See South Africa on These 2 Superb Road Trips

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South Africa is home to some stunningly diverse landscapes, languages, and cultures. This makes it the ideal destination for your first (or next) road trip. The country’s sprawling territory will invite you to discover amazing tropical beaches, extraordinary mountain ranges and a plethora of interesting creatures. The country is vast, making it ideal for a road trip. However, with size comes the inevitable compromise of where to start and how much to see. Below are two of the best road adventures South Africa has to offer. Both will leave you with a taste for exploring more of this colourful country.
Durban to Clarens

Start your adventure in the bustling urban city of Durban; home to a number of vibrant cafes and bars that will keep you entertained before you begin. When you’re ready to start, take the N3 up through the Midlands (they’re slightly different to the UK version) to the spectacular MidmarDam and Howick Falls. The latter is a stunning backdrop for a spot of food to replenish yourself before moving on. Prepare yourself for a step back in history as nearby Howick is the site where Mandela was captured by police in 1962 after a year on the run. To commemorate this tragic day, an exhibition is located nearby in honour of Mandela’s struggle.

From here the Midlands Meander gets into full swing with cafes, shops and microbreweries lining the road. Nottingham Road Brewing Company is one such watering hole that offers a selection of unique beers for visitors to sample. It will be hard work restraining yourself from the required minimum to drive! After this, the 3000m high peaks of the Drakensberg mountain range come into full view offering jaw-dropping vistas. Continue to the Free State and you will be on the way to the delightful destination of Clarens where you will find cosy restaurants and lively events in the public square.

Johannesburg to Pilanesberg

Johannesburg is the kind of bustling urban sprawl that one can expect from a vibrant fast-growing country. Despite this fact it is surprising just how quickly you can leave this all behind and find yourself immersed in nature and ancient culture. For example, the Sterkfontein Caves are nearby and contain findings of some of the oldest human skeletons in the world. The Wonder Cave is South Africa’s third largest and well worth a look. To add historical context to these fascinating sites the Maropeng museum offers an interactive experience for visitors eager to learn more.

When you’ve had enough of the sprawling caves rev up the engine to seek out the Big Five. This journey will take you through the phenomenal forest-covered mountains of Magaliesberg. If you’re looking to get out of the car seat, then a heart-racing zip wire course is available through the treetops. After this, briefly join the N4 highway before taking the R565 towards the Pilanesberg National Park, in the words of your Sat Nav, “you have reached your final destination”. And what a destination this is. The 550-sq-km park is a safe haven for hippos, rhinos, elephants and much more. From the safety of your car, you will get unprecedented views of some of the world’s most majestic animals.

Drive with Peace of Mind: Car Hire Excess Insurance

These car journeys are just two of countless motor adventures to be had in South Africa. Whilst you’re there enjoying the sites give yourself peace of mind with car hire excess insurance. This will let you concentrate on the beauty knowing that the detail is sorted.

Author Plate

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let’s Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you’re looking for the best car hire excess insurance Let’s Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.

Using The EHIC in Belgium: What is Covered

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Every country has a different system when it comes to healthcare, but within the EU, as long as you have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) you are entitled to reciprocal healthcare. While this is reassuring for regular travellers, it must be reiterated that a reciprocal agreement does not necessarily mean that you will receive the same treatment as you would with the NHS in the UK. It pays to do your research before you travel and always have adequate single trip or annual travel insurance.
Belgium is an EU country and a popular destination for weekend breaks. It is also somewhere that people often drive through on their way to other destinations. With a valid EHIC, healthcare can be accessed at a reduced rate or even for free depending on how urgent the treatment is. There are however, certain things you have to be aware of should you require healthcare in Belgium.

What Does the EHIC Cover?

The majority of healthcare professionals in Belgium work on both a private and public basis, so when you access treatment it is imperative that you make sure you are seen by a state funded public doctor. Only a single trip or annual travel insurance policy will cover private healthcare. It is especially important in the case that you ask your hotel or holiday representative to call a doctor for you that you ensure they call a public one. Costs incurred when using a private doctor cannot be reimbursed with an EHIC.

In the case that you require healthcare in Belgium, you may be asked to pay a fee directly to the doctor. You can then claim back 75% of the costs while you are still in Belgium. You will need receipts to claim money back as well as the official form, which can be obtained at the doctor or dentist that you see. Of course, if you have annual travel insurance or even a single trip policy, you should be able to claim back the whole cost.

What About Hospital treatment

Again, going to the hospital is not free in Belgium. There is a fixed daily fee of around fifteen euros with the cost of the medicines on top of that. If you show your EHIC when you are admitted you will only have to pay a patient contribution and avoid paying the refundable payment upfront.

And Prescriptions…

Prescriptions have to be paid for when they are purchased at the pharmacy but with the EHIC, you can claim back 75% while you are still in Belgium. With a single trip or annual travel insurance policy however, you may be able to claim back the full cost. Calling 090010500 gets you to the 24-hour pharmacy information line, which tells you the location of the nearest open one.

