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Cape Town - Oudtshoorn - Amakhala Game Reserve - Vaalwater
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Get ready for (much welcomed) warmer climes, as your Easter family wildlife adventure to South Africa begins today. It’s an overnight flight and minimal time difference so with some luck (and a little help from our destination-specific Sharky & George fun packs), the 11-and-a-half hours will fly by. After landing in Cape Town, a private transfer will whisk you to your home from home for the next three nights – a family-friendly hotel in the district of Fresnaye – where your hire car will be conveniently dropped off. Thankfully, jet lag won’t be a problem in South Africa, so the rest of the day is free to spend as you please, be that playing in the pool or exploring the area.
It’s up, up and away this morning as you take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. It’s the perfect place for the children to take their bearings of this most beautiful city, and the views from the top are among the best in South Africa and best enjoyed accompanied by hot chocolate and pastries. Table Mountain also offers a handful of child-friendly hikes with plenty of safe scrambling over rocks. It’s here that the children should keep an eye out for their first wildlife: cute little furballs called rock hyraxes. These munchkin mammals love nothing more than soaking up the sun as they lie on the rocks so you should see plenty, but make sure not to disturb them because they skedaddle at remarkable speed when disturbed!
Next, return to sea level, hop on bikes and cycle along the Sea Point Promenade to explore the Atlantic Seaboard, letting your children lead the way with interactive maps. Stop at art installations en route and gaze out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent many years imprisoned. Carry on to Green Point Park to replenish energy levels with a hearty lunch before visiting the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for an afternoon of adventure. Follow a treasure map that leads your little monkeys to a fun treetop canopy walkway, stepping stones and Van Riebeeck’s historic hedge. Finish the day with a walk on the beach, sipping sundowners and mocktails with your feet in the sand while the little ones burn away the last of their energy with beach games.
Rise bright and early for today’s tour of the Cape Peninsula. Alongside a private guide and driver (who’s expertly qualified to answer your little one’s inquisitive questions) you’ll visit Cape Point, see the penguins of Boulders Beach (an indication of how cold the water is here), antelopes, baboons, tortoises and lizards in Cape of Good Hope National Park and the stunning views from Chapman’s Peak. Then take a boat trip from Hout Bay to see thousands of cape fur seals lounging on the rocks of Duiker Island, known – unsurprisingly – as Seal Island. A day of sensational sightseeing calls for a sensational supper, so head back to the city and ask your local Concierge to book you a table at a restaurant to suit the whole family’s tastes.
Buckle up and wave goodbye to Cape Town as you’re heading to Oudtshoorn today. 260 miles and five hours along the renowned Garden Route separate you from this town in the?Klein Karoo area, but fear not for restless legs, as you can break up the journey with stops at various lovely spots like vineyards and Cape Dutch farmshops. Your hotel is located on the grounds of a working ostrich, alfalfa and cattle ranch, so on arrival you can explore the grounds and enjoy a delicious dinner before collapsing into bed for some well-earned rest (being a passenger is tiring work, after all).
The day starts with a visit to a colony of wild (but habituated, i.e: used to humans) meerkats. These tours take place at sunrise and are weather dependent as these little creatures (part of the so-called ‘Shy Five’, along with bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, porcupines and aardwolves) will not venture out of their burrows on cold or rainy days. Your family draw up their camp chairs and watch as the meerkats go about their daily routine of foraging and frolicking. There is a strict policy of not feeding or touching the animals, although if one wants to use you as a lookout post, then who are we to judge?
This region is dubbed the ‘ostrich capital of the world’, so after lunch we’ve arranged a visit to an ostrich farm. Learn about the lifecycle stages of these big birds, from incubation to adulthood, before feeding and meeting them at a breeding camp. Hop on a tractor and tour the farm to learn the differences between the Kenyan red, Zimbabwe blue and local South African ostriches.
Conclude the day’s tour at the Cango Caves, a natural landmark consisting of a 20-million-year-old cave system. Prepare to crawl through narrow tunnels (an easier challenge for the children), ogle over dripping limestone formations and listen in awe to your guide’s fun facts.
Today’s journey sees you cruise along the coast to Plettenberg Bay, two hours east of Oudtshoorn. Easter is sadly not the right season to see southern right whales in the waters along the Garden Route but the children might want to keep their eyes peeled for whales on the horizon just in case. On arrival at your luxury beach lodge, dump your bags, change into your swimmers and dive straight into the pool or the sea. Alternatively, explore Plettenberg Bay's main street's bustling restaurants, galleries and coffee shops.
Kick off today with a trip to the tongue-twisting Tsitsikamma National Park, home to coastal scenery, lush forests and beasties like vervet monkeys and duikers, the smallest members of the antelope family in southern Africa. Begin with a wobbly walk across the suspension bridge, starting at Storms River Mouth and weaving past choppy rivers, coastal forests, small waterfalls and glorious ocean views. Keep an eye out for dolphins performing acrobatics in the surf. Continue to Tsitsikamma Forest to meet the 600 to 800-year-old Big Tree, a giant outeniqua yellowwood standing 120ft tall with a circumference of 30ft. Continue the adventure in Stormsriver town and, after a tasty lunch, visit the Art for All Gallery to discover works by local artists.
