Travelling with children can be great fun, but it can also be very stressful!

Finding enough things to do that will occupy young minds and older minds alike can be quite difficult…. But not in Cape Town! With a wide variety of exciting activities available to capture inquisitive minds, you can be sure that a Family Holiday in South Africa with be just that – a true Family Holiday!

Here are our top tips of what to do with children in Cape Town:

1. Cape Point Nature Reserve

This is a great day out for the whole family. En-route to Cape Point, stop at Boulders Beach (just near Simon’s Town) and see the resident Jackass Penguin colony. These cute little creatures will liven up anyone’s day and they are clearly visible from the neat boardwalks that have been laid out to make viewing better and to preserve the penguins breeding area. Continue onto the Cape Point Nature Reserve, where the children can look out for the wild buck and baboons that are often seen in the reserve. Take the funicular to the old lighthouse with its great views. There are often baboons in the car park just waiting for tourists … remember not to feed them! If you still have energy after Cape Point, continue onto the Cape Point Ostrich Farm, where you can see the world’s largest flightless bird and the fastest bird on land

2. Cape Winelands

The Cape Winelands is a perfect adult and child combination!

There are many wine estates along this route to explore most with excellent wine on offer – so enjoy the wine tastings.

A great estate to explore is the Fairview Wine Estate (near Paarl) which has wine making as well as cheese making. They are famous for their goats’ cheese, and have two resident goats on the estate. Kids love seeing the goats, especially watching them climb into their tower house. Parents love the wine and cheese tasting…

Nearby is Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm – they have over 1000 crocodiles on the estate and kids can hold a small baby crocodile.

Continue onto Franschhoek and explore this wonderful town on foot. Enjoy art galleries, antique shops and craft stalls. Not to mention lots of exciting places to eat true gourmet food. Mont Rochelle is a fabulous state to explore in this area with wine tasting and horse riding on offer

3. Table Mountain

Taking the Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain can be a really fun experience. Especially since the ride takes 4 minutes to reach the top of the mountain and the floor revolves, offering great views of the city below and the mountain. At the top of the mountain is a restaurant to catch a quick bite to eat and a shop for souvenir shopping, or be prepared and take your own picnic with you – there are lots of beautiful spots to sit and enjoy a meal – especially if you wander off from the main tourist hub. Look out for “Rock Rabbits” locally known as Dassies. They often pop up from gaps in the walls and can be seen sunning themselves on the rocks.

To work off energy after the Mountain, why not enjoy coffee at the Deer Park Café in Vredehoek, which has an outdoor park attached – so parents can relax and enjoy their afternoon tea while the kids run riot in the park.

4. V&A Waterfront

This is a premier destination in Cape Town and has good shopping options available.

Wander around this working harbour and see the boats at moor. Watch the harbour waters for the resident seals. You can often see them basking on the jetties. There are many good restaurants where you can enjoy a good meal in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Quay Four is renowned for its fish and chips on the dock.

If you want a fun experience, take one of the charter boats out for a sunset cruise with views back over the harbour and mountain it gives you another perspective of this landmark.

5. Two Oceans Aquarium   

Located at the V&A Waterfront, this Aquarium is a wonderful showcase of what goes on under our earths’ sea! There is a really good Atlantic Ocean display with its murky depths and sea kelp forests as well as an Indian Ocean display with its tropical fish and coral. Enjoy the Shark tank with a variety of shark pieces swimming past you. Don’t miss the Japanese Crab display!

6. Butterfly World

This is an area dedicated to the preservation of Butterflies, located in the Winelands. You can enter this magical world and wander among the many butterflies flitting around. Enjoy coffee and relax in this tranquil setting.

7. Camps Bay

Parents can sit on this world famous beach and relax and enjoy the goings on, while the kids can caper in the Atlantic Ocean. With many restaurants and take away options available across the road from the street, as well as an exciting Ice Cream store that has many wonderful ice cream scoop flavours – it is no wonder this spot is a firm family hit.

Contact African Sands to help you plan your family holiday to South Africa