We Go With Kids!

Category: south africa

  • Best Things to Do in South Africa With Kids

    Best Things to Do in South Africa With Kids

    South Africa is a country rich in history, culture and wildlife. No matter what your interests, you and your family will find a life changing adventure to embark upon here. Whether it be spotting the Big 5 in the Kruger National Park or hiking up Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, there are so many things to do in South Africa with kids.  Mark and Mila, the dynamic duo behind Mountain IQ, are avid mountain hikers and, as native of South Africa, Mark is here to share his invaluable list of Top Five Family Friendly Activities in South Africa.

    Top Things To Do in South Africa

    #1: Hike the Challenging and Beautiful Table Mountain in Capetown

    View from the top of Table Mountain

    When you think of things to do in Cape Town, it’s likely that the first thing that comes to mind is Table Mountain – Cape Town’s number one tourist attraction. But there are so many different trails you and your family can choose to go up the mountain.

    The trails are of varying lengths and difficulty.  If you have younger children it may be better to take the cable car to the top and then walk across the top of the mountain to Maclean’s Beacon.  This is a relatively short walk, but it offers spectacular views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean.   If you are planning on taking the cable car, be sure to book in advance to skip the lines. Since the Table Mountain cable car is such a popular attraction, it is also worth getting there early to avoid the crowds. Children under four can ride for free! 

    If your children are slightly older, you can take the popular Platteklip Gorge or the Skeleton Gorge Trails, amongst many others. Make sure to pack lots of snacks, water and cover up to protect yourselves from the dangerous local sun. 

    The views from the Table Mountain summit are incredible, you may even be lucky enough to spot a dassie, which are small mammals that live in the rocks and are simple adorable.  There is also a restaurant atop the mountain for you and our family to get refreshments once you have completed your hike.

    Cape Town is known to have unpredictable weather, so check the weather forecast to avoid being stuck in the wind, rain or fog. The fog is what gives the mountain its name – when the clouds descend on it, they make it look like a tablecloth.  If you are planning a few more adventures around the region, here are some more great hikes around Africa.

    Find out more about Cape Town.

     

    #2: Enjoying the Adorable and Happy Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach in Capetown

    Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach

    Boulders Beach is located 40 minutes outside of Cape Town and offers the unique opportunity to see a large number of wild African Penguins.  You and your family can spend the day watching these adorable creatures frolic amongst the waves at this beautiful beach, and, if you are brave enough to hop into the frigid Atlantic Ocean, you can even take a swim with the penguins.  Although, it may be prudent to rent a bodysuit to enjoy the experience more.

    It is important to remember that although cute, the penguins are still wild animals, and you absolutely should not touch them as they have razor sharp beaks and will defend themselves if they feel threatened.  The penguins call Boulders Beach home all year round, but South African summer (November till March) is the best time to visit to see them in large numbers. If visiting in January, you may even get to see some baby penguins moulting on the beach!

    In order to gain access to the boardwalks, which is the best spot to view the penguins, there is a small conservation fee.  Individuals who are not citizens of South Africa pay a bit more, but at ~$11 for adults and ~$6 for children, it is well worth the expense. For information on fees for all South African parks, visit this official site.

     

    #3: Mesmerizing Wildlife of the Kruger National Park 

    Kruger Lion

    Everyone dreams of going on an African Safari, and what better place to go than the Kruger National Park? With nearly 2.2 million hectares of diverse South African landscapes, the Kruger National Park is the most famous wildlife reserve in South Africa and arguably in the world. 

    The wildlife in the park is plentiful, and visitors are almost most guaranteed to see all of the Big 5 most dangerous animals – buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion, and leopard. There are a number of options for accommodation, whether you are looking to camp or perhaps even enjoy the luxury of a private game lodge, where game rangers take guests on game drives where they explain the local game and wildlife.  Summers in the Kruger can get pretty hot, so it may be worth finding accommodation with a pool, in order to cool down during the day. 

    Find out more about Kruger National Park.

     

    #4: Inspiring Whale Watching in Hermanus 

    Hermanus Waves

    Hermanus, a once small fishing town located 90 minutes from Cape Town, is a great spot to take the family whale watching. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has voted Hermanus as one of the 12 best whale watching destinations in the world. The Telegraph also named Hermanus as one of the best destinations worldwide to watch marine mammals.

