Travel_LeisureIndiaSouthAsia-January_2017

14 TRAVEL + LEISURE 2017

ALL IN GOOD TIME

Rewarding wildlife safaris, culture trails, adventure trips and island holidays;

South Africa has a melange of activities that a family can take together.

F

amilies yearning for some

quality time together can

take a holiday to South

Africa. The breathtaking

scenery, diverse ethnicity,

and exciting adventure itineraries

make the southern African nation a

fantastic destination to explore for

people of all ages. Whether you are

treading into wildlife and

conservation, nature and natural

resources, or tucking in some quick

facts about anthropology as you

travel between cities, this is where

your whole family, whether young

or old, can feel entertained

effortlessly.

ADVENTURE
FAMILY TIME

THE WILD CHASE

Despite the commercialisation of

wildlife safaris across the world,

South Africa has held its own with

intimate experiences it offers to

earnest travellers. At game reserves

such as the Pilanesberg National

Park, the Shamwari Game Reserve,

the Kruger National Park, and the

Madikwe Game Reserve, among

others, you can get up close with the

Big 5 (African lion, African elephant,

African leopard, Cape Buffalo, and

the two-horned rhinos). Whoosh past

a sunbathing hippo or a skittish herd

of zebras in a four-wheel drive, and

let your guide pour out a wealth of

interesting facts about the

surrounding eco-system. Or take a

bush walk to spot exotic insects,

butterfl ies, birds, and fi sh. The

fantastic junior ranger programmes

allow kids to be directly involved in

the holiday and learn fi rst-hand,

how nature maintains its balance.

For the best aerial views of the

country, take a canopy tour of the

lush Drakensberg mountains, the

indigenous Karkloof forest, or the

Elgin valley to witness the wealth of

natural fl ora and fauna.

COSMOPOLITAN EDGE

Just a few kilometres away from the

Zebras feed as impala run by and tourists

watch on at the Kruger National Park.