Be a responsible traveller

We would like to share these tips with you as you travel throughout this beautiful land.

Let each one of us do our best to promote responsible travel towards our environment: 

1. Use water as efficiently as possible.
2. Take care not to start a fire with your cigarette butts or matches.
3. Please use electricity as efficiently as possible, by switching off the lights, electric fan,  air conditioner and television when you are not in your room.
4. Do not approach or feed the baboons.  They are wild and potentially dangerous.
5. Do not take natural keepsakes like shells and indigenous flowers when spending time in nature.
6. When driving or hiking, stick to marked paths and roads.
7. Make sure the seafood you want to buy and eat is not on the list of endangered species.  SMS the name of the fish to +27 (0)79 499 8795 to find out.
8. Dispose of rubbish carefully, recycle where possible and reuse your beverage bottles and shopping bags.
9. Make use of public transport where possible or take a walking tour.
10. Offset your carbon footprint by planting a tree or buying local products. 

Some tips for responsible tourism towards our communities include:

1. Research the culture of the area you intend to visit before arriving at your destination.
2. Talk to locals, make use of local tour guides and stay in accommodation establishments that are invested in the local community.
3. Learn some of the language - a simple greeting and thank you in the language of our people will see you embraced as a guest and not only a visitor.
4. Respect the dignity and privacy of others - please ask permission before you take a photo.
5. Rather than giving money to beggars and street children, make an effort to donate to a local charity that supports community projects.
6. Purchase souvenirs directly from community markets and handcrafter's so that the money goes directly to local businesses.
7. Take your taste buds on a journey by experiencing local and regional cuisine. This will give you insight to the culture of the area and you will support the local economy.
8. Be vigilant about child prostitution.

These tips have been published by "Cape Town Tourism" in the interests of responsible tourism.

For a unique way of travelling in South Africa visit our website www.travelsatleisure.com