Hi there,
We are a couple in our mid 30"s travelling with 3 children (7,5, 10 months and a nanny). We are sure we want to do capetown 7 days, hermanus 2 days and the garden route 5 days. We have an extra 3/4 days and we cannot decide if we should do a game reserve (top 3 are shamwari, kwandwe or madikwe cuz malaria free) or go to suncity and relax there and do the pilanesberg game reserve instead as day drives. We are also open to any other destinations so would love to hear everyones sugguestions. We dont drink so are not too sure if we will enjoy the cape's wine region. We love culture, landcapes, animels and like a pampered lifestyle when vicationing.

What time of year are you planning on traveling?
A lot of people think Sun City is too "commercialized" for an Africa visit but we've there on all 3 of our African vacations. Of course its not the main focus of our trip but we still enjoy it for a few days.Our kids were 12 & 13 the last time we stayed in Sun City and they absolutely loved it. Personally, I think children as young as yours would be going stir crazy on game drives. So unless you plan on leaving them with the nanny I wouldn't stay at a game reserve where the morning and evening 4hr game drives are the highlights of the day.Save that for when they're a little older. Pilanesberg would probably suffice for that age. Pilanesberg will wet your appetite for your next visit back!

We will be in south africa in august. I forgot to mention that we have been to Suncity 4 years ago and ended up doing daytrips to the Pilanesberg game reserve twice. Are shamwari and kwandwe smaller? do thry have as many animels?

Hi Browning.

Safari Or Not: I'd definitely say it's worth it, even with young children. Perhaps not the long drives. Key may be to find places that cater specially for children. Riverbend Lodge in Shamwari does that - has playrooms, child-friendly vehicles / guides / swimming pools, adjoining rooms etc. It's actually a really nice lodge in it's own right (not too-kiddy'ish) in a location overlooking a river. They will probably be offering some great cheap deal for August due to low season, so hunt around.
Pilansberg Vs.: I much prefer Shamwari, Madikwe or indeed Addo Elephant Park over Pilansberg. They just feel more like proper game reserves rather and less "zoo'ey". Pilansberg is great for location, Sun City etc, but given you're on the Garden Route then I'd definitely recommend Shamwari or Addo. They both have at least as many animals (if not more) and the landscape is a lot more interesting - hills, plains, trees etc. Sun City may be a good idea to keep the children entertained, but personally I hate the place compared to a lot more genuine 'African' lodge experiences. The only thing going in Pilansberg's favour may be weather: it probably won't be warmer (in fact the morning drives will be very cold) than in the Cape, but the you're pretty much gauranteed to have sunshine all day in August. If you do go to Shamwari / Addo then suggest flying back to C/T or Jo'burg because of the length of the drive (+- 10 hours direct to C/T).
Other things to see/do:
Winelands: I wouldn't write off the winelands even if you don't drink. Given you say you like culture, landscape and a pampered lifestyle it's pretty much made for you. Great history of early settlers and some nice buildings and monuments. The landscape is absolutely stunning, especially in the Franschhoek valley - big mountains, clear skies, valleys of vineyards etc. We liked the view so much we got married there! And the choice of really nice, comfortable, stylish (or olde worlde) accommodation for a decent price. Lots of things to do other than drink - Franschhoek is the food capital of SA, many boutique shops and farm stalls selling cheeses, meats and crafts. Spas, horse riding, golf, fishing, hiking etc. all easily accessible. But perhaps not much designed specifically for children. Perhaps consider slightly less time in Cape Town (7 days is a lot perhaps) and take 2 or 3 days in the winelands instead.
Garden Route: Although most tourists do this and there are some nice places to see (e.g. Hermanus for the whales), there are a lot of unattractive touristy resorts and towns (I don't like Knysna (although Leisure Island on the lagoon would provide 'child-friendly' swimming options because no waves etc.), Mossell Bay or Jeffrey's Bay very much). You could consider driving along Route 62 which runs parallel to the coast through stunning farming / wine-growing country with dramatic valleys and mountain passes. You can cut down to the coast at any point, but Oudtshoorn may be nice for the children as the ostrich capital of the world. Swellendam, McGregor and Calitzdorp are really nice villages / towns with great histories. If you do end up at Shamwari or Addo I'd recommend looking at Nature's Valley or Kenton (near Knysna) as nice quiet beach options.

Get in touch if you want more specific accommodation locations.

Enjoy!

Please see my posting about credit card fraud in South Africa. I would more than recommend a trip there but please travel smart and don't let what happened to me happen to you.

Kwandwe is fantastic and has special kids programs. Look at Melton Manor the private villa with own vehicle and guide. you won't be worried about your kids bothering other people. the game viewing is great and the reserve is very exclusive ie: you won't see other people like in Pilansberg which is very commercialised.

Skip the wienlandds as it may bore your kids

Rather go to Grootbos near Hermanus for 3 nights and then head to Plett for a few nights... the weather could be incredible or absolutely pouring ... its a gamble.

Fwiw, my kids were 5 and 8 when we did a 2+ week safari in SA a couple of years ago. They loved every single minute of it.

My husband and I are also in our 30s (from USA) and went to SA and Zambia last August. We stayed at the V&A Waterfront (Table Bay Hotel) for 5 nights. I would highly suggest the most WONDERFUL guide for your day trips around Capetown. His name is Charlie Ratcliffe. He is young (mid to late 30s) and LOVES what he does. He made our trip in Capetown and was a joy to be around. On our first day we met him around noon and he drove us all around Capetown to give us our bearings and we went up Table Mountain. On the 2nd day, we drove all around the Cape Peninsula. On the 3rd day, he drove us through Stellenbosch and on to the winelands. The 4th day we were on our own as we wanted to cage dive with the great whites in Gansbaai. He has an SUV that should definitely hold your whole family. His family owns a tour company (Southern Destinations) but he does drives on his own as well...much better to book directly with him. He has been talked about by others on this site if you do a search you can read them. His email is [email protected]