Family holiday to South Africa & Swaziland
A 14 day, small group family adventure holiday in South Africa and Swaziland, staying in lodges, featuring wildlife watching in Kruger National Park.
Johannesburg Blyde River Canyon Tshukudu Game Reserve Big 5 Kruger National Park Swaziland Stay in traditional hut Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary Kosi Bay Zulu village Durban
Price
£1790To£2099 excluding flights
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Prices based on 2 adults sharing.
From £1520 - £1585 per child ex flights.
Mimimum age 7.
From £1520 - £1585 per child ex flights.
Mimimum age 7.
Last minute
Late availability on these dates: 18 Dec
Description of Family holiday to South Africa & Swaziland
Take the whole family on a roaring adventure with this 14 day wildlife and cultural tour of South Africa and Swaziland. Starting in Johannesburg, you’ll travel by jeep through the area’s best game lands, visiting local Zulu villagers and seeing some of the area’s stunning natural features.
The highlight of the holiday is South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park. Alongside the chance of spotting the Big Five, you might also run into cheetah, giraffe, hyena, wildebeest and warthogs, as well as impressive birdlife from beautiful cranes to vultures. There will be more occasions for wildlife watching at the Tshukudu Game Reserve, best known for its lion rehabilitation programme, and in Mlilwane, where we will swap the jeep for an exciting walk through the grasslands in search of zebra and antelope. You can also choose to do a riverside trail, with the hope of seeing hippos or crocs, or take a boat trip to see whales and turtles at Kosi Bay. These unspoiled beaches, on the shores of the Indian Ocean, are a perfect spot for snorkelling and relaxing on the sand.
We’ll visit a Zulu village, where we can talk to the local people and discover their fascinating culture and lifestyle. There’s also the chance to spend two nights in a traditional beehive hut or rondavel – always popular with the kids. Most of the lodges and hotels come with a swimming pool, and you can also enjoy a cooling dip in the sea at Kosi Bay and St. Lucia.
Map
Price information
£1790To£2099 excluding flights
Convert currency:
Prices based on 2 adults sharing.
From £1520 - £1585 per child ex flights.
Mimimum age 7.
From £1520 - £1585 per child ex flights.
Mimimum age 7.
Check dates, prices & availability
Travel guides
South Africa is a fantastic introduction to the continent: it has modern, multicultural cities, easily accessible (and many malaria free) national par...
Holiday information
Small group family adventure:
This is a small group family adventure - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves.
Single parent family
This trip is particularly suited to single parent families, you will not be charged for single rooms or different room configurations so you won’t have to pay more for being a single parent family.
Diet:
We can cater for vegetarians on this holiday. Sadly we cannot offer vegan food.
Reviews
2 Reviews of Family holiday to South Africa & Swaziland
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 20 Apr 2024 by Noreen Gomez
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Nature did not disappoint, every day & night we saw the most amazing sights and
many days we saw more animals than people. The variety and contrast as well as
the history and cultures we travelled through brought alive by our incredibly
knowledgeable guide Andrew. Each location was a different delight staying in
everything from bee huts to hippo chalets as well as the amazing Tshukudu Game
Reserve, a place we were sorry to leave and will most definitely return to.
Andrew so much more than a guide, he ensured we experienced everything and
took us on an unforgettable adventure, cared for us, cooked amazing bbq’s for us
and gave us such an amazing insight into both South Africa and Eswatini and from
the youngest to the oldest he could relate to all.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The guidance shared for this trip is spot on, so follow it, trust your guide they
absolutely know more than we do and will ensure you have the best and most
memorable time.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Throughout our trip we were able tosupport local people and given great advice where to shop to avoid imports. We stayed in eco lodges and accommodation that were actively adopting environmentally friendly practices and which were supporting conservation, we were welcomed warmly by our hosts/staff and locals.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Totally exceeded our expectations. An amazing safari with a guide who is clearly
as passionate about his Country as he is knowledgeable. Amazing experiences
every day, we returned home with the most unforgettable memories, new
friends and an overwhelming desire to return.
Reviewed on 05 Aug 2019 by Marina Symvoulidou
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Tsukudu Game Reserve. Excellent guide, very knowleadgeable, fun, knew how to make the most of environmental interpretation.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
As a lot of things are optional keep in mind that depending on the optional activities you want to book you may need another 300-500 euros each for food and activities. Also pack warm clothes too. For the early morning late evening game drives you will need them.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I am not really sure since we do not know what percentage goes to local people. We visited a zulu village that seemed quite touristic as an experience, too pre-fabricated but at least I hope the proceeds go to them. The "orphanage" optional experience in Swaziland was a complete no for me. It was just another turistic show of their cultural songs and dances, not really unerstanding their needs. It would be preferable if wwe could actually visit the scool and orphanage and instead of an oprtional experience make it a basic one, with pre-information of the travellers so that they could bring textbooks or pencils or clothes or other items of need instead of asking for a voluntary conmtribution on our way out.
As for the environmental aspect we did visit a glass recycling facility however for the most part we saw very little of the actual conservation that is supported, we could have visited a rehab or a conservation dfacility, talk with a couple of rangers etc (which we didn't)
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Overall it was a good experience, I was expecting a bit more on the responsible side to be honest as well as more time spend in Kruger.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your comments, at Responsible Travel we do not promote orphanage visits
See our guidelines below:
https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/volunteering-with-children/travel-guide/volunteering-with-children-issues
See our guidelines below:
https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/volunteering-with-children/travel-guide/volunteering-with-children-issues
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
This tour makes us of local tour leaders who are experts in their own country. Time spent with them allows us a unique insight into local culture. The entry fees we pay to the various game parks, wildlife sanctuaries and water reserves we visit on this tour contribute to the long-term preservation of the wildlife and their environment.Kruger National Park is very focused on conservation of wild animals, and so they have restrictions and rules set to ensure visitors minimise their impact. We travel in 4x4 land cruisers, with 8 people per vehicle to minimise our impact. In Tshukudu we visit a lion breeding and conservation project in the park which contributes income to the valuable work being undertaken by the project.
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. CoolEarth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
People
We stay in great places within the reserves so that the money can go back into the parks, to aid the local community and the animals. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with.Popular similar holidays
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