Family Vacation in South Africa

Cape Town

First things first, you're going to fly into Cape Town and spend a few days there while everyone gets over the jet lag. I recommend staying at either the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel or the One&Only Cape Town. The Belmond has a heated pool, a teen room, supervised toddler care and a spa menu for little girls. Meanwhile, the One&Only has their Kids Only Club (available for kids ages 4 to 11) which hosts a daily program of supervised activities. Their kids room is equipped with different video game systems, board games, an arts and crafts table and an outside play area. As you can see, both hotels are extremely family friendly.

Adventure-loving and nature-loving kids are going to love Cape Town! There are mountains and beaches that they can easily explore. You will want to rent a car or hire a private driver to take you around the city since there is no easy access to public transportation.

Drive to the Cape Peninsula and check out the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point and Kalk Bay. You do not want to miss Boulders Penguin Colony when you are in this area. If you are traveling with small kids, make sure to take caution and to be respectful of wildlife, but head to the beach and enjoy swimming with the penguins! Seriously, you can hang out with penguins at the beach, how cool is that?!

You'll want to take at least a half day to hike up to Table Mountain (don't worry, there is a cable car available if you don't want to hike) or up to Lion's Head. Both of these have great views at the top!

Beach-loving families can enjoy a day at Muizenberg beach. Not only will you get to enjoy the waves, but you'll also get to take family photos with the colorful houses on the shore. If you want white sand beaches, then Clifton and Fish Hoek are both good options.

After enjoying a few days in Cape Town, it is time to pay a visit to the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo).

Safari

A family vacation in South Africa absolutely must include a few days at a safari lodge. I do have to say that it is important to keep age requirements in mind when choosing this activity. Some lodges will not allow young children or infants.

This is one of the many ways in which Singita differs from other lodges. There are several Singita lodges in Kruger National Park and they welcome kids of all ages. Not only that, but they have excellent kid programs.

Most safari lodges have a similar schedule. You'll wake at the crack of dawn for your first game drive, which will last about 2-3 hours. Then, you'll drive back to the lodge for some breakfast. After a delicious breakfast, you will have some free time to explore the lodge, take a dip in the pool or take a rest if you need it. Then you will have lunch, and after lunch, another game drive. Depending on the lodge, you will take a break during the drive to enjoy a drink and a snack. Then you will return to the lodge for dinner. Every day will have the exact same schedule unless you have requested something different or have added in an activity, such as a horseback riding safari. You know your family better than anyone, but in general, I think that three days is the perfect amount of time to spend in a safari lodge before things start getting too repetitive for some people.

South Africa is home to the Big 5, which means that there is a good chance your family will be able to see lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos on your game drive. How exciting!

When you are done soaking up all the beauty of Kruger National Park, you can fly back to either Cape Town or Johannesburg to wrap up your family vacation in South Africa.

• Dunes in Hout Bay - This beachside restaurant has a sandy play area for kiddos, a wooden jungle gym and a fishing boat. The restaurant also has a terrace where parents can enjoy a lovely view of Hout Bay beach.

• Cafe Roux - One of the top family-friendly restaurants in Cape Town! They have a very diverse menu and a walled-off play area.

• Deer Park Cafe - Another fan favorite! Deer Park has swings, jungle gyms and a spacious grassy area for kids to play. Like others on this list, their menu is also full of variety and food that will be tasty for children and parents alike.