The State of Disorganisation

There must have been from the onset a public relations hill to climb in the Fifa decision to award the 2010 soccer world cup tournament to an African country. Fair or not, Africa’s image abroad does not suggest the kind of economic muscle and logistical wherewithal necessary to stage an event of such international significance. This, however, is a prejudice, and does not take into account the fact that South Africa has a general transport and communications infrastructure that is by world standards impressive, and by African standards miraculous. However a recent report in the UK Guardian, suggesting that Fifa had put in place a £400 million slush fund against the high likelihood of a collapse of the 2010 World Cup, attracted just enough vitriolic denial from Fifa to suggest that it might be true.

British sports journalist Matt Scott, in an article in his Digger Column, reported that German insurance giant Munich Re was holding off on a decision to provide coverage for the event citing fears of inadequate progress, crime and insecurity, and an uncertain political climate. ‘The situation is quite difficult and fluid.’ Said a spokesman for Munich Re. ‘The problem is they need 10 stadiums and some of these are rugby grounds that are run down and in very bad condition.’

This, it would seem, is just the beginning, so how prepared is South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup?

Reason 1: Crime

Law enforcement still stands as the principal area where South Africa is stumbling in its preparations for the 2010 World Cup. This was evidenced in a recent news report chronicling diminishing tourist numbers in Cape Town. Cited was a popular city destination, Signal Hill, from the top of which are to be seen unparalleled views of the city and Table Bay, which has recently been the subject of a security overhaul. Nowadays a visitor can expect 24 hour security, with foot patrols, closed circuit TV cameras, motion detectors, panic buttons and increased lighting. This in what is effectively a inner city green zone. ‘South Africa,’ lamented City Councillor Simon Grindrod, ‘is on the cusp of the biggest tourism draw card in its history, the 2010 World Cup, [and] it sends the wrong signal when we pack up and leave an attraction simply because of the threat of crime.’

Recent xenophobic attacks in the main cities has not helped the impression of a society at war with itself. If the mass influx of foreign visitors into South Africa is not to descend into a crime feeding frenzy then the South African authorities are going to have give some serious thought, if they have not already, to the matter of overall security.

Reason 2: Corruption

Corruption, of course, is a close friend of crime, and like an iceberg it is a phenomenon that usually only reveals its tip. It was reported last month that the IT manager of the organising committee, Zakes Mnisi, was suspended pending investigation into ‘financial impropriety’. Bearing in mind the amounts of money circulating around this event, Zakes must be the unfortunate fall guy for many such improprieties going on under the surface. While the forensic investigations that exposed Mnisi’s activities continued in the direction of tenders he awarded, and how he secured a position on the Organising Committee after similar suspensions in the private sector, many high profile members and private contractors must be rushing to cover their tracks. The upside of this is that forensic investigations are underway at all, although how close to the source they will be allowed to get is open to question.

Reason 3: Stadia

There seems now to be less concern regarding the completion of new and refurbished stadia than has recently been the case. Six of the ten stadia will be new, including Nelson Mandela Bay, Soccer City in Johannesburg, Cape Town’s Green Point, Mbombela in Mpumulanga, Peter Mokaba in Polokwane and Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadia, with organisers currently predicting that all six will be completed according to plan, which includes the refurbishment of existing facilities. What remains uncertain is the completion of peripheral facilities necessary to support the matches, including the all important transport network. The first major test for the World Cup Stadia will the Confederation Cup of Southern Africa, a regional tournament to be held in South Africa between June 14 and 27 2009, when planning officials will at least have the opportunity for a dry run before the hordes of World Cup visitors descend on the nation.

Reason 4: Transport

Inner city and inter-city transport has since the onset been the main bugbear in planning the format for the tournament. Among the new infrastructure developments proposed for the sake of the event is the much touted Gautrain, a high speed, high volume link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Oliver Tambo International Airport which serves both cities. Currently, taking no account of unexpected problems, the schedule for the completion of the project is very tight. Construction is divided into two phases, the first scheduled for completion 45 months after the 28 September 2006 date of commencement, which would be June 2010, the very month that the start of the World Cup Tournament is proposed. The second phase due to take 54 months, and set to run concurrently, which means that quite clearly it will not be completed in time.

