Have you ever read an article on a city you know and thought, yes, but how could they fail to mention this restaurant, that must-see sight and that really buzzing part of town?
No matter how quickly travel journalists reach a hot destination, or how thoroughly they comb a city, there will always be readers who know it better — and not least, those readers who live there.
The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom has put this principle into practice on its website, Guardian Unlimited, with a brand-new, unique feature where readers write the travel guides.
It started with New York, Rio and Berlin, and now The Guardian is asking for South African readers’ help in sharing the best of Cape Town.
A selection of the best tips will be made by the end of the day on Wednesday October 5.
The newspaper’s new travel website, Been There, invites readers to share their favourite places and read the recommendations made by others.
”Reckon you know the very best viewpoint? Found a great little bar or cafe? The perfect place for seafood? We want to hear about it,” wrote the Guardian Unlimited‘s travel editor, Gwyn Topham, in an introduction to the new feature.
”Been There is a guide to the world as travelled by you — a constantly expanding work in progress. Your tips on the places you know — that you love, live in or have just visited — are what make it.”
All tips on Cape Town received from South Africans will go directly on the site, and the best of them will be used in the centre spread in this Saturday’s Guardian newspaper.
There are three ways to take part in the collaborative guide (you’ll need to register quickly if you’re new to Guardian Unlimited):
- Rate tips: Easiest of all: simply click a button to say if you agree (or disagree) with the tips you read. This will register and show other users how many people thought it was a tip worth sharing.
- Send a tip: Just type in the name of that favourite bar, gallery, park, or special thing to do, and a few words about it. Your recommendation will appear straight on the site.
- Send a photo: If you don’t fancy writing but have some great snaps, you can add your photographs to the website’s galleries.
Or, of course, just browse and enjoy the site.
On the net
Been There Cape Town section