Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

A few weeks ago we did a little survey in the office about the best places to go to in our gorgeous home-province of KwaZulu Natal.  We were only allowed to pick 10 places each and boy oh boy, oh boy, oh boy was it difficult.  Inevitably, our lists overlapped, with many of the destinations being repeated several times but eventually, after many auditions, we narrowed the finalists down to a sizzling hot, top 20 list of the best places to go in KZN. And without further a due, here they are…

Drum roll…

1. Drakensberg – go hiking, biking, horse riding or camping.
2. Lake St. Lucia – go on a late afternoon wildlife cruise
3. Midlands Meander – visit a spa, go for lunch in Nottingham Roa or go on a Karkloof Canopy Tour
4. Oribi Gorge – do the bridge swing and go white water rafting. Fun!
5. Howick Falls – get the cameras out
6. Sodwana bay – great for scuba diving
7. Lake Jozini, northern KZN – hire a houseboat and go tiger-fishing
8. Phinda Private Game Reserve, northern KZN
9. Hluhluwe Game Reserve – northern KZN
10. uShaka Marine World – the slides are the best
11. Sani Pass – walk up, cycle up or drive up, however you get there, you have to have a hot chocolate at the cosy restaurant perched at the top of the pass
12. The Battlefields Route – a must for history lovers
13. Valley of 1000 hills – a playground for 4×4′s
14. Durban’s Golden Mile – Experience a Rickshaw ride
15. The Zulu Village – Watch Zulu dancing (located at Phezulu Game Park, Botha’s Hill)
16. Durban Botanic Gardens – go for a picnic and take in the beautiful flora around you
17. Umkomaas River – Go river rafting in the Summer, you won’t be disappointed
18. Ballito – for all the beach bums
19. Sunset Cruise on Durban’s harbour – plus a cocktail or two
20. South Coast Beaches – Margate, Ramsgate and Port Edward

If we are all being responsible and spending less money on restaurants, clubs, theatre and movies it means that we are spending more time at home. Your home is your safe haven, a place to retreat to after a hard day, safe from the outside world. These affordable decor tips will help you turn your home into a beautiful living space without maxing out your credit card.

• Blow up photos, scan and print beautiful images or create your own art and frame it
• Choose a bold colour and paint a feature wall in your room
• Make use of a table lamp that can be moved around as opposed to overhead lighting
• Make your own exciting scatter cushion covers to give the room a new look
• Wooden crates can be used for basically anything – pretty it up with a coat of paint
• Play around with different paint techniques
• Make your own curtains and blinds
• Go to auctions and browse around for bargains that can be renovated
• If a couch or chair is begging for a make-over, cover it with a throw or look at up-holstering it before you buy a new one
• Buy raw pine pieces and choose a wash, varnish or coat of paint to give it a unique look
• If your carpet looks worn and scruffy, cover it with a loose rug
• Ask your gran or aunt to make you a quilt instead of using the old duvet cover or get one from Mr Price
• People that are emigrating usually advertise in the classifieds; a great place to pick up bargains as everything is up for sale
• Use flowers from your garden or buy them from the farmer’s market where they are cheaper
• If the tiles in your bathroom are making you reach for the bucket, use a tile primer and paint over them to give your bathroom a brand-new look
• Be creative when choosing side tables: a crate,  barrel, chest or tree stump can do the trick
• Bribe your husband or brother to do the DIY stuff instead of calling out a handyman
• A wooden shelf from a hardware store can turn a blank wall into something eye catching
• Create a cosy outdoor area where you can entertain family and friends

Other money saving articles:
Recession 101: Socialising
Recession 101: Cheap Meals

Ragnhild Button has always had a passion for travel. From realising how travel builds understanding amongst people, and how travel experiences enrich and broadens people’s horizons, she developed a desire to show South Africans that there are so many options open to them and that they really don’t have to take a standard tour with an agent that just wants to sell. So Ragnhild started her company International Travel & Tours 20 years ago, and has never looked back.

“With the help of a specialist tour operator like us, travelers can design their own holiday experience,” she explains. “We focus our efforts on a limited geographical area so that we can do extensive research, get to know what makes this region special and in that way give clients who want to travel there excellent, solid advice.”

ITT’s speciality regions are North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco), the Middle East (Dubai, Jordan, Israel, Syria & Lebanon), the Mediterranean (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus & Malta), and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden & Finland). ”We can arrange anything from scuba diving in the Red Sea and island hopping in Greece, to fjord-cruising in Norway and dog-sledding in Sweden,” says Ragnhild. “In addition to this we also have a separate department dealing with holidays in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Vic Falls and Mozambique.”

Growing from just one (Ragnhild) to a whopping 28 staff, ITT is certainly benefiting the community. “We have a definite policy of upskilling and empowering our staff. For example, both our receptionist and accounts clerk started work as a messenger. By identifying their talents, and by providing training courses, they are now invaluable members of the team.”

ITT also has a stated policy of responsible Tourism and has been the only South African company to be allowed to display the official “World Travel Market Responsible Tourism” logo during the 2007-2009 travel fairs in London. ”This is because we have spearheaded our own campaign in identifying those businesses that operate according to Responsible Tourism practices – where they do something definite to support Social, Economical and Environmental progress,” explains Ragnhild.

The secret behind ITT’s success lies in the fact that they chose to niche at a time when their competitors were selling A-Z.  “I believed that there was value in becoming an expert rather than a mere order-taker,” explains Ragnhild.

Challenges ITT faces include working on very low margins and being influenced by world affairs such as wars and unrest – which results in the fact that people stop travelling. But when happy clients claim that their holiday was even better than they had imagined, it’s all worth it. “Being able to prepare a unique travel itinerary to match our clients’ interests is rewarding,” says Ragnhild.

When it comes to advice, Ragnhild has plenty. “Be prepared to constantly work hard and never give up, and always be aware of the fact that that the most precious asset a business has is its reputation and employees. Also, don’t forget to be passionate and don’t look at it as a job – it has to be a way of life,” she says.

By being the most ardent ambassadors of South Africa whenever they travel abroad to meet clients or to exhibit at travel shows, and by trying to spread the benefit of tourism in South Africa to people and communities who normally would not be involved in mainline tourism, ITT is without doubt proudly South African!

Tel 031 303 7810 or e-mail outbound@itt.co.za