    The best time to go whale watching is between July and November with the months of September, October and November being the absolute best time. This is the period when the Southern Right Whales begin mating.   Hermanus’s famous Whale Watching Festival also takes place in September, when the normally quiet town becomes bustling with tourists eager to get a glimpse of these spectacular creatures.   Visitors can choose to whale watch from land, boat or even a scenic flight. Those who are feeling particularly brave can even rent a kayak and paddle around Walker Bay as the whales breach, but be prepared to get wet along the way! 

    Sea sickness can also be an issue for those who have never been kayaking in an active ocean before. So consider taking first timers on a taster ride before the adventure and, if needed, you can purchase anti-motion sickness pills, which need to be taken two hours in advance.

    #5: Educational Visit to the Cradle of Humankind

    The Protea Flower: The National Flower of South Africa

    For those looking for something a little more educational, the Cradle of Humankind is a fantastic option that will be enjoyed by both adults and children.   The Cradle of Humankind is one of South Africa’s 8 World Heritage Sites. The main attractions are Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves, located just a short one hour drive outside of bustling Johannesburg. 

    It is here where humankind is believed to have originated. Look around the exhibitions in Maropeng and then travel down into the Sterkfontein caves where there are excavation sites as well as an underground lake. Caves’ tour is an amazing experience, and it is actually better for kids, as they fit into narrow passages much easier than adults and will most probably find those the most fun! 

    There are plenty of things to see and kids will definitely remain entertained the entire day. After working up an appetite, there is a variety of restaurants in the area for refueling.  Tickets to access both Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves are ~$8 for adults, ~$5 for children between 4 -14, and free for children under 4 years.

    Nancy’s Note: South Africa is near and dear to my heart as it is where my husband and I chose to celebrate our 10 year anniversary (without kids).  It’s also the vacation that spurred the creation of We Go With Kids!  

  • WGWK’s Fun Family Beach Wrap Up

    WGWK’s Fun Family Beach Wrap Up

    Our series on Fun Family Beaches gave us the chance to live vicariously through our contributors and their idyllic beach destinations but also reminded us of some of our favorite beach visits.  Even if visits to any of those stunning Australian or South Pacific beaches have been only in our dreams, we have been fortunate to visit quite a few amazing beaches around the world and look forward to our next beach vacation.  Putting together our list of beaches reminds us that some beaches we visited pre-kids are not necessarily ideal family vacation destinations, and so we haven’t planned recent return trips.  While not all the beaches we’ve visited with kids are picturesque sand beaches, our boys have a lot of fun skipping rocks.

    Some of our favorite beaches, both close to home and far away:

     

    Alleppey Beach – Kerala, India

    After a day on a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala, we stopped at a beach to dip our toes into the Arabian Sea.  Our driver did not understand my need to take the kids to this practically empty beach with no amenities, but I admittedly have a thing about dipping my toes in a new body of water and didn’t want to miss this chance for my kids to experience the Arabian Sea.  Years ago, I arrived in San Diego close to midnight and practically skipped down to the beach for my first touch of the Pacific Ocean.  The salt water even stained my pants in the process.  The boys are always up for a visit to a beach – new or old, and we were all glad we made the stop on the way back to our hotel. – CMD

     

    Boulders Beach – South Africa

    As part of our tour of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa, we stopped at Boulders Beach, which is definitely one of my favorite beaches on earth. Definitely not your typical beach experience, Boulders Beach is an enclosed, protected penguin habitat. We enjoyed walking along the newly constructed enclosed boardwalk, which provided great views of the penguins and were in awe of just how amazing it was to see these beautiful birds in their “natural” habitat. – NKC

     

    Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, Florida

    We recently spent an afternoon at Clearwater Beach during a long weekend escape from the cold Ohio winter.  Clearwater Beach, which received the Traveler’s Choice Award for the best beach in the US by Trip Advisor in  2016 and 2018, had beautiful powdery sand and gentle Gulf Coast waves.  After a delicious lunch at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill, we rented two lounge chairs and an umbrella.  The water was a bit too chilly to fully enjoy during our February visit, but the kids had a blast in playing in the sand and kicking around a beach ball.   We grabbed milk shakes from Ice & Cream on our way back to our hotel. – CMD

     

