What resources are people using to find accommodation? Luckily, I've stayed before in Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth, so I know of some places, but I'm running into brick walls in Bloemfontein, and finding JoBurg expensive. Bloemfontein is actually turning out to be outrageously expensive, I've been quoted 6000 Rand for 3 people staying 2 nights, and 3900 Rand for 2 nights in a caravan. Does anyone have ideas for these 2 cities, and more importantly, how to keep it cheap?
Hi there - mybe some of these sites you don´t know - it´s woth a try... www.saplaces.co.za www.where2stay.co.za www.wheretostay.co.za www.hotelium.com www.placesforafrica.com Enaugh homework for now ? ;-) Good luck!!
Here's some other sites. http://www.sa-venues.com http://www.safarinow.com http://www.staysa.co.za http://www.sleeping-out.co.za We used sleeping out and safarinow for most of our places, but renting houses we used other web sites based on internet searches for the locations (coast north of Durban and Cape Town). Unfortunately, it's fairly labor intensive to find places. You end up sending inquiries to most places and get quotes back rather than real-time reservations. Good luck.
I used http://www.travelbook.co.za/ for almost all of my accomodation. I will be spending 4 days in Joburg and a couple days in the Polokwane Area. If you are willing to stay in the outskirts there are some good deals to be found.
As well, I got my tickets to the Slovenia game and need to start at square one. Acoomodations, flights, etc. This is getting costly already...lol
Hey guys, There's a bit of confusion going around regarding what is and is not considered advertising under BigSoccer's Terms of Service. Please review the rules (stickied at the top of this forum) for clarification. Generally, we're allowing the sort of 'helpful links' above (to online accomodation finders, tourist offices, etc.) but removing anything that's advertising a specific accomodation provider. Anyone who wants to advertise their business on BigSoccer should visit this page. Thanks for understanding.
Finding some accommodation around stadia has been hard work. Besides booking chalets and campsites in National Parks & Reserves, you can find the some B & Bs that charge reasonable rates. One camping ground owner in Nelspruit wanted to charge R700 to pitch a small two person tent for a night. Outrageous! One thing to watch is that many B & B hosts do not have credit card facilities. To pay R900 for the night at a B & B I was charged AUD$25 to send an international transfer from Australia and then had R250 deducted by the SA bank to receive the money! In other words, I paid nearly half as much again for the privilege of sending money for one night's accommodation. They must be employing university professors to type in those three numbers and then take the fax across the other side of the room for filing! Thankfully, some hosts have agreed to be paid in full when we get there without any deposit. This common sense approach is greatly appreciated. The World Cup experience is not being helped by the greed of banks, airlines and the majority of accommodation hosts. Good luck everyone with your plans.
I'm not bothering to book anything at current prices, as they are ridiculous, and i don't wanna send money abroad. Leave it till later and do things ad hoc maybe, stay with families and pay on the door etc The numbers expected aren't gonna happen cos there's nowhere to stay for reasonable prices.
Point taken DJGrizzlyPaws. When I'm travelling around Australia and Europe I'm happy to be free as the wind and make ad hoc arrangements. Even travelling around Namibia, we've used many small isolated community camping grounds that you don't need to book and have felt secure. But to a certain degree, travelling around World Cup time in South Africa is different. Security is a significant issue in some places and must be addressed. Having spent a night out in the middle of nowhere once before in South Africa, feeling fairly vulnerable and being told some crazy stories the next morning by locals, you quickly revise your decision making. I agree there will be more accommodation around as the demand is less than anticipated. I've had hosts starting to chase me now after they ignored my letters for weeks - they missed their chance. But do you really want to spend hours during the day trying to find accommodation after a long drive when time is short? Do you want to come home after a late cold night watching football, tired after travelling, and face a noisy backpackers environment? I don't. So, on some stretches, for certain matches, planning ahead is valid. Local knowledge can vary but is worth listening to. I remember a travelling companion being warned not to walk along local beaches in Tanzania. He was a big guy and confident but he looked pretty shaken after his walk along the beach and had a knife held to his throat. Not all accommodation in SA is expensive and as my email pointed out, some reservations do not require deposits.
