TRAVELLERS' TIPS

Roger & Kay’s Travel Selection has a commitment to introduce prospective guests to quality accommodation at reasonable rates. To this end, EVERY ESTABLISHMENT IS INSPECTED on an annual basis. You can therefore be assured that although each establishment has its own ambience and character, standards are similar and you can be assured of an hospitable welcome. Establishments not meeting these standards are not considered for inclusion.

The accommodation being offered is fully equipped, under personal supervision and is offered in a guest house, in a private home, in a cottage in the grounds of a private home, or on a farm or small holding.

To be welcomed with a bottle of champagne, a bowl of fruit or fresh flowers is not uncommon, although the accommodation we represent usually goes much further than this.

Privacy is provided for those who prefer it. For those wishing to meet the family, guests are often invited to meet the hosts in the lounge or breakfast room. Guest houses and larger establishments usually have a lounge / dining room or pub, where travellers from all corners of the globe can enjoy meeting each other and the hosts.

All the accommodation selected, must conform to certain standards prior to acceptance and each establishment has been inspected. Cleanliness and hygiene are strict requirements and many establishments also offer extras such as television with M-NET or DSTV, telephones, fax facilities and swimming pools. Many offer discounts, out of season, to senior citizens, some also cater for disabled guests and a few can accommodate pets by arrangement. Most bed and breakfast establishments offer the convenience of tea/coffee making facilities in the bedrooms.

Accommodation can vary from a number of suites in a guest house, which is usually an establishment with more than 4 bedrooms or units and operated as a full time business by the owners, to a room with an en-suite bathroom in a family home, which the hosts enjoy letting to paying guests.

There are three different types of accommodation available and it is usually offered at daily rates. The "per person sharing rate" (pps) is usually lower than that for a single person occupying the same unit. The types of accommodation are: bed and breakfast, dinner, bed and breakfast (with dinner sometimes by arrangement), or self-catering, where the accommodation is fully equipped with a kitchen or kitchenette, to enable guests to cater for themselves. Some establishments are able to offer more than one of these options.

We also classify the establishments into four different quality assessment levels and these are indicated by the symbols B; TB; T and R. (or details provided on a separate page reached from the bottom of each internet entry)

MAKING ENQUIRIES AND RESERVATIONS.
Contact each individual host directly and mention that you have found the details in Roger & Kay’s Travel Selection. Hosts are then aware of how much information you already have and can provide you with additional information about their particular establishment.

When making an enquiry, it is important to identify your specific needs and discuss these with your hosts. The most important details to mention include: type of accommodation required (e.g. bed & breakfast or self-catering); number of adults, children & babies (and their ages); smoking or non-smoking; arrival date and departure date (especially for peak season enquiries); can children swim and any other specific needs. Also furnish the hosts with your name, e-mail and where appropriate, your postal address and contact telephone/fax numbers

RESERVE ACCOMMODATION EARLY:
Reserve accommodation early, especially over peak holiday periods, particularly in coastal areas and other popular tourist regions. In South Africa, peak holiday times are December, January and Easter. School holidays at other times of the year, can also be heavily booked. A rough indication of these times are: the days just before or after Easter, mid June/mid July and late September/early October.

DEPOSITS
A deposit is usually required to confirm a reservation. The individual hosts will advise on the amount and how it should be paid. Options are usually a deposit paid into a bank account or a cheque payment sent through the mail. Some of the larger establishments offer a credit card facility, but most of the smaller establishments are unable to provide this service. For reservations from abroad, which require overseas airmail mailing costs, faxes and/or additional bank charges, there may be a reservation fee.

Check details relating to cancellations, breakages deposits, any other payments owed and how these should be made, prior to making your deposit. A deposit is not usually refundable.

Be sure to pay the deposit within the number of days specified by the host, otherwise you could loose the provisional booking. We recommend that you request a written confirmation, upon receipt of the deposit.

CONFIRM ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES:
Check in times can vary from establishment to establishment. A rough indication is arrival after 15h00 but before 18h00 in the evening and departure before 10h00 on day of departure. Confirm these details at the time of making your reservation and make special arrangements if you wish to arrive early or late.

CHILDREN:
Special rates are usually offered by establishments that welcome children (see first paragraph of each entry). Special activities for families are offered at some of our farm and rural accommodation.

PETS:
A few establishments accept pets. Place your cursor over the plus (+) symbol to see which establishments offers this service.

SMOKING:
Some hosts specify that smoking is prohibited in all the accommodation or part of the guest accommodation. You will find specific details by placing your cursor over the smoking symbol.

BEACH/SWIMMING POOL TOWELS.
These are not usually supplied. Some hosts have beach/swimming pool towels available by prior arrangement.

MEALS:
Breakfast may be either a hot cooked meal or it may be a continental type. We encourage the serving of good, hearty breakfasts. If the type of breakfast is important to you, enquire when making the reservation. Most of the establishments that do offer dinner, require advance notification. A few of our establishments have the added luxury of a restaurant or pub on the premises.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
This sector is not as well developed in South Africa as you might find in Europe, for example. Trains and buses are not found everywhere and taxis can be expensive. Some of our establishments offer airport and other transfers. However, to really make the most of your stay in South Africa, it is better to hire a car. Day tours with tour operators are also available from the larger centres.

INTERNATIONAL DIALLING CODES:
Some of the listed establishments on this site do not have e-mail addresses. For contact with them, when telephoning or faxing from outside South Africa, use the international dialling code for international calls made from your country of origin, then add code 27 for South Africa and delete the "0" which is listed in brackets at the start of each local telephone or fax number, before dialling the rest of the number.