Associated with Gautrain is a high speed high volume bus service that also appears ridden with potential problems, with project delivery largely in the hands of local authorities with neither sufficient funds nor capacity, and nor with any particular interest in conceding this fact for fear of loosing contracts. The first phase is projected to run to 2010, which also leaves an extremely narrow margin of error. Associated freeway improvement projects are now competing with the need for social investment, and investment in the overstretched power utility Eskom which is manifestly buckling under the weight of vaulting economic development. With anguished muttering about environmental impact studies, and the unforgiving bedrock between Johannesburg and Pretoria, the deflection of criticism by the Johannesburg Development Association and the World Cup Organising Committees seems daily less valid.

Reason 5: Volume and Capacity

Current projections indicate that 289 000 overseas visitors, 48 000 African and some 115 000 local South Africans will flock to the various venues, watching on average four matches each. Even if the numbers prove to be lower than this, analysts predict a severe pressure cooker effect if any of the many tight deadlines begin to falter, as many indeed already have.

It seems ultimately that too many projects are chasing too little investment, with unexpected social and general infrastructure demands adding further complications. Future planning seems also to have been brought into question over the long term viability of a number of the state-of-the-art stadia that will stand as showcases to South African organisational prowess. These, it seems, will need subsidisation to be viable after the tournament, and will certainly erode many of the short term benefits expected to accrue from their construction. Unlike in the case of Japan and Korea, however, that jointly held the 2002 Cup, none are expected to be demolished after use, perhaps under the expectation that private capital may in some way rescue beleaguered and over-stretched municipalities.

With just over two years to go before kickoff, these are the stats. South Africa’s desire to lead Africa in matters of sport, economics, politics and human rights will be severely challenged in the months leading up to, and during the tournament itself, and although expectations are high that the traditionally high standards of organisation in South Africa will prevail, all remains to be seen.

The State of Disorganisation

There must have been from the onset a public relations hill to climb in the Fifa decision to award the 2010 soccer world cup tournament to an African country. Fair or not, Africa’s image abroad does not suggest the kind of economic muscle and logistical wherewithal necessary to stage an event of such international significance. This, however, is a prejudice, and does not take into account the fact that South Africa has a general transport and communications infrastructure that is by world standards impressive, and by African standards miraculous. However a recent report in the UK Guardian, suggesting that Fifa had put in place a £400 million slush fund against the high likelihood of a collapse of the 2010 World Cup, attracted just enough vitriolic denial from Fifa to suggest that it might be true.

British sports journalist Matt Scott, in an article in his Digger Column, reported that German insurance giant Munich Re was holding off on a decision to provide coverage for the event citing fears of inadequate progress, crime and insecurity, and an uncertain political climate. ‘The situation is quite difficult and fluid.’ Said a spokesman for Munich Re. ‘The problem is they need 10 stadiums and some of these are rugby grounds that are run down and in very bad condition.’

This, it would seem, is just the beginning, so how prepared is South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup?

Crime

Law enforcement still stands as the principal area where South Africa is stumbling in its preparations for the 2010 World Cup. This was evidenced in a recent news report chronicling diminishing tourist numbers in Cape Town. Cited was a popular city destination, Signal Hill, from the top of which are to be seen unparalleled views of the city and Table Bay, which has recently been the subject of a security overhaul. Nowadays a visitor can expect 24 hour security, with foot patrols, closed circuit TV cameras, motion detectors, panic buttons and increased lighting. This in what is effectively a inner city green zone. ‘South Africa,’ lamented City Councillor Simon Grindrod, ‘is on the cusp of the biggest tourism draw card in its history, the 2010 World Cup, [and] it sends the wrong signal when we pack up and leave an attraction simply because of the threat of crime.’

Recent xenophobic attacks in the main cities has not helped the impression of a society at war with itself. If the mass influx of foreign visitors into South Africa is not to descend into a crime feeding frenzy then the South African authorities are going to have give some serious thought, if they have not already, to the matter of overall security.