    Conneaut Beach – Conneaut, Ohio

    We make a day trip to Conneaut, Ohio each summer with my parents.  We always eat a picnic lunch at White Turkey and grab ice cream at Heavenly Creamery, which is housed in a former church.  However, the highlight of Conneaut is spending the afternoon at the beach.  Honestly, the safety of the water quality in Lake Erie is something that concerns me, but the numbers looked good on the day of our visit last year, so the kids enjoyed some time in the water with their seven cousins and also found some sea glass. – CMD

     

    Geneva Beach – Geneva, Ohio

    One of our favorite weekend day trip destinations is the Grand River Valley wine country in nearby Northeast Ohio.  After lunch at Ferrante Winery and Ristorante, we often visit the beach at Geneva State Park.  While this can be much rockier than a typical sand beach, our boys have a great deal of fun skipping (or throwing) them into Lake Erie. – CMD

     

    Kaanapali Beach – Maui, Hawaii

    Once named America’s Best Beach, Kaanapali Beach in Maui offers three miles of pristine white sand and blue waters. Even with a large number of resorts lining the shore, we never felt crowded and some of our favorite memories are of kite flying at dusk. – NKC

     

    Naples Beach – Naples, Florida

    I spent a weekend in Naples with a friend years ago.  We stayed at her parent’s beach-front condo and split our days between the beach in front of their condo and the pool behind.  The Gulf water was warm during our March visit, and the white sand was particularly soft.  I’ve been dreaming about retiring to beach front property ever since this trip. – CMD

     

    Playa Bavaro – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

    The first all-inclusive my husband and I visited together was Punta Cana’s Iberostar Bávaro, which has recently been renovated and rebranded as Iberostar Bávaro Suites.   The Iberostar Bávaro included the preferred club rooms of three affiliated resorts.  So, we had access to the facilities on the other two resorts, but guests of those resorts could not use the Bavaro’s facilities.  The Caribbean Sea water was a crystal clear blue, and the sand was pristine white.  I thoroughly enjoyed the week of rest and relaxation bouncing from the beach to the pool and read a record four books during the trip. – CMD

     

    Playa Nacascolo – Papagayo Peninsula, Costa Rica

    Located just a few minutes away from the Andaz Papagayo Peninsula Resort, the Andaz Beach House located on Playa Nacascolo offers beautiful white sand beaches and stunningly clear, blue water. It’s truly the perfect place to enjoy a drink or two while watching your children splash safely in the mild waters. – NKC

     

    Puerto Morelos Beach – Riviera Maya, Mexico

    We so enjoyed our visit to Riviera Maya during my maternity leave with our second child that we repeated it when our third was born.  The all-inclusive Now Jade and Now Sapphire were ideal resorts for our family.  Between meals, we spent most of our days lounging at the pool or the beach.  The Caribbean Sea was warm, and the waves were calm.  The Now Sapphire had sailboats available for guests to use, and my husband took our oldest on an extremely memorable snorkeling trip.  These resorts also offered nighttime family entertainment and on-site local marketplaces so that it was not necessary to leave the resort to purchase handmade souvenirs. – CMD

     

    Reynisfjara Beach – Southwest Iceland

    Reynisfjara Beach is one of the most stunning beaches we have ever visited, even though it is not one where visitors spend the day lounging in the sun.  We didn’t actually see the sun when we were there during a typical June day, which was cold, wet, gray and windy.  Nevertheless, this a black sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, which featured the stunning Reynisdrangur sea stacks and phenomenal basalt sea cave, Halsanefshellir, was breathtakingly beautiful.

    It’s important to note that Reynisfjara was also the most dangerous beach we ever visited.   We took note of the cautionary signs regarding recent tourist deaths that occurred in 2016 and 2017 due to the dangerously unpredictable waves and strong undertow.  We thought we were keeping more than a safe distance from the water’s edge, but our nine-year-old tripped and fell running away from a sneaker wave that came inland much further than previous ones and was immediately covered by the water. My husband was able to safely pull him out before the wave retreated, but it was a very scary experience for all of us.  Luckily, the only casualty was the pair of shoes he was wearing that had to be discarded due to the overwhelming stench of sea water. – CMD

     

