Family Holidays in South Africa

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South Africa is child-friendly and one of the best choices for a family holiday. It is a country that upholds family values and many resorts offer excellent facilities for children.

South Africa has the key elements for a great family holiday - excellent weather; scenery that will take your breath away, accommodation to suit your budget; a variety of activities, excellent road infrastructure for self-drives and wildlife.

See also Encounter Magazine's guide on What to Do and Where to Go in South Africa; listing activities & attractions such as adventure, caravan & camping, entertainment, food and wine, golfing, historical attractions, nature & environment and outdoor activities.

On Safari
National and provincial parks offer unique wildlife attractions with world-class facilities and first-world infrastructure. There's an excellent change of spotting the Big Five, as well as hippo, cheetah, crocodile and a plethora of antelope and birdlife.

There are also many private game lodges set in unfenced areas adjoining the national parks. Some lodges do not accept children under 12, and children under eight are not often allowed on game drives.

A number of luxury lodges have found ways to cater for children in fun and interesting ways with a variety of children's programmes. Among these are:
Ngala Game Lodge - Kruger Park
Lodges in the Phinda Private Game Reserve - KwaZulu Natal
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve - Eastern Cape
Jaci's Safari Lodge - Madikwe Game Reserve - North West
Ulusaba Rock Lodge - Sabie Sands - Mpumalanga
Lukimbi Safari Lodge - Kruger Park

Beach Holidays
South Africa is blessed with excellent weather and superb beaches, making the coastal holiday the ultimate vacation for families in need of some serious rest, relaxation and fun in the sun.

A number of South African coastal towns that offer your perfect beach holiday.
- Hermanus
- Plettenberg Bay
- St Lucia
- Margate Other notable coastal towns include Clifton in Cape Town for the jet set; Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape for fantastic surfing; Umhlanga Rocks near Durban for bathing beauties; Langebaan along the West Coast for superb hospitality; Knysna for oysters; and Kei Mouth on the Wild Coast for those who hanker after the rough and ready.

Holiday Resorts
Forever Group offers you Self Catering Resorts located next to water, natural springs and areas of beauty with a range of accommodation and activities.

Sun City Resort is a World-renowned Kingdom of Pleasure, unique in the world with many attractions and activities.

And then you get individual resorts such as Cape St Francis Coastal Resort (Eastern Cape) ATKV Drakensville and Drakensberg Gardens (Drakensberg), Kleinplaas and NA Smit Holiday Resorts (Oudtshoorn), Natal Spa (KwaZulu), Bokpoort Holiday Farm, (Free State) and the Slanghoek Mountain Resort near Cape Town offering fun holidays for families.


Hikes & Picnics
South Africa's warm and temperate climate lends itself to enjoyment of the outdoors  with many walks suitable for families in and around the cities, and in nature reserves where no dangerous animals roam.

The Drakensberg, a mountain range and World Heritage Sit , is green in summer and boasts snowy peaks in winter. There are many excellent lodges in the mountains and clearly marked trails from sedate to energetic.

South Africa abounds with outdoor picnic areas that are safe and well maintained. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town, is listed as one of the world's seven most beautiful gardens.

Visit South Africa's Cities
The three main cities usually included in any tourist itinerary are Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

Gold Reef City is a theme park set just outside Johannesburg, where children can experience interactive games and rides. Pretoria, a mere half-hour's drive from Johannesburg where you can take your children to the renowned Pretoria Zoo and reptile park.

To the west of Johannesburg you'll come across Hartebeespoort Dam, offering water sports, hot-air ballooning and an array of craft shops. A little further is Sun City, a unique pleasure resort, and the adjoining Pilanesberg game reserve - home to several endangered species.

Durban, on the east coast of the country, is a tropical paradise. Take a rickshaw ride along its famous beachfront and you'll see the amusement park. Durban is for family and fun with beaches among the world's best. The uShaka Marine World is an aquarium and amusement park combined.

Cape Town, where the international jet set loves to relax, is frequently listed as one of the world's most beautiful cities. Take your children in the glass-sided revolving cable car to the top of Table Mountain, treat them to an ice cream in the nature reserve of Cape Point and spend at least a day at the city's pride and joy: the V&A Waterfront.

The Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront is also one of the best in the world, and arranges special entertainment packages for children. There are many other family attractions - such as to wander through the local craft market and enjoy a pleasant hour choosing pretty gems from the bins of the Scratch Patch.

In Hout Bay, one of the city's most appealing harbour areas, visit the World of Birds wildlife sanctuary and monkey park, with over 3 000 birds, monkeys and animals in walk-through enclosures.