Self drive OR Organised tour

In our short five years of attempting to travel the world “while we are still young” we have tried both organised tours and self drive holidays. Which works best for you? Here are the reasons we like each option...

Self drive:

• You have more freedom with regards to your itinerary – where you want to go and when; deciding to stay longer or leave earlier; making stops along the way or taking a different route.
• You can decide who you travel with and don’t have to pretend to get along with the people in your vehicle.
• You have control over the cost of your accommodation – you can do proper research and choose the ideal place to stay, ticking all your boxes and falling within your price range.
• You have control over the menu – some people prefer having three meals a day included in a package deal, but many find that they don’t eat as much on holiday and prefer to eat smaller snacks more often, which might also work out more affordable.
• You have the opportunity to experience a destination yourself, get lost and come across the most incredible places, accidentally!

Organised tour:

• An organised tour is much less stress and hassle. There is a tour guide that tells you everything you need to know and a driver that takes you everywhere you need to be. You don’t have to plan out every detail of the trip, you can just enjoy the journey.
• In most cases, an organised tour would work out more affordable than a self drive tour, as the tour operator gets excellent discounts for booking tours for that many people at the same destinations over and over again.
• An organised tour is based on the best places to visit at any destination. You don’t have to do as much research to try and decide which places to visit, just pick a tour where all the research have already been done.
• You don’t have to worry about directions, fuel, opening times of attractions, getting information on the attractions you are visiting or the standard of the accommodation that you booked through the internet.
• You have the opportunity to meet like-minded travelers, experience new destinations together and build lasting friendships.

When trying to decide which is the best option, I experience a bit of a catch 22. To me, the most valuable benefit of using an organised tour is the relax-factor. You have much less to worry about and get excellent value for money. When doing a self drive tour, you have all the freedom. But with all the freedom... comes all the responsibility! I also feel that you can’t afford to do a self drive tour without intensive planning, making sure you make the most of each day and plan out every detail of the trip optimally.

Our ideal is putting together the perfect combination of the two. Try integrating the perks of both by exploring one area yourself and relaxing with an organised tour in another area.

Public transport or self-drive

Should you rather travel with the general public or take the wheel yourself in a rental?

We have tried a little bit of both on our travels so far. Both have benefits, depending on the type of trip you are on, the place you are visiting and the budget.

Public transport:

• Most big cities and larger towns have extensive public transport infrastructures in place including bus routes, trains and many even subways. This should allow you to get around the city without having your own vehicle or using more expensive taxi services.
• Most subway systems are very well designed and easy to understand.
• Most trains and subway systems allow for quicker travel than vehicles, especially in peak traffic.
• In most cases, public transport will be more affordable than renting a car.
• You don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot in a busy area.
• You don’t have the responsibility of taking care of a vehicle that doesn’t belong to you, being careful of scratching it or getting into an accident.
• You don’t have to worry about the car breaking down. If a train or bus breaks down, it is not your responsibility. You can simply wait for it to be fixed or catch the next one.
• You don’t have to worry about getting speeding fines.
• If you are not born with a built in GPS (like my husband), you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You just have to make sure you are on the right place at the right time and then you can sit down and relax all the way; even take a nap.
• It might be difficult to get around large, busy cities or historical old towns with a rental car, especially if you are used to driving on the other side of the road.

Rental Car:

• Renting a car and driving around the smaller streets is certainly the best way to get to know a place and its unique culture in depth.
• Driving around with a rental car gives you freedom of choice with regards to the places you can visit, as not all towns have a variety of public transport options in place.
• It also allows you freedom of choice with regards to the times you want to travel. You are not dependent on public transport schedules, hurrying to catch a train or waiting at a station for the train to arrive. You can stay longer if you want to and leave when you prefer.
• Having a rental car makes it easier to get around with your luggage, as you can leave it in the car wherever you go. If you have ever tried to get a 20 kg suitcase on to a subway train before the doors close, you would understand!
• A rental car allows more privacy – hygiene, control over the air-conditioning and radio and control over stops along the way.

In order to choose the right option, one must decide on the objective of the trip. Exploring a big city calls for public transport while getting to know the countryside is much easier with a rental car. We found that with some detailed planning, a little bit of both might be the perfect solution. 

The ins OR outs of the Kruger National Park

Is it better to stay inside the Kruger National Park or outside?

One of our favourite places to visit is the Kruger National Park. We have quite a lot of experience with both staying inside the park at the rest camps, as well as staying outside the park at some of the surrounding resorts.