Corruption

Corruption, of course, is a close friend of crime, and like an iceberg it is a phenomenon that usually only reveals its tip. It was reported last month that the IT manager of the organising committee, Zakes Mnisi, was suspended pending investigation into ‘financial impropriety’. Bearing in mind the amounts of money circulating around this event, Zakes must be the unfortunate fall guy for many such improprieties going on under the surface. While the forensic investigations that exposed Mnisi’s activities continued in the direction of tenders he awarded, and how he was awarded a position on the Organising Committee after similar suspensions in the private sector, many high profile members and private contractors must be rushing to cover their tracks. The upside of this is that forensic investigations are underway at all, although how close to the source they will be allowed to get is open to question.

Stadia

There seems now to be less concern regarding the completion of new and refurbished stadia than there has recently been the case. Six of the ten stadia will be new, including Nelson Mandela Bay, Soccer City in Johannesburg, Cape Town’s Green Point, Mbombela in Mpumulanga, Peter Mokaba in Polokwane and Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadia, with organisers currently predicting that all six will be completed according to plan, which includes the refurbishment of existing facilities. What remains uncertain is the completion of peripheral facilities necessary to support the matches, including the all important transport network. The first major test for the World Cup Stadia will the Confederation Cup of Southern Africa, a regional tournament to be held in South Africa between June 14 and 27 2009, when planning officials will at least have the opportunity for a dry run before the hordes of World Cup visitors descend on the nation.

Transport

Inner city and inter-city transport has since the onset been the main bugbear in planning the format for the tournament. Among the new infrastructure developments proposed for the sake of the event is the much touted Gautrain, a high speed, high volume link between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Oliver Tambo International Airport which serves both cities. Currently, taking no account of unexpected problems, the schedule for the completion of the project is very tight. Construction is divided into two phases, the first scheduled for completion 45 months after the 28 September 2006 date of commencement, which would be June 2010, the very month that the start of the World Cup Tournament is proposed. The second phase due to take 54 months, and set to run concurrently, which means that quite clearly it will not be completed in time.

Associated with Gautrain is a high speed high volume bus service that also appears ridden with potential problems, with project delivery largely in the hands of local authorities with neither sufficient funds nor capacity, and nor with any particular interest in conceding this fact for fear of loosing contracts. The first phase is projected to run to 2010, which also leaves an extremely narrow margin of error. Associated freeway improvement projects are now competing with the need for social investment, and in the overstretched power utility Eskom which is manifestly buckling under the weight of vaulting economic development. With anguished muttering about environmental impact studies, and the unforgiving bedrock between Johannesburg and Pretoria, the deflection of criticism by the Johannesburg Development Association and the World Cup Organising Committees seems daily less valid.

Volume and Capacity

Current projections indicate that 289 000 overseas visitors, 48 000 African and some 115 000 local South Africans will flock to the various venues, watching on average four matches each. Even if the numbers prove to be lower than this, analysts predict a severe pressure cooker effect if any of the many tight deadlines begin to falter, as many indeed already have.

It seems ultimately that too many projects are chasing too little investment, with unexpected social and general infrastructure demands adding further complications. Future planning seems also to have been brought into question over the long term viability of a number of the state-of-the-art stadia that will stand as showcases to South African organisational prowess. These, it seems, will need subsidisation to be viable after the tournament, and will certainly erode many of the short term benefits expected to accrue from their construction. Unlike in the case of Japan and Korea, however, that jointly held the 2002 Cup, none are expected to be demolished after use, perhaps under the expectation that private capital may in some way rescue beleaguered and over-stretched municipalities.

With just over two years to go before kickoff, these are the stats. South Africa’s desire to lead Africa in matters of sport, economics, politics and human rights will be severely challenged in the months leading up to, and during the tournament itself, and although expectations are high that the traditionally high standards of organisation in South Africa will prevail, all remains to be seen.

