South Africa

Swimming at the hotel

We have just returned from a fantastic trip to South Africa and I wanted to write about all the great places we managed to see in our short visit. 

Our first stay was in Rosebank, Johannesburg. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which was a wonderful setting complete with restaurant/bar and swimming pool. All the facilities were great for a family of four with two young kids. Next to the hotel is a complete mall, strip mall and many restaurants where we found food the boys would eat and supermarkets to stock up on things for our day trips.

Spotting snakes

Close to the lemur

Our first outing was to the Monte Casino Bird Park where we met friends and explored a vast park which housed birds, snacks, bats and lemurs among others. 

The boys had a great time and used up all their energy ready for a good nights rest! 

There is a show in the middle of the afternoon where they display some of the birds who have been rescued and rehabilitated but unable to return to the wild. There is also the option to feed the ducks and other animals.

Day two took us to the Johannesburg Zoo. This is an enormous park and involves lots of walking so I advise a stroller for young kids. There were plenty of baby animals on our visit including a pack of tiger cubs all rolling around and a mother and baby chimpanzee which were just the other side of the glass. We liked how the enclosure seemed spacious and the animals were alert and healthy looking.

On our third day we visited the science museum Sci-Bono in Johannesburg center. This was a fantastic day out for me and the boys as everything was hands on and informative. There are three levels of exhibits including an area for free Lego play and exploration and a building site for the children to play at construction. The bonus on the day we went was free entry and a dinosaur display where the boys could activate the dinosaur roar and movement!

On the third evening we moved to another city, Pretoria where we stayed with friends.

The fourth day we went to sun city. This is a huge complex with water park, play areas, amusement parks, casinos and other attractions such as safari trips. We spent the day in the Sun city complex then at 5pm we set off on our Safari. The safari takes place in the Pilanesberg national Park which is home to the big five and many other animals. The day we went we were fortunate to see lions, cheetahs, wilder beast, wart hog, rhinos, elephants and spring bucks. They do not guarantee any sightings as the animals inside the park are 100% wild. The scenery around the park at sunset is stunning too so even if you don't see many animals it's a beautiful trip. 

Our next outing was to the Irene Dairy Farm. We had a delicious breakfast, fed the calves and played on tractors and in parks. This is a safe place to let the kids run off some energy and get some delicious treats in the shop for dessert!

Our final trip was to the Cradle Of Human Kind. This is a full day of activities where you visit the caves where some of the first human remains have been discovered. The caves remain a site of excavation so new discoveries are possible every day. There is also an interactive museum explaining all about evolution of humankind which includes a boat ride. Our youngest son really did not enjoy the ride but the oldest asked to go a second time so off he went with his dad while me and the little man got some well deserved food! The museum was a lot of fun and great for the boys as they could touch everything! 
 









One other place which my husband managed to visit (the rest of us passed on this experience as the boys are too young still) was the Apartheid Museum. He said its a must for all adults visiting South Africa to understand the sad history and current inequalities that are present in this wonderful country. We both came away with a new sense of this inequality and will strive to educate our children so that the future generations do not have to suffer any segregation. It became so apparent to us how much white privilege really exists in our world and how each and every one of us should be aware and fighting for equality for our children.

This was a once in a lifetime trip for us and we certainly filled our days with experiences. We would love to return someday when the boys are older so any other suggestions, please let us know in the comments below.

Here are a couple things we picked up on our trip (and now found similar products on amazon). These are affiliate links to help fund our next trip! Thanks for all your support.