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A Family Wildlife Adventure in South Africa The Ultimate Easter Holiday
South Africa – Cape Town – Oudtshoorn – Amakhala Game Reserve – Waterberg
Start in Cape Town, where the Cape Peninsula and Table Mountain offer wildlife watching galore. Then, carry on to Oudtshoorn, the world's ostrich capital, where you can visit (you guessed it) an ostrich farm, along with the captivating Cango Caves.
Next up: Plettenberg Bay, where the children can make new furry friends at various sanctuaries before visiting a safari reserve. Here, The Lion King will be brought to life as you enjoy morning and evening game drives through the beautiful Eastern Cape, home to the Big Five.
Conclude your fantastic family adventure in the Waterberg region near Johannesburg, where horse rides offer a different way to encounter the region’s wildlife. Time to giddy up and level up your walk on the wild side.
Itinerary
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Prepare for (much-welcomed) warmer climes, because your Easter family wildlife adventure in South Africa begins today. It’s an overnight flight and minimal time difference, so the 11-and-a-half hours should – excuse us – fly by.
After landing in Cape Town, a private transfer will be waiting to whisk you off to your home away from home for the next three nights (where your hire car will also be conveniently dropped off). Thankfully, jet lag won’t be a problem in South Africa, so the rest of the day is free for you to spend as you please, whether that means splashing about in the pool or exploring the area.
It’s up, up and away this morning as you take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The views here are among the best in South Africa – best enjoyed alongside a hot chocolate and pastries, of course.
Table Mountain also offers child-friendly hikes, with plenty of safe scrambling over rocks and wildlife watching. Keep an eye out for little furballs called rock hyraxes – these munchkin mammals love nothing more than soaking up the sun on the rocks. Just try not to disturb them (they skedaddle at remarkable speeds…).
Return to sea level and hop on bikes to cycle the Sea Point Promenade and explore the Atlantic Seaboard. Stop at art installations en route and gaze out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
Continue to Green Point Park for lunch before visiting the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to follow a treasure map to a treetop walkway, stepping stones and Van Riebeeck’s historic hedge. Finish the day sipping sundowners while the little ones burn 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 – start the day with a visit to Cape Point.
Afterwards, see the penguins of Boulders Beach, as well as the antelopes, baboons, tortoises and lizards in Cape of Good Hope National Park and the stunning views from Chapman’s Peak. Then, take a boat 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 this evening and ask our 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 head 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: you can break up the journey with stops at various lovely spots like vineyards and Cape Dutch farm shops.
Your hotel is located on the grounds of a working ostrich, alfalfa and cattle ranch. So, when you arrive, 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).
Today starts with a visit to see a colony of wild meerkats. These tours take place at sunrise and are weather-dependent, as the little creatures – part of the ‘Shy Five’, along with bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, porcupines and aardwolves – won’t venture out on cold or rainy days. There’s a strict no-feeding-or-touching policy, although if one wants to use you as a lookout post, who are we to judge?
Oudtshoorn is dubbed the ‘ostrich capital of the world’, so after lunch, pay a visit to an ostrich farm. Here, learn about the lifecycle stages of these big birds, from incubation to adulthood, before feeding and meeting them at a breeding camp. Then, hop on a tractor and tour the farm to learn the differences between the Kenyan red, Zimbabwe blue and local South African ostriches.
End the day at the Cango Caves, a natural landmark consisting of a 20-million-year-old cave system. Prepare to crawl through narrow tunnels, ogle dripping limestone formations and hear a whole host of 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 just in case.
When you arrive at your luxury beach lodge, dump your bags, change into your swimmers and dive straight into the pool (or the sea). Alternatively, you could explore Plettenberg Bay's main street, dipping into its bustling restaurants, glorious galleries and cosy coffee shops.
Kick off with a trip to the tongue-twisting Tsitsikamma National Park today, home to coastal scenery, lush forests and beasties like vervet monkeys and duikers, the smallest members of the southern Africa’s antelope family.
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, too.
Later, continue to Tsitsikamma Forest to meet the 600- to 800-year-old Big Tree, a giant outeniqua yellowwood standing a towering 120ft tall. 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 wildlife-watching trips to Monkeyland, the Elephant Sanctuary, Birds of Eden and Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary.
Start at Monkeyland, home to an incredible array of monkeys, including free-roaming lemurs, capuchin monkeys and howler monkeys. Keep a special eye out for gibbons – the acrobatic stars of the show.
Next, head to the adjacent Birds of Eden, a world-renowned free-roaming bird sanctuary. Spot parrots, parakeets, hornbills, macaws, waterfowl and more soaring overhead, and take part in feeding sessions for close-up encounters.
Around the corner is the Elephant Sanctuary. 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 their favourite elephant’s footprint.
End the day visiting Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, where rescued big cats find their forever home. From raised platforms, look out for lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars, as well as wild dogs and honey badgers.
Jump back into the car and onto the Garden Route for today’s stunning three-hour drive to the Amakhala Game Reserve. Covering 18,000 acres, this malaria-free area is a wildlife paradise for families, with a chance to see the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo.
Check into your lodge in time for lunch. Then, spend the rest of the afternoon napping, swimming and relaxing before heading out on your first 4x4 game drive, accompanied by an expert guide.
Come evening, gather around the campfire for a passionate discussion about what species sightings you managed to tick off.
The following two days are dedicated to discovering the 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 evenings, guided by informative rangers full of fascinating facts.
As you cruise through the Eastern Cape’s dramatic landscapes, games of I-Spy are bound to include (deep breath) lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, monkeys and all the quirky antelope species. Don’t forget the smaller animals, too – there are likely to be plenty of dinky mammals, brilliant birds and nimble insects.
Between safaris, you can kick back and indulge in some downtime at your lodge, dining on hearty meals and splashing around in the pool. It doesn’t come much better than this.
Bid a fond farewell to your new furry friends, because today, you’re heading 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 one-and-a-half-hour flight to Johannesburg.
When you land, a private transfer will whisk you away on the three-hour drive to Waterberg – the final stop on your South African family adventure. Settle into your final far-flung home for the next few days (a luxurious lodge nestled on a private game reserve) and spend the evening unwinding beneath the stars.
End your adventure in the Waterberg wildlife wonderland (another malaria-free reserve) over the next two days. Here, you can experience wildlife encounters on horseback, with no riding experience required and no big predators in the reserve. The horses are chosen for their tranquil nature, and the benefit of horseback exploration is that the animals see you as one of their own.
Alternatively, lace up your boots and enjoy a guided walking safari, learning to recognise animal droppings, identify creepy crawlies and read animal tracks. When not out exploring, you can enjoy archery, fishing, mountain biking, swimming and delicious meals under the shade of the trees.
Come your final afternoon, it’s time for one last (very special) encounter: a sundowner meeting with white rhinos. Stand on a platform as anti-poaching rangers call in the resident rhinos for feeding. Then, enjoy supper around a campfire, toasting marshmallows and reminiscing about the trip.
Sadly, your Easter family wildlife adventure comes to an end today. After a leisurely morning at your lodge, a private transfer will take you to the airport in Johannesburg, where you’ll board your 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.
You’ll arrive back in the UK the following morning. As you head home, eke out as much holiday joy as possible by trying to collectively count the number of species you’ve seen throughout the trip.
Why visit South Africa with Original Travel ?
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.
Enquire nowA few of the benefits of travelling with us to South Africa
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