Be it a solo trip or one with your friends or family, to make sure your road trip is both smooth sailing and serious fun, there are a few things you need to tick off the checklist…
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Safety first
Before you hit the road, make sure that your vehicle has undergone the necessary checks to ensure a safe trip. This includes checking the breaks, clutch, wheels, fluids, wiper blades, lights and indicators.
It’s important that you have all the necessary equipment in your car in case of an emergency, such as having to change a tyre (emergency triangle, pare tyre, jack, impact wrench and lug wrench that fits your tyres‘ bolts/nuts).
Don’t skimp on planning ahead. This way you can set out pitstops beforehand, take the necessary steps to ensure you get there on time (and preferably before dark), plan your routes and set up your GPS accordingly. Such a tip would be handy if you’re trying out one of the top camping sites in Limpopo.
We also recommend that you inform a loved one about your whereabouts before and during your trip as an extra safety measure. In addition, make sure that you save all of the important emergency numbers so that you have them on hand.
Ensure that you have enough fuel in the tank for the distance you need to cover. Stick to the speed limits, be aware of your surroundings and wear your safety belt.
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Pitstop spots
Taking a break every two hours (at least) is important, especially if you’re driving a long distance to reach your destination. It helps to keep you alert and prevents drowsiness, which is a major cause of accidents on the road. It’s also a fun little detour if you pick the right spot. We’re listing some of our favourite pitstop locations that your kids will love too:
- Wimpy at Engen Garage (Countrywide)
- Knysna Forest (Western Cape)
- Meropa Casino and Entertainment World (Limpopo)
- Butterfly World (Western Cape)
- Dinokeng Game Reserve (Gauteng) ✣ The Three Sisters (Northern Cape) ✣ Goudini Spa (Western Cape)
- Nelson Mandela Capture Site (KwaZulu-Natal)
- Karoo Padstal (Northern Cape)
- Hanglip Forest Reserve (Limpopo)
- Free State National Botanical Garden (Free State)
- Isinuka Mud Caves and Sulphur Pools (Eastern Cape)
- Windmill Casino (Free State)
- Orange River (Northern Cape)
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Pexels
Care for a car game?
When the road is long and boredom starts creeping up on you, why not turn back the clock and play a car game or two to keep you entertained until you reach your destination? Here are four games to consider on your holiday road trip. And bonus: they are also perfectif you are travelling with children (no more numerous ‘Are we there yet?’ questions).
21 Questions
One person in the car thinks of something (this could be a person, thing or place). The rest of the people in the car then ask that person questions (without repeating one) to figure out what it is that they’re thinking of (e.g. does it have hair?) When they’ve asked 21 questions, each player gets a chance to guess what the person is thinking of.
Word Association
One person says a word (e.g. fruit) and the following person says a word that is associated with it (e.g apple) and so it continues (e.g. iPhone) until someone takes too long to give an answer or say a word that isn’t quite associated with the previous one.
Scavenger Hunt
Set up a list of things you know you’ll see along the road (think windmill, sunflowers, cows, etc.). It is each person’s mission to try to spot the items on the list. The person who finds everything wins the game.
The Singing Game
Player one starts singing some lines of a song. The next person sings a different song starting with the last word of the first player’s lyrics.
Happy trippin’!
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Feature Image: Pexels
