Have kids, will travel?

Finding a good family hotel in Cape Town is like finding a needle in a haystack. There are plenty of hotels that accept children, but not many that are actually suitable for kids. I mean, if you take your children traveling all the time to upmarket hotels, then they are used to it and you don’t have to worry. But for most of us, the kids only get to stay in a hotel on very special occassions, so they are likely to put a dirty paw on a white sofa, should there be one in the room!!

Two reasonable accommodation options in Cape Town are the Protea Hotel Sea Point or the Self Catering flats in the Cape Town Waterfront. These both come in at just over R1000 per night, making them affordable and good quality.

The Protea Hotel Sea Point is near the sea, the public swimming pools and has a family Spur restaurant for meals. It is nice and close to all the sights and a short drive from Camps bay and the beaches there.

The Cape Town Waterfront apartments are situated inside the marina area and there is plenty of place to play. The aquarium, scratch patch and boat rides are all within walking distance.

Family Vacation Idea

One of the very best family holidays in the Kruger Park area is Khoka Moya in the Manyeleti Game Reserve. Khoka Moya offers large luxury tents with en suite bathrooms that are able to accommodate 2 adults and 2 children. But in addition to just accommodating children, the staff at Khoka Moya actually encourage family travel and have a children’s programme set up. Kids are taken on walks around camp to learn to identify animal poo, spoors and insects. They learn to make fire, about conservation and about the people of the area. This approach really opens their minds to the new experience and hopefully they will go home with a passion for Africa.

Adults also enjoy their holiday in the knowledge that the children are happy. Game drives are taken twice daily and adult are offered a bush walk once a day. Time can be spent with the family around the pool or playing on the lawns.

So if you are looking for a family travel to Africa, then Khoka Moya Lodge is a superb option.

SPIER’s Valley Hotel in the Cape Winelands is renovating some parts of the hotel to accommodate travel with kids. The hotel has created a toddler-friendly area in the first section of the hotel with a garden in a sturdy wooden area. A number of experiences have also been created, mostly based on conservation and nature to encourage children to have fun in a safe outdoor environment. A colourful “welcome” toy box full of traditional games, crafted toys and age-specific books is given to children on arrival at the hotel. A children clubhouse has been built for children to play games, watch DVDs, or eat from a special menu while their parents play golf. Babysitting services are also available  Š

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Family Travel to Africa

We were going on holiday, my first attempt at a trip that included people under the age of 10 years. I was a bit apprehensive, but excited to be going away and had been assured by my other half that holidays are more fun with children around to spice things up!

Still groggy and bleary-eyed, we picked up our friends and their children and headed for the open road. We chose KwaZulu Natal and the Drakensberg for our family vacation because it is an easy drive from Johannesburg (and an easy flight from Cape Town for that matter) and has great lodges offering excellent activities for the children and fun for the whole family. Durban and surrounding areas have great warm tropical weather and since we were deep into winter at home we craved some sun.

200 games of “I Spy” later we wheeled into Cathedral Peak Family Resort, in the northern part of the Drakensberg Mountains. With relieved smiles we tumbled out of the car and into family paradise. The children spotted the playground straight away and, surrounded by half a dozen other small guest of the hotel, disappeared for the duration of the afternoon!

The fact is that this family resort couldn’t be more child friendly if it tried. This is Africa for kids. There are trampolines, mini adventure golf, pony rides and playgrounds. The 10 meter climbing wall is, I suspect meant for the children, but judging by the queue of fathers, trying to outdo one another in speed and endurance, this particular feature is a hit with the older crowd as well!!

The girls and I decided to leave the boys to play and headed off to the steam bath and beauty therapist. A wonderful afternoon ensued, with the piece de résistance being sipping cocktails while lounging at the heated pool after our massages.

On our second day, the men had gone off to relax at the 9 hole golf course and the kids were getting edgy. I offered to let the mothers get some rest and take the kids off to play. Luckily I had some tricks up my sleeve! We joined one of the free guided hikes into the mountains. Cathedral Peak is situated high in the mountains and offers breathtaking scenery. Today we were visiting the ancient bushman paintings and even the smallest children got a kick out of the pictures on the rocks.

On our return to the hotel, we decided to take a pony ride on the grounds – I hit instant favorite aunt status with that one and decided to hand the kids back to the parents while I was ahead.

Dinner times at Cathedral Peak are quiet affairs as the children have their own dining room, complete with kiddies tables and chairs. A child minder plays games with them until bedtime, giving the exhausted adults some breathing space.

Our holiday was a success. Both the children and their parents had the time of their lives. And I confess that my worries were for nothing – I enjoyed it every bit as much as the kids, and they certainly did spice up the holiday!