Tourism Update recently surveyed readers for ideas on the top places and activities for family holidays in Southern Africa. Here are the top picks.
Family travel to Southern Africa is up, with 71% of survey respondents reporting an increase in family travel.
Safari was by far the most popular family activity in the region, followed by adventure and beach activities. “Wildlife, ecology or bush experiences shared by the entire family are the most popular,” said Christian Grosch, MD of Airboat Afrika. Stuart Parker, Business Development Manager at Desert & Delta Safaris, pointed out that seeing wildlife in their natural surroundings was particularly appealing for families who have limited exposure to natural wilderness areas.
“Safari is an amazing way to gather the family together and create the experience of lifetime,” said Margie Jordan of US-based Jordan Executive Travel Service. She pointed out that in Southern Africa, families could secure an entire safari lodge. She added that there were also many opportunities to visit local villages. Many respondents also suggested camping in Southern Africa as a great option for families.
The top adventure activities highlighted included shark cage diving, zipline tours, quad biking, boat rides, paragliding and kloofing.
Top destinations
The top destinations for family travel were Cape Town and the Western Cape, followed by South Africa, KwaZulu Natal, and Botswana.
1.Cape Town and the Western Cape
Cape Town came out as the top destination for families in Southern Africa. Dennezell De Villiers, Tour Consultant at Springbok Atlas Tours & Safaris, highlighted the “enormous” amount of activities on offer that cater for children and families. He suggested trips to Boulders Beach and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Laura Taylor, Safari Specialist & Marketer at John Stevens Guided Safaris Africa, also highlighted the range of activities, suggesting shark cage diving, a cable car trip and hiking. Other suggestions included stand-up paddle boarding at the V&A Waterfront and walking the Boomslang at Kirstenbosch Gardens.
The Garden Route was noted for family-friendly options including Ostrich Safari Farm in Oudtshoorn, the Cango Caves, Featherbed Nature Reserve, Birds of Eden and Monkeyland.
2.South Africa
South Africa was highlighted for its malaria-free safari offering, while respondents said it was well-suited to self-drive holidays. Many respondents also suggested that the availability of self-catering accommodation options positioned the country well for families. “South Africa has the most easily accessible and affordable family-oriented destinations, accommodation and activities,” said Grosch.
3.KwaZulu Natal
The warm beaches in KwaZulu Natal were seen as a draw card for families, while uShaka Marine World in Durban was seen as must visit for families. The South Coast region in particular was described as a great family destination because of the many guest lodges, camping grounds and beach activities available. The Durban Botanic Gardens and Rocktail Bay in iSimangaliso were mentioned as hidden family gems. “Rocktail Bay offers an exclusive family beach holiday destination and at certain times of the year visitors can get involved with the sea turtle research project – just amazing!” said Herbie Aucamp, Operations Director at African Flamboyance.
Jordan suggested discovering the Zulu heritage in Durban. The Drakensberg was also highlighted as a great destination by a number of respondents.
4.Botswana
“Botswana is definitely experiencing an increase in family travel,” said Walter Smith, MD of Desert & Delta Safaris. “The key reason is that people want to expose their children and grandchildren to real experiences. In doing so, Botswana offers Mother Nature's natural highlights with ease and authenticity. It is not fake, no fences, no resorts, small exclusive camps or lodges, private guides and activities focused on real natural experiences.”
According to Smith, many product owners have adapted their products, adding family units. Moreover, he said the country also had a strong reputation as a peaceful and prosperous destination. Jan Jenkins, MD of Umvuselelo, also highlighted Botswana as a great safari destination because of the activities on offer as well as the range of accommodation options.
5.Other highlights
Other destinations that were noted by many readers as top destinations for family holidays included the Kruger, Namibia, Eastern Cape, Madikwe and Victoria Falls.
Namibia was highlighted for the desert activities on offer and the Eastern Cape and Madikwe also came up many times as malaria-free safari destinations. Mauritius and Mozambique were also highlighted as great beach destinations for families, particularly the Bazaruto Archipelago islands. Barbara Kuhn, GM of Uitkyk Holidays, said despite the need for malaria precautions, Mozambique was a great destination for children. “The warm Indian Ocean waters make for great swimming all year round and most of the coastline has quite calm waters.”
“Victoria Falls offers a variety of activities and hotel accommodations to suite all ages and budgets,” said Lee Cooper, Operations Manager at Roar Africa.
Room for improvement
South Africa’s travel regulations remain the biggest challenge to selling family travel to Southern Africa. More than half of survey respondents rated the factor as five, where five indicated the largest barrier and one the smallest. “This is a big market, and we could be competitive, if it wasn't for the Department of Home Affairs' visa and travel issues,” said Leon Marais of Lawson's Specialised Tours.
Earlier this month, tour operators in some of South Africa’s biggest source markets said the requirement was putting families off travel to South Africa. Roy Davies of UK-based World Discoveries, said that while many South African exhibitors at this year’s Indaba show were marketing family holidays, the regulations for children travelling to SA went against this.
Julian Asher of Timeless Africa, which sells to the UK and US market, commented: “As Joburg is the major gateway to Southern Africa, the unabridged birth certificate requirement is hands down the major barrier to family travel in Southern Africa. A family holiday is expensive and people do not want to take the chance of being turned away. This has a particularly strong effect on travellers from the US and Europe who are accustomed to visa-free travel and who can go almost anywhere in the world with minimal hassle.”
After South Africa’s travel regulations, misconceptions about Africa and a lack of destination knowledge were cited as barriers to selling family travel. Safety concerns in particular were cited as a deterrent to family travel to SA.
Jenkins suggested more inter-leading or family rooms were needed from hotels, while one respondent complained that most lodges did not have more than two family suites.
Ulrich Rosenbaum of Munich-based Studiosus Reisen, said the car-rental industry wasn’t adequately catering for the family market. “Station wagons, which are very common in Europe and the US are not available even at major car-rental companies. You can get a car with seats for four or five people, but not with enough luggage space for families.”