Sample prices are:

Expedia offers trips priced at $596 from Chicago, $670 from Los Angeles, and $602 from New York. Travelocity’s packages start at $608 from Chicago, $676 from Los Angeles, and $635 from New York. BeachDestinations.com has vacations starting at $730 from Chicago, $798 from Los Angeles, and $728 from New York. Liberty Travel’s promotion starts at $1,039 from Chicago, $1,095 from Los Angeles, and $965 from New York. Packages also include transport between the hotel and airport, as well as a $150 resort credit. Book by June 17; travel is valid from June 9 through 30.

The listed rates are per person based on double occupancy. Single travelers may pay a supplementary charge for each package. Availability is limited.

Which deal offers the best value?

If you’re going by price alone, I found that Expedia had the best rates from all departure cities. Note that the Liberty Deal does not include taxes, but you will be getting the resort credit, so do some comparisons around your travel dates to find the best value for your vacation. An important factor to consider is the type of lodging included. To compare hotel ratings, visit TripAdvisor, a partner of SmarterTravel.com.

It’s always a good idea to compare costs before making a reservation, and you can use our price-comparison tool to search multiple travel providers.

Please note that many providers do not list booking deadlines, and not all packages may be available for the travel dates you want. Be flexible with your travel dates to find the best deal for your vacation.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

(Editor’s Note: SmarterTravel.com is a member of the TripAdvisor Media Network, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. Expedia, Inc. also owns Expedia.com.)

In the modern world, ‘wild’ as far as nature is concerned is a relative concept. It is enough, perhaps, that an area of natural beauty is not utterly trampled by urban development, or destroyed by irresponsible land use, for it to deserve the term ‘wild’. Certainly this is the case in the developing world, and most particularly along the earth’s tropical coastlines. The Wild Coast of South Africa’s KwaZulu/Natal, although hardly wild, is by comparison to the KNZ South Coast in a different world altogether. It is a gorgeous natural environment, comprising the signature open grasslands and hill country of the south coast, with deep cut ravines peppered with groves of aloe, and deep tidal estuaries cloaked on either bank with rich and unsullied riparian forest. There is no sign anywhere of mock Tuscan gated developments, of strip malls or the blanket sugar estates so ubiquitous throughout the region. It is moreover an environment fiercely protected by both a large cohort of outside environmentalists and significant numbers of local community members. The latter, almost uniquely, have successfully resisted the temptation to climb into bed with property developers and sell the long term integrity of their landscape for short term profit.

The Environmental Frontline

Currently, however, the issue is less property development and more highway construction and strip mining. The controversy in the first instances involves the extension of the ubiquitous toll road system, that is the pride of the South African transport infrastructure, through the Transkei, and secondly whether to grant Australian mining conglomerate, Minerals Commodities Limited, and Local Black Economic Empowerment group Xolobeni Empowerment Company, license to dune mine substantial base metal reserves along the coast. While the intricacies of this contest are beyond the scope of this narrative, they do broadly pit local concerns against central and international financial interests. At the core is the question of land ownership, which, in the case of the wild coast, is land owned by the state and held in trust for the people.

With such large amounts of money potentially accruing from a project like this it is understandable that at times community concerns lose focus against the ballast of capital economics and personal greed. What is encouraging about this, however, is the fact that a cognitive debate on the matter is underway at all. This, although a minute precedent in the context of environmental responsibility continent wide, is a step in the right direction. Usually all powerful economic interests, focused typically within a narrow clique of governing plutocrats who tower above the law, have the first and last word in any matter of economic development. This is what sets South Africa apart from much of the rest of Africa, both on a central and a local level, and indeed part of what sets the Wild Coast apart, and a large part of what keeps it wild.

What is the Transkei?

Literally the Transkei is the country north of the Kei River. Politically it is an area once defined as a Bantustan, or a semi-autonomous receptacle for the unwanted blacks of the apartheid economic system, but currently it exists under the South African government after the reintegration of 1994. The demographics of the Transkei (nowadays a classification rather than a political subdivision) still correspond broadly with those defined by the apartheid system, and the region is home to predominantly Xhosa speakers, with a smattering of other groups. It is an overwhelmingly rural and communal society, with the broad social aspect of the territory being one of village homesteads and small community business centers hosting at most a local shop, a school and a bar. The capital of the Transkei is Mthatha, formally Umtata, although the main destination for visitors to the area is Port St John situated on the coast.

