Accommodation in South Africa

South Africa caters for a wide spectrum of travellers, businessmen, backpackers and adventure seekers. Accommodation ranges from five star hotels, bed and breakfasts, game lodges and reserves, guest houses and farm stays, youth hostels and country inns.

BED AND BREAKFAST

The number of private homes offering cheap, comfortable and convenient lodging is growing rapidly. For traveller's wanting to meet and get to know the local people, this is often the best way to do it.

BACKPACKERS

Backpackers hostels are clean, well run and generally fun. And, surprisingly, they offer an incredibly high level of service. Sure, you sleep in a dorm, share a shower and probably cook your own food, but you can rent a car, book flights, buses or trains, and organise anything from a morning tour to a three-week expedition without moving too far from the bar fridge.

This is hardly surprising, as probably the main reason you'd consider staying in a backpackers is to save money so you can spend it on doing things - bungy jumping, safaris, whatever. Over the last few years, so many hostels have sprung up that you can travel the whole length and breadth of the country staying only in backpackers. And the best way to travel between them is on a specialised bus, which does a hop-on, hop-off, door to door service between hostels.

CARAVAN PARKS

Caravans, campers and motor homes may be hired in the major centres for those travelling to or around South Africa.

GUEST HOUSE

A guest house is either a converted house, manor, etc adapted to accommodate overnight guests or it may be a purpose built facility. A guest house is run as a commercial operation and is often owner-managed. A guest house has public areas which are for the exclusive use of the guest. The owner/manager either lives off-site, or in a separate area within the property.

HOTELS

the top South African hotels compare very favorably with the best in the world. Many hotels also offer a great service to families traveling to or around South Africa.

A hotel provides accommodation to the traveling public has a reception area and offers at least a "breakfast room" or communal eating area. In general a hotel makes food and beverage services available to a guest, though these may be outsourced or provided by the hotel.

HOTEL GROUPS

Many of South Africa's better establishments are controlled by hotel chains. Most hotel chains offer packages, special out-of-season and family rates.

LODGES

a lodge is an accommodation facility located in natural surroundings. The rates charged are usually inclusive of an experience offered at the lodge, viz game drives, battlefield tours, etc. In general, food and beverage services are provided for all meals. The accommodation grading process will only grade the hospitality aspects of Lodge operations and not the experience. Game lodges are often located within private game reserves or provincial game or nature reserves. Game lodges are also located on private game farms. Game lodges vary from rustic accommodation, to luxury accommodation with excellent cuisine which caters for people wanting to enjoy the wilds in style. The personal attention devoted to each guest and the skill of the guides and trackers are what these lodges pride themselves on.

RESORTS

Resorts offer the traveler different Holiday Experiences including Golf, Family Holiday, Wildlife experiences or Casino facilities. Often they offer a combination of the above.

SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION

a house, cottage, chalet, bungalow, flat, studio, apartment, villa, houseboat, tents or similar accommodation where facilities and equipment are provided for guests to cater for themselves. The facilities should be adequate to cater for the maximum advertised number of residents the facility can accommodate.