this is funny !! This guy wants 2,500 euros A DAY for his house !! What a tw*t!!! Is he f**ing dreaming!? I wish I could rent a property out for 30 times the normal rate http://www.southafrica-2010-accommo...1?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=4&sobi2Id=7486
Re: this is funny !! Alas despite many reports in the media there does not appear to be any sign of the thousands of rooms alledgedly freed up by MATCH appearing on the free market or reducing prices. The picture that appears to be emerging quite clearly now is that FIFA have made one monumental cock up, because: Ticket prices are too high. Accommodation is too expensive, with the primary cause being the FIFA contracts drawn up with the hospitality industry 3 years ago and their desire to screw everyone for 30% premium on the rooms for their own pockets and the ludicrous minimum stay of more than one night being imposed. FIFA failed to get agreement with the internal airlines to charge fair and reasonable prices and so we are all being screwed. Holding the WC in a predominently winter climate sucks. FIFA have an inept WC committee that unfortunately is totally out of touch with reality. The sad thing is that there will be significantly fewer people travelling than any recent WC and stadiums will most certainly not be full for most matches. Its a big opportunity missed for SA and does I'm afraid stink of the greed of the predominently white business leaders trying to expolit others around them. So........nothing new there then!!
Strange report on Cape Town Hotels. Still top hotels available? confident of of being full when was one ever given the chance to book?! http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=19&art_id=vn20100216060901807C466851&set_id=
I'm getting fed up with the stupid rates being quoted. It;s just a waste of my time and their's. Worse so far was a B&B in Durban who wanted R5400 instead of the usual R700. Another in Bloemfontein wanted R5500 (although it was a nice place - prob R1500 usually) Have taken the decision to reply to everyone overcharging with a mail telling them 'sorry too expensive'. Perservere and you will find good places charging a decent rate and looking forward to welcoming fans from around the world. Maybe there is a place on this forum for a thread naming and shaming rip off merchants and another thread listing well priced and helpful establishments?
And I got a response from one of them!!! to which my response is From now on I am going to make a point of emailing back to everyone quoting a ridiculous rate - and I would encourage others to follow suit. Nothing antagonistic just a plain and simple 'that is too expensive'. Of course if they come back with another arrogant response like above then I will provide more detail to help them get their pricing right
Accommodation in Nelspruit I will be going to a match in Nelspruit and wanted to know where everybody will be staying for games there, It seems there is limited accommodation left in Nelspruit, and I hear some people will stay in Hazyveiw or other towns close by, Is there going to be a base or small town where the majority of people will stay? If anybody could help this would be appreciated
As a South African, i agree ^ As much as i want SA to benefit gains from this world cup, i also want foreigners to gain. The balance needs to be right. I wonder what would happen if the same people got quotes from the same place and responding in their own ways that its too expensive...and wether they will lowere their rates next time or on their next quotations? On another topic: All people need to realise that hosting an event in Africa is long overdue and that it will come with its drawbacks. Maybe people are expecting too much...maybe there should be a little more understanding that we are new to this. Africa had to get a chance, and SA is the best venue in Africa for the event...sure it cant compete with maybe Germany or Korea, but i think many that come here, will be pleasantly surprised....This should be an event as hosted by Africa....and not as hosted by Europe...But even so, SA is being underestimated because of Africa's track record....I consider those that come as the lucky ones...they come inspite of the drawbacks...and they dont expect too much...hence appreciate it more...
Will be there for the Italy-NZ game and am staying at Hawkshead Guest Farm on the road to Alkmaar. Its about 15km from Nelspruit and 10km from stadium (it's the same road used to get from downtown Nelspruit to the stadium). The place is well-reviewed and relatively cheap compared to other garbage quotes I've seen for places in the area. I corresponded with the owners and they said they'd provide pickup from the bus terminal downtown (don't know if you're taking bus/driving/flying), and also transportation to stadium on match days. found it on sleeping-out.co.za
+1 for sleeping-out.co.za Their system of allowing you to broadcast to all guesthouses is really neat and help sort out the wheat from the chaff. Still need to do some due dilligence on the responses but certainly helped me. I got another response from the R3000 guesthouse (I feel I'm singling them out but at least they have been decent enough to enter a dialogue) I do think that reality is setting in for a lot of places. The ones who get their pricing correct now will be the winners... Not long to go....I'm beginning to get just a little bit excited