If you are looking for a FREE online interactive downloadable location map to your tourist establishment, you have come to the right place. Maphost is a FREE web listing directory with a difference. All your contact details are presented together with a route map to you location, including you exact GPS coordinates, on a single printable map page. The result is a functional destination map, with driving directions, on how to locate your establishment. We provide the most practical and effective tourism directory listing service in South Africa, and all this at NO CHARGE! Join us now by visiting www.maphost.co.za and following the sign-up link to the easy and simple step-by-step setup procedure. Welcome and enjoy! More advantages of listing with us are broader web exposure, including a backlink to your own web site, a personalised URL as direct link to your specific map page, a detailed location map with driving directions, exact location and GPS coordinates shown, and many more.

The following web page is dedicated to the explanation of the functionalities of Maphost :

http://sites.google.com/site/maphostexplained/Home

To become a subscriber to www.maphost.co.za for FREE, simply follow the "sign up" link from the homepage and ... Step 1 allows you to obtain your GPS coordinates by pinpointing your location on a map, or by simply entering the coordinates in any of the available formats, if you already have them available. Remember that latitude in South Africa will always be a negative (-) value! Press the "goto" button, and if you are satisfied with the location shown, press the "Step 2" button. Step 2 is where you provide all relevant contact information you would like your potential customers to see on your map page. You will be able to view your map as it would appear on Maphost as well as set the default zoom level at which you would like your map to be presented. Please fill in as much detail as possible - some fields are compulsary. "Booking URL" refers to any internet address or page that allows your customers to make online bookings or enquiries to your establishment. This link is made available through an "Online booking" button on your map page. Then press the "Complete sign-up" button at the bottom of the page. Within 48 hours after signing up, you will be provided with a personalised URL like http://'yourname'.maphost.co.za to be utilised in/on adds, web sites, business cards and office stationary as direct link to your map page on Maphost. Please do not hesitate to contact us at info@maphost.co.za should you require any additional help with signing up for a Maphost account.

Are you tired of repeating driving directions to your business location? A map on www.maphost.co.za provides you with the following benefits: 1. An interactive online map to your location. 2. Personalised URL to be provided to customers (also by inclusion on ads, menus, office stationery, etc) indicating your online map. 3. Increased online presence. 4. Search-around functionality advertising your business's presence and location in searches conducted in/for your area. All this could be yours for FREE ! Follow "Sign up" link on www.maphost.co.za

Many people are unsure about the correct way of presenting GPS coordinates. This could be done either as decimal degrees (DD.DDDDD) or degrees, minutes, seconds (DD° MM' SS"). A geographic degree in South African context is very roughly a square of about 100x100km, with lines parallel to the equator and the Greenwich meridian. Longitude values (E, because we are located East of the Greenwich line) will increase from West to East, while Latitude values (S, because we are situated in the Southern hemisphere) will increase from North to South. The correct way to therefor present a specific location for example in Paarl, South Africa, would be one of the following: 18.965792E 33.717533S OR 18° 57' 57"E 33° 43' 03"S Coordinates always come in pairs, a latitude and a longitude. The first example being decimal degrees are the easiest of the 2 to understand. With degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) format it is important to remember (just as with time) that there is only 60 minutes in a degree and only 60 seconds in a minute. Therefor if in DMS, none of the 2 pairs of the last 4 digits of each single coordinate (18° 57' 57"E) should exceed the value of 59. Where this is indeed the case, your coordinates are most probably indicated in decimal degrees. Another way of presenting coordinates is degrees and decimal minutes (DD° MM.MMM'), which can lead to even more confusion and will therefor not be discussed.

Maphost provide all listed establishments with a personalised URL providing a direct link to their interactive map on Maphost.co.za. It shows a road map of the immediate vicinity of the specific location. Another feature of the service is the indication of all listed establishments in the immediate vicinity, shown as a point of interest (POI), on a directional map. This allows visitors to choose a service location such as accommodation, restaurants, etc from the available categories, in the area. A proximity search can also be done by specifying the radius within which the service is required to be from the current address or location. The result is a downloadable map that can also be printed out for later reverence. All maps include the GPS coordinates of the specific locations, to be utilised as input on any GPS device, in order to help reach the specified location.

How often do you get lost? For most of us this is part of life. You can't always choose the time or place for this to happen. But you know at some point in time, it might happen. Depending on who you are with, or where you are going, has a lot to do with the outcome. But for most of the time you would have liked to avoid it, if you could. This is how it all started. We came up with the idea that it would be nice if the person or establishment you were planning to visit, could send you a map to his/her location. Just like a business card , but instead, a business map. On our web site http://www.maphost.co.za/ we provide such a service to tourists, visiting our lovely country, by providing a personal map to their destinations.

Follow the "Sign up" link on www.maphost.co.za This will provide you with 2 simple steps to: Pinpoint and locate yourself Add all relevant information and then "Complete sign-up"

Online zoomable and printable map to your location. Direct internet link to your map with contact details. GPS coordinates included on map. Be found during searches done for services in your area. Expanded web presence. Direct link to your online booking system (if you have this).

First of all, because it is FREE! You get an online map page on Maphost.co.za, showing your location on a map. Also included is all your relevant contact details as well as a link to your prefered online booking site. All this is provided on a single printable page for vistors to have on-hand en-route to you. A personalised URL is provided as direct internet link to your map page. This link can be utilised on your own website, included in all outgoing e-mails and printed on office stationary, to give directions to your location.