Comments for Cape Town holiday - young family + safari and Sun City/Garden Route?

Comments for
Cape Town holiday - young family + safari and Sun City/Garden Route?

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Nov 09, 2009
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Accommodation Suggestions/Recommendations...
by: Alison

My Suggestions:
SIMONSTOWN
Boulders beachhouseclosest, easy to the beach :)

These three are close to beaches but on the hillside - Simonstown is hilly!
Seagetaway

Whale View

Cape Cottage

This one is more central, but further from the more peaceful beaches...Rob Roy

SWELLENDAM
Frog Mountain - may seem less up-market than you were looking for but highly recommended by local families.

Mossel Bay
Marquette

ChandelierThe last family I recommended this to said it was the highlight of their trip.

KNYSNA
Both on Leisure Isle, IMO best place for families!
the Belle

Turning Tidescan't recommend highly enough...

PLETT
Milkwood Manor

Sea Breeze

Africas Call

The drive from Plett to P.E is only 2-3 hours, so depending on your flight departure time you may not need to stay over night between these two? If your flight is early-ish, I recommend staying somewhere in P.E. itself, to avoid travelling hassles. We have stayed at the Marine a couple of times and never been disappointed.

1time is reputable, if you have got a flight with them that's fine.

Hope this helps!

Nov 08, 2009
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Accomm recommendations Simonstown, Swellendam, and onwards
by: Kate

We have now come up with a vague plan and wondered if you would be able to help with accommodation recommendations, and also any other comments you have on our plans.

We are thinking of staying in the SimonsTown area for about 7 nights from Tues 23 March 2010. We would like self catering accommodation of good quality on the beach.

After Cape Town, we plan to stay in B&B/guesthouse type accommodation that is mid to top end of range.

An initial plan is to stay in
Swellendam for 1 night,
Mossel Bay for 1 night,
Oudtshoorn for 3 nights,
Knysna for 1 night,
Plettenburg for 2 nights then
stay somewhere between Plettenburg and Port Elizabeth for 1 night before flying out of Port Elizabeth up to J'burg.

(I have found flights with 1time.co.za - do you know if they are reputable?).

We plan to stay in J'burg for 1 night then drive to Sun City for 3 nights then onto Pilannesberg for 3 nights before returning to J'berg and flying home.

Oct 30, 2009
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Referred-by-friends visitors, what a privilege for me!
by: Alison

Hi Kate,

I am blown away that your friends recommended my site. Please thank them for me!

First of all, you need to get booking fast, as your dates are plumb in the middle of our April school hols which run from Mar 27 to April 11. things will book up fast, so finalise plans as soon as you can.

Next thing - Sun City?? Yes, it could be a good stepping stone to a safari at the Pilanesberg, but I *REALLY* don't think you need to go that far afield... it will add flights and probably about 6-8 hours of boring driving.

Safari - always depends on your budget. Private reserves do cater well for kids as young as yours and provide an excellent product, though on the pricey side. At the other end of the spectrum there's the self-drive option in a National Park, which can be incredibly rewarding because you are completely in control of your game driving. Some people are intimidated by the idea, but it's so straight forward, honestly. And you don't need a 4x4 - a regular car is fine.

The Garden Route IS accessible for littlies because of the reasonably short distances between towns and opportunities to do lots en route. It would also let you to have beach time as you go.

And at the opposite end of the Garden Route from Cape Town is ... Addo, a fabulous, cost effective Big 5 National Park!

Sounds like the perfect combo to me :)

3 weeks is a lovely long time so you won't need to rush.

I recommend that you fly into Cape Town, drive up the R62 and Garden Route to Port Elizabeth and Addo, then fly back to Cape Town to catch your flight back to the UK. Or vice versa.

You need to be at Addo outside of school hols to get stay inside the park, according Sanparks the school hols period is already quite booked up. It's not a train smash if you have to stay outside the Park but first prize is Addo main camp itself.

Accommodation wise, you may want to B&B for the R 62/Garden Route overnight stays just to avoid the grocery-and-cooking schlep.

Along the R62 maybe stay at Montagu and Oudtshoorn.

Along the Garden Route... I would plan to spend 2 nights in each of 2 places - maybe Sedgefield and Plett (more lively) or Natures Valley (away from it all)?

Fab beaches along the Garden Route
Victoria Bay near George,
Sedgefield main beach and lagoon,
Noetzie between Knysna and Plett,
Plett central,
Natures Valley.

Here are some recommended pages if you haven't read them already.

Addo

Garden Route distances etc

Choosing Cape Town accommodation tips

Flights - cost estimates

Our most-used car rental company

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