From a tourist perspective the Transkei is defined by the Wild Coast itself, and the Wild Coast is defined by some 250 kilometers of unspoilt dune beaches, deep estuaries and rich riparian forests. There are a handful of hotels and back packers lodges scattered up the length of the coast, including the Wild Coast Casino Hotel immediately on the Transkei side of the Umtanvuna River, but others less overtly themed, and a handful of excellent community run tourist projects that transport one back to the intimacy of life on the brink of nature.

What is On Offer?

As is the case with anywhere in SA, there is no one attraction on the Wild Coast, and no one place to stay, nor one single organization to help you facilitate your activities. Apart from the natural gifts of the landscape itself, and the soft texture of village life preserved upon it, Transkei has laid claim to the unique pedigree of being the home of Nelson Mandela. There are many institutions, places and organizations that claim a small piece of the great man’s legacy, but without doubt this, the Xhosa heartland, is where the multi-faceted life of Mandela indeed began. The Nelson Mandela Route, an historical tour of the region, provides a basic framework not only to glance at the origins of The Struggle, but also at the more general history of a very interesting historical destination.

From an ecological perspective there are a handful of nature reserves, all more or less focused on the coast, and offering a variety of scenery from the signature rugged coastline and sweeping sand beaches to preserved stands of indigenous forest and the floral diversity of the grasslands. This range of local habitats lends the area perfectly to those interested in bird watching, for, apart from the astonishing multiplicity of color and life to be expected in the dense riparian forests, the grasslands and the coast are equally rich in variety.

Hiking and horse trails are a very popular way to get to the grass roots and experience the Wild Coast. There are a number of commercial options, quite a few operated on a community basis, and all offering variations on the same basic theme. It is important to bear in mind, however, that although unassisted hikes are permitted, they very inadvisable in the light of the crime situation in South Africa. Along the length of the coast there are a number of separate and defined trail options highlighting particular features of the coast.

The Wild Coast is, as indeed is the entire South Coast, an excellent angling destination. Both surf and ski boat options are available, but again, as an outsider, avoid any solo expeditions unassisted by a local.

For drivers exploring the coastal tracks and byways, exercise caution both in terms of the avoidance of crime, and the avoidance of an African speed trap which usually takes the form of a large bovine animal ruminating in the middle of the road. Remain alert at all times, and avoid any obviously risky situations.

Accommodation & Adventure

Hotels, lodges and backpackers lodges abound. For a compressive listing of these visit www.wildcoast.co.za, or pick up a Coast to Coast guide at any lodge or hotel in the neighborhood. An interesting, and perhaps even essential option, is the handful of community run camps and lodges scattered along the length of the coast. The best intro into this is via Amadiba Adventures, situated at the Mzamba Craft Center immediately opposite the entrance to the Wild Coast Sun Casino Hotel. You can’t miss it. Besides supporting community eco projects, you will also get an authentic vibe that is usually only canned and showcased by more commercial operators.

An excellent intro into the variety of adventure options in the locality, from surfing to gorge jumping, is via the backpacker lodge network that in South Africa is probably the most finely tuned in the world. Even if backpacking is not your style, the most up to the minute info is always available around the bar of your local backpackers lodge, so a visit is always worthwhile.

A last Thought.

The Wild Coast is a little jewel in an economy of voracious coastal development. While you enjoy it, remember that many noble people have, and continue to, dedicate their lives to protecting it. It is a unique phenomenon, so where ever you put your money when you visit, try and make sure it is in the pockets of someone or something that has the best interest of the area at heart. Not all whites involved are trying to develop the beach front for profit, and not all the blacks are trying to protect their traditional heritage. There are as many hungry eyes on on the area from both sides of the race spectrum, and as many villains as there are eco-warriors fighting for the future. Stake your claim, and be part of the preservation.

There are a handful of highly cosmopolitan cities that decorate the global travel map – Rio, Sydney and Buenos Aires to name but a few – that all have in some way the attributes of beauty, grandeur, romance and fine living. The common perception of Africa, however, tends to preclude a lot of these qualities, but it often comes as a very pleasant surprise to the fist time visitor to the continent to find that amongst these international urban jewels is the South African city of Cape Town.

