If you’re living in the northern hemisphere, then you will be beginning to get out your winter woollies and turning on the heating in preparation for the cold winter weather. If scraping the ice off your car and wearing multiple layers of clothing doesn’t appeal to you, then consider flying down to the southern hemisphere and enjoying a ‘winter’ holiday in the height of South Africa’s summer. Here are our top picks for where you can enjoy a winter holiday in South Africa – while the northern hemisphere is shivering in the grip of winter.
South Africa is ideal for families
South Africa is a very family-friendly destination and has many of the essential elements that make a great family holiday – including fantastic weather, a wide variety of accommodation from tree houses to luxury hotels and an endless variety of activities from game viewing to hiking to diving to swimming. The list is almost endless.
Cape Town: One of the world’s most beautiful destinations
Cape Town is regularly ranked as one of the world’s most beautiful cities and it’s a great place to visit with your family. Surrounded by wonderful beaches and breath-taking scenery, you can do something different every day. If you’re feeling active, hike up Table Mountain or take the cableway. Go and swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach, Visit the V&A Waterfront with its very family-friendly aquarium or take your family to Kirstenbosch Gardens for an all-day picnic.
Spot the big five at Kruger
Kruger National Park is South Africa’s most well-known game reserve and is home to a wide variety of wildlife including Africa’s Big 5. The best thing about Kruger is that you are virtually guaranteed big game sightings and there are many different accommodation options including tented camps and luxury villas to suit everyone’s taste and budget.
Do the Garden Route
The Garden Route is a family paradise filled with wonderful beaches, Knysna’s incredible lagoon, indigenous forests and wonderful little towns. Plettenberg Bay is a popular family destination with a safe swimming beach. Whatever your family enjoys, you’ll find it on the Garden Route from hiking to horse riding, fishing and dolphin spotting.
Experience the sizzle of Sun City
Sun City is South Africa’s premier holiday resort. Situated just three hours from Johannesburg, Sun City is positioned as South Africa’s “Kingdom of Pleasure” and offers everything a family could want. There are fabulous water parks, championship golf courses, restaurants, play centres and shops. They even have their own beach with man-made waves!
Relax in the majestic Drakensberg
While many families may be nervous about taking young children on a mountain holiday, the Drakensberg on the borders of KwaZulu-Natal is a great holiday destination for all ages. There are easy hiking routes and walks for young children and more arduous ones for serious hikers. The scenery is spectacular and there are many activities on offer from exploring the ancient San art on cave walls to swimming in mountain pools, fishing in rivers, bird watching and plenty of picnics and braais in the sunshine. What’s more, everything is done in the healthy mountain air – what could be better for your family!
If you are a South African living abroad and would like to know more about how you can maximise your finances through financial emigration from South Africa, accessing your South African retirement annuity and our tailor-made tax solutions for South Africans around the world, contact FinGlobal today.