South Africa for the Whole Family

We flew, 2 parents, a 15.5-year-old daughter, a 13-year-old son, and an almost 8-year-old daughter, for a two and a half week trip to conquer the Dark Continent!

Africa Africa – Summary of a journey

We flew, 2 parents, a 15.5-year-old daughter, a 13-year-old son, and an almost 8-year-old daughter to conquer the Dark Continent. Duration of the trip: 18 days.

We flew with Ethiopian Airlines. New planes, completely reasonable. Terrible food. The airport in Addis is crowded, smelly, dirty, unpleasant. If you have a layover of more than a few hours, it is recommended to go out into the city.

We landed in the afternoon in Johannesburg, a B&B shuttle was waiting for us (in the Kempton Park neighborhood, close to the airport) and within five minutes we arrived at our huge room, surrounded by lawns. That was the only night we all slept in the same room. In the afternoon we asked the driver to drop us off at a nearby mall, went out to buy a SIM card, eat, and after a long day of flights we returned and went to sleep early.

Livingstone

The next morning we had a flight to Livingstone, Zambia, aiming to fulfill a family dream of seeing Victoria Falls.

At the airport, there is an option to get a combined visa that includes entry to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Only adults pay (there's a catch, because when you enter Zimbabwe it turns out kids also need to pay for a visa, so you simply add the kids' visa money there).

Livingstone is located 5-6 km from Victoria Falls. Flying over the city you can see the "smoke" from the falls, and on the way to the lodge you see it in the background all the time. The falls are amazing. Powerful. Wonderful. They claim that on the Zambian side you feel the falls, and on the Zimbabwean side you see them. Not entirely accurate – you feel them well from both sides, though on the Zambian side you are simply walking inside the spray, getting soaked to the bone. The sound of the water, the flow, the splash – we walked for a good few hours (there is a very organized trail, bridges, viewpoints), waterlogged and happy. Raincoats can be rented on site. Pay attention – there are official and unofficial guides walking around who somewhat "bug" you, show you the trail, give explanations, and then ask for money.

Victoria Falls from the Zambian side

The falls area is full of attractions and insanely expensive. Every attraction costs between 90-1200 US dollars per person (!!) and includes 20 minutes to two-three hours of activity, depending on the activity. In fact, 4 nights in Zambia cost us as much as the rest of the trip combined. The type of attractions also depends on the season, and there were things we couldn't do because there was too much water in the falls (no rafting in April, no access to Devil's Island, no speedboats). We chose a safari on the Zambezi River (which included a herd of elephants crossing the water in front of us, hippos, crocodiles, and plenty of birds)

and walking with cheetahs/playing with lion cubs (a program that collects orphaned/injured/neglected cubs, treats them with the aim of returning them to nature reserves later).

On one of the days we crossed the border to the town of Victoria Falls, on the Zimbabwean side. Victoria Falls is much more touristy than Livingstone, a street of restaurants and tourist shops. The border crossing is on a bridge you simply walk across (the bungee bridge), fill out forms/pay at border control, and find yourselves at the falls themselves. The food on this side is better, and there is a significantly more pleasant atmosphere here. On both sides there are lots of vendors trying quite aggressively to sell you figurines/fabrics/elephants/God knows what. Here we also went fishing on the Zambezi and the little one managed to catch two catfishes. In retrospect – we should have spent one less night, meaning – maximum 3 nights in the falls area.

Pilanesberg

We returned to Johannesburg, where a driver was waiting for us to take us to Kwa Maritane hotel inside the Pilanesberg safari (two hours from Johannesburg). Stunning hotel. With the room you get one game drive for each night at the hotel, and the price also includes breakfast (wonderful) and dinner (great). When we arrived they asked us to get ready quickly and took us to a bush braai, which is simply a barbecue in the middle of the reserve. On the way we saw a cheetah.

In the morning we hopped over to Sun City (a sort of Vegas) – besides the casino and video games there is also a nice water park and a large maze. We easily spent 5 hours (and could have spent more). We returned to the hotel and set out for another safari drive and another one the next morning. We saw tons of animals, and apart from buffalo – we saw the Big Five. Giraffes, zebras, elephants, rhinos, wildebeests, and more and more and more. That evening, on our way back, a herd of elephants surrounded us and simply refused to let us pass. Surrounded to the point that if I put my hand out the window – I would touch them. The driver simply rolled the car back, a few cm each time, until the elephants got tired of the game and let us go.

A herd of elephants that wouldn't let us pass, you can see the car mirror in the picture

Cape Town

From Pilanesberg we flew to Cape Town (there are flights twice a week, tiny airport, no food or drink there), and collected our car at the airport. Driving on the left side wasn't difficult (except for a few wipers turned on by mistake instead of indicators), the roads are well signposted, good, drivers are very calm and polite. However – there are huge distances between gas stations, so when you see one, refuel. No matter how much you have in the tank.

Cape Town is wonderful, and we could easily have added more days. Our apartment hotel was a 5-minute walk from the Waterfront, an area with shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Very safe feel, no problem walking around at night.

The activities we did were diving at the aquarium (in general, the aquarium is very cute, passes two-three fun hours), taking the cable car up Table Mountain (book tickets online. Saves an hour and a half waiting in lines!). You can book the day before, depending on weather forecasts. If it's overcast there's no point going up, assuming you even can. Another day we drove to Simon's Town (a beach with penguins along it) and the Cape of Good Hope. We had tons of other places on our list and simply didn't have time. Need more days there!