    Santa Monica State Beach, Santa Monica, California

    The Santa Monica Pier was my favorite spot in Los Angeles.  The Pier adds a great deal of excitement to the otherwise typical Pacific Ocean beach.  Pacific Park, the amusement park, features the world’s first and only solar paneled ferris wheel and eleven other rides, including a roller coaster.  I particularly loved how the bright colors of Pacific Park popped against the ocean and sky.  On our stroll down the pier, we passed musicians, artists, magicians, souvenir shops, carnival games and various food stalls.  My son was particularly intrigued by a magician doing tricks for a crowd and a painter who was painting the pier on a piece of slate.  As the sun began to set, we headed off the Pier and onto the beach.  It was a pretty amazing end of a quick trip to feel the sand between our toes while we stood at the water’s edge and listened to the waves ebb and flow.  We really savored those moments as we waded into the Pacific. – CMD

     

    Treasure Island Beach – Treasure Island, Florida

    During our recent visit to Treasure Island, we stayed at Treasure Island Beach Resort, a new beach front property.  The sand is not quite as pristine as it is at the nearby Clearwater Beach, it was still great for sand play and also much better for collecting shells.  The Gulf Coast waters are relatively calm but were still pretty chilly in February.  We spent time on the beach each of our days in Florida but only rented an umbrella and chairs on the one day that we really dedicated to Treasure Island beach.  We definitely enjoy the quieter beach as our home base, especially with the amenities of a resort nearby. – CMD

     

    Vieques Beach – Vieques, Puerto Rico

    My husband and I honeymooned on Puerto Rico’s Vieques Island years ago.  Vieques’ Mosquito Bay is the world’s brightest bioluminescent bay and a remarkable nighttime experience.   We recently saw Mosquito Bay featured in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s recent special exhibit, Creatures of Light.  While we would love to take our kids to Mosquito Bay, we have not prioritized Vieques as a family travel destination because of the challenges associated with its remoteness.  We rented a Jeep so we would could travel on the unpaved roads that lead to some of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in the Caribbean.  These beaches were certainly pristine and breathtaking, but ultimately, we decided that we prefer beaches with nearby services, particularly when traveling with kids. – CMD

     

    Villa Caletas Beach – Jaco, Costa Rica

    My husband and I traveled to Costa Rica pre-kids and spent a lovely few days at Hotel Villa Caletas, which is probably our favorite hotel ever.  Hotel Villa Caletas is a small resort, and we saw the most fantastic spider webs, macaws and other exotic birds during our stay.  The beach is extremely secluded and accessible by an hourly hotel shuttle or rented 4×4 vehicles.   While we were often the only guests at the beach, services were available.  I enjoyed relaxing on a sun bed while my husband explored the wildlife in the rock pools, including the crabs.  Even though the beach was rocky, our kids would absolutely love the animal sightings on this luxurious property.  Unfortunately, Hotel Villa Caletas does not offer rooms that accommodate families with three children. – CMD

     

    White Sand Beach – Paia, Hawaii

    One of our favorite ways to to travel is to rent a vacation home and stay for a few days. It’s a great option when traveling with kids as you generally have more space and can cook some meals at home, without always having to rely on restaurants or take out. One of the most unexpected surprises of our vacation rental in Maui was access to a private beach. My son’s favorite memories of Maui are of running from the ocean in his pajamas every morning.  – NKC

    Now, we really wish we were headed to a beach vacation.

  • Safari With Kids? Umlani Bushcamp Review

    Safari With Kids? Umlani Bushcamp Review

    In June 2017, my husband and I took a much needed anniversary trip sans children to Africa. Although our itinerary included stops in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, we worked in two separate safaris: Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati Game Reserve just outside Kruger National Park in South Africa and Muchenje Safari Lodge just outside the Chobe National Park in Bostwana. Both stays were four day, three-night stays, thus allowing us sufficient time to explore all the camps had to offer. The question of whether to safari with kids is one that I’ve gotten numerous times and, although our children did not travel with us, this Umlani Bushcamp review will hopefully provide you with an idea of whether a safari with kids is a good idea given your personal situation.

    To read about the Muchenje experience, go here.

    Umlani Bushcamp

    Words cannot begin to express how much I loved our experience at Umlani Bushcamp. For our party of two, our four day, three-night all-inclusive stay (which included pick up from Hoedspruit Airport and departing shuttle from the Timbavati to Johannesburg National Airport) was less than $1300.

    I loved the arrivals and departures board at Hoedspruit!

