What destination to add to trip to SA?
 

Hello wise folks from FlyerTalk! I'm planning a South African dad at for my family for next summer (bucket list item for my dad). We are a group of 4 adults (ages: 30, 37, 39, and 76) and two kids (turning 3 that September and 4 that July). We may have a few others joing us (3 adults and a 9 year old).

We love adventure, being immersed in local culture, just wandering around citites and exploring, food and drink, and for shopping: fashion, home decor, and jewelry.

Given our kids ages, we were targeting areas of S.A. without malaria. We were thinking of doing a few days in Cape town, too.

We wanted add another destination, too. A travel agent suggested Mauritius, but I'm not convinced we want to fly across the world for a beach vacation. And it'll be winter there, so perhaps not ideal weather.

So, any thoughts on another destination to/from AS? We will be flying United airlines or a partner airline (maybe SA) from San Francisco.

Victoria Falls on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border

Vic Falls is generally considered in the malaria zone of sub-Saharan Africa.

Hi there pinkhighlighter!

Some thoughts here for you...

Malaria-free reserves that I would seriously consider would be Madikwe, Kwande and Tswalu Kalahari. If you were to do 6 nights safari, Tswalu would make an excellent second safari stay since its ecosystem is different than the others and it's a great place to see Rhinos, cheetahs, black-maned lions and close encounters with meerkats. All of these reserves are very family friendly.

Another place to consider is Phinda Reserve in Kwazulu-Natal. It is not Zero malaria but it is lower than many of the other reserves. Please keep in mind that our summer is their winter and in winter, the risk is even lower.

With the size of your group, Phinda has some villa options that come with its own staff, jeep and ranger. They are re-doing Homestead Villa which should be available by next summer. It could work great for you! Phinda is a fascinating reserve with 7 distinct ecosystems ranging from evergreen to sub tropical. It also has one of the last sand floor forests in the world.

Generally speaking, you will need to target lodges that take children as young as yours and I would consider lodges that have a villa option for you. Most lodges have individual free-standing suites. Sometimes there are 2 attached to one another. Kwande has a nice family house/villa as well. Just some things to think about..

Cape Town is great. So many incredible things to do for all ages and for all interests. You could consider adding on to 3-4 nights in Cape Town with a short stay in the Wine Land region. In addition to beautiful vineyards, there are some incredible farms and the children would love this. Babylonstoren has some of the most magnificent gardens and activities. You must take a peek online. Also the Vergenoegd Farm has a duck parade that's quite fun. They use ducks to eat the pests off the plants and so it's great when they release them to the vineyards to eat! In addition to wine tastings for adults, the area has many chocolate, olive oil, and billtong (beef jerky) tastings for all! So this might be an option as an extension to Cape Town!

As far as other destinations, if you are still thinking of yet another place to add on, I would perhaps consider the Bazaruto Archipelago off the coast of Mozambique. Lowered risk on the islands and again it's winter. You could expect beautiful sunny weather for snorkeling, dolphin frolicking, fishing, sand boarding down the dunes, scuba diving etc. This would be a much more intimate and less commercial setting than Mauritius.

Happy to help!
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Consider Namibia - very open and rather unique. Flights may work out pricey, but if you have the time, a drive up the west coast may work for you. Given the group size, maybe two vans may be needed.

Thank you for the ideas. I will look into Bazaruto. Is there any place to stay there you'd recommend? And how many days do you think?

I've heard other recs for Madikwe, particularly Tuininigi. And nearby Ants Nest and Hill.Have you heard of Pilanesberg?

We've actually stayed at Phinda! It was fabulous.

definitely not mauritius, but seychelles can be worth it

what kind of budget range ?

speaking of african coast >

private island >
mnemba andbeyond
quilalea azura
medjumbe anantara

other >
bazaruto anantara
benguerra andbeyond
benguerra azura
vamizi

madagascar probably more complicated and less accommodation options

I hadn't considered Namibia. Is it malaria-free?

Our budget is still open but would like a value. We should stay under $1k/night for accommodations but probably closer to $500/night, but if there'ssomething amazing to be had at a higher price, I would explore it. We won t be spending a lot of time there.

How does Bazaruto compare to the islands listed above? Also you grouped them into private and other. What are the pros and cons of private or not? I've never been to a private island,

Finally, why definitely no on Mauritius?

Than​​​​​​ks!!

Hi again pinkhighlighter!
Private island experiences offer a more private and exclusive experience and are thus more costly than islands where there are other resorts present. Mnemba is incredible but it comes with a very big price tag. Another option would be the coastline of Mozambique such as White Pearl Resorts.

These are all options, budget depending, if ending on the beach is your vision. Certainly all of these present some logistics with flights and transfers and are easier to get if staying in the Kruger area vs staying at either Kwandwe or Madikwe. The Bazaruto Archipelago is a lot closer to places you are already thinking of going than Quirimbas (off coastline of Mozambique but further north) and certainly Mnemba which is off the coast of Tanzania (much further North!).

Mauritius is highly developed and commercial. That's not to say it's good or bad. It's about your style or travel and personal taste. It is an easier sell for mainstream travelers as it has the look and feel of many other tropical destinations. Again, it depends upon what your vision is.

Happy to further assist you!
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Thanks for that. If it were just me and my husband, we'd like more off the beaten path and would be more open to more difficult logistics. But with the littles and grandpa, we aim for things to be easier although off the beaten path is ok. We j7st want a great experience but have to be mindful of grandpa and the kids limitations. We definitely need safety and some luxury... 😁 personalized experiences are great bc of our mulitigenerational group.

For example, we opted to hike the less touristy but further out and less paved area of the Great Wall less summer but we also had to hire someone to help grandpa up the steep parts to the wall and waited with him while the rest of us hiked. It's this sort of balance we want.

I'm leaning away from Mauritius if it's going to feel like a nice resort.in Mexico.

For a beach vacation, i think a stunning location is most important. Then quality of accommodations. Then activities. Grandpa could be totally happy relaxing with a book or chatting with locals, if they speak English, or fishing. The kids are great travelers and love doing anything or just playing with each other. Us younger adults would love to do diving, relaxing, eating and drinking, hiking and exploring. Basically doing whatever is done there and hanging out with each other.

​​​​​​we would either end our travels in S.A. in Cape town or near Madikwe. Can you describe more what it's be like to get to the various islands? We travel light but we try to make things as easy as possible with the kids but are willing to do what needs to be done, realizing it's still a shirt part compared to being at the destination.

Finally, what are some ranges of costs for these islands? Do you have more info on accommodations? Thanks!

Or should I be thinking about non-beach locations that work well with capetown and madikwe safari?

There is so much to see in ZA I'm not sure you really need to add on somewhere else.

One possibility is to break up your flights and spend a few days at a transit point in Europe where it will be summer.

Yes, I think I'll pick up a travel guide for S.A. (ZA?) and see what else stands out.

Ok any thoughts on lodges in Madikwe? I've heard recs for Jack's and Tunigi... Would love to hear thoughts on those two, along with others we should consider for our family.