Multigenerational travel is the biggest trend in travel at the moment. Post-pandemic, families have become very conscious of spending quality time with their families, and nowadays the entire family – from toddlers to grandparents – are going on holidays together.
And, of course, they are looking for the most budget-wise/pocket-friendly destinations that offer all the mod-cons, comfort, style and attractions to suit and satisfy the varying preferences of the multi-aged families.
Multigenerational safaris are hugely popular. Two Big Five reserves in malaria-free areas where you are guaranteed a unique experience are the 5-star Samara Karoo Reserve in the Eastern Cape near Graaff-Reinet, celebrated for its reintroduction of elephants, lions and cheetahs to the region; and the 5-star Thanda Safari in KwaZulu-Natal, an award-winning private game reserve with a sincere commitment to conservation and community upliftment, and a name that means ‘love’ in isiZulu.
Samara Karoo Reserve
The family-owned and run Samara Karoo Reserve’s Manor is the ideal safari villa for multigenerational families. With four suites, it accommodates up to eight – and if booked exclusively, there’s a private vehicle, guide, tracker, chef and experienced child/baby minders on hand.
Children’s programmes, jam-packed with fun activities, showcase everything from little bugs and beetles through to the ‘Funny Five’ for the kiddies; there are bush walks, sleep-outs and overnight trails for the tweenies and teens; while parents and grandparents can relax, unwind, take in talks by specialists or join in with the kids (kids aged 8 and over can join the adults on the twice-daily guided game drives).
Founded as a conservation journey of born-again wilderness in the beautiful Great Karoo, every guest plays a role in safeguarding the landscape and can connect to the land by planting spekboom. An immersive safari at Samara is one that feeds the soul.
To book: telephone 049 940 1111 or email reservations@samara.co.za
Thanda Safari
At Thanda Safari, families will create memories of thrilling wildlife experiences and adventures – safaris, game drives (children permitted from the age of 6) and bush walks offer up-close encounters with Africa’s wildlife – and experience the magic of the bush together.
Thanda Safari’s exclusive accommodation comprises Thanda Safari Lodge, Thanda Tented Camp, the luxurious Villa iZulu – a perfect retreat for families with children (fenced to provide safety from wildlife) – and the recently launched The Royal Residences in the central part of Thanda within The Royal Thanda Club Estate, a fenced area free of dangerous game.
Family-friendly activities include a kiddies Bucks & Bugs Club, a Junior Rangers Course for the older kids where they learn the ‘ways of the wild’ – game tracking and spotting, spoor identification also bird and plant life. Child minders are available and can be booked at reception on arrival or when making the reservation.
With the kids taken care of and having the time of their lives, parents and grandparents can enjoy time out in the bush or relax at their accommodation or indulge at the spa.
To book: telephone 032 586 0149 or email reservations@thanda.co.za
Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa
For those desiring conventional luxury comforts with a twist, one of the country’s most unusual hotels, housed in a transformed old power station – the 5-star Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa on Thesen Islands, Knysna – delivers on all counts. With luxury accommodation (including a self-catering family room) and the Island Café Restaurant, Gastro Pub and a spa, it makes an excellent base for exploring Knysna. There’s plenty to do in Knysna: a multitude of multigenerational family-friendly activities and excursions include canoeing, cruising on the lagoon, cycling, walks in the forest, ziplining, Featherbed Nature Reserve and shopping on Thesen Island, plus there are plenty of restaurants, many with kids play areas.
To book: telephone 044 050 3500 or email reservations@turbinehotel.co.za
The De Hoop Collection
For an active, hands-on immersive and transformative family experience that won’t break the bank, there’s De Hoop Collection in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, one of the Western Cape’s largest and most beautiful nature reserves. Its pocket-wise accommodation options include convenient self-catering cottages and houses; also luxury suites (some interleading) that include dinner and breakfast; the private Melkkamer Homestead that can accommodate up to 22 guests; and the private (fully catered and guided) De Mond Villa that sleeps up to 10 guests. From guided marine walks, bird walks, mountain biking and nature drives to boat cruises for the whole family, the days are filled with exciting adventures, each designed to engage and inspire young and not-so-young minds alike. There’s also a guided vulture experience out at the Potberg Mountains to see the last remaining breeding colony of these majestic birds. The on-site Fig Tree Restaurant is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
To book: telephone 021 422 4522 or email res@dehoopcollection.co.za
Cape Country Routes
Other members of Cape Country Routes – a collection of privately owned hotels, lodges and guest houses on the scenic and historic routes of the Cape – that tick all the boxes for multigenerational family holidays include:
The 4-star Arniston Spa Hotel at Cape Agulhas is the perfect destination for a relaxed, multigenerational family holiday. It runs a Kids Club during school holidays and long weekends for children from 2 years up to adults (those who happily admit to being ‘recycled teenagers’) which includes arts and crafts, games, billiards and table tennis. It also has a number of in-house and outdoor activities for all ages. As the area is relatively flat, it is excellent for cycling and families can use the hotel’s complimentary bicycles. A day of swimming and making sand castles at the various beaches is the perfect family outing – and hiking the cliffs and beaches, climbing the Waenhuiskrans at low tide and taking a leisurely stroll through the 180-year-old fishing village of Kassiesbaai (a grade one Heritage Site) are essential activities for lovers of the great outdoors. For adults with relaxation being a prerequisite, the onsite exclusive spa run by the renowned Ginkgo Spa & Wellness Group is the place for a bit of self-indulgence, or you can opt to relax at the pool with a cocktail while reading a book from the hotel library. The Bistro, with a patio overlooking the Indian Ocean, is a perfect venue to enjoy a cocktail while savouring sushi or fresh oysters.
