Kiddies Paradise

If you’re after a mind-blowing family holiday or you want to go somewhere your children (or the children of people you usually travel with) will be kept very busy, then this blog definitely is for you! We’ve searched far and wide to find some of the most kid-friendly resorts in South Africa and the United Kingdom which are so great that everyone will have a magical time. In South Africa’s winter, you’ll be spoilt with sunny days, and in the United Kingdom’s summer too! So, get ready to rediscover your inner child in great sunny weather!

These resorts are very child-friendly and they have loads of kiddies activities on offer to keep the little ones busy all day long – so you can relax unless you are having too much fun by joining in yourself! An added bonus is that the kiddies will also be ready (and keen) for bed at the end of the day after running around so much – giving you a break from babysitting if that’s something you do often. So… here’s our list of places that are great for family fun at any time of the year.

Brockwood Hall – Whicham Valley, Cumbria, United Kingdom

Summer in Cumbria is magical. Think warm sunny days, great forests for exploring, picturesque lakes for paddling on and a whole load of kiddies having incredible holidays in these special surroundings! 😊 Brockwood Hall really is one of the best places to go in Cumbria thanks to its ultra-comfortable accommodation with so much for kiddies to do. Staying in your own private lodge (some even have private hot tubs/Jacuzzis) in this amazing countryside setting, kids can swim in the heated indoor pool, run around the playground, hire bicycles, go on a lake cruise, horse riding or even ziplining! What more could you ask for in such a beautiful valley?!

Magalies Park – Hartbeespoort, North West

Head to beautiful Hartbeespoort in their super sunny winter to discover one of South Africa’s best-kept secrets – Magalies Park. Here, lucky guests get to enjoy the resort’s wonderful splash zone, heated swimming pools, Jacuzzis, amazing staff and take part in canoeing or go on fun barge cruises along the river. If that wasn’t enough there’s also adventure golf, a trampoline, paintball, tennis, great daily entertainment in the amazing Fred First Kid’s Club and much more (PHEW, we need to take a breath!!). Plus, all of this takes place on a lush golfing and nature estate which has great views of nearby mountains and the impressive river – heaven on earth!

Gethlane Lodge – Burgersfort, Mpumalanga

If going to the Bushveld is your thing, get over to Gethlane Lodge to enjoy their amazing game farm and resort which is one of the best children’s attractions in South Africa 😊 In this warm part of the world, kiddies get to enjoy long, sunny days spent floating around any of their many swimming pools or going down the water slides! Other great activities are game walks (you see more game in winter because the grass is shorter and leaves have fallen off the trees), relaxing in a Jacuzzi, having fun family times in their boma or in the amazing games room, and the list goes on. Most of all there is unmissable daily entertainment which will keep the whole family amused for hours. We think this resort is great because it allows you to get away from the city AND kids don’t have to miss out on having fun.

Bushman’s Nek Berg & Trout Resort – Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal

There’s something special for little kiddies about running around in the mountains. Maybe it’s the fresh air, relaxing atmosphere and big spaces that gets them going or it could be the unique things that they can only enjoy when they are there that gets them excited. Well, Bushman’s Nek Berg & Trout Resort offers so much for kids to do (all in the beautiful Southern Drakensberg surroundings) including horse riding, swimming in a rock-hewn pool, taking part in quizzes and competitions, trout fishing and more! This resort must be one of the most peaceful places for adults to unwind too 😉

Midlands Saddle & Trout – Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal

As its name goes, Midlands Saddle & Trout is more than amazing for horse riding and trout fishing 😊 The resort, tucked away in the beautiful Midlands surroundings, has magical rides on offer for guests of any ability. These go from a slow stroll around the peaceful resort to a long outride across the countryside! There’s also so much more for the little ones to enjoy, like adventure golf, a games room, the animal farm, tractor rides and we could go on and on! Great farm stalls, boutique shops, game farms and restaurants nearby also give the kiddies an endless selection of fun things to do – which they will love 😉

La Côte d’Azur – Margate, KwaZulu-Natal

Maybe the most popular family holiday of all is a trip to the beach and La Côte d’Azur is one of the best destinations in South Africa, especially for children. It has stunning sea views, games that kids can play on the Blue Flag beach in front of the resort, an entertainment programme that seems to never end, a beautiful heated swimming pool and loads more! What’s also great about staying at La Côte d’Azur is that the nearby attractions are amazing at all times of the year. The Lake Eland Game Reserve, for example, can’t be missed (it has the longest zipline tour in Africa and a coffee shop with unbeatable views 😊). Spend some restful days lounging around the resort’s pool while you watch a throng of happy kiddies swamping the great entertainment team – just the way holidays should be 😉

We hope you try out some of these great resorts where you can enjoy a balance between fun and relaxing. After all, happy kiddies make for happy parents and grandparents – so going to these family-friendly destinations is a win-win for everyone!

