Highlights of South Africa luxury holiday

Cape Town holidays offer you a unique combination of experiences found nowhere else on the continent.

Blessed with a Mediterranean climate and a dramatic, picture postcard situation, Cape Town rivals the world’s most celebrated coastal cityscapes.

South Africa’s ‘Mother City’ makes full use of its abundant natural riches to offer a host of activities that will have you wishing you’d stayed for another night.

A vibrant, multi-cultural society has emerged from a chequered colonial past. This is nowhere more evident than in the melting pot of international cuisines for which Cape Town is internationally renowned.

A visit to the Cape Winelands is already a must for many visitors to the nearby Mother City of Cape Town.

The region’s now long-established reputation as a producer of ‘serious’ wines is a big draw to both the occasional taster and the dedicated oenophile. However, like the richly layered wines the region produces, a Cape Winelands holiday delivers on many levels.

The Winelands boast many of South Africa’s finest restaurants and food is central to any visit to the area. Happily, you will also find exceptional hotels offering flexible, family friendly accommodation. All complemented by a wide range of activities to keep even the youngest visitors entertained and energised.

Spend the next four nights on a luxury safari in South Africa’s most well-renowned private game reserve.

Bordering Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands is famous for the most reliable leopard sightings in Africa, as well as an abundance of other wildlife, including the Big 5 and so much more.

The expectations of first-time visitors and seasoned Afrophiles alike are sure to be exceeded. Many lodges will also cater for families with the activities on offer varying to suit the ages of the children.

The region is classed as malarial although the risk is low within the reserve itself.

Offering Cape Town’s largest hotel rooms and suites, the glorious One & Only is one of our top choices for a stay in the Mother City.

Incredibly family-friendly yet also luxurious and polished, you will be able to explore Cape Town easily from here, while also taking advantage of all this large hotel has to offer. The hotel welcomes everyone, and is cleverly laid out, so you need not worry about noisy family activities.

The focus here is firmly on making the most of your time as a family – there is a fun kid’s clubhouse bursting with activities for little ones to enjoy, the only one of its kind in Cape Town. It is fully supervised by an expert childcare team, and this same team also offer a day program for teenagers. All the restaurants will cater for family meals and you will find the staff extremely willing to help in any way they can.

This little gem in the heart of the Cape Winelands is a wonderfully preserved Cape Dutch farm; one of the very oldest in the area (dating back to 1692), and a fantastic example of all that is good about this area of South Africa.

The land is extremely fertile, and this is borne out by the sheer variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices that are grown on this impressive farm. You are invited to join in the day to day work on the farm, harvesting, picking, pruning and planting are ongoing activities.

There is also a swimming pool, which has some of the loveliest views we have seen in this area. The farmshop has to be seen to be believed, it’s hard not to spend all your time in there! Be prepared to be leaving with at least one bottle of their excellent rosé in your bag, for starters. And be warned – the bakery churns out an endless array of tempting goodies!

The iconic andBeyond Kirman’s Kamp has some of the best game viewing in the region, and overall a very comprehensive offering when it comes to safari.

We don’t know too many other lodges that can cater so seamlessly for families on safari. The guides at Kirkman’s Kamp are masters at not only bringing the bush to life, but in doing so for little ones too. Aside from the twice-daily game drives, children 3-12 will be taking part in the WILDchild program that &Beyond runs.

At Kirkman’s Kamp these activities are seasonal, and can include bug collecting, helping the chefs in the kitchen, croquet on the lawn and frog safaris.

There is also a wonderful pool on the property to keep everyone cool and entertained between game drives. For the more active, the on-site tennis court will help stretch the legs and get the blood flowing after game drives.

The One & Only is conveniently located on the vibrant V&A Waterfront, providing a great base from which to explore Cape Town.

Iconic Table Mountain overlooks a vibrant city, bursting with fine-dining restaurants, renowned museums and galleries, and world-class attractions.

Cape Town and its surrounds are home to abundant marine life and form part of a unique ecosystem – the Cape Floral Kingdom. The latter can be explored at the wonderful Kirstenbosch Gardens, perhaps lingering longer to enjoy a summer open air concert.

South Africa family holidays will often include a visit to the aquarium, the Cape Point ostrich farm or a boat trip out to Seal Island. This tiny speck of land is home to thousands of cape fur seals, as well as the marine predators that consider them a delicacy.

Spend two nights at a luxury farm residence, from where you’ll be able to enjoy Cape Winelands tours, featuring the many vineyards and wine farms in the area.

Adventure playgrounds, farm tours and crafting will keep your children entertained while you explore some of the many wonderful wineries.

If you choose to stay on a wine estate or farm, your kids can get stuck into farm life. Farm tours, fruit and herb picking, and even duck herding are all possible.

Tours can be tailor made to suit your interests. Even if wine isn’t your pleasure, the region offers some pretty serious olives, cheeses, chocolates and other culinary delights to tease your taste buds.

Sabi Sands is celebrated for the reliability of sightings of the much prized Big Five. The normally elusive leopard is seen here with staggering frequency, alongside a host of lesser-known protagonists that will delight in equal measure.

If you’re here for a South Africa family safari, older children may be able to join you on the game drives. Younger children will leave with their horizons broadened and their definition of fun redefined.