In fact, for the first timer, South Africa itself hardly seems like Africa at all. With its clean and ordered cities, its superb transport and communication infrastructure, and its sophisticated cultural and business forums, it could hardly be further removed from the popular image of the continent. South Africa is Africa for beginners – a perfect springboard for the wider reach of a continent that will in every respect satisfy the expectations of the adventure hungry outfield traveler.

Cape Town is the cultural heartland of South Africa, and as such it represents a nation of dazzling ethnic diversity. Its history, in nutshell, is one of cultural merger and clash. The agents of the Dutch East India Company arrived on the peninsular in 1652 to establish a resupply station for Company shipping, and almost a century later confronted the downward spread of the Bantu people migrating south from the African heartland. In the meanwhile Khoisan natives, imported Malay bonded workers, slaves from Madagascar and the East African
coast, French religious refugees, Indians, Arabs, British and a polyglot assortment of Europeans all arrived to enrich and enliven the mix. The Cape was the first British colony to be established in the region, and the first to have a functioning seat of government and a Westminster style legislature, and moreover, until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it was one of the most important shipping entrepôts in the world.

Perhaps the primary catalyst for the explosion of cultural growth that followed the establishment of the first settlement was the temperate, sub tropical climate that arch imperialist Cecil John Rhodes once remarked was one that a white man could well live in. Certainly it is a far cry from the ‘white man’s grave’ of Central and West Africa that famously afforded early European colonists an average life expectancy of just nine months. These sublimely pleasant airs, combined with both the natural gifts of peninsular and the agrarian skills of early
Huguenot settlers, laid the foundation of the now celebrated wine industry of the region, which itself set in motion a process of gentrification, and the subsequent growth of the unique style, architecture and cuisine of the Cape.

Contemporary Cape cuisine, of course, is by now a great deal more varied than its original continental and European root, which has over generations been grafted with the piquant buds of Afrikaner, Indian and Malay influence, to create the distinctive Cape Malay style that is now both ubiquitous throughout the region and justifiably famous.

Cape Town is also known for its liberal outlook, with nightclubs catering for every sexual preference, and restaurants and eateries considered to be among the finest in the world. Festivals and carnivals reflect the city’s cultural diversity, as does the arts scene that is doubtless the most varied and sophisticated on the continent. Capetown is also a maritime city with the Simonstown Naval Base, a bounty of fresh seafood, and a number of well known and popular beaches that lead off either the Atlantic or Indian Oceans, each with a considerable temperature variation depending on what side of the peninsular is preferred. Table Mountain itself, the iconic landmark of the Mother City, can be accessed on foot or by cable expressway, and around the skirt of the Berg are many scenic walks and drives.

This synthesis of cultural diversity, of blended European, oriental and African traditions, of old and new, of black and white, can best be absorbed through the sophisticated and functional local hospitality industry. Spreading north and east from the Mother City the famous Garden Route follows the south coast to the wineland with its multiplicity of lodges, country homes, spas and and bed & breakfast establishments. The coast itself is punctuated by hamlets and villages where, as well as the usual pleasures of stylish accommodation, fine eating and wine tasting, are some of the best whale watching sites in the southern hemisphere. From there the road leads east and northeast into the South African heartland, where the more rugged appeal of mountains and bushveld opens the way north to wild Africa.

If you are looking for a cultural tour in the ultimate food and drink comfort zone, with a just enough rugged appeal to remind you that you are in Africa, then the Cape is for you. If you want an easy start to the challenge of long-range travel north towards the equator, then the Cape is for you. If you want to slake your thirst after a journey south through the wild regions of Namibia and Botswana, then equally the Cape is for you. Or if you simply want to visit one of the worlds’ premier cities, the site of great history, great culture and great times, then the Cape is for you.

