Our South Africa Family Adventure 🇿🇦 | 16 Days, 4 Kids & A Road Trip

We had been wanting to take the kids to Africa for the past four years but our twins were still too young then, so my husband and I kept saying, “Let's wait until they're at least 4 or 5, then we'll bring them.”

Fast forward to this year, our twins are turning 5 and we finally made it to Africa together. 🤎

We chose South Africa because it was somewhere none of us had been before, neither my husband and I nor the kids and that's something we try to do when we travel as a family. The world is so big, and while the kids are still young, we want to bring them along to countries that we've never experienced ourselves. They will have plenty of time to revisit places when they're older. For now, we want to discover new places together as a family.

We also wanted something that was family friendly, but beyond just sightseeing. We wanted nature, the outdoors, wildlife, adventure, the ocean and simply the chance to experience a completely different part of the world together.

16 days, just the six of us

We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, then continued to Johannesburg before flying straight on to Cape Town. We had a layover in Johannesburg without leaving the airplane then continued on to Cape Town. Almost 18 hours of travelling in total.

For the next 16 days, it was just the six of us travelling from Cape Town through the Western Cape, safari and the coastal towns along the way and we planned the entire trip ourselves.

My husband is the master planner behind all of our travels. He loves driving, adventures and exploring, and we've actually never joined a tour or travelled with a tour guide on any of our family trips.

For this trip, I planned the itinerary first, then he amended parts of it based on the route he wanted to take. Then we'd go through the accommodation together. He would pick the location, and I'd choose the final unit we wanted to stay in. That's pretty much how we work when planning our family holidays. We both have our part to play.

We booked our own flights, rented our cars, planned our route, chose our accommodation and booked our activities ourselves. No tour group, no guide. Just the six of us and honestly, that's the way we love to travel.

Why we didn't plan every single day?

Travelling with four young kids means you learn very quickly that not everything will go according to plan. So even though we had our route and the important parts of the trip planned, we deliberately left some room for things to change.

Some activities we booked in advance, some we booked only when we were there, some plans changed because of the weather, some because of the kids and some simply didn't happen. But I think that's part of travelling with children.

You can have the most beautiful itinerary on paper, but once you're actually there with four kids, you have to be willing to look at the situation in front of you and do what makes sense for your family at that moment.

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, change the plan and make the best of whatever the day gives you and honestly, sometimes the best memories come from those moments when we didn't stick to the original plan. 🤎

Landing in Cape Town 🇿🇦

We arrived in Cape Town in the morning, picked up our rental cars and headed into the city. I'll be honest, our first drive from the airport to the city made us a little unsure. We saw areas that felt very different from what we were used to, and there were moments where I was looking around thinking, okay… this is definitely somewhere different.

There were people selling things and begging around the traffic lights, some squatting or simply hanging around the bushes at the side of the road, and we noticed many shops had high fencing and grills around their entrances. It was a very different first impression from what we had imagined. So yes, safety was something we were mindful of throughout the trip.

Our landlord, a Swedish man who had lived in South Africa for more than 10 years, actually helped put us at ease. We had a good chat with him when we arrived, and he told us that the city is safe for families.

His advice was simple: just like in any other country, don't leave expensive things in the car, don't flash expensive belongings around, don't put your phone in your back pocket and stay aware, especially in busy areas. He also assured us that it was fine to walk around with the kids.

That's pretty much how we travelled throughout the trip. Just like anywhere else in the world, common sense goes a long way.

We checked into our Airbnb at The Edge, a low-rise apartment that was clean, comfortable and came with its own garage, which I really appreciated because we had a rental car and quite a lot of luggage. 

After almost 18 hours of travelling, everyone was hungry.

So guess what our first meal in South Africa was?

McDonald's. 😂😂

After that, we went grocery shopping because my eldest had already decided she wanted to cook our usual travel food, which is grilled steak and ABC soup macaroni.

That evening, we went back to the Airbnb, showered, cooked dinner, snacked on fruit, had some drinks and listened to music.

It was one of those simple evenings where we weren't doing anything exciting, but we were finally there kick starting our holiday the slow and relaxing way. And slowly, the excitement started to sink in.

