Local Travel – How to plan your weekend away

Happy New Year Journeyers!
WOW welcome 2014! I cannot believe we are already in a new year. I had a wonderful holiday and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!
As all of you know I mentioned that I am planning on changing the content of my blog a bit in this year. The sooner the better. I hope to introduce it to all of you in next month. Fingers crossed.

But for today I have a Post from Jane Klue, and she is giving all of you a bit of tips on how to plan a nice stress free weekend away. Enjoy it....

A breakaway can do wonders for the soul. In the fast paced world that we live in, the week’s work can often leave one mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. As they say, ‘change is as good as a holiday’, and a change in setting, even if only for a short period of time, may be just what the doctor ordered to recover from work and life’s stresses.

Whether planned or impromptu, when going away for a weekend, with all the help available online from the digital realm that we live in; most of the planning involved can be taken care of with the click of a button.

When planning a weekend away, it may be helpful to have a checklist that you are working through as you go along:

Where to go? 

Where you’re based will have much to do with this decision as you may not wish to spend hours on the road to your weekend away destination. If you’re based in Cape Town, the Garden Route is always a winning choice, it’s a scenic route regardless the season and if you travel by car, there is much to take in visually speaking.

Fear not Gauteng folk we have suggestions for you too. If you need a quick break, with Sun City a mere estimated two hours and 30 minutes away, the ‘City of Gold’ awaits you. The Sun International Resort boasts amazing accommodation and leisurely activities. A change of scenery is definitely on the cards should you decide to visit. If you've been there before and want to try something different why not venture out to Magaliesburg. This little getaway spot has a number of things to do and places to frequent, not forgetting the wide variety of accommodation and fine dining options to choose from.

Where to stay? 

• Adventurers

You may be brave enough to venture into a camping site. This is something you would usually consider when travelling in groups and hiking and biking are on your itinerary. Research on the type of camp site suitable to your needs, may be very useful. In turn you would need to ensure that you’re educated on all the rules and regulations for the camp site, to avoid any unexpected calls from law enforcement. Lastly there are a number of useful sources which will advise you on how to choose the perfect stretch of land to pitch your tent on.

• Catering/Self-catering accommodation

Depending on the amount of money you have available to spend on this, you should always check when booking accommodation as to whether it is catering or self-catering. You might find an amazing place to rent for the weekend and wonder about the relatively inexpensive cost. This may have something to do with your accommodation being self-catering, which would mean that you would need to supply and make your own food.

How are you getting there?

The way I see it… you have two options to choose from. You could take your own car and if that’s the case please be sure to check that everything is in good order with your vehicle. The best precaution may be to have your wheels serviced before taking it on the long road. Ensure that you have a spare tyre as well as jack on hand, just in case. Should you realise that you’re not insured at this point, it would be highly recommended to get the needed car insurance. Check out the coverage options available, and be sure to get suitable cover before any further travel planning.

The second option would be to book a flight to your destination of choice, with a number of domestic flights to choose from, you may decide to travel to Cape Town from Johannesburg, and vice versa. If this is the case and you have funds available to spare, pick up a little convertible at the airport and drive top down with the wind blowing through your hair to your destination. If that does not get you in the spirit of things, then nothing will.

Lock up and Go?

Not so fast… with all this talk of driving top down, you may be ready to lock up and go. Though it may be best to hold your horses for a second; as there are a few additional matters to be taken care of namely:

House & Home 

Be sure, to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your property is safe while you’re away. After all we do live in a country with one of the highest crime rates, hence the need to do all you can to protect your precious belongings.

Ensure that you have adequate household insurance as well as security cover in place and, if possible, get a reliable house sitter to hold the fort whilst you’re away.

Do you have any pets? If so, do ensure that they’re well taken care of if you can’t take them with you. Arrange for someone to either take care of them, or have a reliable person check in at your home, to ensure that they are well fed and hydrated. Some holiday sites are pet friendly, do look out for these.

Now that you have the necessities taken care of, envision the road ahead, while you do your last minute packing and get ready to unwind and enjoy a well-deserved break.

Written and edited by - Jane Klue

All images thanks to Google

And with this I hope you all start planning a weekend away, we did and we are on our way after work today. I cannot wait. And yes we do like our house, we just missed the bush! :)

Please share all your holiday shenanigans with me! I cannot wait to hear what you guys were up too!