Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Cape Town - Hermanus - Garden Route - Lalibela Game Reserve
100% customisable for you
This adventure in South Africa begins with a direct overnight flight to Cape Town. This takes 11.5 hours in total, so be sure to pack some pens and pencils so the little ones can get started with their activity packs before (hopefully) going to sleep. When you land in the morning, you'll be privately transferred to the city's historic centre where you'll spend the next four nights. Your accommodation is a real oasis where you'll have a spacious family cottage. Once you've settled in, head out into Cape Town to make the most of the city's culinary scene and introduce the little ones to some new dishes.
There's no better way to kick off this trip than with a day in the company of a local. Your guide is an expert on the area, and they'll reveal the city's secrets to you thorough a wander that's tailored to what you (and the children) would most like to see and do. Whether this means meeting local artists and designers, a trip to the beach or a surprise stroll through the city, your local guide will show you the best of Cape Town and give you a better understanding of life in South Africa. They're also the perfect person to ask for recommendations for the rest of your time in the city.
Today, you'll pick up your hire car so you can make the most of the next two days exploring Cape Town and its surroundings. And it's these surroundings that make the 'Mother City' so spectacular, thanks to its location at the end of the continent on a peninsula looking out across the ocean. You'll find the first white sand coves barely ten minutes from the city centre, so your opportunities for exploration are right on the doorstep. This city is both cosmopolitan and international, gentle and dynamic, beautiful and family-friendly, and you can discover both sides to it over the next couple of days.
You'll take the fast road to Hermanus today, which leads you along the wild coast. Past Cape Bay, the clear mountains of Somerset West begin to appear, while vineyards and apple orchards colour the landscape ochre and jade in the distance. This scenic drive should take just over one-and-a-half hours.
When you reach Hermanus, head to your accommodation for the next two nights, a house located just outside the town where Walker Bay sparkles behind the dunes, and the mountains watch over you in the distance. If you feel like socialising, the club house is home to a relaxed restaurant and bar, a piano and a games room that the children will love.
The Hermanus region is one of those magical places where immense beaches give way to mountains and cliffsides. Both within the hotel grounds and in the surrounding area, there's plenty to get stuck into. Children may want to dive straight into the swimming pool, or go on a kayaking, paddleboarding or fat bike adventure. Hermanus is also famous for the whales that pass through the region each winter on their way to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. These incredible creatures can be seen from land, and if it's the right season, they're not to be missed. After a day spent exploring, return to your accommodation to relax before dinner.
Your road trip continues today along the south coast until you reach the famous Garden Route. It takes about three-and-a-half hours to reach Mossel Bay, the starting point of the route; from here, beaches, dunes, mountain ranges and forests pass by your window, a landscape punctuated by national parks and nature reserves. You'll spend three nights in a splendid spot on the outskirts of Knysna amid the fynbos (native scrubland). From the large floor-to-ceiling windows of your lodge, you'll have a great view of the ocean and mountains in the distance, which you can explore by making use of the many activities on offer at your hotel: fynbos hiking, all-terrain drives, paragliding, kayaking, mountain biking and walks along the beach. Once you've settled into your room, relax with a drink by the pool or in the garden before tucking into some South African cuisine at the on-site restaurant.
In the spring, this coastal region is carpeted with beautiful flowers. Whatever time of year you visit, however, you can expect some exceptional landscapes. The next two days are set aside for you to explore the area in your own way. We recommend hiking along the stunning coast of Tsitsikamma National Park, or heading to Wilderness to soak up the beautiful white sand beach and ocean views. The region's small seaside resorts are the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood, soak up some culture and still feel completely connected to nature. In Mossel Bay, head to the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex or the Shell Museum. Look out for dolphins, southern right whales and fur seals in Plettenberg, and don't miss Knysa's primary forest.
Today you'll continue east for about three hours until you reach Port Elizabeth, which marks the end of the Garden Route. From here, it's a short drive into the bush to begin your authentic safari experience. You'll spend your last two nights in South Africa in a lodge in the Lalibela Game Reserve, not far from Addo Elephant National Park. You'll find your room nestled between the vegetation, along with a common living room, boma, dining room and small swimming pool. Throughout your stay, look out for elephants and nyalas congregating around the nearby watering holes. Dinner this evening will be served outdoors, a mix of South African and international cuisine.
Here at the reserve, your days are defined by two safaris: one early in the morning and the other at the end of the day. This schedule means you can avoid the day's hottest hours and to soak up life in the savannah at two completely different times. This park is home to the coveted Big Five African animals (elephants, rhinoceros, Cape buffalos, lions and leopards), so the little ones will love seeing who can spot these first. The rangers are second to none when it comes to tracking, so you'll also have a good chance of spotting cheetahs, hippos, cape elk or wildebeest, along with plenty of incredible birds. On evening game drives, look out for bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, anteaters and jackals. In between safaris, you can cool off in the swimming pool or relax on your private terrace surrounded by the murmur of the bush. And once night falls, the stars start calling your name...
Today it's time to wave goodbye to South Africa's wonderful wildlife and drive back to Port Elizabeth. From here, you'll catch your return flight to the UK via Johannesburg. It's a long flight, so you'll arrive home the following morning.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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