South Africa - Let's explore the places and people ...

The Singing Kettle - Near Plettenberg Bay

2007-11-17T15:20:00.000+02:00

Hidden away, 7km east of Keurbooms, a short drive from Plettenberg Bay is this awesome place. The crisp 'heavenly' white decor is as fresh as the sea-breeze whispering in over the balcony. 'Chelle, Josh and I spent a night here and it felt like a whole weekend.

The rooms are situated on the upper floor and overlook the eastern beaches and coastline of Plettenberg Bay. The ground floor houses an amazing restaurant, the name of which I forget, but who cares, I'll find my way back there and recommend it anytime. The terrace in front of the restaurant is ideal for late afternoon sun downers that last all the way to the dinner menu and what a menu. The atmosphere is a bustle, Mediterranean-like, it's great. You need to go and spend a few days up there. Oh, and there's this exciting trail that takes you to 'Arch Rock', but you need to wear a good pair of shoes or you'll have sore feet like I did. Singing Kettle - Go !

Commissions on Reservations !

2007-07-18T16:27:00.000+02:00

Shoot me if I am wrong, but there seems to be an alarming number of third party entrants to the tourism industry who are there only to see if they can squeeze a commission percentage from the guest or establishment at the time of a booking. Most have no regard for the guest’s satisfaction or the establishment’s success. 'All they want is a bite of the pie'.

Many credible travel agents and tour operators are also suffering the consequences of the 'free-entry' marketplace.

LodgeControl has launched the first of a number of websites that it intends to create to attract business to the accommodation industry at no cost. www.innsouthafrica.co.za and www.theguesthousedirectory.co.za are the first two of these sites. The cost to the establishment for a listing is free and there is no commission payable to LodgeControl by either the establishment or visitor for the use of the site. All the details of the establishment are exposed for any visitor to the site to see and the visitor is encouraged to make direct contact with the establishment for a booking.

The question is. What's in it for LodgeControl ? Well, we have an inherent interest in the success of the industry. We have serviced it for nearly 20 years with various software solutions and we are concerned about the long-term consequences that these 'unnecessary' expenses will have on the establishments. As suppliers of management software to the industry, we see first hand the enormous amounts of commission paid over to the array of so-called 'agents'.

This is the first phase of a number of intended strategies to counter the current situation. We are closely monitoring the online booking facilities and payment gateways to see how we can offer similar or better facilities to the industry at no or lower costs.

We expect some opposition from certain segments of the industry for this move, but our concern for the long-term success of the industry is our priority.

Interested parties who wish to comment can contact us through our website at http://www.lodgecontrol.com/ or http://www.lodgecontrol.co.za/

Kichaka - Wish I was there

2007-05-24T10:00:00.000+02:00

We could have stayed there for at least a week, but the two days were very special. The private splash pool on the patio surrounded by the thick African bush was our favourite retreat

Nestled in the hills about 25km from Grahamstown is this amazing lodge. Kichaka is a place well worth visiting. We were totally spoilt during our stay and treated to the most amazing, early morning game drive where we saw just about every type of animal in Africa.

Welcoming African hospitality starts when Presence, the receptionist, greets you with her warm smile and how blessed can the food be when it is prepared by 'Blessed', the chef.

I just wish I had more time to sit out on the balcony of the main building and watch the Hippo's bathing in the pool below, maybe next time.

Take a look for yourself at http://www.kichaka.co.za or email me for more information at ron@lodgecontrol.com

See a beautiful country, meet fantastic people...

2007-05-24T08:48:00.000+02:00

There are many interesting establishments in South Africa to visit. Some have never been heard of, even by the locals. Through my travels around the country and the distribution of my hospitality management software 'LodgeControl' I have visited some remarkable places.

In this blogg I want to introduce you to these places and tell you more about them, the people behind them and the reason that you should consider them when traveling through our beautiful country.

If you are considering a trip anywhere down the southern end of Africa and want to get off the beaten track, see some really interesting places and meet some great people, then I want to encourage you to visit this site.

I will gladly respond to genuine enquiries for more information on any particular area you want to visit.

Ron van Vuren