About the author:

Peter Baxter is an author and field guide specialising in the highlands of south central Africa. He was born in Kenya to British expatriate parents, and grew up in Rhodesia before that country became Zimbabwe at independence in 1980. Widely travelled in the region, Peter now writes on the history and politics of southern Africa, and is currently available as an exclusive guide for private and escorted trips to the sub-continent.

A trip to South Africa can be the trip of a lifetime, but there’s no reason you have to spend a life’s savings on it. Staying in hostels in South Africa is a great way to stretch your travel budget, and you’ll also stand a better chance of meeting up with locals and other travelers and making unique travel memories, too. When you’re trying to book your hostels, however, it can feel a bit overwhelming. All those hostel booking sites look alike and offer the same property listings, right?

Well, yes and no. Many of the sites will have the same South Africa hostels listed, so you’ll probably see the same names popping up again and again, but the sites themselves are quite different. Only you can decide which booking service you prefer, but after looking at each one a little bit you should be able to pick a favorite! A few things to look for include maps/directions for reaching the hostel from public transport, walking distances from the hostel to tourist attractions, tips for what to do during your stay, and hostel reviews or photographs.

To get you started, here are the South Africa hostels listings on some of the booking sites:

Hostelsclub.com
BootsnAll.com
Hostelbookers.com
Hostelworld.com

The deal

When I checked, sample per-person fares for 2008 sailings included:

$499 for an inside cabin, $599 for an outside cabin, and $849 for a balcony cabin on a seven-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Spirit departing from New Orleans on February 3. $849 for an inside cabin, $969 for an outside cabin, and $1,529 for a balcony cabin on a nine-night southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel departing from Miami on February 15.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

It’s always a good idea to compare rates before booking, and you can use our price-comparison tool to search multiple travel providers.

To book

For more information or to book a cruise, visit Norwegian’s Specials and Promotions page and scroll down to the Caribbean offers, call 866-234-0292, or contact a travel agent.

Fares are per person based on double occupancy and do not include additional taxes and fees. Prices may change at any time.

Between June 11 and July 11, 2010 South Africa will host the 19th FIFA World Cup, an international tournament for football. It would be the first time that the World Cup has been hosted by an African country.

The stadiums located in the following cities will host the events: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg (two), Kimberley, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Rustenburg. Five new stadiums will be built for the event, while five of the existing venues will be renovated. South Africa is also planning to improve its public transport system and implement special security measures to ensure the safety of the participants.

To much of the locals’ delight, many of them will be able to get directly involved in the organization of the World Cup. The 2010 Fifa World CupLocal Organising Committee (LOC) plans to recruit both specialist and ordinary people as volunteers. According to LOC as many as 15,000 volunteers will be needed for the World Cup.

If you are interested in applying, you must be over 18 years old by March 2010 and must live in one of the host cities mentioned above.

The deal

When I checked, sample per-person fares for 2008 sailings included:

$299 for an inside cabin on a five-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel departing from Miami on January 13. $529 for an inside cabin on a seven-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Sun departing from Miami on January 19.$549 for an inside cabin on a seven-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Spirit departing from New Orleans on January 6.$769 for an inside cabin on a nine-night southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl departing from Miami on March 7.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

It’s always a good idea to compare rates before booking, and you can use our price-comparison tool to search multiple travel providers.

To book

For more information or to book a cruise, visit Norwegian’s Specials and Promotions page and scroll down to the Caribbean offers, call 866-234-0292, or contact a travel agent.

Fares are per person based on double occupancy and do not include additional taxes and fees. Prices may change at any time.

The deal

When I checked, sample per-person fares for 2007 and 2008 sailings included:

$329 for an inside cabin on a five-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel departing from Miami on December 2, 2007. $449 for an inside cabin on a seven-night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Majesty departing from Charleston on January 5, 2008.$799 for an inside cabin on a nine-night southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl departing from Miami on November 30, 2007.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

It’s always a good idea to compare rates before booking, and you can use our price-comparison tool to search multiple travel providers.

To book

For more information or to book a cruise, visit Norwegian’s Specials and Promotions page and scroll down to the Caribbean offers, call 866-234-0292, or contact a travel agent.

Fares are per person based on double occupancy and do not include additional taxes and fees. Prices may change at any time.