Having a young family ourselves, we realised that it wasn't always easy to find decent places to stay. There are various properties around the country that have labeled themselves "family friendly", there is however a difference between family friendly and tolerating families!
Experiencing the look on your child's face when they see their first elephant or lion is a privilege no parent should miss. We have put together a selection of properties throughout South Africa that are aimed a families, are luxurious and all serve good food. These are properties where the focus is on enjoying the holiday as a family, but with enough to do for the children to allow some private time for the parents. These properties are also not purely for children, so you will not be over -run in a resort like fashion, exclusivity remains part of our philosophy.
Cape Town has various accommodation options and there are certainly enough to keep the family entertained. When traveling up the garden Route and exploring the various safari options throughout South Africa, things get a little trickier. RiverBend Lodge, set in the Addo Elephant National Park outside of Port Elizabeth is one of the few totally family friendly lodges in the country. The family can experience all drives together as a family as children of all ages are welcome to accompany their parents on drive. This part of the country is also malaria free, so no problems with medication etc.
The Waterberg also have a few options available and this area is also malaria free. We would not recommend Botswana as a family option as most of these properties are set in true Wilderness areas and do not have electric fences keeping dangerous game out.
