So we helped you plan your Southern Africa trip, now how about Alaska or Sydney ? Here’s how we can book your flights to anywhere in the world….! After many years of good trade relations, we recently embarked on a partnership arrangement with Rosemary Sloggett, the owner of The Independent Traveller, established and accredited Travel Oganisers in the UK. Together and independently we are now able to offer boutique travel services to Southern and East Africa as well as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada and Europe. Rosemary has wisdom, all the accreditations and access to very competitive international air fares. Together we’ll forge ahead with the passion and love for the travel industry that is at the core of both of our businesses. To celebrate our new partnership, and because now we can…. We’d like to offer you a free flight from London to Namibia (buy one business class ticket Heathrow-Windhoek-Heathrow, get one free)

Contact Rosemary for more details rosemary@independenttraveller.co.uk

On safari, must tip: 

How much do you tip? As tour operators, we at Southern Destinations get asked this question quite often. It usually comes just before our clients are leaving on their safari, while they are deciding what to pack and how much “cash” to tip all the helpful people they know they will no doubt encounter on their travels in Southern Africa. But what is the accepted amount to tip ? what guidelines should we be giving visitors ?

Here is a list of the people in the tourism service industry I believe need to be tipped and my recommended amounts :

Tour guides R75 - R100 pp per day

Game Rangers R75 - R100 pp per day

Tracker R40 – R80 pp per

Lodge staff R20.00 pp per day

Transfer drivers R20 pp per trf

Porters R5 per bag

Waitrons 15 – 20%

Housekeeping staff R 20.00 pp per day to be shared

Taxi drivers

Car guards

Petrol pump attendants

What do you think ? Am I being too mean?

 

Â

Direct booking or travel agent South Africa?

Will booking directly with a hotel or lodge get you a better price? Many people seem to think so. The talk on many web blogs is that you can save money by booking directly and bypassing the agent. However that isn’t necessarily the truth.

If you book your holiday through a local internet based tour operator such as Southern Destinations, then you can be assured that you will never pay more than if you book direct, but you could also pay less. The reason for this is that an operator like Southern destinations has built up strong relationships with the hotels over the years. In return for business we receive better rates that we can then pass on to our clients. So by using us for a travel package you could save a lot of money.

An added bonus is that an agent can take the stress out of your holiday by giving you valuable tips and information. And of course you don’t have to worry about making bookings!

So why not do the test, give Southern Destinations a package to quote on, and contact the hotels directly for rates as well. I can assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised!!