We were actually in Africa. 🤎

The twins were already asking to go to bed by then. Jet lag had officially hit us. 😂

Cape Town with four kids

The next morning, we took it slow. We had breakfast at the Airbnb before heading to Oranjezicht Farmers Market for brunch. We walked around, let the kids browse the toy shops and spent some time around the V&A Waterfront.

At one point, we were thinking about booking a sunset cruise after quad biking later, but then we remembered our kids. They had been bored during a sunset sightseeing cruise we did in Paris last summer, constantly asking, “Are we there yet?” 😂

So we decided not to force it just because it sounded like a nice activity. Instead, we went quad biking at the Atlantis Sand Dunes after the farmers market. That was much more their thing.

Quad biking is suitable for children age 4 and above. Our twins are turning 5 this year but they were allowed to ride as long as they were accompanied by a quad biking tour guide. You aren't allowed to simply ride freely around the sand dunes, every family or group is accompanied by a guide.

Because we had four kids, we had two guides with us, with each twin riding with one guide while our two older girls rode with us. It was so much fun!!

It was cold, though, so if you're planning to do this, bring gloves because they aren't provided. A mask isn't really necessary because the helmets have a shield, but I found sunglasses a must, your eyes will thank you when you're riding around in the sand. 😂

They also stopped for us in the middle of the sand dunes so we could take photos. Our whole family had such a good time.

It reminded me again that when travelling with kids, the best itinerary isn't necessarily the one with the most activities. It's the one that suits the family you're travelling with.

The road trip was part of the holiday

One of the questions I kept getting was whether we rented a car and if we found it easy to drive around South Africa.

For us, having our own car was definitely the way to go. My husband loves driving, and honestly, South Africa is such a beautiful country to explore by road that I think we would have missed a big part of the experience if we didn't.

The landscapes were incredible. Honestly, I have no words to describe it. One moment, we were driving along a smooth tar road with huge mountains in the distance. Then suddenly, the landscape would open up and we'd be driving beside the ocean with nothing but the sea, sky and wide open land in front of us and sometimes, the road would change completely.

One moment smooth and easy, the next we're on a rocky, bumpy road wondering if this is really the road we're supposed to be taking. 😂

Even on our way to safari, there were stretches where the road went from smooth tar to rough and uneven, and then back again but that's what made the drive so memorable for me.

We weren't just travelling from one destination to another. The journey itself was part of the holiday.

The landscape here is so vast that I honestly don't think my photos can capture how it feels in real life. You have to see it with your own eyes and because we were driving ourselves, we could take our time, stop when we wanted and simply enjoy the scenery.

Of course, if you're not comfortable driving in a foreign country, you can always look into private tours or guided tours. But for our family, having our own car gave us the freedom and flexibility we wanted.

Hermanus, where we came for the whales

We then continued towards Hermanus. We took a slower drive, stopped at Gordon's Bay for lunch and enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Our Airbnb in Hermanus was one of those places that made me immediately want to stay in and cook. 😂

It was a beautiful bungalow with a big garden, fireplace, outdoor braai area, jacuzzi and a really lovely, functional kitchen.

And yes, I used it.. lol

I made beef short rib noodle soup because at this point in the trip, I was already craving something comforting.

A few of you asked whether it was easy to find food in South Africa. Honestly, yes. We found restaurants, cafés and supermarkets quite easily around the places we stayed but after eating all the Western food for a few days, I definitely appreciated having a kitchen because I know myself, I will start missing my Asian comfort food. 😂

Cooking on holiday doesn't feel like a chore to me. It's actually therapeutic.

And then… the whales never came 🐋

We chose Hermanus mainly because we wanted to go whale watching. That was one of the experiences we were really looking forward to but our first boat trip was cancelled because the boat broke down.

We were disappointed, but thankfully we had left enough room in our itinerary to change things around.

So instead, we explored, spent time at the Airbnb and even went to look for whales from the beach. 

The kids were playing at the playground while we watched from the side, and we actually spotted whales! Of course, we really wanted to get closer to them, so we tried again.

My husband managed to find a company with an early morning slot at 7:30am the next day. We all woke up early, checked out of the Airbnb and headed there feeling so excited only to arrive and find out that it was cancelled because of the weather.