Combine adventure, education and fun on today’s trips to see amazing wildlife at Monkeyland, the Elephant Sanctuary, Birds of Eden and Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary. These reserves might seem a touch touristy but they are brilliantly done and great fun for children and adults alike. Even better, they are all right next door to each other. Start your morning at Monkeyland, a huge, forested area where an incredible array of monkey species more than live up to their cheeky reputation. Enjoy a walking safari through the lush indigenous forest, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide who’ll introduce you to the free-roaming lemurs, capuchin monkeys and howler monkeys. As you walk along forest trails and canopy bridges, hold on to your hats and keep a special eye out for the gibbons, the acrobatic stars of the show.
Next, head to the adjacent Birds of Eden, a world-renowned free-roaming sanctuary for birds who have been rescued from cages. Spot parrots, parakeets, hornbills, macaws, waterfowl and more soaring above your head and take part in feeding sessions for close-up encounters.
Just around the corner is the Elephant Sanctuary, which rehabilitates abused, overworked, and abandoned African elephants. Spending time interacting with these gentle giants is incredible, and at the end of your time with them the children can keep a print of the huge footprint from their favourite ellie.
The animal fun isn’t over yet. This afternoon, you’ll visit Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, where rescued big cats find their forever home. From platforms scattered across the sanctuary, you can spot lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, as well as smaller wildlife like wild dogs and honey badgers. It can seem incongruous seeing a tiger in Africa, but the large enclosures were built to suit each animal’s needs, providing a refuge for cats who have been saved from private zoos or rehomed from facilities that could no longer cater for them.
Jump back into the car and onto the Garden Route for today’s stunning three-hour drive to Amakhala Game Reserve. Covering 18,000 acres, this malaria-free area (meaning no nasty anti-malarials for the children) is a wildlife paradise for families, with a chance to see all of the Big Five of lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. Check into your family lodge in time for lunch, and then spend the early afternoon napping, swimming or relaxing before you head out on your first game drive, in a 4x4 accompanied by an expert guide after the heat of the day has dissipated. Spend the evening sitting around the campfire talking about what species you managed to tick off.
The following two days are dedicated to diving into life at Amakhala Game Reserve (and living out real-life scenes from The Lion King). Embark on more game drives in safari adapted 4x4s in the mornings and the evenings, guided by informative rangers (who are ready to answer little ones’ burning questions). As you cruise through the Eastern Cape’s dramatic landscape, games of I-spy will include (deep breath) lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, monkeys and all the quirky antelope species. Don’t forget about the humble smaller animals, too; there’ll be plenty of smaller mammals, birds and insects leaving you in awe. Between the two safaris, head back to your lodge for a hearty lunch and free time for splashing around in the pool.
The animal fun isn’t over yet. This afternoon, you’ll visit Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, where rescued big cats find their forever home. From platforms scattered across the sanctuary, you can spot lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, as well as smaller wildlife like wild dogs and honey badgers. The large camp-like enclosures were built to suit each animal’s needs, providing a refuge and protecting them from being hunted.
Bid fond farewells to your new furry friends, as today you’re heading north to the Waterberg region in the north of South Africa. First, drive to nearby Port Elizabeth, drop off your hire car and board the quick flight to Johannesburg. From here, a private transfer will whisk you away on the three-hour drive to the Waterberg, the final stop on your South African family adventure. Settle into your home for the next few days, a luxurious lodge nestled on a private game reserve, and spend the evening unwinding beneath the stars.
Finish your holiday in this Waterberg wildlife wonderland (another malaria-free reserve, making it a great family option), as the next two days are all about outdoor activities and adventures. Here you can experience wildlife encounters in one of the most memorable ways possible – on horseback, and with no riding experience required and no big predators within the reserve. The horses and ponies used by the lodge are chosen for their tranquil nature, and the benefit of exploring on horseback is that the other animals see you as just another species. Riding up to within a few yards of giraffes and zebras with your expert guide is a truly memorable family experience.
Alternatively, lace up your boots and enjoy a guided walking safari, learning to recognise animal poop, identify creepy crawlies and tell the signs of which animals have passed through from their tracks. When not out exploring, the children can enjoy archery, fishing, mountain biking, swimming and delicious meals under the shade of the trees.
In the later afternoon, it’s time for one last very special encounter, a sundowner meeting with the white rhinos that the lodge does so much to protect. You and the children stand on a platform as the rangers, who run regular anti-poaching patrols, call in the resident rhinos to enjoy some feed as a treat. Looking down on these armour-plated beasts a couple of yards away is a truly memorable final wildlife experience. Then it’s time for one last supper around a campfire as you toast marshmallows and reminisce about the trip.
Sadly, the journey home from your Easter family wildlife adventure begins today. After a leisurely morning to enjoy one or two last activities at the lodge, a private transfer will take you to the airport in Johannesburg, where you’ll board your evening flight home. As the excitement of your holiday winds down, we're sure you'll find it much easier to sleep through the next 11 hours than you did on the way here.
Arrive back in the UK. It’ll be early morning when you arrive, so as you head home, try to collectively count the number of species you’ve seen.
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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