach has been allocated to the public and it’s separated from the mail penguin colony. However, the penguins pay no mind to this separation and you will often find a penguin sitting next to you on your towel or darting around your legs while you cool off in the ocean. Make sure you get there early in spring, as it can get quite crowded.

 

3.Table Mountain

Obviously this is a must. Table Mountain is one of the 7 wonders of the world and you simply cannot be in Cape Town and not visit this huge slab of stone that it 1086m high and 3km long. The mountain houses more than 1400 unique species of plants as well as several mountains. If you take food up with you, you will find that the dassie rats are quite eager to share your food! You can either climb the mountain (if you’re fit enough for this 3 hour climb) or go up via cable car. The view is astonishing and you can even see Robben Island from the top!

 

What else have you done in Cape Town that is a no-miss opportunity? Share with us in the comments below or on social media!

How to go on holiday without breaking the bank

 

Step 1: The destination

Make sure you choose your destination according to your budget. There is no need to always go to a pricey location and this will influence your budget hugely as expensive accommodation always mean expensive food. There are lots of lesser known spots with beautiful settings and activities. For example, maybe you shouldn’t go to Malibu or Miami to see a beautiful beach. Do yourself a favour and go to Mozambique first – the setting is just as beautiful, but at half the price!

 

Step 2: Accommodation

This is one of the biggest expenses when going on holiday. Please don’t try to book a five star hotel on a camping budget. There are many hotels that are affordable and still clean with proper and healthy food that don’t cost you an arm or a leg. There are also many services available online that allows you to compare various hotels with each other in order to easily find the best one with the best price. This could be the difference between a 3 day trip and a 2 week trip!

 

Step 3: Food

It is a known fact that you eat more when you are on vacation. To the dismay of many women worldwide, this cannot be avoided. So what you should avoid when on vacation is restaurants. Try to not eat out every day when you’re on vacation, but rather choose a hotel which has breakfast and dinner included in their daily rates or book at a self-catering lodge and bring some food from home (if you’re not travelling very far obviously). You also don’t need to have a big lunch every day – simple sandwich or two could also do the trick and this can save you between R200 and R300 per day if you’re four people traveling together.

 

What other tips have you come across that has helped you save money for traveling? Share with us in the comments section below!

Planning for Spring Break

Well,, the sun rises earlier, the birds are singing those beautiful songs of theirs and low and behold – you’ve packed your winter jackets and long johns away. Yes, it’s that time of the year – spring! For most students this means that the summer vacation is not too far away anymore. In the meantime though there’s another much-needed break – spring break! Let’s see how you can maximise this week with a short vacation before the last shift of 2014 starts!





The first thing is to plan ahead. Most vacation spots are fully booked months before the actual holiday, so make sure that you have your plans ready atleast 5 months before the holiday starts. This way you can even plan how to pay for accommodation so that you have one less thing to save for. When you’ve chosen a spot, remember to also plan how you will get there. If you don’t have a car, you could take the train or bus or even fly to your destination. Make sure your tickets are booked and paid for to avoid a last minute disappointment!





If you’re going somewhere that you haven’t been before, make sure to do some research on your location. Find out what the area has to offer in terms of entertainment and make sure to include this in your budget too. If you’re travelling to a different country, make sure your passport is valid and that all your documentation is up to date.





The budget is a really big part of planning for your holiday. Don’t forget that unfortunately having fun mostly costs money, so try to put a little money away every month so that you are prepared. Try to be very accurate in terms of what you will spend your money on, such as souvenirs or tattoos. Remember that you want to relax and have a good time! Remember that if you’re travelling to a different country that this might have a cost impact on your phone bill. Make sure you talk to your service provider about roaming fees for calls and data so that you don’t get a nasty surprise when you get back.





During the month of your visit, make sure you slowly but surely start getting everything together. Confirm accommodation and transportation bookings a week prior to leaving to check that all is still in order, pack your bags and then go and enjoy that holiday!


What other things do you take into account when planning a holiday?http://greyhoundsa.wordpress.com/

Greyhound is one of the most successful bus companies in the world

Greyhound is one of the most successful and recognized luxury bus service companies in the world. Greyhound South Africa offers routes that range between provinces, cities and even countries. The biggest international routes offered by Greyhound include South Africa to Zimbabwe, South Africa to Mozambique and South Africa to Namibia, as well as frequent trips between Johannesburg and various other cities in SA.

Going on a long journey is something most of us have experienced, and it is something that can be filled with stress even if you’re travelling in a car. Bus travel, however, is a whole different ball game. One of the most important differences between travelling in a car and travelling in a bus, especially during a long trip, is that you will be surrounded by strangers.

Being on a bus with strangers means that there are certain things that you would want to do, etiquette-wise so that the ride remains pleasant for everyone involved.