Val du Charron Wine & Leisure Estate in Wellington in the heart of the Winelands is just under an hour’s drive from Cape Town and offers 4-star accommodation where there’s no charge for kids up to age 7 sharing with adults, and from age 7 to 12, half price. New family rooms feature bunks beds with charging stations for the kids and a private enclosed garden. For gran and grandad there are adjoining rooms on the ground floor with a private balcony and easy access to the Grillroom. The Pizza Vista restaurant has a kids menu. Onsite activities include a splashpad, a play centre and a pool, Wild Boar trails to walk or ride.
The ultimate urban oasis, the 4-star Hippo Boutique Hotel, smack in the heart of Cape Town’s buzzing Kloof Street precinct at the foot of Table Mountain, is a great location for families of all ages. Three of its executive apartments have fitted kitchens, which allow families to self-cater for some meals. The recent addition of luxury sleeper couches to these apartments makes it possible for families with children to be in one room. Its standard and deluxe rooms feature a kitchenette fitted with a bar fridge and microwave. The introduction of new Blocshop ottomans that fold out into a single mattress to the spacious (40m) deluxe rooms makes them ideal for toddlers/young children. The Hippo is within easy access of all the must-see local attractions, as well as in walking distance to a large selection of local restaurants and eateries – don’t forget the Haagen-Dazs shop around the corner!
Wildehondekloof – a family-owned, privately operated, off-the-grid and malaria-free luxury game lodge 50km from Oudtshoorn – is home to nine en-suite, air-conditioned luxurious bedrooms and a self-catering house that is perfect for extended families with kids of all ages (babysitting facilities are available) and adults of all ages, too. Enjoy great food and a host of activities and fun things to do: swimming, hiking, guided game drives and mountain biking.
De Zeekoe Guest Farm, a working lucerne farm situated outside Oudtshoorn, welcomes multigenerational families and kids of all ages (babysitting facilities are available). It has a range of accommodation: en-suite rooms, luxury and deluxe with interleading rooms, superior rooms with extra beds for kids at the main house and luxurious, private self-catering options. There’s also a great onsite restaurant, The Windpomp. Activities are aplenty: swimming, hiking, biking, canoeing and its popular Five Shy Meerkat tours. There’s also a kiddies play area.
The 4-star Lily Pond Country Lodge, situated near Nature’s Valley on the edge of the Tsitsikamma National Park, is a tranquil and popular retreat with a magnificent garden and two big lily ponds. It has spacious luxury suites, two of which can accommodate a child up to 14 years on a sofa-bed sharing with two adults. All rooms are on ground level with a just a few steps along the walkways and into some of the rooms, ensuring easy access for all. In addition, each block consists of two rooms with each front door conveniently less than 2m apart. The onsite restaurant has special children’s dinners catering to their likes. Birdwatching, koi fish watching and a small nature trail are just some of the relaxing activities here.
Located on Route 62, halfway between Cape Town and the Garden Route, Montagu Country Hotel – the only original art deco hotel in South Africa – offers various accommodation options for multigenerational families, from stylishly furnished self-catering suites to interleading rooms, ground floor rooms for older adults, plus a wheelchair-friendly room (all the hotel’s public areas are wheelchair-friendly too). The two on-site restaurants, Charleston’s & Feathers & Flatcaps, offer breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and kids’ meals. There’s a jungle gym for small children, while the Activity Centre is geared for the more adventure-orientated family: try the biking tour through Montagu with Flying Feet. There are two swimming pools, and babysitting can be arranged. The hotel is also pet-friendly.
Just off Route 64, in Barrydale, the Karoo Art Hotel nestles in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and mountain passes. Accommodation options of The Prynnsberg Room, the Ostrich Room and both Groot Karoo Rooms (the more luxurious rooms) have interleading rooms for the kids, while the ground-level Garden Suite is ideal for grandparents – no stairs, but there is a fireplace. In summer the hotel pool is the place for kids, parents and grandparents to chill out and be spoilt with drinks and snacks served all day. Kids can enjoy their favourite pancakes, pizzas and hamburgers while parents have a more sophisticated choice from the Karoo-specific menu. And if your kids love art, there is always a sketchbook waiting for the budding young artists to enter the annual drawing competition.
In the Great Karoo, about 325km from Cape Town, the eco-conscious Rogge Cloof Private Nature Reserve with accommodation options within its Eco-Village include self-catering cottages (sleeping up to eight), large enough for three generations to share. Kid-friendly rooms (bunk beds) lead to a spacious living area where board games can be played around a fireplace. There are activities that are fun for old and young: fossil and nature drives, stargazing, cycling together; there’s plenty space for kids to run around and guides are available to take the kids on an hour-long ‘treasure hunt’, while adults enjoy time together around a fire with a glass of wine.
The Supertubes Collection in the Eastern Cape comprises Supertubes Guest House, with the world-famous Jeffreys Bay surfing beach right on its doorstep. Accommodation includes standard and luxury rooms and two self-catering apartments: the 11 Pepper with three en-suite rooms and the Khaya Zinza with five rooms. For the family elders, there is a downstairs bedroom with grab rails in the shower and a comfortable shower chair; there’s also a wheelchair-friendly bedroom with access to the deck and dining area. For infants, there are camping cots and feeding chairs, and babysitting can be arranged in advance. In the lounge area, there are baskets with toys as well as board games. Beach bats, spades and buckets, beach balls, as well as fishing nets are available to take to the beach; beach towels, beach umbrellas and sun chairs are also provided. Aside from the surfing, there are plenty other activities including whale watching, fishing and Big Five game viewing; excursions and activities like surf lessons, horse riding, hiking and shell museum visits can be booked at the reception desk.
To book any of these Cape Country Routes accommodations: telephone 021 023 3611 or email bookings@capecountryroutes.com