Author: Russell

We are taught that holidays need to be prepared for. They need to be booked, they need to be organised and they need to be rigid. That way there is no room for error, no leeway for mistakes – because mistakes are bad, the unexpected is bad and spontaneity is bad. These things are all, of course, untrue. Yes the world has changed; but what ever happened to those great backpacking stories? The adventures of writers like Hemingway or Jack Kerouac? They travelled without a care in the world, writing and living life. Why can’t we?

Couch surfing may sound dangerous, but if you know people in towns and cities, or meet them online, why not give it a shot? Throw some personal belongings into a giant backpack and just go; you can wash clothes elsewhere, you can find food along the way. Bring your passport because who knows where this adventure might take you. Bring a pen and, who knows, you could be the next great travel writer.

“We’re going to see the most famous person in the world talk about how you can make money simply by being awake!” your friend says, excitedly. The only downside is it is in the middle of nowhere, it turns out that this famous person is quite the recluse. So you book the tickets, pay for them and decide that to cover this three day workshop you will need somewhere to stay. Unfortunately there are also five hundred other people going, all with the same idea as you. You will need to find somewhere to stay; but local hotels and bed and breakfasts will know about the event. You are about to encounter a few hiccups.

The first thing is the sheer competition of people for places; you need to book early and you need to book smart. It is a hassle, for sure, but it is one of the two main areas that people struggle in this situation. The second one is the price. Prepare to be asked to pay over the odds for a hotel; knowing that the demand is there you will see rates skyrocket well beyond their normal price.

It’s rare that I’ll tell you personal stories about myself on this blog but on this occasion I will. Well, it’s more of a personal dream. Late last year I made a new friend who has travelled the world delivering children; it’s an inspiring story, and she is an amazing person. Since then we’ve talked a lot about travel; the places we might go, the things we might see. One of the things we talked about, since it is something she has never done is yoga.

We looked at photographs, looked at places and countries and thought a lot about the yoga on the beaches. We talked about how picturesque it would be, how healthy we would feel and what an amazing experience it would all be for us. It inspired to tell you all; just go for it. Do yoga on a beach, travel the world; who cares? You only get one shot at this life!

There are many fantastic and amazing reasons to visit the beautiful country of South Africa. The climate is perfect, the vistas and landscapes are out of this world and the local culture, despite having some recent bad press, is extremely unique. But one reason that many people forget about South Africa when considering a holiday is its wonderful sporting heritage.

South Africa number among the best in the world at Rugby; certainly among the top 3 sides currently playing the game. They also can pride themselves on being one of the top 3 sides in the world of Test cricket, the second best side in the one day format of the game and the best side in T20 – the game’s shortest format. A holiday to South Africa wouldn’t be complete without a visit to some of the country’s amazing stadia to soak in some of the amazing sporting culture in the country.