Inside Experience:

• There is a certain romanticism about staying inside one of the greatest game reserves in the world.
• Staying at the rest camps makes you feel part of the eco-system, especially when you are lucky enough to hear nocturnal sounds, a Pearl Spotted owl calling in a tree, a Black Backed Jackal howling or perhaps a lion asserting his dominance with a deafening roar.
• The atmosphere in the rest camps provides a camaraderie with fellow nature lovers.
• Staying inside the reserve makes the picnic sites easily accessible.
• Visiting a rest camp allows you to explore different areas of the park from a central location, instead of wasting time driving to and from the reserve every day.
• Eliminating the travel in to and out of the park allows for a more relaxed experience, perhaps even an afternoon nap here and there.
• Staying inside the park also offers the option of camping, which is always exciting and of course very affordable.
• For the less price sensitive, there is a variety of world class lodges scattered across the park, offering the ultimate game reserve experience.

Outside Experience:

• There are many accommodation options, many of which might be more luxurious than the traditional Kruger Park rest camp huts.
• Many of these options include services like satellite television, wifi or housekeeping, allowing a more restful holiday.
• Most resorts offer a variety of activities which is especially nice for holidays with kids, including tennis, golf, swimming pools, and spa’s for the grown ups.
• Resorts outside the park is easily accessible for visitors staying a few hours away from the park at any time of day; while the park has a specific gate closing time, by which you need to be checked in at the rest camp.
• Staying at a resort in the area might be more affordable in certain cases, for example through time share.

If you are, like us, regular Kruger visitors, the rest camps makes you feel at home and the true nature experience makes it that little bit more special to stay inside the park, rather than outside. Our top selling feature: when you stay inside the park, at any stage, you can look around you only to find unspoiled vistas as far as the eye can see, for 360 degrees. 

The necessity of weekend breakaways

Never underestimate the power of a weekend away.

So many people think that in order to take a break and relax, they need a vacation, and that it needs to be at least a week long to ‘count’! This is actually one of the most common travel myths going around and I wish people would realise that they don’t have to plan big, expensive holidays in order to take a break and recharge the batteries. Week-long vacations cost money you might not always have, leave you might not have and planning you might not want to do. People then end up not going on vacation at all, or only once a year in December when it is long overdue.

A weekend away can work wonders! It is obviously ideal if you can take one or two days leave before or after the weekend, but this is not always possible. So why not explore the travel possibilities in your area and take a break nearby? Just being away from home and out of your routine for a night or two can make the world’s difference!

Some awesome weekend breakaways we had this year:

Sabie 

We attended a wedding in Sabie earlier this year. While we do always try to “make a weekend of it”, this time we decided to just have a one-night-away breather. We left Saturday morning after breakfast and drove to Sabie with friends. We stopped at one or two “bush bars” on the way and had a pub lunch, after which we went to the venue where we booked accommodation and got dressed up for the wedding. We had such a great time at a beautiful wedding at Kavinga Guest House & Zest Restaurant and only got home in the early morning hours. Sunday we slept in a little bit and then a couple of friends drove home together in a konfooi. We stopped at Milly’s for a delicious brunch and headed home for a much needed afternoon nap. Even though it was only a quick getaway, it was lovely to explore the area a bit and relax with friends.

Clarens

We booked accommodation at Kiara Resort just outside Clarens for a quick getaway-for-no-good-reason with friends of ours. The package included accommodation for three nights, so we decided to leave Pretoria as soon as we could all get away from the office on Friday afternoon, and get an early, early start on Monday morning, driving back before the first meeting for the day. We didn’t need to put in any leave, but we were able to relax properly by adding another night to our breakaway. We were able to braai more than once and have a few meals in the quint town of Clarens (we tried the Clarens Brewery and Clementines); we played some board games; we went for a short hike, had a picnic and went for a game drive in the Golden Gate National Park; and we enjoyed the creative stores and artwork scattered all over town. Just over three hours away from the city, Clarens is the ideal spot for a weekend breakaway.

Lesotho

We were invited to another wedding just outside Lesotho, at the foot of the Sani pass and decided to turn it into a proper long weekend.  The wedding was on Saturday so we drove through on Friday just after lunch time. It was a bit of a stretch, about 7 hours to get there, but we were able to join some of the guests for a braai the night before the wedding. The next morning we explored the beautiful town of Underberg and the surrounding area, including its magnificent mountain views. We loved the location of the wedding, set in between the mountains next to a breath-taking lake at Sani Valley Lodge, and had a lovely time with good friends. The next morning we drove Sani pass for the first time and it did not disappoint! It is definitely worth taking on the hairpin turns and steep climbs to reach the top and enjoy the view – together with a beer at the Highest Pub in Africa! We carried on over countless passes and explored the Mountain Kingdom up close, spending the night at the Katse Dam, which is certainly worth visiting. The next day we viewed the dam from the other side and marvelled at the engineering that went into completing this hydro-electric gem, and headed back home. It felt like we were gone for weeks! 

Where will you go on your next breakaway weekend? 

