It’s been a tough year for South Africans with the ongoing pandemic and people are in dire need of a change of scenery and a bit of a break. While our borders remain closed for international travel, inter-provincial travel for leisure is now allowed and is an ideal opportunity to take a staycation within our beautiful country.
Here are four reasons to consider a staycation.
Explore your city
When your focus is on keeping your life under lockdown running, there’s often very little opportunity to stop and take in your surroundings – beyond the pandemic. When was the last time you tried one of those amazing small restaurants in your neighbourhood you’ve heard everyone talking about, or stopped to consider the history of the place you call home? Or explored your neighbouring province which is filled with hidden gems and beautiful places to explore? A staycation can help you support local small businesses and explore your country with fresh eyes – and playing ‘tourist’ could just reinvigorate you.
Slash holiday travel time
Tucked away on the southern tip of Africa, South Africa is pretty far from most of the rest of the places you’d normally put on your wanderlust bucket list. The idea of overnight flights overseas, rushed airport connections and figuring out how to get around can easily take the gloss off a trip and leave you feeling more run down than when you started travelling in the first place.
Taking a staycation in your country – with the small splurge of staying somewhere new – cuts out all the travel drama and maximises the limited time you have to explore and relax. Staying somewhere near the Waterfront is the ideal base to explore the kind of attractions you’d never visit if you lived in or around Cape Town. Slip away to a state-of-the-art new hotel experience and try stand-up paddle boarding in the Waterfront’s pristine network of canals, learn first-hand history on a guided tour of Robben Island or take that hike up Table Mountain you’ve never done.
International – and even some regional travel – can be very expensive. A staycation cuts out the cost of visas and flights – and also removes the double-digit mental multiplication required before committing to something as simple as buying a cup of coffee in a different hemisphere.
Rather spend the money on experiences – shake up your surroundings with a hotel stay and commit your cash to expanding your local surroundings. Signature Lux Hotel by ONOMO Sandton is right in the heart of Africa’s richest square mile. Steps from Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, it’s also within easy walking distance of the Sandton Gautrain station, opening up the chance to explore the Johannesburg CBD or venture into Pretoria in minutes. Catch the City Sightseeing Red Bus from Rosebank Gautrain station and immerse yourself in the history of the reinvigorated Johannesburg CBD – or take a sho’t left to Soweto. The ONOMO Hotels found across the country have implemented strict health and safety measures (as you’d expect from a world-class accommodation experience) for when you choose to enjoy a staycation at their hotels.
Support local brands
It’s easy to get hung up on designer brands and the ancient architecture of European destinations, but South Africa is also home to some of the continent’s biggest brands and incredible artisans.
ONOMO Hotel Durban is a flagship example of the brand’s Africa’s Finest philosophy, which celebrates the arts and culture of Durban. The hotel supports many local arts centres, which provide unemployed artists and craftsmen with economic upliftment opportunities through supporting their creative efforts. ONOMO Hotel Durban supports these art centres, sourcing many of the property’s décor elements from them. Explore the property and access these centres – there’s plenty of quality local art that can stand proudly alongside work from the rest of the world.
Connect with local history
The Cape Town CBD is home to some of the hottest restaurants, galleries, clubs and experiences on the continent, but the historical significance of the Mother City shouldn’t be neglected either.
At over 260 million years old, Table Mountain is older than the Andes, the Alps, the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas. A network of canals dating back to the days of the Dutch East India Company runs below the streets of the city, directing fresh water down from the rivers and streams flowing from the mountain. The city is also home to the oldest churches and mosques in the country.
Go on South Africans, become a tourist in your own country.