South Africa family holidays

Safari and Wildlife in South Africa

• See the the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard) in the most famous of South Africa’s safari parks, the Kruger, in the east on the border with Mozambique. Like most South African parks, the Kruger is open to self-drive safaris, which are very convenient for families, particularly with young kids. Of the numerous private reserves, the best known are Phinda and Madikwe. There are also are all manner of animal ‘rehabilitation centres’ where the likes of rhino and elephant are nursed or bred, and can be seen at close quarters.

• Meet the jackass penguins, all 3,000 or so of them, at Boulder Beach about 40 minutes from Cape Town, in Simon’s Town. Local residents complain about the noise and pungent smell of these black and white waddlers, but if you’re lying on the beach and one jiggles past, it’s a real treat (there are viewing platforms too). You might even get to swim alongside them. The sheltered beach is a great spot for a picnic. Simon’s Town is also home to Scratch Patch and Mineral World, where you can ‘scratch’ for tumble-polished gemstones.

• Continue 25km south of Simon’s Town to Cape Point in the quite wild Table Mountain National Park, where you can spot various unusual plants and animals, including ostriches and several types of bok.

• Indulge in some of the world’s best whale-watching at Hermanus, where you can also fish for chokka (squid) off the harbour wall (buying a bait licence from the Post Office first). On the ‘Whale Route’ down from Cape Town to Hermanus, stop off at the Monkey Town Primate Centre, a conservation facility with its own hotel, Monkey Town Manor House.

The Coast and Beaches of South Africa 

• Head south to the extensive sandy shores of KwazuluNatal (resorts such as Durban or Umhlanga) or go west to Cape Town and the bays surrounding the city. A major factor in deciding which is the sea conditions; the water of the Indian Ocean, on the south coast, is warm, while the Atlantic, off Cape Town, is decidedly chilly. The south coast is also known for its big surf.

• From Cape Town follow the much-loved Garden Route along a magnificent stretch of coastline to Port Elizabeth. Its highlight is the N2 from Heidelberg in the southern Cape to Storms River Village on the Eastern Cape border, along which you’ll find everything from ancient forests and secluded artist communities to mountain hideaways and beaches. A lot of interesting and creative people have come to live here, and there’s also a good chance of seeing dolphins and even killer whales close to the shore, especially near Plettenberg Bay.

• Venture to Spier Wine Farm in the Cape Winelands, at Stellenbosch at the start of the Garden Route, for lakeside picnics from the on-site deli, hands-on experiences such as cordial-making, the Elemental Play Garden, Segway vineyard tours and luxury accommodation in the hotel. The Winelands also have a lot of Cape Dutch farmhouses with swimming pools and farm activities that kids love.

The Best Cities in South Africa

• Discover South Africa’s second-largest city and legislative capital, Cape Town – good value, with great weather, superb beaches, friendly people and the chance to get close to animals in the wild that you’ll only see in zoos over here. Must-dos in Cape Town are taking the revolving cable-car up Table Mountain for the panoramic views and cute-looking dassies (rock rabbits), riding the ferry out to Robben Island to tour the jail where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner and see the world’s largest colony (8,500 breeding pairs) of endangered African penguins, and hanging out at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, watching the boats and ships glide in and out of the harbour, the buskers and entertainers perform, and the seals bob up and down in the water.

• Consider Durban and Johannesburg – South Africa's most appealing cities after Cape Town. Famous black townships such as Soweto have opened up to visitors on guided tours and can be very hospitable, as well as very stimulating for the whole discussion of apartheid. 

History in South Africa

• Check out battlefield sites all over South Africa, most dating back to the wars between the rival British and Boer settlers, and between the British and the Zulu tribes. Famous sites such as Rorkes Drift in KwazuluNatal are well set up for visitors.

• Learn about racial segregation in South Africa at the Apartheid Museum. Slightly incongruously, it’s part of the Gold Reef City theme park, but there’s more history to be had there in the form of historical tours of a replica mining village, where you can pretend you’re a miner and go 2000m underground, watch displays of traditional and gumboot dancing; and see gold being poured.  

Getting Around South Africa

A hire car can be the best bet for family holidays in South Africa, as roads are generally well maintained and uncrowded. But distances can be huge – some provinces are the size of European countries (the road journey from Durban to Kruger wildlife park, for example, takes two days) - and for longer stretches we can book you onto domestic flights as part of your bespoke itinerary. 

Another option is trains. There’s a good domestic network, Shosholoza Meyl, covering the major destinations. Its Tourist Class trains, which mostly run overnight, have comfortable if basic sleeping compartments. Shosholoza Meyl also has its own upmarket service, Premier Classe, on major routes, and there’s also the iconic, ultra-luxurious Blue Train taking in an array of landscapes between Cape Town and Pretoria.