Firstly, know your boundaries. Being in a cramped space means that you will not have much freedom in terms of where you can store (or scatter, if you wish) your stuff. Keep to your own section as much as possible, and be accommodating if there are little things that need to be shared over between you and your neighbor.

Secondly, remember: you are going to be spending the next few hours sitting next to someone, so the least you can do is show some common courtesy. Be friendly and exchange a few words with the person sitting next to you. Make sure you both understand what you are going to be doing. For example, if they have a music player that is a little bit too loud, ask them nicely to turn it down. There is usually no need to cause a commotion, and most people are usually willing to share space quite easily if they are treated fairly.

Included in your personal space are your behavioral patterns. As you may know, certain habits don’t translate well in the public sphere, so just remember that you are in fact in public, so showing some common decency is recommended.

Then, to make things easier and more comfortable for yourself during the trip, here are a few simple tips, courtesy of Helium.com:

·         Firstly, if you are travel-sick or allergic to anything then make sure you have your medication, because you never know if there will be any delays making the journey longer and therefore you should be prepared for lasting the extra hour or so. Another reason, is if before you set off, you have completely forgotten to take them, you will have them with you.

·         Secondly, take entertainment. Portable games and mp3's can come in extremely useful, but most importantly make sure you have headphones as the person you are sat next to may be trying to read or just trying to enjoy the peace. Be careful when choosing which to take however, as some games grow tedious very quickly and so perhaps a book would be more useful to you. After all, you do not want to end up having to take an enormous bag full of useless things.

·         Next, make sure you have a drink or maybe even snacks. If the journey is very long, you are bound to get hungry or thirsty, although, water would be most useful as other drinks can leave you feeling more thirsty and sandwiches that have vegetables (like lettuce) so that you can stay healthy. Also, taking simpler foods means less rubbish/packaging to carry around afterwards.

·         Another idea would be to try and keep everything in one bag, that way you are less likely to forget things. It, also, makes it easier to carry around. Your bag should be readily packed night/day before your journey so that you can feel less rushed before you leave. Additionally, this can give you time to think about how you want to organize your bag making it easier to find things during your trip. 

·         For your clothing, make sure it is comfortable as you will be sat in the same outfit for a long time. Make it suitable for warm and cold temperatures, for example, if you wear a jumper and it gets warmer, you can take it off and be in your t-shirt but equally, if it gets colder, have a scarf/hat ready in your bag to put on. Your footwear also needs to be comfortable so that if there are any bus changes in your journey, walking from one to the other won't be as difficult. This means that new shoes are definitely a bad idea.

·         Finally, take anything that you have specifically decided you want to use, for example, if you plan on sleeping for most of the journey, then an eye-mask and earplugs may be extremely useful or if you want to read a book, obviously, don't forget your book, but taking a bookmark or travel light would also be handy. 

·         And remember, don't panic, you're going on a lovely trip, try and enjoy yourself! 

For more information on Greyhound South Africa and the routes available from your city, visit the Greyhound South Africa website and find your area.

Planning for Spring Break

Well,, the sun rises earlier, the birds are singing those beautiful songs of theirs and low and behold – you've packed your winter jackets and long johns away. Yes, it’s that time of the year – spring! For most students this means that the summer vacation is not too far away anymore. In the meantime though there’s another much-needed break – springbreak! Let’s see how you can maximize this week with a short vacation before the last shift of 2014 starts!

The first thing is to plan ahead. Most vacation spots are fully booked months before the actual holiday, so make sure that you have your plans ready at least 5 months before the holiday starts. This way you can even plan how to pay for accommodation so that you have one less thing to save for. When you've chosen a spot, remember to also plan how you will get there. If you don’t have a car, you could take the train or bus or even fly to your destination. Make sure your tickets are booked and paid for to avoid a last minute disappointment!

If you’re going somewhere that you haven’t been before, make sure to do some research on your location. Find out what the area has to offer in terms of entertainment and make sure to include this in your budget too. If you’re travelling to a different country, make sure your passport is valid and that all your documentation is up to date.

The budget is a really big part of planning for your holiday. Don’t forget that unfortunately having fun mostly costs money, so try to put a little money away every month so that you are prepared. Try to be very accurate in terms of what you will spend your money on, such as souvenirs or tattoos. Remember that you want to relax and have a good time! Remember that if you’re travelling to a different country that this might have a cost impact on your phone bill. Make sure you talk to your service provider about roaming fees for calls and data so that you don’t get a nasty surprise when you get back.

During the month of your visit, make sure you slowly but surely start getting everything together. Confirm accommodation and transportation bookings a week prior to leaving to check that all is still in order, pack your bags and then go and enjoy that holiday!

What other things do you take into account when planning a holiday?