    I’ll admit that my husband and I were both skeptical because it seemed so cheap. Indeed, I comparison shopped and a four day, three-night stay at a five-star lodge in the Timbavati would have cost $3,692.31 the same dates we were there! Suffice it to say, I was worried going into Umlani that it would be an awful experience, but I left deeply in love with the camp and can’t wait until my children are old enough to bring them back.

    The Timbavati, I learned, is a private game reserve that was set up by a number of landowners in the 1950s. The reserve borders Kruger National Park and there is no fence between the two, meaning the animals are free to roam the two areas. Some of the land had been used previously for cattle farming and during our game drives, we did see evidence of its cattle farming history.

    There is no electricity at Umlani, so everything is solar powered, including the Wi-Fi, which is available during daylight hours (although if you ask nicely, they will turn it on in the evenings so you can text your in-laws and check in on the children, while gloating about the fabulous rhino pictures you took). There’s a central charging station, located in the gift shop, where I felt perfectly comfortable leaving my cell phone and camera batteries to charge during the day.  There is no age restriction on guests; however, if I remember correctly, children under age one cannot ride in the safari vehicles and children under a certain age (I believe 6?) are not permitted on bush walks. I asked our head ranger and was told that although children aren’t permitted on bush walks, they can arrange for shorter walks around the camp if children are well behaved. The camp can also arrange for an overnight stay in the Treehouse, which we did our second night.

    the treehouse, where we stayed our second night

    The camp’s daily schedule is: 6AM bush drive, followed by breakfast, lunch at 1PM, 3PM bush drive, followed by dinner. An optional bush walk, guided by a ranger, is available after breakfast. We arrived at camp around 12:30pm, and there was only one other guest at the time. We enjoyed lunch together and then it was time to depart on our first game drive.

    view of our eco hut
    the inside of our eco hut, complete with bottle of champagne to celebrate our anniversary

    Umlani game drives all take place aboard open-air vehicles. Because the Timbavati is a private reserve, off-roading is allowed, unlike in a national park where vehicles must stay on the major roads. At Umlani, each game drive took place with two staff members – one driver/ranger and one tracker, seated on the front of the jeep. We were given a number of instructions prior to our first game drive, including, but not limited to, stay in the land cruiser, do not stand up unless given permission to stand up, and wear neutral colored clothing to avoid drawing attention to yourself, etc…

    view from the inside of the land cruiser
    Hanging out in the land cruiser, while the early morning snacks get set up

    My husband and I were dedicated safari-goers, participating in every morning and afternoon game drive and requesting the optional bush walk after breakfast every morning. On our first game drive, we saw a white lioness, and on our very last game drive we saw a leopard – in between, we saw the other three animals which form the Big Five (the elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros) and countless zebra, giraffes, and other local game. Because off-roading is permitted, we were able to get much closer to the animals than our subsequent safari, which took us through Chobe National Park.

     

    I have about 1,000 photos of birds on game…
    my husband, taking a photo of the hippo in the lake while I enjoyed my sundowner (wine and snacks)
    the white lioness we saw on our very first game drive

    completely surrounded!

    buffalo!

    Viewing the animals in their natural habitat was an incredible experience and it did not take long for me to understand why people fall in love with Africa – it is intoxicating. But what made the Umlani experience was the people who work there. Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, going the extra mile to ensure that we were comfortable. They encouraged us to ask questions, volunteered information about living and working in the bush, and every night, at least one member of the staff joined us for dinner. We definitely felt like we got to know the employees and they also took an interest in our lives and hearing about our children back at home. By our second day, the staff knew that I liked white wine at the sundowner, red wine for dinner, and that I had two little kids at home, staying with their grandparents, and thus needed to spend a fair amount of time on the Wi-Fi, ensuring everyone’s happiness and well-being.

    dining area in the light of day
    inviting place settings at every meal
    every dinner began and ended seated around the fire in the boma. many fond memories of conversations with other guests and staff there
    the boma area
    Shadreck, our amazing Ranger, explaining the rules of the bush walk just prior to taking off

    On top of that, I found this article about Umlani after our trip and found myself loving Umlani even more! During our stay, I got a sense of how wonderful the camp is to its employees – including welcoming the children of employees to stay with the staff on camp and join along on game drives when they aren’t full, but learning that Umlani has actually changed lives really brought home just how unique Umlani is. My husband and I both found ourselves commenting that we needed to get back to Umlani soon and often because rarely in life do you find something so special.

