Family Travel Made Easy | Child-friendly holidays for South Africans

Can you recall a favourite childhood holiday memory?

For some of us it might involve the fynbos-infused smell of the beautiful Garden Route, the crunch of twigs while hiking somewhere in the adventure-filled Drakensberg or the thrill of the chase during a bush sighting in Spectacular Kruger.

The careful planning required to create these family holiday experiences are often lost on us as children. But the memories, the joy of life they inspire, those aspects certainly are not.

They stay with us for a lifetime.

Here at Secret Getaway, we’re all about unlocking more special memories for you and your family.

Click here to see the latest Secret Getaway flash sales for families

As South Africa’s first limited offer & flash sale travel website that is voucher based, we have extra special offers for our members only – and many of these exclusive offers cater to unique family escapes.

(Photo: Tom Podmore, Unsplash)

Western Cape Family Holiday Ideas

The Western Cape is brimming with opportunities for local families.

Home to the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, and some of South Africa’s most famous and best-loved beaches, this is where you can plan your child-friendly City Stay or languid Beach Breakaway with ease.

Family-friendly experiences are in a class of their own in the Western Cape. These are some of the highlight experiences we love:

• Meet the colony of African Penguins at Boulders Beach.
• Battery Park in the V&A Waterfront is perfect for shooting some hoops or a couple of hours of Roller Skating.
• The Sea Point Promenade is perfect for leisurely strolls or hire a bike and cycle along the Atlantic Seaboard.
• There are weekend markets galore to explore in and around Cape Town, from the Milnerton market to the Oranjezicht City Farm market
• The Cape Point Funicular is a popular experience at this world-famous SA landmark.
• Spend the day feeding the resident seals in Kalk Bay or enjoy your own fresh fish and chips lunch in False Bay.
• Heading up one of the many, many hiking trails across the city and surrounds.
• The Galileo Open Air Cinema is always a popular summer experience for families looking for a bit of outdoor fun.
• Enjoy the Boomslang Walkway and creative art installations at the iconic Kirstenbosch Gardens, with Table Mountain as your backdrop.
• Get creative with the kids at Clay Café, it really is fun for the whole family.

(Photo: Matthias Mullie, Unsplash.)

Mpumalanga Family Holiday Ideas

Mpumalanga is home to one of South Africa’s most famous destinations, the flagship Kruger National Park.

If you and your family want to escape to the bushveld and enjoy all the natural attractions of your home country, Kruger offers spectacular wildlife experiences.

Any South African family worth its weight in gold should try a few of these highlight experiences we love, at least once:

• Big-Five spotting in iconic Kruger National Park.
• Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Safari.
• Stop in at The Lisbon Falls, the highest waterfalls in Mpumalanga.
• Take a Crystal tour (previously out of operation but back on again) at the ancient Sudwala Caves.
• Hike up to God's Window in the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world.
• Take ride on the Graskop Gorge Lift.
• Plan your road trip around the spectacular Panorama Route, including a stop to Marvel at the Three Rondawels.
• Try a spot of Fly Fishing in Dullstroom.
• Cheese-lovers need to visit the Bergen Cheese farm.

(Photo: SouthAfrica.net; Greatstock)

Eastern Cape Family Holiday Ideas

Yet another of South Africa’s provinces offering unmatched natural beauty and road trip treasures for any adventure-loving family.

The Eastern Cape has more ‘sunshine’ days than any other South African province – which makes it an ideal, all-year-round destination. This province is also the birthplace of several of South Africa’s most celebrated leaders, notably the late global icon and humanitarian, Nelson Mandela.

From the vast stretches of the warm Indian Ocean to the unique landscapes of Camdeboo, towards the rugged Baviaans Mountain wilderness, planning a child-friendly holiday experience here is easy.

Some of the highlight experiences we love include:

• Tick off unique sightings of the Big 7 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, Southern Right whales and Great White sharks) in Addo Elephant National Park.
• Hug some of South Africa’s oldest trees in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
• The Hole in the Wall along Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast is yet another iconic South African landmark to experience in real life.
• Tap into the heritage experience of Graaff-Reinet in the Great Karoo, first established in 1786 and a gateway to the Camdeboo National Park.
• Art lovers will enjoy the fascinating Owl House near Nieu-Bethesda home to the works of local artists Helen Martin.
• Ride the supertubes of Jeffrey’s Bay, a haven for surf loving locals.
• Take a walk down Route 67 in Nelson Mandela Bay featuring 67 public art pieces celebrating Nelson Mandela.
• Enjoy a snow adventure at South Africa’s only ski resort Tiffindell in Barkly East, a great winter escape for the whole family.
• Explore the beauty of the Mountain Zebra National Park – a sanctuary for the endangered mountain zebra since 1937
• Daredevils will love The Bloukrans Bridge bungee, some 216 metres above the Bloukrans River.

(Photo: Tom Podmore, Unsplash)

KwaZulu-Natal Family Holiday Ideas

KwaZulu-Natal’s golden stretches of beach together with its warm subtropical climate, make this northern part of South Africa a perfect, family-escape playground.