Two attempts. No whales. 😂

At that point, we were disappointed, but there was nothing we could do except accept it. We just had to adjust and eventually, we did get another chance to go out onto the ocean after safari, this time in Mossel Bay.

We still didn't see the whales but we ended up with something completely unexpected instead.

A private boat ride with just our family, and a huge group of seals resting on the rocks in the middle of the ocean.

The kids had so much fun being out on the water that by then, I honestly didn't care about the whales anymore. We also got to learn something about our kids during this trip, is that they really do prefer adventures over a slow boat ride or sunset cruise. 😂

I think that's one of the best things about travelling with your children. You think you know what they will enjoy, but sometimes a trip shows you something new about them too.

We didn't get the experience we planned for, but we got a memory we never planned for. 🤎

Safari 🦁

After Hermanus, we packed up and started the drive towards safari. This was probably the part of the trip the kids were most excited about and honestly, so were we.

We chose Gondwana Private Game Reserve because we wanted our first safari to be somewhere that worked well for a family with young children. It is a Big Five private reserve in the Western Cape, and one of the things I really liked was the Junior Ranger programme for children aged 4 and above.

The kids could spend about two hours with their Junior Ranger while we got a little bit of time to ourselves whether it was having a massage, going to the spa or simply relaxing in the villa and being kidless for a while. 😂

My kids absolutely loved it. They did outdoor activities, learnt about animals, tracking and nature, and made arts and crafts along the way. It wasn't just something to keep them occupied while we were on safari, they were actually learning and experiencing the environment around them.

We also had the same safari guide with us throughout our game drives, and she was also the one conducting the Junior Ranger programme for the kids.

Each game drive can accommodate up to 10 guests, so we were sharing the vehicle with other guests rather than having a private vehicle. If you're travelling with young children, do check the children's policy before booking, because the age restrictions for game drives can differ depending on the lodge and type of safari experience. At Gondwana, children under 3 aren't permitted on scheduled Big Five game drives, while the Junior Ranger programme starts from age 4.

We actually thought we were going to miss our first evening game drive because we were driving from Hermanus but somehow, we made it just in time.

Within the first few minutes, we spotted two cheetahs resting.They camouflage themselves so incredibly well that it was actually quite difficult to spot them. They were quite far away, but I remember how excited all of us were because this wasn't an animal behind a fence.

We were looking at wild cheetahs, resting in their own environment, completely unaware that 11 humans were sitting there quietly watching them. That feeling was completely different.

Was five nights too long?

We booked 5D4N for our safari, but honestly, after experiencing it, I think 4D3N would have worked really well for us. It is an all inclusive package for our safari (Accommodation, 3 meals a day, 2 game drives a day, Junior Ranger Program), anything extra like massage or drinking alcohol you have to make separate payment. 

By the later part of our stay, we had already seen most of the animals we were hoping to see. So some of the later game drives became more like joy rides around the reserve and honestly, we don't mind at all. 

We weren't rushing anymore. We could just sit in the vehicle, enjoy the scenery, look around and see what we happened to come across. One thing I really loved was the snack break during the game drive.

Stopping somewhere in the middle of the reserve, getting out, having a little snack and drink while surrounded by nature felt like such a special experience.

So if you're asking me whether you need five nights, for our family, I think three to four nights would have been enough but I'm also glad we had the extra time because safari isn't just about ticking off animals from a list.

More than just seeing animals

We saw so many incredible animals during those five days.

Cheetahs, lions, all the Big Five and so many other animals that I honestly lost count. 😂 but what stayed with me most wasn't actually the animals we saw.

It was watching the kids enjoy the rides and slowly understand that these animals were wild. They started to see how the whole ecosystem works, how every animal has its own role, how they survive, hunt, protect themselves and live alongside one another.

It was an eye opener for us too.

We weren't bringing the animals into our world. We were entering theirs and I think that's something much easier to teach children through real life. It's something I can't really teach them through a book or documentary in quite the same way.

They saw it, they experienced it and they understood it a little differently because of that.

That's what I really wanted them to take away from safari.

My favourite safari memory wasn't an animal

One of my favourite moments wasn't even a game drive, It was my twins getting an early birthday celebration from the reserve.

