The lap of luxury is not wide enough for 2 parents and 3 kids – right?
Who has deep enough pockets to enjoy lavish overseas holidays and endless road trips with your whole family? You might be surprised to find out that luxury travel is indeed within your grasp.
Write down all the places you would like to go with your family. I have a “places to go” list on my smartphone, and jot down everywhere we see that interests us – whether it be on TV, in the media, from discussion, word of mouth or places we notice when we drive by. Its quite a lengthy list, and it really helps when we decide where to go on a family break or holiday.
Keep an eye on travel media. Subscribe to newsletters of popular travel agents and glance over their weekly specials when you have a holiday coming up. You should be on the lookout for any specials offered for the places on your travel wish list. Don’t worry about flooding your inbox – subscribe away and send the emails to your junk mail folder. This may sound odd, but it helps free up your inbox for every day issues, and when you are interested in travelling, pop over to your junk mail folder and mark the senders as safe, and read through the most recent mails.
Winter may not be the best time for a beach holiday in South Africa, but the Indian Ocean islands are a short flight away – the temperatures are tropical and its bikini weather. May to August is off-season, which means at many hotels kids stay, eat and sometimes even fly for free. We have enjoyed seriously lavish Mauritian holidays for five at the price two would usually pay. There are also loads of spots in South Africa that are blissful in winter. The nights may be chilly, but the days are usually sunny and perfect for enjoying outdoor activities like hiking, fishing and a round of golf. Most SA establishment offer lower rates in winter.
Coupon sites like Groupon (www.groupon.co.za), Daddy’s Deals (www.daddysdeals.co.za) and Bargain Buys (www.bargainbuys.co.za) are full of travel specials. These are usually at a fraction of the price of regular travel – with savings of up to 75%. Watch like a hawk for any coupons offered for the places on your wish list. Move quickly when you see them as the good specials are often snapped up quickly.
Usually the best deals are last minute bookings. This is great of you have a few places on your wish list, and are flexible with your timing. There are a few websites dedicated to last minute travel, and many advertised travel specials are for last minute bookings. If you are really set on where you want to go and when, book as early as possible and you should qualify for an early bird discount.
Game viewing is best enjoyed in winter when the bush is not as thick, and there is not as much rain. Most lodges offer really affordable winter specials for local residents. Luxury safaris are usually out of reach for the average South African family, but you may be surprised at the low pricing during the winter season.
If you are one of those people who cringes at the thought of asking for a discount – for the sake of your family, get over it! The worst someone can say is no. Chances are, if you have a decent budget, and are booking relatively last minute, an accommodation establishment will be flexible with its pricing, especially if you are staying for more than 3 days. As an accommodation owner myself, I can assure you that we would rather our potential clients say what they can afford, and give us the chance to try and offer a package to suit them, than for them to stay quiet and not book at all. This works better with privately owned places – the larger groups have such a long chain of command, that the person answering the phone or your email will not have the authority to bring the price down.
We hope these tips assist you in your family travel planning. They have helped us (mom, dad, 2 teenagers and a tweenie) to chase the rainbow all over Southern Africa.
We would love to hear if you have any other great ideas for affordable family travel. Please post your suggestions in the comments section below.
Bon voyage!
Going on holiday isn’t cheap, especially if you gave a family. We like to camp so that helps to save money on accommodation. It also helps that I work in the tourism industry so every now and then I get an invite somewhere for a weekend.
Sarah - Chasing The Rainbow says: Thanks Jonker. Camping is a fantastic family option in South Africa. There are so many lovely campgrounds at spectacular locations and our weather is mostly good. Lots of campgrounds also have chalets on site and these are usually reasonably priced. Happy travels!
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