South Africa has been voted as the Best Holiday Destination in the world in 2023 by The Telegraph readers. Our country has moved up the ladder gradually, having made third rank in 2017, second place in 2018, and now top of the pops in 2023.
The Top 5 ranked Holiday Destinations in 2023 are the following:
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. Maldives
4. Japan
5. Australia.
Italy, Kenya, India, and Costa Rica follow in the footsteps of the Top 5.
It is evident from the motivation for South Africa’s number one ranking that it is Cape Town and the Cape which largely contributes to our country’s holiday destination attractiveness, with the mention of Cape Town, Table Mountain, the Garden Route, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.
‘Your reward for 12 hours in the air is a place of true beauty – Cape Town is the super model at the foot of Table Mountain, the Garden Route a ribbon of road-trip nirvana, the wineries of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch crafting fine vintages ….’
Johannesburg, the Drakensberg range, Motlatse Canyon, and Kruger National Park, all located in other parts of our country, are also mentioned in the motivation.
Overall the availability of direct flights between the UK and Cape Town and Johannesburg in almost identical time zones means that visitors do not experience jet lag when travelling to our country. Whilst not mentioned, the favourable exchange rate of the Rand to the Pound must be an added incentive for UK holiday makers.
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog
Twitter:@Ulmenstein
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Germany has announced that it is removing South Africa and its neighbouring countries from its ‘Virus Variant area’ classification from tomorrow 4 January, after having slapped a travel ban onto our region on Black Friday 26 November, the date on which our country’s scientists shared with the rest of the world the discovery of the new Omicron Virus Variant.
President Biden announced earlier this week by proclamation that the USA will lift its ban on travel into the USA from South Africa and its neighbouring countries from tomorrow, reports News24.