Before we had kids I spent 4 weeks travelling through South-Africa from Johannesburg to Capetown. Such an amazing country! We spotted wild animals, went horseback riding, played golf, went diving with sharks, raced quads, went mountain climbing, had wonderful dinners and of course, drank the most delicious of wines. South Africa is also a lovely destination for kids. I often get asked what nice child friendly hotels there are in South Africa. To answer this question I’ve asked the help of a couple of well-known travel bloggers with kids and of course the travel-loving followers of Kids Love Travel. And this resulted in a very nice list of child friendly hotels in South Africa:
10 Child friendly hotels in South-Africa
Nynke and her family, from Reis met Kinderen, have had a wonderful time in this place! “Staying with the farmer, is always lots of fun with the kids. In South-Africa we slept at the ostrich farm of farmer Neels. We got to tag along with the farmer when he went feeding them in the morning or when he would take the sheep to a new stretch of land. We got to hold the little lamb that couldn’t keep up in our laps. In the afternoon we watched the sheering of the sheep and stuck our toes in the pool (the water was pretty cold!). And so the day flew by. Our home during this time was a cottage with its own ‘braai’ (BBQ), but we needn’t do our own shopping because the farmers wife would make us a lovely ‘braaipakket’ where she would take the children into account and even me as a vegetarian. It was absolutely delicious!”
2# De Leeuwenhof Estate, Paarl
The Leeuwenhof at Paarl is a beautiful Estate in the wine area. Two large apartments are rented out with 2 large bedrooms; ideal for families. These two apartments share one private pool. You can have dinner at the estate tooc. When we stayed there they served dinner on our terrace by the pool; ideal for our daughter too. That way we could enjoy the lovely food and the most delicious wines. The owners are Dutch and had the best tips for child friendly trips and wineries.
3# Kololo Game Reserve, Vaalwater
Here you sleep in between giraffes, elks, zebra’s and lots of other wild animals. The chalets and villas are located right next to a big five arena separated by just a gate. Prepare for beautiful game drives. With facilities such as a playground, a pool, good food, beautiful chalets and villas, Kololo Game reserve is certainly worth a spot in this Top 10 of child friendly hotels in South Africa.
4# Meurant Self Catering family cottage, Riversdale
These houses are very suitable for families! You can choose a cottage with two bedrooms or just one. When you choose the one-bedroom cottage there’s room for two other people on a sofa bed in the living room. There’s a kitchen with a microwave too, a kettle and a toaster. And… the views are breathtaking.
5# Easy Five Guesthouse, Somerset West
Near Cape Town and near the wine orchards of Stellenbosch you will find this elegant and small scaled complex. You can rent houses with two bedrooms, house “Rhino” is a nice example of this. There is a bedroom on the ground floor and one on the first floor. Beware of the rather “exciting” staircase that leads up there, so it may be a good idea for parents to sleep up top and the kids downstairs. You can choose a fully equipped kitchen if you want to make your own dinner, but they have a real “braai” available too if you want to BBQ some delicious meat. After a day of activities, you can take a refreshing dive in the pool and there’s even a playground with a treehouse!
Looking for more options, check out this article on where to stay in Cape Town for the best neighborhoods.
6# Dalmore Guest Farm, Bergville
Certainly indispensable on this list of child friendly hotels in South Africa! Dalmore has modern and spacious lodges. You can even choose accommodations of 2 or 3 bedrooms. They have lodges with a good kitchen including a microwave and oven and here too they have a lovely pool of course, where you can go for a refreshing dip after your active day!
7# Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch
A beautiful resort with large rooms and there is a lovely pool for that refreshing dive. You can take a well packed picnic-basket and go and have a relaxing lunch on the estate while the kids play on the river bank. This 4**** hotel also has a top notch restaurant and wine-tasting facilities.
8# Garden Route Game Lodge, Albertinia
Located along the well-known garden route, at a 3.5-hour drive from Cape Town. In this game reserve you can spot “the big five” during a game drive with a guide.But that’s not all; you can enjoy the spa, go bird watching, spot all kinds of reptiles (guided activity), go fishing and lots more! There are multiple lodges you can book, of which a couple have 4 beds so you can sleep there with 2 adults and 2 kids. A beautiful game lodge when you’re in search of elephants, lions and other exciting wild animals!
9# Riverside Guest Lodge, Oudtshoorn
You will find this accommodation in the center of Oudtshoorn. A perfect base from where you can discover the Swartberg pass which lies 28km from here. The hotel has a lovely pool and a large wooden deck with a terrace where you have the most spectacular view over the Swartberg mountains. The cottages are suitable for families. They have a double bed, a bunkbed and in some cases even an extra single bed. From the wooden porch you have a great view. And of course, this accommodation has a pool for you to relax in after a long, wonderful day of activities.
10# Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa, Welgevonden Game Reserve
A luxurious and high-end accommodation in the malaria-free (check to be sure at the GGD) Welgevonden Game Reserve. Here you can spot “the big 5” during guided game drives. This accommodation has a lovely pool with a terrific view, a spa and a good restaurant. You can book suites with 2 bedrooms and even choose a 6-person villa. If you want to relax in luxury this is a great location!
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