    Practically speaking, Umlani would have been an outstanding experience for my eight-year-old, but a terrible experience for my two-year-old. Because we’re out in the bush, there’s very limited open space for kids to play and cause ruckus. My two- year-old likely would have had a difficult time getting his energy out in a safe manner. Logistics aside, it would seem awfully inconsiderate to bring a toddler on a safari unless you have a large enough party that you require an entire vehicle on the game drives. I cannot count the number of times I have gotten fed up with the constant toddler chatter, demands, whines, etc in the car; I would never think to subject other paying vacationers to the same experience. The safari schedule is also rather rigid – you must get up and be ready to depart at 6am for the game drive; there is no waiting or dawdling and so, if you need to be able to manage your child’s schedule in a way that it conforms to the safari routine, without inconveniencing others. Consequently, while Umlani does welcome children of all ages, I would not bring a non-school aged child on safari without understanding that there are significant draw backs to doing so (including having to sit out on certain experiences and/or not being able to participate in bush walks) and tempering my expectations accordingly.

    The lack of electricity, however, was not an issue, and I found myself surprised by just how comfortable the accommodations were. In the evenings, everyone gathered for a dinner in the dining room (served family style), and then staff members escorted you back to your room. Although some people stayed to have an additional drink in the boma, most people went back to their room and went to bed, to get ready for the next morning’s game drive.  I believe the only thing that is out of the question at Umlani is the hair dryer, but I never expected to “do” my hair while on safari anyway, so I didn’t miss it.

    A note about the return transfer to Johannesburg Airport. Our travel agent suggested that we take the shuttle from the Timbavati back to Johannesburg Airport as we had a full day and were not scheduled to fly to Victoria Falls until the following morning. We were booked onto Ashtons Tours, but, through no fault to the company, I would not recommend this drive with small children. The drive from the Timbavati to Johannesburg took approximately six hours and it was a long time to spend in the car. Moreover, there was only one short stop of about 15 minutes, and I cannot imagine children enjoying this ride. I would recommend either driving yourself, although this is not without risk as portions of the road are in horrendous condition, or simply returning to Hoedspruit and flying on to your next destination. In hindsight, we should have taken a flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg and flown directly to Victoria Falls from there, without our overnight at the Johannesburg airport. This would have saved us a day and a very long ride in the shuttle. If you are shuttle bound, however, Ashtons is not only affordable but honest. My husband, in his haste to unfold himself from the car, left our DSLR in the vehicle. When I emailed the next day inquiring, I was informed it had been located and they happily arranged to drop it off at our airport upon our return to Johannesburg for a very nominal fee.

    small shops selling trinkets along the road to Johannesburg

    To read about the Muchenje experience, go here

  • Africa Part I: Africa with kids?

    Africa Part I: Africa with kids?

    Last night, I was flipping through twitter and came across Nomadic Matt’s live tweets from South Africa. His safari photos were enough to prompt me to open up a bottle of South African wine and begin reminiscing about the amazing trip we took to Africa earlier this summer. In June of 2017, my husband and I celebrated our tenth anniversary with a nearly 2.5 week-long vacation in Africa. It began with three nights in Cape Town, one night in the Cape Winelands, three nights at Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve just outside Kruger National Park, two nights in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and finally, three nights at Muchenje Safari Lodge in Chobe National Park. Although this was a rare kid-free vacation for us, I did spend most of the trip missing my eight-year-old, who I think would have enjoyed the trip tremendously, while at the same time keeping an eye towards just how quickly we could return with both kids (because the trip was not ideal for toddlers and I know  the “baby” won’t want to be left behind when we go!).
    View of Cape Town from Table Mountain
    Why Africa?
    Neither of us had ever been to Africa and knowing we had just over two weeks of time, it seemed like a great place to explore for the first time without kids. Our decision to travel to Africa was cinched by the fact that I was able to book two round-trip business class flights from Washington, DC to Cape Town and then from Johannesburg back to Washington, DC for 320,000 United miles (which we transferred from our Chase Ultimate Awards account) and $150.72. Knowing that we would could make the trip to and from Africa in relative comfort for almost nothing out of pocket was a major factor in deciding on Africa.
    A second major factor in our decision to go to Africa was that it would be winter in Africa during our summer! Living and working in Washington, DC, I was adamant against going somewhere where it would be hot and humid. That meant most of Asia was out of the question, as was much of Central America. Although we briefly considered a walking tour of Switzerland, it did not come to fruition as my husband (who lived in Switzerland one summer in college) had no time to plan the trip and I quickly lost interest in the notion of taking a nomadic journey across Switzerland on foot. Traveling to South Africa in June ended up being perfect. Because it is the middle of winter, the climate was generally in the mid-60’s and thus, perfectly comfortable for the hiking and walking we wanted to do. Moreover, the biggest tourist season is during their summer – which spans December and Christmas. According to one of our guides, it would be a 90 minute wait to get down to the Cape of Good Hope during high tourist season. We were able to pop in and out without any trouble.

