Touchdown in the City of Gold
Welcome, Welkom, Wamkelekile, Siyakwemukela!
A colourful, multilingual welcome to the beating heart of South Africa—Johannesburg. A city where languages mingle, cultures meet, and creativity spills onto every corner. Here, your family adventure begins with a burst of flavour, rhythm, and warm smiles.
You land at OR Tambo International Airport and your transfer driver awaits you in the arrivals hall. He will drive you to the vibrant suburb of Rosebank, where art, cafes, and leafy boulevards set the tone for your stay.
Your home is the contemporary, art-inspired Radisson Red Rosebank, perfectly placed for families who enjoy comfort, colour, and walkability.
Settle into your interleading rooms, stretch out after the flight, and perhaps wander across to the buzzing Rosebank Art & Craft Market or sip something refreshing on the rooftop. Johannesburg welcomes you with energy and warmth.
Johannesburg’s Story: People, Places & The Spirit of Soweto
Your morning unfolds through the city that shaped South Africa’s history and future. You explore the contrasts of Joburg—from its polished new districts to the historic landmarks that reveal the country’s incredible journey. A guide brings the stories alive in a family-friendly way, with stops short enough to keep young travellers engaged and older ones inspired.
Then comes the moment kids love most: heading into SOWETO for a Tuk Tuk adventure with Lebo’s Backpackers.
You weave through lively streets, feeling the pulse of daily life—children playing soccer, music spilling from houses, colourful murals, and the warm greetings of locals.
Your tour starts or ends at Lebo’s Backpackers Garden, where a delicious local lunch is prepared for you. It’s relaxed, vibrant, full of flavour, and often accompanied by a bit of spontaneous traditional singing and laughter. Families always leave with smiles and a sense of genuine connection.
DAY 3 — Into the Wilderness: On the Road to Madikwe
After breakfast, your journey north begins—leaving the skyscrapers behind and watching the landscape change from city bustle to vast open plains, rugged hills, and the red earth of the African bush.
It’s altogether about a five-hour drive, but beautifully scenic, and the anticipation grows with every kilometre.
You arrive at Madikwe Game Reserve, one of South Africa’s great conservation success stories. This breathtaking, malaria-free reserve stretches along the Botswana border and is home to an astonishing variety of wildlife—from the Big Five to endangered wild dogs, cheetahs, and big elephant herds.
Your lodge, Lelapa at Madikwe Safari Lodge, embraces families wholeheartedly. Lelapa means family, and that’s exactly how it feels. Your spacious family suite is a peaceful refuge between adventures, with room for little ones to rest and older ones to roam safely.
In the afternoon, you join your first game drive—sunset painting the sky pink and gold as giraffes silhouette against the horizon. Later, a warm dinner awaits, along with easy routines designed for children, and time for everyone to settle into this wild new rhythm.
Safari Days, Starry Nights & Unforgettable Family Magic
These three days are a beautiful blend of discovery, nature, and family connection.
Madikwe is wild, gentle, and unusually diverse: rolling savannah, rocky outcrops, riverine forests, and red soil that glows at sunset. Each drive reveals something new—lion prides in the grass, elephants wandering past the vehicle, zebra herds shimmering like striped waves across the plains.
At Lelapa, children have the freedom to explore in a completely safe environment. Young children enjoy early meals, small routines, and caring staff who understand the needs of little adventurers. Older kids and teens dive into hands-on bush experiences—identifying tracks, learning bird calls, making natural paints, and discovering the small wonders of the wild.
Between drives, children can splash in the pool, join bush treasure hunts, bake animal-shaped biscuits, learn about constellations, and even watch elephants gathering at the waterholes.
Evenings are filled with stories, lantern lights, and the sounds of the bush. It’s wild, magical, grounding—and becomes a memory your family will talk about for years.
From Red Earth to Blue Seas: Cape Town Awaits
You leave Madikwe after breakfast, taking in the peaceful bush scenes one more time before your road transfer brings you back to Johannesburg’s airport. A two hour flight carries you to the coast, and soon the fresh Atlantic breeze welcomes you to Cape Town.
Here you will proceed to the rental car company and take over your vehicle. And off you go. As you drive from Cape Town Airport toward the city, the route passes Khayelitsha and Langa, townships whose streets still bear the spatial divisions of the apartheid era. Amidst rows of modest homes and informal settlements, the legacy of segregation remains visible—a stark reminder of a difficult past and the resilience of the communities that call these areas home.
Just beyond, the city transforms into a striking contrast: sleek high-rise buildings, the cosmopolitan energy of the V&A Waterfront, and the luxury suburbs of Bantry Bay and Camps Bay, where ocean views, manicured streets, and stylish homes showcase modern South Africa’s promise and dynamism.
You arrive at The Winchester Boutique Hotel, perfectly positioned on the Sea Point Promenade. Here, families thrive: the seaside walkway is ideal for biking, scooting, strolling, and watching the sun sink dramatically behind the ocean. Relax, breathe in the sea air, and settle into your spacious family suite.
Ocean, Mountains & Cape Town Freedom
These three Cape Town days unfold at an easy, joyful pace—full of iconic attractions and time to wander.
You ride the Table Mountain Cableway to the top of one of the world’s natural wonders, exploring the summit trails with sweeping views of the city, ocean, and sky. On another day, a gentle bay cruise introduces you to Cape Town from the water—where seals leap and the mountain range rises in dramatic layers.
With your central location, you have endless options for family exploration:
Cape Peninsula: Travel to the tip of Africa at Cape Point, walk beside penguins at Boulders Beach, stop at tidal pools and secret bays.
Nature & Play: Kirstenbosch Gardens with its tree-top Boomslang walkway is a paradise for children. Camps Bay’s palm-lined beaches invite lazy afternoons.
Quaint Coastal Villages: Kommetjie’s surf culture, Kalk Bay’s colourful harbour and quirky shops—perfect for ice cream stops and souvenir treasures.
Cape Town is both adventurous and easy, exciting yet relaxed—a city designed for families.
Into the Winelands: Boschendal’s Farm Magic
Leaving the coast, a 90-minute scenic drive carries you into the Cape Winelands—mountains rising in soft blue layers and vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see.
You arrive at Boschendal Estate, one of the oldest farms in South Africa and one of the most beautiful. Your two-bedroom Orchard Cottage sits among gardens and trees, offering peace, space, and charm.
Boschendal celebrates simple pleasures: farm-fresh food, mountain views, bicycles on dusty paths, and children running freely on the lawns.
Play, Explore, Discover: Life on the Farm
These days are a gift for families: nature, creativity, and gentle fun.
Children can join the Tree House Programme at a small fee—daily supervised adventures such as crafting, foraging, farm education, outdoor games and creative projects. Next to it lies the MTB pump track, perfect for bikes (easily rented onsite).
Then comes a highlight: the Boschendal Farm Explorers Passport. Kids embark on a quest to complete challenges, collect stamps, and redeem real treasures—vouchers, mystery boxes, T-shirts, and fun collectible items. It’s imaginative, wholesome, and beloved by families.
Together, you can picnic under oak trees, ride horses through vineyards, swim in the farm dams, hike mountain trails, or browse the Saturday farmer’s market.
Boschendal combines tranquillity with adventure—a place where real family memories are made.
Farewell to the Cape and South Africa
Enjoy a last breakfast and morning on the farm.
In time for your flight make you way to Cape Town Airport, depending on traffic it will take you about 60 - 90 minutes. The road carries you through vineyards and mountain passes one last time.
Your journey ends not just with photographs, but with stories, laughter, and shared moments that will stay with your family forever—Big Cities, Big Five & Big Beautiful Memories.
