Gift-giving season is upon us. Now, when it comes to the concept of gifting, we tend to be very one-sided about it. We always want to give someone something they can hold in their hands. But offering someone an experience (oh hi holiday!) is not only an option we often don’t think about, it’s also one that beats any material item you could ever give to anyone. In the words of Debasish Mridha: “The ultimate purpose of life is to live with the excitement of gaining new experiences.”
With Black Friday upon us, this is the perfect time to gift someone special with something out of this world – without spending what you’d normally have to.
READ MORE: 7 Things You Should Know Before You Take On Black Friday This Year
Any Black Friday travel deals comin’up?
Online travel agency Travelstart will be offering incredible Black Friday deals on flights, hotels and holiday/weekend packages. We’ve rounded up a list of some pretty spectacular domestic and African travel destinations that you can find on special on their site this Friday.
Whether it’s for a romantic trip you and your partner have been putting off for a long time, a friend who’s had a tough year or you’ve always just wanted to give your parents a magnificent travel experience – this Black Friday is the ideal time to finally dig into your savings and book that trip!
Local destinations
Zimbali Coastal Resort Estate: KwaZulu Natal
Zimbali Coastal Resort, as the name suggests, is found along the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. Many of us have seen a lot of what has been simply referred to as “Zimbali” in people’s InstaStories and Insta posts, and if these are anything to go by – it’s absolutely stunning.
Inside the resort estate, you’ll have access to outdoor activities galore and you can still keep in shape with fitness and wellness facilities. Not only is it ideal for a solo getaway, but it’s family and kid-friendly. It’s also only about 40km (45-minute drive) from Durbs, so you’ll be able to enjoy all that the city has to offer as well.
Sun City Resort: Northwest Province
Just two and half hours out of Joburg, Sun City makes for the perfect all-in-one vacay destination. Offering a wide variety of hotel options (catering to every budget), Sun City has everything – it even has a man-made beach.
While it’s most famous for its golfing and casino facilities, you can also find lazy river rafting, water slides, the fastest zip-slide experience in the world, 4×4 quad biking through their game park and wildlife sighting. If you’re looking for an easy and versatile holiday experience, with everything at a walking distance – this is the perfect destination.
Twelve Apostles Hotel, Cape Town
If you’ve got a few extra pennies to spare and you want to gift someone with an experience that’ll allow them to unwind and take in some of the most spectacular views our country has to offer, consider the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Cape Town. The hotel is situated along the slopes of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range and Table Mountain. You can only imagine the views you’ll wake up to!
With Camps Bay beach only four kays away, this is the perfect “weekend getaway” gift.
Wild Coast Sun Resort: KwaZulu Natal
Another KwaZulu-Natal gem is the Wild Coast Sun Resort. With an endless selection of local attractions and indoor/outdoor activities, it’s the perfect gift for someone who’s looking for a good balance between adventure and tranquillity.
There, you’ll find an assortment of water slides, tubes, loops and rivers; a range of sport and recreational activities; a variety of stores and boutiques to shop from; a cinema and world-class spa facilities.
African destinations
If you want to gift someone with a proudly African travel experience, we’ve got you covered.
Paradise Beach Resort, Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a popular travel destination, and for good reason. Located on the East Coast of Zanzibar, Paradise Beach Resort is a fairly new beach hotel built in 2017 – but a remarkable place to “live” while exploring the island.
Paradise Beach Resort lies on a white sandy beach and has a jetty lounge bar stretching out over the Indian Ocean. Sounds delish already! It’s also close to watersports and other fun outdoor activities, a turtle sanctuary, the Mtoni Palace Ruins, the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park and Stonetown, a must-visit if you’re in Zanzibar.
Massinga Beach Lodge, Mozambique
Located in Inhambane, Massinga Beach Lodge is a stunner of a resort. It offers a wide range of watersports and snorkelling, a library (for all the books you won’t read, but make for great photo props), a private beach that stretches over a kilometre and free use of bicycles on the property.
It’s the perfect holiday destination for indulging in mouth-watering seafood and drinking cocktails all day, all while surrounded by some of the most breathtaking views Mozambique has been blessed with.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (Cresta Sprayview Hotel)
Seeing and experiencing the Victoria Falls in Zim is probably one of the most bucket-listed items by Africans. What better way to surprise someone special than with a Vic Falls experience?
Cresta Sprayview Hotel is one of the most affordable hotels in Victoria Falls and it’s only 1.4km from the Victoria Falls Rainforest. Interesting fact: When the Falls are in full flood, the sprays from the water can be felt at this hotel, hence “Sprayview”.
The resort also offers a wide variety of adventure activities, including white-water rafting, bungee jumping, zip-lining and river boarding. For a more relaxed take on things, go on a lazy river cruise, a helicopter ride over the Falls and/or a half-day canoe trip. The options are, quite literally, endless…
Remember, you’ve worked hard too this year so it’s also okay to gift yourself with a holiday experience. Either way, Black Friday provides an opportunity to spoil yourself, or someone special, at a fraction of what it would’ve cost you on any other day – it’s not something you want to miss out on.