    Travel Logistics / Itinerary:

    The logistics of travelling to Africa were slightly overwhelming at first as neither of us had been and there was a lot to figure out – immunizations, transfers from one side of the country / continent to another, visas, etc. Luckily, I had a coworker who had just returned from a trip a few years prior who had a few recommendations. Initially, the thought was to spend a few days in Cape Town, a few days in the Winelands, and then travel to Kruger for a safari. However, as I researched, I realized that given the length of time we had reserved for the trip, we could easily squeeze in a second safari. This decision was reinforced by a travel agent, who based on our interest, was able to recommend a few different medium-priced safari lodges. Ultimately, we decided to stay at Umlani Bush Camp in the Timbavati, which billed itself as a “rustic” three-star safari lodge, followed by a stay at Muchenje Safari Lodge which was recommended by our travel agent as a medium-high end safari experience. The two stays at the safari lodges and the transfers to/from each lodge were booked by the travel agent, who was able to secure a cheaper rate than had we booked it directly ourselves, but I was able to book everything else myself, including our three intracontinent flights and hotels in Cape Town / the Winelands / Johannesburg / Victoria Falls.

    Our itinerary was as follows:

    Day 1 & 2 – 5:30pm arrival in Cape Town, followed by two nights at the Protea Hotel Cape Town Victoria Junction
    Day 3 – Babylonstoren
    Day 4 – Overnight stay at Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray, in preparation for next day flight to Hoedspruit, South Africa

    Days 5-7 – Morning three-hour flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit
    • three days, two nights all-inclusive food/drinks/game drives at Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
    Day 8 – Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport, in preparation for next day flight to Victoria Falls

    Days 9&10 – Morning two-hour flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on day 9 and then two night stay at Batonka Guest Lodge
    Day 11-14 – Transfer from Batonka Guest Lodge to Muchenje Safari Lodge
    • three days, two nights all-inclusive food/drinks/game drives
    Day 15 – Two-hour flight from Kasane, Botswana to Johannesburg Airport, overnight stay at Ten Bompas Hotel in Johannesburg

    Day 16 – Fly home

    The Highlights:

    Cape Town:

    My husband and I were both blown away by Cape Town. It is easily one of the most beautiful cities we have ever been to, easily rivaling San Francisco in terms of its beauty, climate (at least while we were there in the middle of their “winter!”), and devotion to good food and wine.

    Our first full day in Cape Town was spent hiking up Table Mountain via Skeleton’s Gorge. Our hike was led by Pietro of Table Mountain Walks and his style of guiding and pace was a perfect match for what we were looking for. Despite our late arrival at the hotel the prior night, he called to confirm our meeting time the next morning and also to suggest what shoes/clothing to wear given the weather. We met Pietro the next morning in the hotel lobby after a light breakfast and proceeded to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, the designated starting point for our five-hour adventure. Although my husband and I greatly enjoyed our hike Skeleton’s Gorge, it does involve climbing ladders and a very wet rock gorge. Since it had rained the few days preceding our planned hike, there was so much water actively streaming down the gorge that I simply thought it was a waterfall and asked Pietro when we got to the landing, “now what?”
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    one of the most interesting rock formations at the top of Table Mountain
    Although we had a blast climbing up the gorge and then walking across Table Mountain before taking the cable car back down, this is not something I would recommend with young children. If I were to return with young children (not yet teenagers), I would recommend riding the cable car to the top of the mountain and then walking the flat part of Table Mountain, Smuts Track. You can spend as much time as you want walking the flat trail and there’s plenty of views and rocks to see – just be cautious, in adverse weather conditions, the cable car will stop running and if that happens, you will be left with the option of sitting and waiting for it to reopen or a near vertical climb down.