Have enjoyable travels and please remember to share your holiday photos or stories with us on social media – seeing them is the highlight of our work week, every week!

July 3, 2018 by Media Solutions Categories: TravelTags: Family Holiday, Family Holiday Options, Holiday Destinations for Kids, Kid Friendly Resorts, Travel, Travel with Kids 2 Comments

Fashionably Free Fun

Time spent with kids or grandkids is always special. Although they can demand quite a lot of energy (wanting to do every possible activity) it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to entertain them.

Here’s our guide to keeping kiddies very happy… without breaking the bank.

Fill a time capsule – Now this is fun, especially if you keep visiting the same resort of ours over and over!

Get everyone involved in creating a time capsule – which could include letters to your future self, a recent newspaper, photographs, your favourite CD (if you still use them) or maybe even a USB that is full of things you love. Kids will definitely love getting involved in this and the anticipation when they return to find the time capsule is always such fun. Just don’t forget to dig it up! Keeping this in mind, please chat with the Manager at the resort to see if he/she is happy with you burying your time capsule on the property. If not, bury it somewhere you always visit while on holiday like at a dam you often visit or along a hiking trail that you enjoy walking.

When entertaining kids at home, do a clean-up of your neighbourhood or visit people in need – Teach your kids a bit of social responsibility while getting them to appreciate what they have. South Africa, for example, is covered in litter and it’s damaging our beautiful planet at an alarming rate. Get out with the kids and show them how to give back to the community by doing something like cleaning up – they will feel great afterwards! Another thing you can do, which may not be 100% free but can be affordable, is take them to spend some time with people or animals who might be less fortunate, such as an orphanage or an SPCA. Take something small with you to donate, maybe even some things you have lying around the house that you don’t use anymore? This will help them to appreciate what they have, they will learn something in the process and you never know – they may want to start doing things like this more often. There is no better feeling than giving to those in need!

Play board games – What could be better than watching your children or grandchildren work out a puzzle or problem? For some of us, maybe choosing to beat them (if we are feeling slightly mean) might be better 😉  but hey, the age-old pass time of board games is definitely not enjoyed often enough! In this techno-everything world, be one of the reasons that your children appreciate interacting with each other by teaching them how fun this competitive form of entertainment can be. Games like Jenga, Monopoly and 30 Seconds can give you hours of entertainment whether you are at home or on holiday somewhere. Top tip: When you are at one of our resorts, ask Reception what board games you can borrow.

Read your favourite children’s story – Books should be read to children on holiday – they aren’t just for school after all. For a child or grandchild, the person reading the story to them is just as important as the story itself. Give them these super happy memories by reading whatever they would be interested to hear (hopefully, a story that you are also fond of). Their reactions might just entertain you more than you expected. So don’t forget to make use of the great libraries at our properties!

Make homemade greeting cards – This activity really is a great thing to do. By making cards with your kids or grand-kids, you’re fostering their creativity, allowing them to appreciate how sentimental cards can be and… you can use the unique cards next time you need some 😉 What’s also great about card making is that they can be kept, a wonderful way for your kiddies to hold onto the special times that they’ve enjoyed with you. Another great thing about making cards is that you can do it anywhere! So don’t forget to pack your supplies when visiting one of our properties!

Have a photo-taking competition – When you’re on holiday at one of our resorts, take your kids or grand-kids on a walk around the property to take snaps of things that you have nominated as landmarks. If they love technology, maybe bring it into the mix by using Instagram to share your photo taking competition – you never know how many people might take interest in your adventure! You can even ask the kids to walk around the garden, taking imaginative images of what they see around them, before posting the photos on Instagram to see who gets the most likes 😊 AND the winner can get a prize.

If your kids are too small to be on social media, you can still teach them how a camera works by walking around one of our resorts, taking pictures of what you come across and showing them how the photos come out. They will be absolutely enthralled! If that sounds like too much energy, download the Snapchat app and have some fun taking images of yourselves pulling funny faces with the creative filters you can find in the app. It’s sure to have tears running down your face from laughter!

Play hopscotch & other outdoor games – Unfortunately, these days, lots of kids don’t spend enough time outside – playing in the sun. Take them back to the good old days by locking those phones/tablets/laptops away to get outside for some catch, cricket or hopscotch. They may complain for the first 10 minutes but the fresh air and family laughs will definitely put a smile on their faces, PLUS you will have some fun stories to talk about around the dinner table. “Remember that time James fell while trying to catch the ball?”… and the whole family will laugh and reminisce 😉

We hope this helps you plan for when the little ones visit or go on holiday with you – it’s always a good idea to plan ahead and have a few activities lined up. Making things even better, these activities don’t cost much to do and they are great for getting kids to do healthy things that they might miss out on in their normal routines.

March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 by Media Solutions Categories: South Africa, TravelTags: Cheap Holiday Activities, Family fun, Family Holiday, Getaway, Holiday, South African holiday Leave a comment