South Africa holiday advice with safari for my 50th and three children

[Massivescreen]

I turn 50 next year and would like to do a big holiday. It will be me and 3 kids (17, 14, 7).

I am thinking South Africa - with a safari. I went to Jo’burg for work a few years ago and got a minibus to Pillanesberg for a few nights and stayed there in a lodge and went on 5 game drives (3 hours or so at a time) which was brilliant. I saw all the big animals. This kind of safari would be ideal for us.

However I thought maybe Cape Town might be a bit nicer.

I have no experience of Africa other than that trip for work. I just want ease really. Not desperate to hire a car (I could if needed). Want it to be a big memorable holiday. I would be happy to book flights and safari separately (as I assume cheaper) if I knew good options. I just don’t really know where to look.

I was thinking maybe £20k budget. Less if possible.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Just hopping on to say, if budget allows, have a look at shamwari private game reserve in Port Elizabeth. Truly unreal. We had a few days in Cape Town (loved it) and then flew on there. After safari we went on to Durban. Beautiful beaches but I didn't feel at all safe and no way would I return as a solo adult with my kids

We did a package tour starting with Zambia, Victoria Falls.

Then Botswana, Chobe National Park for game drives and boat "drives".
On to Cape Town with various excursions.
One of the best holidays I've had.

I think any of the game lodges in Keuger are great because its notnjust about safari - there eill be great food, pools, entertainment.

A good option too is to base yourself at sun city and then do days in the pilanesburg from there. Keeps everyone entertained and you can still do the safari and animals.

Depending on how long you want to fo I would recommend keeping safari element to max 1 week and then a week in cape town. If you base yourself somewhere like the waterfront it's very easy to fet around and there's a lot to fo for all members of the family.

Just to clarify for OP - it feels safe in Cape Town doesn’t it? We thought so though I’m sure our itinerary was carefully planned so we didn’t go into any areas that might show another side.

We didn’t go to Durban and the South African man who was our local contact in SA said even he wouldn’t feel safe in Johannesburg. That was just his opinion of course and I’m not saying no one should visit Johannesburg, just you probably have to be more careful than in Cape Town.

@Twiglets1yes we felt safe in Cape Town with some sensible precautions, as you would take anywhere you travelled.

I was pretty chilled about Durban till we got there. The hotel concierge told us to remove all our jewellery and watches (only costume jewellery!) to walk no where and to only take taxis that the hotel had personally arranged for us. We did see a mugging whilst we were there which was scary. Shame as the beaches were beautiful!

These are all super helpful responses thanks so much !

I think this is excellent advice

We went 10 years ago when DC were 13 and 9. Flew to Jo’burg then 2 nights Sun City just to rest plus water park (Sun City really is a bizarre place, have passed by there a couple of times over the years). Drove to Madikwe for 3 nights malaria-free safari. Then flew to Cape Town. 5 nights Airbnb in Camps Bay - boat trip, went up Table Mountain & Lion’s Head, Cape of Good Hope, penguins at Boulders Beach etc. Final 2 nights in an apartment in Hermanus, where we went whale watching and DH & DC1 shark cage diving. It was a great trip all round.

Waterfront in Cape Town is not that great. Going around to Chapmans Peak and the Cape is much nicer. Nelson Mandela prison too. Sanbona is just a rewilded theme park with nice accommodation. The proper game reserves are way better. Hermanus is great for whales in late summer and autumn - not so good in Spring. Wine areas pretty good all year but can be very hot.

@Massivescreen What time of year is this? It makes a difference. Not going peak season saves money.

We went to Sun City first for a few nights, swam, water park etc, then transferred to Madikwe, malaria free and stayed at Jaci's Treehouses. Amazing and brilliant with kids, mine were similar age to yours. Booked with bushbaby travel.

Have to disagree about the Cape Town Waterfront - it's an attractive, impressive area with a huge choice of nice restaurants, bars etc overlooking the water and I'm sure OP and her children would like it.

I don't know Sanbona but to suggest it's just a "rewilded theme park" sounds elitist. No it's not a game reserve but that doesn't mean it can't be wonderful.

Up to OP to decide whether she wants a "proper" game reserve or something like Sabona or the private game reserve I mentioned earlier. I'm sure they are all brilliant options so no need to dismiss anything at this stage.

I love the waterfront.

@OneLimePombear Why? I don’t see it as special. Like many other waterfronts! SA has much more that’s unique.

Firstly I love SA, I mean really love it (plus I’m a waterfront fan in general) but there was something about this one was amazing for me. I’m not sure if it was the vibe, the breeze, the views, I felt a connection there like I’d been before. Since I was a young child I wanted to visit Cape Town and see Table Mountain, I really don’t know where this longing came from. My DC were 11 and 13 when I first went and then I’ve been back since. Now every time I go to SA I include it in my trip.