Our favourite spots for date night

Even though the EatOut Awards do not seem to appreciate the Pretoria restaurants as much, we can’t get enough!

Our favourite spots for date night, or a celebratory dinner with the family, are listed below together with links to Tripadvisor to allow you to check if our reviews are on par.

Brasserie De Paris

This is definitely one of the top fine dining restaurants in Pretoria and has been since 1994. It is located in Waterkloof in Pretoria in a quiet, residential area and has a cosy but rustic feel. They offer a traditional al la carte menu but the pleasure in dining at Brasserie de Paris lies in the degustation menus, offering 5 magnificent courses, with or without a wine pairing. Each course is made with so much care and the flavours complement each other so well that you will be waiting on the edge of your seat for the Masterchefs to come out of the kitchen afterwards. Perfect for any special occasion and definitely one of the best meals we have had so far!

Kream

Kream always works well for a special occasion, be it a romantic dinner, a celebration with the family or a professional business meeting. The atmosphere is luxurious and rich, and it is difficult not to feel like royalty when dining there. The menu is versatile and changes frequently, keeping up to date with industry trends. The quality of the food is outstanding – every starter, main and desert we have ordered, has been incredible and the serving sizes are very reasonable for a fine dining restaurant.

La Madeleine

This is certainly a more intimate, small scale fine dining restaurant where the owner chef prepares a selective new menu every day. They only cater for a few guests each night, but offers exquisite French dishes second to none. The atmosphere is cosy and romantic and I will gladly try out the new menu on any special occasion.

Pachas

Pachas is a top class fine dining restaurant with a traditional steakhouse atmosphere. They offer excellent quality food, big portions and great service. The owners are in the kitchen and on the floor every day, ensuring consistent high level quality. The menu offers a wide selection of incredible dishes and the daily specials keep it exciting. It is always a great choice for a special occasion if you want to make sure that the food is amazing.

Black Bamboo

This is a beautiful restaurant located in Pretoria at the Menlyn Boutique Hotel. They offer fine dining, a great variety of quality wines and a classy atmosphere. Not only is every bite delicious, but every place is a small work of art. They offer an exciting menu with non-traditional flavour combinations that will amaze you and the service is excellent, no matter what the occasion.

Looking forward to our next date night! 

Why all-inclusive is a must on a tropical island

In 2011 friends of ours had a thought – let’s visit a tropical island! We had been dating for a few months by that time, and we were keen on travelling the world from the start, so we had no choice but to agree to join them. As soon as they identified a good deal, we booked our vacation. Destination: Zanzibar!

We designed some fun team t-shirts, packed our bags and arrived at the small, chaotic building the locals call the airport... much room for improvement there, especially in the airconditioning department! Zanzibar is extremely hot, mostly because of the humidity. The average temperature on the island is 28ºC and we visited the island in April, at the beginning of the monsoon season with an average of 401 mm of rain in the form of sudden showers, passing by in as little as 15 minutes. While a cloud-burst sounds like a mood-killer in many instances, especially when on vacation, it actually had a relieving effect on us, providing a quick break from the heat and humidity. It cools you down quickly and then leaves you to go ahead with your day of relaxation in the sun.

While the airport and the taxi drivers leave much room for improvement, we couldn’t find any faults at the resort we stayed at. Sea Cliff Resort & Spa is an oasis on the brim of a rural island with very little development and a lot of potential. A beautiful resort built on the cliffs bordering the turquoise waters of the Indian ocean. There is a strong Moroccan influence in the decor creating a rich, warm atmosphere and the staff, clearly part of a very friendly and hospitable nation, went out of their way to ensure that we are happy at all times. The hotel offers so many activities to keep you busy: relaxing by an infinity pool with a 180 degree view over the ocean; relaxing on the jetty 20 meters into the ocean; relaxing on the beach with an exclusive bar allowing you to only walk 10 steps to order another cocktail; relaxing at the hotel spa; canoeing on the hotel’s canoes; going for a bike ride in the area on the hotel’s bicycles; snorkeling with the hotel’s gear and eating way too much of the hotel’s incredible food!

The island also offers a variety of excursions, including boat trips to beaches in the area; dolphin watching and if you are lucky, swimming with dolphins; visiting a spice farm; searching for Red Colobus Monkeys endemic to the island; exploring the mangroves and so much more.

In spite of the incredible hotel we stayed at and the exciting excursions we were lucky enough to experience, the heat is a real factor to consider. When you walk out of the air-conditioned room, the humidity hits you as if you are walking into a wall. Being out of the ocean or swimming pool for too long gets pretty uncomfortable pretty quickly. Drinking a lot of water, icy drinks and cocktails is a good solution, but it is much easier to do if you are on an all-inclusive package. Add an amazing variety of good food to that, and I am all in!