Staycation

What with the rising cost of travel, the scary exchange rate, the cost of visas, traffic congestion on the roads to the coast, the environmental cost of air travel and – generally – a lack of time, perhaps we should revisit the concept of holidays. Do we really have to travel halfway across the world or halfway across the country for a holiday to ‘count’? After all, what makes a holiday a holiday anyway? What makes it special? Two days of genuine relaxation within 100km of your home is worth more than a week in a glamorous resort if you’re stressing out about work, are in semi-constant contact with the office, or are trying to figure out how you are going to resuscitate your credit card when you get back. A holiday is a state of mind.

It’s a series of special moments that you will treasure forever. And that’s what’s so great about staycations. No long queuing and interviews for visas, no long queues at the airport, no long flights, and no long, thousand-yard-stare, endless drives through the Karoo. By choosing a staycation, you minimise the boring, long bits of holidays, and maximize the fun, interesting bits that make for treasured memories. And, hey, you save money, save fuel, and pile up carbon credits at the same time. What’s not to love? And you would be amazed at how much there is to do so close to the city – stunning hikes and country stays, big five safaris, awesome golf, amazing adventures, romantic retreats, and genuinely fun family-friendly resorts where your kids can act their age, and so can you.

So, check it out – you’ll find amazing golf staycations, adventure staycations, safari staycations and a range of fabulous one-tank-cations spreading out from the city like the petals of a daisy. North, south, east, west – close to home is best.