The province is also home to the oldest protected reserve in Africa, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, and is well loved for its mountains and savannah populated by big game. Durban as its City Stay darling is a popular surfing holiday experience. It is also dotted with child-friendly attractions from its extensive seafront promenade through to the adventure theme park and aquarium of uShaka Marine World.

These are some of KwaZulu-Natal highlight experiences we love that are sure to keep your family entertained:

• Explore The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, an outstanding natural wetland and coastal area also named South Africa's first world heritage site back in 1999.
• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is not only the oldest proclaimed game reserve in South Africa but it is also the closest reserve to Durban where you can spot the Big Five.
• Tap into the beauty of the Midlands Meander and stop in at the mystical Howick Falls.
• Explore the Land of a Thousand Hills with a tour on the Umgeni Steam Train Railways' Imchanga Choo Choo.
• Check out the Mzinyathi Falls and Rasta Caves by booking a tour with a guide to make the most of this experience.
• Another Natural attraction to add to your itinerary includes the beautiful Beachwood Mangroves Reserve.
• Durban Botanical Gardens is ideal for a family picnic.
• In the heart of city of Durban take a Moses Mabhida Stadium SkyCar tour and experience its viewing platform.
• There is also the Big Swing ride (not quite a bungee, but close) for those feeling a bit more adventurous.
• The little ones are sure to enjoy the thrill of Mini Town along the Durban promenade.
• Otherwise hire a bike and enjoy the promenade at your leisure.
• You’ll make some spectacular memories with a Sunset Catamaran cruise, there are a number of operators to choose from.

Photo: Michael Schofield, Unsplash)

Gauteng Family Holiday Ideas

Gauteng is busy and beautiful, and often underrated as many look to the coastal areas of South Africa for their holidays. But as the smallest province in South Africa, its energy is large and in charge, just like its population.

The skyline of Joburg city centre will set the pulse of any city escape taken here, while the surrounding areas from Maropeng to the tranquillity of Pretoria’s open spaces offer a quality break from the norm for any family in need of QT.

A few of child-friendly experiences we love and that you should definitely check out include:

• The Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng, yet another spectacular Unesco World Heritage Site in South Africa, allows you to dig into the evolution of life right here in Africa.
• The Dinokeng Game Reserve is a large wildlife sanctuary just outside of Johannesburg offering the Big Five experience.
• The Apartheid Museum gives meaningful insight into South Africa’s struggle for equality with the rise and fall of apartheid.
• Pretoria National Botanic Garden is an urban oasis that celebrates the diversity of South Africa’s plant kingdom.
• The Donkey Diary in Magaliesburg lets your family experience the unique setting of miniature animals on a working farm.
• Acrobranch is a blood-pumping experience for a family of all ages with ziplines, rope swings and clamber nets.
• The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and Emmarentia Dam is a nature setting worth enjoying just outside the city centre.
• Zorbing at Jozi X adventure centre will ensure your family has a day of physical activity with the fun factor locked in.
• Gold Reef City theme park is an oldie but a goodie with its rollercoasters for the little ones and a host of other attractions for all ages.
• Make a science day of it at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre with its interactive exhibits of space, chemistry, geography, engineering and physics.

(Photo: Arthur Hickinbotham, unsplash)

Limpopo

Limpopo is South Africa’s gateway province to Africa. Bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, this northernmost province is known for the ultimate bushveld and wildlife experiences.
Home not only to part of Kruger, South Africa’s flagship national park, its smaller private game reserves pack an incredible wildlife punch too.

Named after the great Limpopo River that flows along its northern border, this province is rich in historical and cultural treasures too.

From Magoeboeskloof to Polokwane, here are a few of the highlight experiences we love:

• Big-Five spotting in iconic Kruger National Park.
• Magoebaskloof Outdoor Adventures allows you to explore a previously inaccessible upper level of indigenous forest and ancient landscapes.
• Day trip to the roaring Debengeni Falls, a magical spot for picnicking or swimming situated close to Magoebaskloof.
• Day trip to the Ranch Conservancy features over 25 antelope species and over 250 bird species.
• The Farmyard Trading Post is lovely for homemade wares and a family picnic.
• The Polokwane Game Reserve is not too far from Johannesburg, lets you spot a decent amount of wildlife and also caters to hiking enthusiasts.
• Bakone Malapa Open-Air Museum specialises in showcasing rich heritage of the BaSotho Culture.
• The Polokwane Bird and Reptile Park is one of the largest municipal reserves in the country and its viewing hides and attractive picnic spots make this a peaceful venue for the whole family.
• Need a break from all the wildlife adventuring? Meropa Casino and Entertainment World is a Moroccan-style gaming mecca, with ample kids activities to keep them entertained for the entire day.

(Sources: Love Cape Town; Mpumalanga.com; 100reasons.visiteasterncape.co.za; SouthAfrica.net)