Comments for Me and my Wife, and our sons of 4.5 and 3 years old

Comments for
Me and my Wife, and our sons of 4.5 and 3 years old

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Sep 08, 2009
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A bit more about your route... from Alison (not Anonymous!)
by: Anonymous

..the drive from Hermanus to Oudtshoorn will be long with 2 little ones. And there is not a very direct route... it will take 5-6 hours, so you might consider stopping at Swellendam (lovely historic town) or Barrydale (less touristy, and also good).

Also, to drive from Oudtshoorn to Addo in one go is too far and you will miss out of some lovely places. Maybe spend a couple of nights on the road, at least one in Knysna and possibly 2, and go on the Featherbed ferry among other things.

From Knysna to Addo will take about 3-4 hours...

In Knysna, stay with Ian and Joan at Turning Tides - they are family friends, very used to little ones and you will have a great time there. Our kids love it, it's on an island which you reach by causeway. Great.

If you want to stop in Swellendam go for Swellendam Backpackers - they cater for families.

In Barrydale will give you a good experience.

I hope that all helps! Give a shout if you need more. Thanks for your support :-)

Sep 08, 2009
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Cape Town, Hermanus, Oudtshoorn, Addo
by: Alison

Late October/early November will still be good for whales, and you should bring something warm for the evenings. But definitely swimming things too!

In Cape Town, how long will you be staying? If more than 4 days, I recommend 2-3 nights at the Mountain Magic in the City Bowl and then 2 nights at the Seaforth apartment near Simonstown. Both will be reasonable for your budget. I have personally met Phil at Mountain Magic last year, he was great. The S/town apartment is not hosted, but one of my other visitors recommended it.

In Hermanus, Tranquil C's or the Mount would be good choices, both self catering.

Oudtshoorn I had a client who raved about Chandelier, said it was the highlight of his visit, but it is not really budget. Old Mill Game farm would be a good experience for the kids.

Near Addo: I see from the National Parks site that the accommodation in the camp is already fully booked till mid November. So you will need to book outside the park. I would recommend getting quite close to the main gate to reduce driving. Somewhere like the Aardvark or Addo Lodge are best for budget stuff, but my choice would be Avoca - a little more and a little farther but great for the kids. Just watch them by the river :-)

See my next comment too...

Sep 06, 2009
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Thanks
by: Patrick

Hi Alison,

Thanks for your answer.

Looks like we will choose for a car and accommodation. It would be great if you could point us towards good accommodation in Cape Town, Hermanus, Oudtshoorn, and near Addo, or other places you think we should stay. And are you personally in contact with these places?

By the way, we will arrive in the last half of October/early November. Still great for whale watching, right? Should we bring warm clothes or can we expect to go swimming?

(how did you find out about my SBI sites, I didn't mention them, did I?).

Sep 04, 2009
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Great to meet you Patrick :-)
by: Alison

Prices will vary a lot depending on your dates of travel. You don't mention when you will be in SA?

A campervan for the four of you will cost at least R1,200 per day. Campsites will cost from R200 per night. Fuel costs are currently R7.35 per litre diesel or petrol and are on an upward trend again :-( The vehicle will use at least 12 l/100km I imagine. Pick up and drop off of camper will be far more limited than a regular hire car and may incur extra charges.

A car with reasonable boot space and air con (definitely recommended in summer with little ones) costs around R370 per day. Fuel consumption around 8 l/100km. Pick up and drop off is very flexible countrywide.

Budget accommodation (self catering) will vary greatly from place to place.
Around Cape Town - at least R200 per person per night, sometimes with a children's discount of up to 50% for your younger one. Same in Knysna and Plett.
In more remote places you should budget at least R120 per person per night.

In all, it may be marginally cheaper to camp, and saves you finding accommodation along the route. Ff you really like camping it might be the better option. Please note however that there are limited campsites around Cape Town itself, although there are lovely ones on the Garden Route and elsewhere.

Let me know what you decide, I can recommend you wonderful, unusual places no matter which option you choose.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

P.S. It's always good to 'meet' a fellow SBI owner! I see you have several sites... well done...

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