Best Waterfront in the world without a doubt.

How many times have you visited SA?

July/Aug - school hols

I am not precious when it comes to the type of place. My only frame of reference is Planesberg on organised game drives and I thought that was brilliant (I saw Lions, elephants, rhinos, leopard, cheetah, hippos, giraffes, zebras etc ).

I just loved seeing all the animals and didn’t care so much about the type of place either. I still remember the thrill of seeing elephants walking around even as the taxi drove us towards Reception. And having an outside shower was interesting when monkeys were watching you! We were told not to leave any items of clothing outside the lodges or the monkeys would steal them and they were cheeky enough!

There used to be flights from Cape Town to Pilanesberg, but that was quite a few years ago. Even if they no longer do, you could fly into Cape Town, then a flight up to Joburg, spend time in Pilanesberg and then home. Not sure what Sun City is like now, but it did have a fun Water park so you could spend a day there.

@Twiglets1 Yes. I know what it is but size and restaurants don’t make it special. Convenient yes. We much preferred other areas and restaurants and found it touristy. Each to his own. We haven’t stayed in that area so went to local restaurants recommended by our guest houses. These are fantastic in Cape Town.

The whole fun about a proper safari is understanding habitat, searching very hard for animals and learning how the animals exist there. Many of the rewilded farms do a good job for guests to tick off animals but there’s not the thrill of tracking and covering a wide variety of terrain. They are very much managed for visitors. The reserves abutting Kruger are better. Far more exciting to go off road and learn how to spot animals. My DC were very engaged with that. Most specialist wildlife companies don’t do the luxury farms but I think anyone going should know the differences. We have really enjoyed staying in relatively pared back accommodation but with first class guiding. Many lodges are luxurious now but we didn’t see that at vital and the op will find them expensive. But if it’s tick box safari, go to one of the vast number available.

Yes the OP will find the private lodges expensive but they have a big budget. They can afford the private lodges if that's what they want, though they are at an early stage at the moment in researching options. It's for them to decide what suits them and their children better not for you to decide what is best.

Edited to add - we stayed at a guest house too after the safari, we went to a guesthouse in Camps Bay. And ate at local restaurants recommended by the woman running it. There are lots of great things about South Africa, and just because a lot of people start their holiday at a Cape Town waterfront hotel for a few days while they acclimatise from the long journey, that doesn't mean they stay there for the whole duration of their holiday.

@Twiglets1 Excuse me? It’s not for you to say what’s best either! Just because you haven’t really understood the options and how animal lovers view safaris, doesn’t make my views worthless and you are too trumps!

Theres virtually no time difference when you go to SA and if op goes in our summer, you can get out and about very quickly. You fly out overnight and get the car from the airport. Having a quiet first day makes some sense but there’s fantastic guest houses in Cape Town with pools and local restaurants. It just takes a bit of knowledge to get the best of CT and not everyone wants a touristy area.

The Waterfront is a great place to base yourself as tourists visiting Cape Town for the first time - convenient, central, easy to let the older children have independence to do some exploring, shopping, eating etc. If the OP decides that's not for her, that's fine.

But "going around to Chapmans Peak and the Cape" is nonsensical advice. Chapmans peak is not a destination. It's a route. A beautiful road with incredible views. And the "Cape" - well, us Cape Townians would consider the entire area "the Cape" but I'm guessing you mean something like Cape Point or The Cape of Good Hope? which is absolutely brilliant for a day trip (and add Boulders Beach I'd say!) but for a woman travelling with three children who has said she'd prefer NOT to hire a car if she can, it's way too far away and inconvenient to get to, to use as a base during a trip to Cape Town.

OP, I agree with you re the Pilanesburg. We're going later this year and I can't wait. But if you do Kruger and pay for one of the high end lodges (which your budget will cover) it's amazing. You're out of Malaria season and in mid winter in Kruger you might be pleasantly surprised by the weater - cold at night, but quite nice during the day. I have a very clear memory of my brother and I braving the pool in July once when we were teenagers visiting Sabi Sabi - which is adjacent to Kruger and is a lovely resort (or was, it was a long time ago and I haven't been there for about 30 years - but might be worth checking out). It was cold, but the weather was so nice we did it anyway! That part of the world is also very beautiful away from the game parks too - that same trip we went to see "God's Window" and I'm not sure I'll ever forget how I felt looking at those views. Our chalet looked out onto a little river where hippos would just loll around. Magical magical experience.

I'm not trying to say what's best. I haven't dissed any options, unlike you.