Road trips
Seven stops on the Garden Route worth slowing down for
The stretch between Mossel Bay and Storms River is best driven badly - often, and with too many stops. Here are the ones we would not skip.
How it works
Request to book, explained
Jacobus Meyer1 min read
Why most South African establishments confirm by hand - and what that means for your card.
Most of the establishments on Accommodation24 do not run a live availability system. They run a diary. That is not a shortcoming - it is how a fourteen-room guesthouse in Clarens has always worked, and it works well.
What happens when you request
You send the dates, party and unit you want. The owner is notified by email, SMS or WhatsApp, and has a set window - usually 48 hours - to accept or decline. You see the countdown on your booking the whole time.
Your card is not charged yet
For a request-to-book establishment, your card details are held but nothing is taken until the owner accepts. If they decline or the window passes, nothing is charged at all.
Instant booking
Establishments that do run live availability are marked 'Book now'. Those confirm immediately, and the payment schedule follows their cancellation policy.
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What a guesthouse owner wishes every guest knew
We asked eleven owners across five provinces the same question. Their answers were remarkably consistent - and mostly about arrival times.
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Why the bushveld is better in winter
Thinner bush, thirsty animals and no mosquitoes. The case for booking your Limpopo lodge between May and August.