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The best of both worlds in South Africa
Like cookies and cream, or Timon and Pumbaa, some things are just better when they’re together, like a classic city-and-safari family adventure.
Time seems to stand still at the top of Table Mountain, an illusion suspended only by joyful birdsong, wisps of cloud, and the sun’s rays sweeping across the rugged peak. Families, arm in arm, gaze out, smiles as wide as the panorama before them, marvelling at the majesty of Cape Town below. Described by Sir Francis Drake as ‘the fairest cape in all the world’, this dynamic, beachside city has so much to offer – and, thankfully, no jet lag.
Take five days to explore together, with more than enough pastimes to please the whole clan. Venture along the Sea Point Promenade on cruiser bikes that delight big kids as much as small ones, before setting off on garden treasure hunts and – an absolute joy – penguin spotting. Rest weary heads at the luxuriously cosmopolitan One&Only Cape Town, where downtime can be spent in the Kids’ Club or spa before family-friendly waterfront sundowners. Home to Reuben Riffel’s first urban restaurant, guests can experience local flavour at Reuben’s – South Africa’s favourite chef is sure to tantalise your taste buds.
Bar jeep at Tswalu Kalahari Private Wildlife Reserve
The pool at One&Only Cape Town
Now, if you’ve come all this way, you simply must take a quick (two-hour) direct flight into the wild, to a land of rolling dunes and red Kalahari sands; to Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, the largest of South Africa’s private game reserves (and also malaria-free). A safari experience like this is almost beyond words; you’ll never forget the wonder that swells inside as dawn breaks to reveal just-waking wildlife, the first sighting of a rhino or black-maned lion, nor the time an eagle-eyed guide slows to point out a pangolin or print in the sand.
Days here are spent indulging in bush picnics, nature walks and game drives; little explorers can learn how to track wildlife and make casts of their footprints. By night, eat local dishes by the campfire and share favourite moments under twinkling stars, then snuggle down to the mesmerising sound of the savannah. Here, time has a way of slowing down so that every holiday second counts.