The Wine Route

We drove for one night to Franschhoek, the wine area. About an hour's drive from Cape Town. There is a tram running between wineries, you choose where to stop, many wineries offer combinations of wine tasting plus chocolate/cheese/cured meats etc., or play areas, lawns, so the kids enjoyed it too. The wine area is stunningly beautiful, reminiscent of the South of France or Florence. Huge vineyards surrounded by mountains, small cute towns, a sense of peace and tranquility.

Cape Agulhas

Because of an old dream of my husband's, we drove from there to Cape Agulhas, which is the southernmost point in Africa. For us it was unnecessary. A long and tedious drive that leads to... nothing. A sign, a lighthouse, and rumors of a friendly manta ray you can feed, and that's it. We rode horses in the area, a beautiful ride on the beach (suitable even for people who have never ridden before), but that really can be done anywhere.

Oudtshoorn

We continued to Oudtshoorn. A nice town whose economy is based on the ostrich industry and the Cango Caves. The caves are stunning, a huge and gorgeous stalactite cave. There is a regular 1-hour route and an adventurous route that includes crawling through various holes and alcoves. Inside the building there is a box with openings simulating the size of the holes you crawl through, so you can decide whether to try or not.

Another pleasant surprise was the wild life ranch, a zoo focused on interaction with animals. My husband and son dived with a crocodile (allowed from age 5), claiming it was a wonderful experience. The girls and I played with a giant iguana, and there was also a bird-feeding area and more. Photos from all interactions can be bought for 180 ZAR and you get a flash drive with hundreds of photos. Beyond that, we also sat on/rode/fed ostriches.

Plettenberg Bay and around

From Oudtshoorn we drove to Plettenberg Bay ("Plett" for short). Plett is very centrally located for Garden Route attractions, and a great place to base yourself for a few nights (or move there to live. Clean, well-maintained, beautiful town). In Plett there is a nature reserve called Robberg, with several different trails. We chose the middle trail (5 km), climbed rocks, ran on sand dunes, saw seals, walked along the sea. It was lovely (and not simple, to say the least. Not suitable for younger children unless carried in a baby carrier). The weather was a bit overcast and windy, so we couldn't swim with seals as we wanted. The beach is magical, and a great winter destination for us for a vacation combining relaxation and attractions. In the town of Knysna we took a boat cruise around the bay.

Robberg Reserve, rock climbing, stairs, running on sand dunes and seals

We drove to Tsitsikamma reserve for a day (next time we'll stay there overnight. There are gorgeous cabins owned by the Parks Board). We started with ziplining. There are two places. One has a 3.5-hour tour over the treetops. Booking in advance is required. We chose the second one, a 1-hour trail zig-zagging over a river and a small waterfall. For those not doing the zipline, there is a wooden boardwalk along the whole route where you can watch the family. After the first zip it's not scary, just exciting and fun. Allowed from age 5, if I'm not mistaken.

From there we drove to the suspension bridge at Storms River. A long trail with tons of stairs, passing through rainforest above the ocean shore. Breathtaking. On site you can also do kayaking, water mattresses, and scuba diving. We made a note for next time.

We have a lot to learn from the national parks in South Africa. Clean, spotless organized restrooms, shops and restaurants, charming cabins, designated barbecue areas, and nobody eats dirty or breaks rules. We didn't see a single piece of paper along the trails or a spot of dirt. A pleasure.

Addo, near Port Elizabeth

We had to fly back to Johannesburg via Port Elizabeth so we drove to Addo reserve, and there – in an adjacent private reserve, we rode, fed, and petted elephants. In retrospect – we should have done this activity in Plett (there is one there too) and saved the long drive. The activity itself is expensive, but truly once-in-a-lifetime, and we even saw a five-day-old zebra foal nursing. Port Elizabeth is unpleasant. It is dirty and noisy. I suggest spending as little time there as possible (and if possible – plan in advance to fly to Johannesburg via George instead).

In summary

Additional points – In all places we stayed in B&Bs booked via Booking. Big, spacious, well-equipped houses. The only suitable way for a family in my opinion. At the end of each day everyone had their quiet corner.

Wi-Fi – We bought a local SIM + one data package from home. There are many areas without internet, in cities there is internet, sporadically. We wiped out insane amounts of gigabytes (after all, long drives with teenagers).

Darkness – When it gets dark, it's pitch black. No lighting on the roads. I strongly recommend planning to arrive at destinations before nightfall. It's not scary, but definitely unpleasant. Especially on winding mountain roads.

Fuel – As I said – refuel when you find a station. Always.

Food – Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. We will never be able to eat meat back home again. Prices in Shekels are numerical values close to Rand (a 300g steak 120 Rand), then divide by 3.5. Meaning – cheap. We ate well and a lot. I especially recommend trying different types of biltong (dried meat).

Service – Wonderful. Helpful, pleasant, explaining. At guesthouses they advise, provide meals, treats, laundry services.

Prices – Cheap. Entrance to parks cost us an average of 1000 Shekels for the family, various attractions were cheap for us. We paid 3, 4, 5 times or more for similar activities in other countries (not to mention in Israel).

Most important – Kids' birth certificates!!!!! They won't board you on a flight to South Africa without a full, original birth certificate in English for the kids. Go to the Ministry of Interior website, fill out the details and receive it within 4 days by mail. People were taken off our flight because of this.

Credit cards – It is recommended to bring more than one type. We had places where we had trouble with Visa, places that didn't accept American Express. You must know the ATM PIN code, it is entered with every purchase.

It was magical.