While the EHIC is a useful piece of documentation, if you want real peace of mind with regards healthcare when you travel to Belgium, or indeed any other country, invest in insurance. Annual travel insurance is the best option if you plan to do more than one trip a year.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip and annual travel insurance policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.

Packing Tips for Round-the-World Travel

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You are weeks away from leaving on an exciting, round-the-world adventure and no doubt everything you have done over the past few months has lead up to this moment. You’ve updated your passport, bought your airline tickets, booked accommodations in various cities, purchased annual travel insurance and now you’re ready to start packing for this long-awaited adventure!
Not sure where to start? We have you covered with some practical tips as you start packing for your trip.

Suitcase or Backpack?

While the debate continues on whether a suitcase or backpack is best on a round-the-world trip, we believe a hybrid is ideal. You want a bag with wheels that doubles as a backpack for ultimate mobility and comfort. You never know when you’ll need to run to catch a train or bus that is leaving for your next destination pronto, and having a bag you can wheel or comfortably carry is going to make it a lot easier. Also, choosing a fabric bag over a hard case is preferred as it will allow your belongings to fit into storage spots more easily.

Less is More

When it comes to deciding what to take with you, there are items that are not up for negotiation, such as passports, money, credit cards, and annual travel insurance information, as well as any specialised items like prescription eyeglasses. But when it comes to packing clothes, shoes, toiletries and gear, remember less is always more, and many items can be purchased on the road if needed.

In fact, packing for every climate and possible situation you may encounter on your travels is nearly impossible! We suggest three of each category of clothing: three pairs of pants, three t-shirts, three pairs of socks, three pairs of shoes – you get the idea. Keep in mind you will be able to wash your clothing while traveling – a great bonus to packing light.

Try choosing pieces that can be mixed and matched and are made from fabric that dries quickly. If you have items that can serve a double purpose, such as a ladies sarong that can be used as a beach towel, skirt, dress and scarf, even better! If you are unsure about an item, opt out of taking it. Pack minimal toiletries, as these items will weigh you down and can be purchased abroad, as you need them.

Get Packing

Save space in your bag by rolling clothing instead of folding and stacking. Pack socks and undergarments in shoes and fill every cavity possible. Wear any bulky items on the plane, such as hiking shoes or a winter jacket, to save on space in your luggage. Place all important items, such as passports, money, annual travel insurance information and electronics in a safe and easily accessible place close to you. As an added safety measure, take photos of your documents and carry photocopies in a different place than the originals.

Getting your things together for a round-the-world trip doesn’t have to be a chore! Packing light and smart will go far in ensuring you have everything you need to make this trip the experience of a lifetime.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip and annual travel insurance policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.

Challenging Career Opportunity in Retail Industry

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Your challenging attitude might land you a job in the retail industry. A retail manager is required to handle the things on a daily basis- from ensuring the availability of stocks to meeting the targets and achieving the sales by motivating the sales team and satisfying the customers. It requires working on non-traditional hours. You may reach to the peak of the retail industry with your skills and talent. The retail industry comes with a great scope- it gives job in bank, airlines, etc.
If accepting challenges is your attitude, then a career as a retail manager might be your choice. Retail management requires you to supervise the functions of a store or a supermarket. This challenging job requires you to run the store on day-to-day basis while getting into interaction with personnel from the sales floor to the highest body of the board. The job of a store manager demands to get the store work with the help of the sales team and giving a great customer service. Acknowledgement with the current industry trends, observation of the competitors’ strategy, organization of events for promotion, and motivation of staff to achieve sales targets- is what requires a retail manager to do.

What it requires: A career in retail management is about handling challenges on a daily basis. From dealing with the stocks to making it assure that the store opens on time. As ‘customer is the king’, a retail manager has to make it a point that the needs of the customers should be fulfilled. There should be enough stock in the store to meet their demands. To make the store run smoothly, it requires taking the public opinion and working toward them. If you are cheerful and enjoy interacting with people, then you might love this job of retail management. Because, stores are built to serve the public, your requirement rises on non-traditional hours i.e. after 9p.m. and during weekends- to bring maximum benefits to the store.

Scope in retail industry: You can start the journey as a management trainee and then reach to the peak with your skills and talent. Initiating as an assistant manager at the entry level to becoming the store director or a division manager, retail management gives you a lot of opportunities. The scope of retail management is not confined to only supermarkets; it may land a job in banks, airlines, insurance companies and advertising agencies.

Qualification: Besides having a Bachelor’s degree for the entry level or an MBA Degree in retail management to become a store manager, it requires the skills of leadership, mathematical and analytical skills, along with strong communication and interpersonal skills. However, you do not need to have a degree to initiate a career in the retail industry. You should know the art of performing a good customer service. To become a good leader, you are supposed to be a good listener. You are supposed to achieve results with professionalism and strong negotiation skills.