A holiday can be a huge expense for many of us and it’s not only the initial cost you have to fork out for. Spending money often costs equal to or the same as the price paid when you book the holiday, so it is essential to try and cut down on the spending whist still allowing you enough to enjoy yourself.

If you are planning on taking a credit card to use when abroad, be sure to check all the charges that you incur, you will have to pay an exchange rate similar to the banks but you may also find hidden fees added on to each transaction. This can make a simple meal out cost a lot more than you have originally thought.

Be careful when it comes to data usage abroad. It may be that you need to use a translation service when you are in places such as Africa, but data on your phone can very quickly add up and you may not know about it until you receive a hefty bill a month later. Download any apps you may need whilst still in the UK and try and use WiFi in the hotel etc if needed.

We all know of the popular destinations in South Africa such as Cape Town or Johannesburg but what about the hidden gems that many of us simply did not know exist but that offer a great holidaying experience for all.

Augrabies Falls National Park is about 120 km west of Upington and was established in 1966. With its amazing views and breath taking water falls, Augrabies Falls Nation Park is a place of beauty and will not disappoint. It is not one of the most popular tourist destinations but will certainly give anyone visiting it a holiday to remember. The local people call it the place of Great Noise, as the powerful flow of water is unleashed from rocky surroundings characterised by the 18km abyss of the Orange River Gorge.

Throughout the park are amazing view points and decks to allow you time to sit and really admire the stunning scenery around you.

When travelling from the UK to South Africa you do not need to apply for a visa. You must however have a full valid passport that is not due to expire within the next 6 months of the date of outwards travel and not be staying in South Africa for more than three months.

When travelling to South Africa with children under the age of 18, you’ll now need to produce the child’s full birth certificate as well as their passport. (The full certificate is the longer one that includes the parents’ details too.) Photocopies are not acceptable and anyone with a UK passport must also take the child’s birth certificate with them, a passport alone is not sufficient.

A flight from the UK to South Africa is approximately 12 hours so if you are taking children, you may wish to take some sort of entertainment for them or be sure to check that your flight has in flight entertainment. You may also wish to consider booking a meal or two for the flight.

South Africa is a beautiful place to visit and offers a wide range of activities for people of all ages. South Africa is famous for its safari holidays, but if that’s is not really your cup of tea, there are plenty more choices available to you.

The beaches in South Africa are breath taking. They offer golden sandy beaches, with clear blue seas and plenty of sun for those looking to do a bit of sun bathing.

Many of the resorts offer an all inclusive package where you food and drinks are included in the price you pay. Often these resorts are very luxurious with a private pool, at least one if not more restaurants on site, games room, spa and sauna and kids clubs. Some even have their own golf course.

When choosing your location, check for malaria free zones if travelling with children and find out the distances from the beach etc.

If you are looking for a beach holiday in Cape Town then you may want to consider staying at Ellerman House. Ellerman House is a luxury resort only a few minutes’ walk from Clifton beach and ten minutes away from the city centre putting you in the perfect location for everything.

Ellerman House only has 11 rooms so you can be sure that you will be well looked after on your stay and it is suitable for family’s or couples/ individuals.

Two of the rooms in the resort have a separate lounge area making it ideal for small groups or families and almost all of the rooms have a fantastic sea view. If you need slightly more room then Ellerman House also has a villa, Ellerman Villa. The villa sleeps six people but you can have the option to book a further two rooms below the villa making it perfect for ten guests.

When visiting South Africa a self-drive is a great way to get around. With the nice weather, beautiful scenery and wide range of cars available to hire, it can make travelling from place to place a great experience.

When hiring a car, you often have the option to pick up from one centre and drop off at another making it easy to visit many locations. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions of the hiring company and make sure that you take out their insurance unless you have valid travel insurance that will cover you.

The rules for driving in South Africa are similar to driving in the UK, they drive on the left, pass on the right and the cars are right hand drive. It is illegal to use a mobile phone when driving unless it is hands free. They have a very strict drink driving limit of allowable blood content of 0.05%.

When many people think of South Africa they imagine it to be all about Safaris and wildlife but there are many places within South Africa that seem a million miles away from the scenes you see in places such as Kruger National Park.

Johannesburg is a bustling city that has a wealth of bars and clubs, restaurants and plenty of shopping malls to fulfill your retail therapy needs. There are also plenty of places to visit during the day such as the modern art galleries or upmarket entertainment areas.

Why not spend a day exploring the gold mining industry at Gold Mine Reef, that took Johannesburg from where it was to the magnificent place we see today.

There really is something for everyone at this place of history and beauty from spending the evening living it up in a trendy bar or club to relaxing in a 5 star restaurant.

Sun City is the most popular holiday resort in South Africa delivering non-stop, thrilling entertainment every day of the year. If you are looking for a holiday that offers fun activities, in beautiful and safe surroundings then Sun City is the place to go.

The resorts offers a golfing experience that you will not forget on the Gary Player designed golf course. If you love the water, then why not take a dive in to the Valley of the Waves area of the resort where you can relax by the clear blue waters or find excitement in the exhilarating water rides.

With all of this going on in the day, you may not expect such a wide range of activities to choose from in the evening. Sun City has a host of cocktail and wine bars on site as well as top class restaurants. If you are looking for a little more excitement then you could head down to one of the casinos or pick from one of the live performances that are put on every night.

Durban is a coastal city in eastern South Africa. It is a very popular destination for UK tourists due to its all year round warm weather and opportunity to explore the outdoor lifestyle. With a range of activities to do, great surfing location and beautiful places to eat it is easy to see why many tourists flock here every years.

Durban is famous for its golden beaches and fantastic surfing opportunities. The beach stretches all along the front of the city from the harbour in the south through to the upmarket suburb of Umhlanga in the north. If you want somewhere to go with children then the uShaka Marine World is not to be missed. This world class aquarium and water park with a wide range of restaurants is perfect for a day out for all the family.

Seafood and curry restaurants are popular in Durban and as well as having plenty of places to discover during the day, the night life is also not going to disappoint.

South Africa attracts many families every year for safari holidays and or for sight seeing. Safari holidays can be a great experience for families and although often expensive, many families save u over a number of months or years to allow them to go.

South Africa have very strict rules when it comes to entering the country with children under the age of 18. You will need to ensure that you take with you the original full birth certificate of any child travelling with you (short one will not be accepted) and if the child is only travelling with one parent, South Africa’s immigration offices will also request consent on non-travelling parent. If you do not have the valid documentation you will not be allowed to enter in to the country and therefore not continue on your holiday.

This has been enough to deter some parents from going, not happy with having to take their child’s birth certificates or letters of authority.