We didn't plan it months in advance. It was a last minute arrangement, and the staff sang and danced for them with a little muffin and what my son said afterwards is the memory I want to keep :

“Thank you Daddy Mummy for celebrating my birthday at the safari.” 🥹

Maybe he won't remember saying it when he's older, maybe he won't even remember after the whole thing, but that's okay.. It's a memory I want to remember and for now, that's good enough for us. 🤎

Back to the coast

After spending 5D4N at the safari, it was time to leave. We said goodbye to the reserve and started driving towards Mossel Bay.

My husband managed to find another opportunity for us to get out onto the ocean and try to see the whales again. 😂

We checked into our Airbnb in Mossel Bay, dropped our luggage and headed out for the boat ride. This time, nobody else had booked our time slot, so somehow, we ended up with a boat just for the six of us, without actually paying for a private boat.

Still no whales. 😂 but honestly, the kids didn't care. They were having so much fun being out in the middle of the ocean, feeling the wind and exploring the boat.

My eldest even went all the way up to the highest point, and the boat guide stayed with her the whole time to make sure she was safe.

That little gesture meant a lot to us especially when you're travelling with four kids, sometimes having another adult give you an extra pair of eyes gives you a little more room to breathe and allows the kids to enjoy themselves too.

Eventually, we spotted a huge group of seals resting on the rocks in the middle of the ocean. There were so many of them, and as we got closer, we could see them jumping into the water and playing around.

The only thing we weren't prepared for?

The smell. 😂

Seals are really, really smelly. 😆

We still didn't see the whales but by then, I think we had already learnt something about our kids, they love adventure!

A slow sightseeing cruise where they just sit and look at the scenery is boring to them. 😂 Give them something to explore, something exciting happening around them and a little bit of adventure, they're happy.

And another thing we learnt on this trip? Our kids will try foods we never thought they'd eat. 😂

After the boat ride, we went for dinner and ordered oysters. One by one, all four kids tried them.

They weren't sure about the first one, then they tried another and somehow, within minutes, they had finished a whole dozen oysters. 😂

Even the twins were happily eating three to four each.

The waitress was so surprised because she said she rarely sees children enjoying oysters like that. Neither did we. 😂 but that's one of the things I love about travelling with kids.

Sometimes you think you already know what they like, what they don't like and what they will refuse to eat. Then you put them somewhere completely different, let them experience something new, and suddenly they surprise you.

A little stop at the hot springs

From Mossel Bay, we continued our road trip and checked into Avalon Springs, a hot spring resort where we stayed in an apartment unit within the resort.

The kids and my husband couldn't wait to try the hot springs and water slides.

Me? Not really a water person. 😂

So while they went to enjoy the pools, I stayed back and made my very simple travel version of shredded soy sauce chicken. Nothing fancy. Just the kind of comforting food I knew everyone would happily eat after a day of activities and they did.

We had a lovely family dinner together on the balcony, with everyone sitting around eating and chatting.

The only problem is, winter in South Africa. 😂

The moment the food came out onto the balcony, it started getting cold so quickly because of the chilly wind but nobody seemed to mind.

Everyone was hungry, the kids were happily eating, and we just enjoyed our little family dinner together.

Two nights in Gordon's Bay

From Avalon Springs, we continued towards Gordon's Bay, where we stayed for the last two nights of our trip.

The main reason we chose Gordon's Bay was actually reef fishing and after checking into our beachfront Airbnb, we realised the fishing boat company we had booked was literally within walking distance from our accommodation.

How convenient was that? 😂

We chose this particular place because we wanted direct access to the beach. The unit itself wasn't the prettiest accommodation of the trip, but the location was exactly what we wanted.

The beach was literally right in front of us.

My husband could go down to the ocean whenever he wanted, the kids could collect seashells and play by the beach, and we could still keep an eye on them from the unit.

It also came with an outdoor wood fired jacuzzi, which the kids absolutely loved.

Cold winter air, the beach right in front of us and then jumping into a hot jacuzzi before going back out again. That was basically their idea of a perfect holiday. 😂 and then my eldest spotted bone marrow at the supermarket and immediately said she wanted to make it. So, of course, we bought it and somehow ended up with eight packets. 😂

We made roast bone marrow for supper with toasted garlic bread and fresh toppings.

