Accommodation is a concern of every traveller, whether you are looking for a place to pitch a tent or for a luxury suite in a fancy resort. Booking accommodation, dealing with the vast array of accommodation options, and considering alternative lodging options are all issues that travellers face.
Finding accommodation can be one of the most frustrating aspects of planning your travels. There are two ways to solve the accommodation problem: booking in advance or finding a place on the day.
Booking in advance.
Booking in advance gives the traveller the peace of mind that they will have somewhere to sleep once they arrive at their destination. This is a good idea when travelling to a popular tourist destination. Moreover, booking will help travellers to avoid a last-minute price surge.
This can be done in several ways:
- Over the internet
- Through a travel agent
- Over the telephone
No matter what your accommodation tastes may be, one thing everyone has in common is that no one wants to pay a fortune for it. One of the best ways to take a cheap holiday is to cut down on accommodation costs. Since you have to stay somewhere every night, reducing this expense can save you a lot of money from the total cost of your trip. Next to finding a cheap flight, finding free or inexpensive lodging will have the biggest impact on your budget.
Types of Accommodation
There are two main types of accommodation, serviced and non-serviced. These are mostly in the private sector
- Serviced accommodation:
When a service is provided along with an overnight stay, e.g. hotels, guesthouses, youth hostels etc. This type of serviced accommodation is where their services are provided by cleaners who change your bed, and towels and also serve food and drink to you when it is needed. - Non-serviced accommodation or self-catering:
This is when tourists cater for themselves. Examples of this are when you stay in cottages, camping holidays or caravan park stays etc. here you have to cook, clean and cater for yourselves.
      
You can find a list of accommodation establishments in the Western Cape on the Colourdots website. These include various categories. such as guest houses, self-catering, camping or caravanning.
