South African Family Adventure

12-night South African Family Adventure Itinerary Highlights:

• Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport, collect Avis Car Rental, and head to hotel
• 8 days Avis Car Rental from OR Tambo International Airport to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport
• 1 night’s stay in an apartment-style Johannesburg hotel with breakfast daily
• 1 night’s stay in Lesedi Cultural Village: Full Day Cradle of Humankind, with a cultural village tour and dinner at Lesedi 
• 2 nights' stay in Hazyview, with breakfast
• Hazyview activity: Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Centre/ Elephant Whispers / Reptile Park / Market
• 3 nights' stay in Kruger National Park on Safari with 3 meals and 2 game drives daily
• Commercial flight from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Cape Town International Airport
• 5 days of guided exploring in Cape Town to ensure we didn't miss a site
• 4 night’s stay in Cape Town, with 1 dinner at Gold Restaurant, daily breakfast
• Road transfer from your hotel to Cape Town International Airport for your flight home

Our Experience: 

Travelling with the family was made easy in South Africa... seamless.

My family has grown somewhat -  and I mean more in age than in numbers and finally, the kids are old enough for long-haul travel experiences. South Africa was top of the list as we spent our honeymoon on safari there (7 years ago), and we fell in love with the place and people. And now it was time to introduce our twins to Africa.
With just two weeks of holiday time, we had to ensure our time was maximized and educational for the kids. We opted for places that the family could spread out in a home-from-home environment.  Diane, our trusted travel agent, crafted a bespoke itinerary for our African Adventure. 

On arrival in Johannesburg, we headed to Avis Rent Car Rental for our mini-van and headed to our apartment-hotel in the city,  where we stayed for 2 nights. Our apartment allowed us to spread out and have the privacy our family needed. As part of our kids’ educational learning, we visited the Maropeng Caves, the Cradle of Humankind, and ended off with a traditional lunch at Lesedi Cultural Village.

Soon we were on the road again as we headed along the most scenic drive in South Africa called the Panoramic Route, taking in sites like God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Graskop and Pilgrims Rest. We spent 2 nights in Hazyview as we wanted to visit some of the educational experiences in the area. 
 
After breakfast and the market stop, we headed to the southern part of Kruger National Park for our 3-night safari, indulging in great food, amazing Big 5 experiences, and of course animal conservation lessons for the kids. The exciting part of our safari is that Harry and I had lots of "alone time" as the kids were very entertained by the rangers, from tracking animal prints to visiting the local villages.

After our magical time in the bush, we drove to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, dropped off our car, and boarded our flight to Cape Town. Here, we opted out of self-driving as we felt it was more beneficial for a driver-guide chauffeur service, where we could maximise our time exploring for 5 days around the Cape, at our leisure. This flexibility took our needs into account. We explored at our leisure with a local driver-guide to take us around.

Our time went by quickly, and the twins learned a great deal from having a qualified guide teach them about Robben Island, the endangered Cape Jackass Penguins, and Cape Point, where two oceans meet. They were delighted about South Africa and we will return!

SOME NOTES FROM THE TRAVEL DESK:

- Download the WAZE application for your driving directions.
- This travel itinerary can be tailor-made to suit various budgets and interests.
- Good to know: South Africa drives on the right side of the road.
- A valid driver's license and a credit card are compulsory to hire a car. 
- Recommended time of year: September to April 
- Compassline Africa Tours' terms and conditions apply.