I was supposed to plate everything nicely for filming, but my husband and girls couldn't wait. They were already standing around the kitchen island, assembling and eating before I could finish filming.

Thank goodness I saved some for the final shot. 😂

The kids loved it just as it was. My husband loved it with the garlic bread and toppings and said it was “another level.”

Me?

I'm still not a bone marrow fan. 😂 but I loved watching my daughter get excited about trying something new and getting to make it together with her.

Our last day didn't quite go according to plan

The next morning, we were supposed to go reef fishing but our daughter woke up with a headache, so we pushed the start time back a little.

Eventually, we headed out and almost immediately, we realised the sea was really choppy.

It wasn't even open ocean fishing, but the boat was moving so much that all of us started feeling seasick.

The kids weren't feeling well. I felt like I was going to vomit and my husband actually did. 😂

The boat crew suggested moving to a calmer area, but we decided to call it. There was no point forcing an activity just because we'd booked it. So we went back to our Airbnb and simply enjoyed our last day.

We watched a movie together, collected seashells, spent time at the beach and used the jacuzzi and somehow, that became the perfect way to end our holiday.

We had gone into the trip wanting to experience as much as possible but on our last day, we ended up doing almost nothing and we were completely okay with that.

The fishing company later went out and caught three fish for us, which we oven cooked for dinner with just salt, pepper, lemon and butter.

They were so incredibly fresh, straight from the ocean to our dinner table.

And then it was time to go home

The next morning, we woke up before sunrise, packed our bags and started our drive back to Cape Town airport.

We had spent 16 days travelling through South Africa, staying in different places, driving through incredible landscapes, trying new food, meeting people, seeing animals in the wild and simply living a very different kind of family life for a little while.

For accommodation, we booked everything ourselves through Airbnb, and we rented our cars from Hertz.

We travelled during South Africa's winter, which is also a lower season period for some parts of the country. One of our Airbnb hosts told us that this was why we were able to get such a beautiful place at a much lower rate than it would normally be during peak season.

So if you're planning your own trip, just keep in mind that accommodation prices can vary quite a lot depending on the season you travel.

And just like everything else in this blog, these are based on our own experience and the way we planned our trip.

What about vaccines and malaria?

A few of you asked about vaccines and whether the safari was malaria free.

Before our trip, we checked with our paediatrician. For our itinerary, our paediatrician advised that for South Africa, the influenza vaccine was the only additional vaccine needed, so all six of us took our influenza jab before travelling.

We didn't take yellow fever or any other additional travel vaccines based on the advice we received for our trip.

That said, please don't take this as medical advice or simply follow what we did. Different itineraries, destinations, travel routes and individual health conditions can mean different recommendations. Please check with your own paediatrician or travel doctor before your trip. 🤎

For the safari itself, we stayed at Gondwana Private Game Reserves in the Western Cape, which is a malaria free reserve,  one of the reasons we were comfortable choosing it for our first family safari.

This does not mean all of South Africa is malaria free, as malaria risk varies by region. So if you're planning a different safari route, please check the specific area with your doctor or travel clinic.

Until next time, South Africa 🇿🇦

And that's the end of our South Africa story. I hope you guys had a fantastic holiday in South Africa through my IG Stories lens. 😂🤎

I know many of you started asking questions while following along, and some of you even told me that watching our trip made you want to start planning a South Africa family holiday of your own.

So I've put everything practical together for you. 

Our full itinerary is available, together with a downloadable PDF, including our route, stays, activities and safari details.

If you're planning your own South Africa trip, I hope it saves you some time and gives you a good starting point.

For me, that's what travel is really about. Not making every day perfect, not ticking every attraction off a list, just giving your children a different world to see and giving yourself the time to experience it with them.

Making memories in the middle of real life, somewhere completely different. 🤎🇿🇦

Family Tips: South Africa With Kids 🇿🇦

A few things we noticed and learnt during our 16 day family trip. These are based on our own experience, so take what works for your family. 🤎

1. RENT A CAR,  WE LOVED IT

For our family, having our own car made the trip so much easier. South Africa is huge, and the road trips were part of the experience. The scenery is beautiful, the distances can be long, and having our own car gave us the freedom to stop, change plans and travel at our own pace.

