Today's the first official day of winter in South Africa - the best cure for the winter blues is to plan ahead for your next holiday. Or even better, hop onto an international flight to the northern hemisphere to join them for their summer (our travel consultants will be happy to assist you with an international flight quote).

Readers who are familiar with our tips for cheap flights will know to check Mango Plus prices, but here's an example of where it was cheapest. If you're flying at the start of the school holidays please be sure to check Mango Plus flight prices. Also check Budget Car Rental for car hire, as it was cheapest in our survey for the start of school holidays (R160/day).

School holiday flight prices

Schools across the country break up on the 22nd June for their June/July school holidays. We can expect an increase in price for flights and overland trips on the Cape Town to Durban route as well as any others. Unusually, Mango Plus is offering the cheapest flight on this route for R1,289 so you can fly with the extra benefits offered. Some of the flights on this route are already sold out and if you are planning a holiday in Durban you will need to book ASAP. The car rentals for Durban are still reasonably priced considering the overall price increases.

If you are quite the sailing enthusiast or just enjoy a day out on the boat, head down to Durban Marina for the International Boat & Leisure Show. The event is from the 22nd to the 24th June and the gates are open from 09h00 to 17h00.

 

Below we sampled prices of one-way flights, coach trips and train trips from Cape Town to Durban, leaving Cape Town between 13h44 and 20h31 on Friday the 22nd of June 2012. Please note that all prices below were valid at the time of capture, but that they cannot be guaranteed by us and are subject to availability.

Durban accommodation

Accommodation in the rest of South Africa and Namibia

Budget Car Rental is cheapest

If you need to get around Durban, make sure to use Budget Car Rental. We priced the cost of renting a car from King Shaka International Airport from 21h00 on Friday the 22nd of June 2012 until 13h00 on Sunday the 24th of June 2012 as follows:

Surveyed by Natasha Hardy

Agulhas Country Lodge from R1500 for 2 nights, until 31 August 2012 (subject to availability). 55% discount.

Mango Plus was cheapest in our survey of school holidays flight prices.

A Mother who didn't want her daughter to fly on a 1time plane from Johannesburg to George, yesterday phoned 1time's call centre to tell them there was a bomb on the plane. On landing in George, passengers were not amused when they had to leave all hand luggage on the aircraft for police to do a security check (and the returning set of passengers that their flight was delayed). The matter's been referred to the Gauteng Police force. Besides the passengers, I don't think people realise the stress this places on the crew of the plane, the bomb squad, fire services & other emergency personnel.

Two journalists from The Sun paper in the UK sneak into North Korea posing as travel agents.

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