DIY Holiday
Ever been tempted to organise and book your own holiday? After all, who needs travel agents when we’ve got the internet?
Well, perhaps – as I discovered – because they have the time and the energy – plus the know-how.
But when you’re off on an adventure, you have to get into the spirit of things. With the added benefit of having visited South Africa twice before, I thought (not only that I should, but) that I would save money on what would be an expensive trip if I worked out an itinerary and booked my birthday treat holiday myself.
But boy, do you need patience and perseverance!… Anyone who has ever looked for the best bargains on Easyjet will understand -having to go through all the possible configurations of dates and times is exhausting!
Just multiply that by squillions of additional options, and you’ll begin to understand the challenges:
- Not just long haul flights, but internal flights;
- Not just self drive destinations but manageable daily distances;
- Not just stop off points but accommodation in said towns;
- And the more luxurious the hotels and lodges you see on the internet the more you want to extend your budget.
So far, we’ve booked the flights and the game safari (sofari so goodie!), and now we need to work out our itinerary 
along the famous Garden Route. Sitting down at the computer looking up places to visit sounds a relaxing pastime, but before you know it, the evening’s gone and you still haven’t made a decision!
It’s also the start of a slippery slope – after all it would be a shame to go all that way, spend all that money and end up in some less than memorable hotels!
The last time we went, I ended up in a stunning lodge you reached by crossing a rope bridge with crocs and hippos in the water beneath. A wonderful opportunity to watch the wildlife, but what we hadn’t bargained for were the extra visitors to our quaintly rustic room. The mosquito nets had holes in them and when trying to dress myself next morning, my white clothing had turned black overnight – swarming with ants (this is no exaggeration!)
I don’t wish to have a repeat performance. Any suggestions, gratefully received…