Tourists can expect the best accommodation in South Africa

Foyer, Holiday Inn Sandton

I was pleasantly surprised to find a story on USA Today titled “Take a road trip through South Africa’s most fabulous scenery”. This story featured Route 62 and some of the most beautiful parts of the Southern Cape. I remember how I worked as tour guide at the Cango Caves during 4 December holidays [1989-1992] – and how we cared for our foreign visitors [and other visitors]. These visitors enjoyed the splendid scenery and often rewarded the guide who did his utmost to make the experience more enjoyable!

South Africa has come along way since the early nineties and has opened up to the rest of the world! Guest houses and new hotels have been built and a significant increase of foreign visitors has been recorded! Despite the global economic difficulties this increase has been constant – and the World Cup in 2010 provides the opportunity to attract many first time visitors!

A visit last week to Johannesburg confirmed my belief that we will not only be able to provide accommodation to our foreign visitors – but the best accommodation as well! This will benefit South Africa not only in 2010 – but in fact for decades thereafter. All the hotels are upgraded and many new hotels have been opened during the past year!

Perhaps the best news is that the accommodation caters for the different tastes of visitors. In Sandton alone you can choose between the classy, elegant offering of a hotel with sloping gardens next to the best swimming pools, or the most modern hotels with scenic views over Johannesburg.

The Arrive Alive website and the Road Safety & Arrive Alive Blog are aware that our foreign visitors not only desire comfortable and affordable accommodation – but also the reassurance that everything possible is done to guarantee their safety. We will continue to discuss these aspects and provide information on aspects such as “Road Safety for foreign visitors traveling through South Africa”.

[A word of appreciation to management at the Balalaika Hotel and the Holiday Inn, Sandton for their availability to discuss initiatives undertaken to ensure the safety of all visitors. More information on these efforts will be made available on this Blog]