South Africa ideas for hol with 4yr and 2yr old

[itshailingitspouring]

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for things to do/places to stay in South Africa.

We'll be there a bit over a week; we need to spend the first 3 nights within driving distance of Joburg, and then we have 5 more nights before coming home. We could fly on, but would probably rather not.

What would you do? Where would you go?

www.moholoholo.co.za/

www.aboutcapetown.com/penguins.htm

To be honest, they're very young to get much out of the typical safari stuff. To see anything, you need to be out by 6am and for three or four hours driving about, you'll spend maybe half an hour actually seeing something and that will be broken into bits of about five minutes. At Moholoholo and Boulders, you are sure to see animals with little effort. Presumably you have checked out the malarial meds for young kids? Be warned that they can give you a funny tummy.

Thanks v much.

Younger child HATES cars with a passion, so I completely agree, safari type stuff almost certainly won't work.

Moholoholo looks great, but it's malaria that'll be the worry, you're right. I don't think I can face making them take anti-malarials, which I think means Kruger etc. are out. Looks really lovely though - will run it past DH.

Went to Boulders Beach pre-children - lovely, but am wondering if we can find something nice to do closer to Joburg to save on the extra flying...

Any other ideas anyone?

i would take them to the seaside.

can't do game reserves as car-based and you really don't want to get into malaria territory.

drakensberg is great but kids won't want to walk.

i'd advise going to plettenberg bay /knysna. there are great beaches, lovely forests to walk through, boat rides, all sorts. you can fly into plettenberg bay or george. well worth the extra flight.

Pilanesberg is a lovely park and much nearer than Kruger.
It's not in malarial region IIRC.

Will rack my brains when DS is in bed and post again

Warthog - am with you on all you say!

though on the Drakensburg, we were managing 6-7 mile walks in the summer with DD on a back and DS (3.4 then) walking the whole way, so am unwilling to completely write it off... though I seem to remember it's quite tough walking/scrambling...

Any suggestions about good places to stay in/around Plettenberg bay /knysna?

Montifer: Pilanesburg looks lovely too. 5 nights-worth of hol to be had there, do you think, or would we want to go somewhere else as well?

most important - what time of year are you going?

Sorry! Key bit of information missing: end of Feb.

bear in mind that feb is hot.

drakensberg is still a few hours drive from joburg (4 -6 depending on where), as is pilanesberg (2.5).

i'm not the best person to ask about child friendly places as i lived there when i had no kids!

i did used to use this website for wonderful b&b's and never had a bad experience.

my personal opinion - pilanesberg is lovely, but is a game reserve so you're back to sitting in the car.

if you can stay in a hotel in the drakensberg like cathedral peak hotel then i believe you can just go for walks without driving anywhere, and it's family friendly. not stayed there myself though.

plettenberg bay is also best for accessibility to beaches etc. otherwise anywhere along that coast is really lovely. you might also think about a direct flight to cape town and then onto george / plettenberg bay instead of flying to johburg. depends on your timing etc.

just wondering if anyone else has any other ideas? thanks v much for all suggestions so far.

Are you adverse to a quick hop on the plane down to cape town, if not then I would seriously recommend the area around Bettys Bay just East of Cape town we went when DD was 15 months old sat on acres of empty white beaches whilst she dug holes built beautiful castles. In particular Jenny Berisfords B and B which you can find on the greenwoods guide website - the beach is two paces from the front door. Lovely neighbourhood eatries just fab.