May 8, 2008
Though a number of travel commentators are currently touting the low-cost pleasures of South Africa, the mathematics just don't add up
Three years ago, the U.S. dollar bought 6 South African rand. Today, the dollar buys 7.5 South African rand. One of the few foreign currencies to actually weaken against the U.S. dollar, the rand has fallen by 25%, and prices for hotels, meals, and sightseeing are all refreshingly inexpensive both in Cape Town and in the wildlife-filled national parks in easy reach of that city. As a consequence, all sorts of newspaper travel sections are touting the desirability of travel to South Africa, especially to its glittering seaside resort capital of Cape Town. The Wall Street Journal is the latest to chime in, touting all sorts of attractions of South Africa.
But the problem is airfare. Go to all the consolidators, aggregators, and airline sites, and you'll rarely find a round-trip ticket for less than $1,700 between the U.S. and Cape Town or Johannesburg. With such an initial bite at your finances, all the savings in subsequent costs can't manage to keep the total outlay to reasonable levels. Though it pains me to say it, South Africa just isn't a feasible destination for cost-conscious American vacationers flying there from the United States.
But how about a visit to Cape Town as an "add on" to a stay in London? Maybe. Using www.cheapflights.co.uk, a leading British search engine, you can occasionally find a round-trip London to Cape Town flight for £399 ($800), though most flights are listed for $900 and $1,000. If you're going to be in London anyway, you might want to consider this interesting trip.
But generally speaking, South Africa isn't currently a budget destination. It is, instead, another casualty of the sharp increase in fuel costs that has so greatly raised the cost of flying to destinations far away.
Write and read comments about this post.
But the problem is airfare. Go to all the consolidators, aggregators, and airline sites, and you'll rarely find a round-trip ticket for less than $1,700 between the U.S. and Cape Town or Johannesburg. With such an initial bite at your finances, all the savings in subsequent costs can't manage to keep the total outlay to reasonable levels. Though it pains me to say it, South Africa just isn't a feasible destination for cost-conscious American vacationers flying there from the United States.
But how about a visit to Cape Town as an "add on" to a stay in London? Maybe. Using www.cheapflights.co.uk, a leading British search engine, you can occasionally find a round-trip London to Cape Town flight for £399 ($800), though most flights are listed for $900 and $1,000. If you're going to be in London anyway, you might want to consider this interesting trip.
But generally speaking, South Africa isn't currently a budget destination. It is, instead, another casualty of the sharp increase in fuel costs that has so greatly raised the cost of flying to destinations far away.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: money, south africa
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
