As 2010 and the World Cup in South Africa draws ever closer, football fans all over the world are doubtlessly reaching for their credit cards and trawling the Internet for flights and accommodation offers in the numerous host cities.
With the global recession, it is an undisputed fact that wallets have shrunk, but my suggestion to fans coming from destinations world wide would be that a short diversionary trip to the island paradise of Mauritius, either to relax before your team plays, to comfort you after they have lost, or to celebrate after they have won, would not be stretching the purse strings to a breaking point.
Between the 11th of June and the 11th of July 2010, fans will be traveling all over South Africa to support their teams and enjoy the numerous matches and during this time the Mauritian Tourism Authority are planning to put aside over 3000 rooms to accommodate fans on the island.
As Mauritius is approximately three and a half hours flight from Johannesburg and there are a number of different airlines offering flights from many other cities around South Africa, getting to Mauritius has never been easier.
Within South Africa, the games will be played in nine different cities.
In alphabetical order, in Cape Town in the controversial Green Point Stadium which nestles under the shadow of Table Mountain, the Durban Stadium which is not far from the "golden mile", a four kilometre stretch of beaches restaurants and promenades.
In Johannesburg, the financial centre of South Africa and a city alive with energy and excitement, Ellis Park Stadium has been chosen as the host of the games, while in Mangaung, previously known as Bloemfontein, the friendly and dignified locals will be rubbing shoulders with thousands of football fans in the Free State Stadium.
The Port Elizabeth Stadium in the protected Nelson Mandela Bay which was previously called Port Elizabeth offers 40 kilometres of immaculate beaches bordering the warm Indian ocean as well as a number of World Cup football matches.
Nelspruit, which abounds with forests and waterfalls, is home to the Mombela Stadium while Polokwane, the arid land of the baobab, boast the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Games will also be played in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in the heart of the savannah bushveld in Rustenburg which shelters under the beautiful Magaliesburg Mountains and, finally, the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the rich and colourful city of Pretoria, now known as Tshwane.
Out of these nine host cities, it is possible to catch direct flights from three of them to Mauritius, namely from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Flights from the other six cities are still easy and relatively cheap as there are a number of cheap domestic airlines such as Mango, 1time and Kulula which offer good deals to the three cities from which it is possible to catch a connecting flight to Mauritius.