    Our second full day in Cape Town was spent with Andrew at Vineyard Ventures. Vineyard Ventures offers only private tours and can custom tailor the tour based on your particular needs and interests. Our tour began with an early hotel pick up, and we immediately proceeded down to the Cape Peninsula, the Cape of Good Hope, and the penguins at Boulders, before dropping us off at our hotel. Along the way, Andrew drove us through Constantia, Cape Town’s “wine country” and provided us with tons of information regarding the local architecture, political climate, and other historical insights that we would not have been privy to without his company.
    panoramic view of the shore and large number of cormorants near the Cape of Good Hope.

    Unfortunately for us, my husband and I came down with a mild stomach bug the morning of our planned Cape Peninsula Tour. Although the stomach bug was short lived and well-managed with antibiotics and other medications we picked up from the pharmacy, it still affected our ability to really engage and fully appreciate the day. I will say, however, that having hired a private tour for the day (and a private wine tour the next day) really saved those two days we were down with the stomach virus in Cape Town / Winelands. If we did not have pre-arranged transport and someone else to do the driving, there is almost no chance we would have attempted to do it ourselves. Overall, I was thrilled with the quality of the guiding offered by every single company/vendor we engaged in Cape Town / Winelands and would not hesitate to recommend them going forward.

    Winelands:

    Andrew conveniently dropped us off after our Cape Peninsula tour at our accommodations for the evening – Babylonstoren, the highlight of my time in Cape Town. Babylonstoren is a Cape Dutch Farm that has an operating fruit and vegetable garden, bee hive, winery, restaurant, spa… Although our stay was too short to arrange for a spa treatment, our accommodations (a single room with bath in a free-standing dutch home) were exceptionally well appointed and dinner was also lovely. We took a quick tour of the gardens the next morning and loved seeing the different fruits and vegetables and, my personal favorite, the jumping chickens.

    outside view of our cottage that we called home at babylonstoren

    From Babylonstoren, Eileen from Tsiba Tsiba Wine Tours took us on a private tour of six different wineries. Although Eileen chose the wineries, she did so with prior information regarding our tastes and preferences and chose a wide variety of wineries – some that we would be able to find in the United States and others that we could only enjoy in South Africa.
    representative of the scenery in the Winelands

    Would I recommend Cape Town / Winelands for those traveling with children?

    It depends. If you’re planning on traveling with young pre-teen children, I suggest that your time would be better spent on safari than in Cape Town and the Winelands. Although there are definitely things to do with young children in both areas, the real attractions – to me – in Cape Town and the Winelands are the food, the hiking, and the wine. Of course, if you’re not someone who is called to four course meals* with wine pairings and/or full day wine tasting adventures, by all means, enjoy the small hikes in Cape Town and the surrounding mountains and even take your kids to Babylonstoren – they likely would love to spend a day in the gardens, learning about harvesting, growing, and jumping chickens. But, my husband and I both agreed that given the opportunity to travel to South Africa again alone, we would spend a long weekend or a week in Cape Town / Winelands, saving the kids for the big game safari adventures.

    Regardless of the age of your traveling dependents, however, South Africa was an ideal place to visit in mid-late June. School age children will be on summer break, the temperature will be moderate (for us East Coasters used to extreme fluctuations), and the crowds were practically nonexistent – we encountered no other climbers on our hike up Skeleton’s Gorge, and there were very few people on the cable car and/or touring the Peninsula. I wouldn’t hesitate to plan a summer vacation next time, but I would not recommend going in our summer (their winter) if you are not keen on crowds.

    * we had numerous, amazing fine dining experiences that blew our minds during our stay in South Africa. Not only was the food and wine inventive and delicious, but the portions were huge, and the checks were not! Our four-course dinner for two with wine pairings on our last night in South Africa came out to $140 total, tax and gratuity inclusive – cheaper than what we usually pay for a four-course meal with no wine pairings for one! If you’re interested in specific dining recommendations for South Africa, let me know. I’d be happy to share our experiences and send along recommendations.
    Interested in safariing with your kids? Read about our experience at Umlani Bushcamp and Muchenje Safari Lodge. You can also read about our experience in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe here.