If you don't enjoy driving in a foreign country, consider private transfers or guided tours instead.

2. VERY OUTDOOR-ISH

One thing we noticed everywhere was how outdoor oriented life felt.

We saw lots of cars with tow bars, and many people seemed to enjoy outdoor activities, camping, fishing, beaches and road trips. The tow bar part is simply our observation but it definitely added to our impression of how much outdoor life is part of the culture.

3. CRAVING ASIAN FOOD? PLAN AHEAD

Cape Town has plenty of Asian food and Asian supermarkets, but once we started travelling further out towards Hermanus, Mossel Bay and the coastal towns, we found Asian food much harder to come by.

It wasn't that there was none, we just didn't see the same variety or convenience we were used to in the city. So if you're like me and know you'll start craving Asian comfort food after a few days, stock up on some ingredients before leaving Cape Town. 😂

For us, having a kitchen in our accommodation was a lifesaver.

4. PEOPLE WERE SO FRIENDLY

One of the nicest things we experienced was how friendly and helpful many people were.

From our Airbnb hosts to restaurant staff, activity guides and people we met along the way, we had many genuinely warm interactions. Of course, every country has different experiences, but this was ours.

5. TIPPING IS PART OF THE CULTURE

South Africa has a strong tipping culture, and we quickly got used to carrying some small cash.

At petrol stations, attendants usually pump your petrol, check things like your tyres or fluids and may clean your windscreen. A small tip is customary. We also tipped for various services throughout the trip.

So yes, keep some small notes with you.

6. BRAAI ISN'T JUST “BBQ”

We learnt that South Africans call it a braai, and it's much more than simply saying “BBQ”.

Braai refers to the South African way of cooking and the social gathering around it. Wood or charcoal is traditional, although modern braais can also use other fuel sources. So if you're invited to a braai, just call it a braai. 😂

7. WINTER WORKED REALLY WELL FOR US

We travelled in August, which is winter in South Africa.

For our trip, we actually loved the cooler weather, especially for safari. Winter is also a popular season for game viewing in many safari areas because vegetation is thinner and animals tend to gather around water sources but don't expect the whole country to feel the same. The Western Cape can be cold, rainy and windy in winter, and the weather can change quickly.

Layers are your friend. 😂

8. SAFETY,  JUST BE MINDFUL

We were mindful of safety throughout our trip, but we didn't feel like we had to hide indoors with the kids. Our approach was simple: don't leave valuables in the car, don't flash expensive belongings, keep your phone and wallet somewhere secure and stay aware of your surroundings.

Basically, the same common sense habits we'd use anywhere else.

9. CHECK HEALTH REQUIREMENTS WITH YOUR DOCTOR

Before our trip, we spoke to our paediatrician about our specific itinerary, and based on their advice, our family took the influenza vaccine but please don't simply follow what we did.

Health recommendations can depend on your destination, activities, travel dates and individual health history. Some parts of South Africa have malaria risk, while others do not, and vaccine recommendations can vary too.

Check with your own paediatrician or travel doctor before travelling.

10. WINTER CAN BE A GOOD TIME FOR ACCOMMODATION DEALS

Our Airbnb host told us that winter was a lower season period for their property, which helped us get a beautiful, fully equipped stay at a much better rate than peak season.

We stayed in four different Airbnb properties and were really happy with the accommodation but prices vary by location, dates and demand, so don't assume every property will be cheaper in winter.

11. YOU'LL SEE WHY A CAR HELPS

South Africa is incredibly vast. Even at our safari, we had to drive from our villa to the main reception for activities, there wasn't a buggy taking us everywhere.

For us, that wasn't a problem because we were already driving ourselves but if you don't like driving or long road trips, I'd plan your transport carefully before booking your accommodation.

12.  WE DIDN'T REALLY NEED A STROLLER

We actually realised we barely needed one.

Most of our trip involved driving, beaches, outdoor activities, safari and places where a stroller wasn't particularly useful. If you're travelling with younger children, though, this will depend on your children's age and your own itinerary.

For our four kids, we were perfectly fine without one.

ONE LAST THING

Don't try to plan South Africa exactly the way we did.

Our family loves outdoor activities, adventure, the ocean and wildlife but we also need our comfort food and slower days in between. 😂