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-   -   3 weeks in SA with a girl aged 6 (https://www.fodors.com/community/africa-and-the-middle-east/3-weeks-in-sa-with-a-girl-aged-6-a-241149/)

Max Palla Jul 19th, 2002 04:31 AM

3 weeks in SA with a girl aged 6
 
We plan to go to SA next February for appr. 3 weeks.<BR>"We" are my wife, my daughter aged 6 and myself.<BR><BR>We want to see a nice game resort (which fits a 6 year old!), Cape Town, the coast, Garden route.<BR>We want to mix fixed accomodations with travelling around (what you can do with a 6 yr old).<BR>We expect high quality in accomodations etc.<BR><BR>What would you recommend?<BR>How would you plan a stay for appr. 3 weeks?<BR><BR>

Lisa Jul 20th, 2002 04:33 AM

That is the best time to go to Cape town. Perfect weather and the local holiday makers are back home.<BR>I would spend at least 5 days in Cape town and mix sightseeing with the beach. Your daughter will enjoy Rattanaga Junction, a theme park in Cape Town. Spier wine farm in Stellenbosch has a cheetah conservation area and your daughter will enjoy the cheetahs and picnicking with the ducks at the pond there and you will be able to see a wine farm without your daughter getting too bored. Your dughter will love swimnming with the penguins at Boulders Beach near Simonstown. The Waterfront has lots of activities for kids, the Aquarium, the Imax and the Scratch Patch where you scratch through and choose "pretty" stones.<BR>Then take a drive up the Garden route and spend at least 3 - 4 days along the ay. Stop at Knyna or the wildenress and then Pl;ettenburg Bay. You can go canoeing in the wilderness and go on a ride on the train (on the Outeniqua tjoe choo). Stop in Oudtshoorn at the Cango Caves and at an ostrich farm. Your daughter will be able to ride an ostrich (at the demonstration, be quick with the hand when they ask for volunteers) and she will also stand on ostrich eggs.<BR><BR>Shamwari Game reserve is near there but I have never been and do not know much about it. <BR>There is great swimming at Plettenburg Bay and and water activities/. boating on the river, and hiking.<BR><BR>Sun City (and the Lost City)has an outstanding water park as well as the Pilanesburg game reserve near by.It is very luxurious and there is a lot of entertainment there including a crocodile park<BR><BR>I am not sure if the private game reserves are a good idea or not. It depends if your daughter can sit on a game drive for 3 hours. You are the best judge of that.

Ann Jul 20th, 2002 05:05 AM

My husband, six year old daughter and I are trying to plan the same type of trip. A shame that we are not going at the same time!<BR><BR>Anyway, maybe some one can tell us about the following places, whether they are any good or hokey. In Capetown area, I was looking at the Monkey Valley Resort because it is near the beach and Capetown. I am not sure about this place - could be tacky.<BR><BR>As you have probably found, most game reserves, lodges, do not want six year old children .. two that do and sound good to me are the Grootbos Private Reserve - two hours from Capetown, and the Kariega Game Reserve at KEnton-on-the Sea, Eastern Cape. Both seem to have high quality accommodation and a range of activities. Does anyone know anything about these places?<BR><BR>Thanks and good luck with your trip.

whathappened Jul 28th, 2002 05:56 PM

There was another post that had some great suggestions, I came back to look for it and its gone. What happened? I'm looking for places to go with a family $$$ of private reserves X five just won't work. Any more ideas for a reasonably priced nice trip? Why was the other post deleted? It offered good suggestions, maybe just a little advertising, but places that could be booked on your own, not just though the poster.

Selwyn Jul 31st, 2002 05:14 PM

Dear "Whathappened"<BR><BR>I was the party who placed the post that you are looking for. It seems as if I should not reveal myself as whoever moderates this page will then simply take the mail off the board.<BR>I reckon my mail has been removed because I placed my website address on the page.<BR><BR>As much as I agree with not wanting to use this forum for advertising I take HUGE exception to this having happened to me. I am a Capetonian as well as a retired person who also runs a tour operator business as a hobby. My main aim at this stage in my life is not to make money but to promote my city to all those who even have half an inkling of an idea that they want to visit Cape Town or the Garden Route.<BR><BR>I have seen so many mails in this forum that have some wonderful answers and many more that have horrifically wrong answers as far as Cape Town is concerned. An example of this is that there is someone who has answered a mail to a current question with regard to Cape Town who has made a statement saying "steer clear of townships". What a load of hogwash. I dont care how anybody on this forum responds to this question as I am the party who spends close on to 4 days a week in townships and I know what I am talking about when I respond in this manner. In the same manner I have read so many people who say listen to the locals. The question is does the Fodors moderator?<BR><BR>This forum sems to cut out mails if they exceed what seems to be a full page. I have answered so many people's questions OUTSIDE of this forum with huge responses of free advice only because of this problem. Amongst others Max Palla has received a response like this from me. For this reason I used to place my website address on the page. I DONT NEED TO FIND NEW TRADE AS I CANT COPE ALREADY and I certainly do not need the Fodors page to find trade.<BR><BR>All in all the forum will now lose my advise and that means that what happened to the page that you are looking for is now gone forever. I am sorry about this as it is such a pity as it is my city that loses out in the end.<BR><BR>Thanks for you nice comments anyway and if you need any free advice and aid please feel free to write to me.<BR> <BR>Selwyn<BR><BR>


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