Maps vs. GPS

The trusty road atlas has fallen out of favour over the last few years as technology caught up with demand and GPS navigation systems became more affordable to the masses. GPS is definitely a must have for any guide, it gets you from point A to B in the shortest time possible and helps you out in a pinch if you happen to take the wrong turn, but should this really be a reason to recycle your maps?

GPS quickly and efficiently calculates the route you need to follow whereas a map gives you the big picture of the area you are heading to/through. What happens when a tourist would like to see the layout and boundaries of the provinces? How would you show them the size of the Kruger National Park in relation to the size of the country? How do you show them exactly where you’re heading if you don’t have a map with you?

Maps come in hundreds of different varieties, from road atlases to pocket guides. You get specialised maps of areas such as the Kruger National Park, Winelands, Panorama, Drakensberg , Richtersveld, the Garden Route, 4 X 4 routes, flower route map and dive site to name but a few.

GPS might be the new kid on the block but that good old trusty map that has laid forgotten in the glove box is still a handy tool for any tourist guide.

Flag Day At Drum Beat

Across the world people are celebrating today and here at Drum Beat it’s no different.

In Australia they are celebrating Australia Day, in Uganda it’s Liberation Day and in India they are celebrating Republic day.

Here at Drum Beat we are having fun with our own special day - Flag Day. Everyone needs a reason to celebrate, right?

The whole office joined in and represented a flag in some way or the other, we have just about everything from Ghana to Bangladesh.

Just to make this an educational experience we had a little test to see who knows their flags, turns out it’s a bit harder than expected and even the test creator couldn’t remember them all. But it is our great pleasure to announce that we have a clear winner! Congratulations Christa! We all had a good guess but you are most certainly the champion!

Can you guess where these flags are from?

If you want to learn more about our country then our Tourist Guide Course is the thing for you!