Family Traveller go wild in South Africa! Find out why the MalaMala game reserve in the is the perfect place for your kids’ first safari.
Family Traveller’s Andrew meets Greg Baldwin, the Senior Ranger at MalaMala to find out at what age kids get the most from safari, and what MalaMala does to make sure little explorers have the time of their lives.
A fun family holiday at Cape Grace hotel, Cape Town, South Africa.
Take a look at this family’s stay at Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. The hotel is the perfect getaway with the video giving us a taste of the beautifully relaxing life of Cape Grace with a dip in the pool, lunch with a great view and a large play area for the kids!
See a snippet of the action on a family safari at Gondwana game drive, South Africa.
See what its like to step into the wild and watch this family as they embark on a safari at the Gondwana game drive in South Africa. Get a glimpse of the safari trip and watch as they spot lions, rhinos, giraffes and many more.
Animal inspiration is a strong theme in kidswear this season – from all-over leopard and tiger prints to safari-chic separates, it’s time to take a walk on the wild side.
The Family Traveller team shot at Buffelsfontein Game & Nature Reserve near Cape Town, South Africa.
SHOP THE SHOOT
Picture 1: Girl in tree
Summer wears sun top, £88, Bonpoint; printed leggings, £28, Scotch R’Belle at Selfridges
Picture 2: Girl in the grass
Summer wears gorilla sweat shirt, £52; print trousers, £48; both Soft Gallery at Hoboken Kids
Picture 3: Girls with animal masks
Gabrielle wears print playsuit, £150, Pale Cloud at Not So Big
Summer wears leopard-print dress, from £60, Finger In The Nose at Elias & Grace
Picture 4: Girl in tree
Gabrielle wears leopard-print playsuit, £52, Soft Gallery at Hoboken Kids
Picture 5: Girl in ostrich jumper
Sarah wears ostrich T-shirt and cardigan, Marni, price on request; print trousers, £62, Scotch R’Belle at Selfridges
Picture 6: Girl and boy in grass
Sarah wears jacket, £185; printed playsuit, £148; both Bonpoint; Hat bought locally
Luke wears khaki jacket, £189, Bonpoint; linen shirt, £19.99, Zara Kids; trousers, £100, Bonpoint
Picture 7: Girl in grass with elephant trunk
Sarah wears printed trousers, dress and sandals, Marni. Prices on request.
THE LOWDOWN
Children: Sarah at Model Co / Luke at Topco / Gabrielle at Firefly / Summer at Kids of Tomorrow /
Keisha at Candy’s
With thanks to France Production
Photographer: Thirza Shaap at Jackie Gibbs
Stylist/Art Director: Tracey Jacob at Era Management
Hair & Makeup: June Sawyer at Agence Aurelien Paris
Safari specialist &Beyond has launched a WILDchild programme with shorter game drives for kids, a scrapbook to record the day’s sightings, a solar torch, magnifying glass and compass. The Black Spots and Beach Balls itinerary in South Africa combines the Phinda Game Reserve with the Umhlanga coastline – the perfect place to wow your children with nature’s best.
Price: This eight-night trip costs from £1,953 per adult, excluding flights. Under-16s are half price.
More info: andbeyond.com
We went to Cape Town, South Africa in search of laid-back looks for summer.
SHOP THE SHOOT
Picture 1
Charlie wears shorts, £40, and sunglasses, £95, both Finger In The Nose. Tyler wears heart leotard, £30, Mini Rodini. Trinity wears kaftan, £215, Roberto Cavalli
Picture 2
Trinity wears kaftan, £60, Melissa Odabash
Picture 3
Left: Roxi wears fringe bikini, £40, Finger In The Nose; shorts, £50, Zeybra; and hat, model’s own
Right: Trinity wears striped bikini, £25, Country Road; and tropical printed shirt, £54.95, Scotch R’Belle
Picture 4
Tyler wears feather swimsuit, £79, Milly. Roxi wears bikini, £58, Melissa Odabash; and cherry print shorts, £30, Mini Rodini
Picture 5
Charlie wears board shorts, £134, Orlebar Brown. Trinity wears flamingo T-shirt, £30, Soft Gallery, and hat, £25, Scotch R’Belle
Picture 6
Hasna wears swimsuit, £25, Mini Rodini
THE LOWDOWN
Photographer: Ulla Nyeman at Ellison Lee
Styling: Tracey Jacob at Era Artist Management
Hair and make-up: Jo Gillingwater at SkinCeuticals
Models: Charlie, Hasna, Roxi, Trinity and Tyler
Shot on location in Cape Town. With thanks to France Production
CBBC star presenter, Naomi Wilkinson )of Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature, Marrying Mum & Dad, Wild and All Over The Place), counts herself extremely lucky to have a job that has taken her all over the world. Here are some of her absolute favourites…
AUSTRALIA
We recorded a few items for ‘All Over The Place: Australia’ (CBBC) at Circular Quay in Sydney which is one my all time favourite spots to visit. It’s a hive of activity with cafes and bars bustling with life, buskers entertaining the tourists and everyone enjoying the relaxed Aussie style of living. I had to dress up as one of the two tenors and sing on the steps of The Opera House; on a boat cruising the harbour and believe it or not, on the stage! That was a pretty surreal day. We also climbed the Harbour Bridge which is an adventure I highly recommend. It takes a few hours and a head for heights but the view from the top is spectacular.
BELIZE
Having had a life-long phobia of sharks the ‘Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature’ (CBBC) team are always keen to throw me in at the deep end, so I was taken to San Pedro which is a 45 minute flight from Belize City Airport. We took a boat ride out to Shark Ray
Alley to snorkel with Nurse sharks and Southern stingrays. The sun was shining, the sea was turquoise and crystal clear and, once I had battled the fear-factor, swimming alongside those awesome creatures was a privilege and a half that I won’t forget in a hurry!
USA, WYOMING
Yellowstone National Park is enormous and breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery is epic with the mountains towering over you making you feel very small, it is packed with wildlife and the geysers and hot springs are amazing, like nothing I have ever seen before. We totally lucked out as we were in just the right place at the right time to see 2 black bear cubs with their mother taking their very first swim in a lake. We also headed to a spot called
‘The Top of the World’ (which truly felt like it) where I attempted to climb like the mountain goats that are performing their unbelievable balancing act up there.
SOUTH AFRICA
We travelled right across South Africa and I could recommend many locations to visit here, but the destination I loved the most was Boulders Beach Penguin Colony in False Bay, just south of Simon’s Town. It’s very hard not to have a huge grin on your face whilst watching about 3,000 African penguins waddling along a hot, sandy beach and as they are also known as the ‘jackass’ penguin we were able to enjoy their braying donkey-like calls in close proximity which was a real treat.
ENGLAND
You can’t go wrong heading down to North Devon or North Cornwall in my opinion. On a sunny day this fabulous stretch of coastline with its gorgeous beaches is hard to beat. When I was working at Milkshake! (Channel 5) I was set a challenge to learn to surf, a sport I had never tried before. My lesson took place on Croyde beach with Surf South West surf school and after a few hours in the sea I was completely hooked and have been surfing every year since. Go and hire yourself a board and a wetsuit (loads of the beaches have equipment to hire) and have a surf lesson… you won’t regret it.
Want to learn to surf in North Devon? Find out more here.
***
Need help packing for your family holiday. Visit shop.familytraveller.com for all your family holiday needs.
What’s new? Cape View Clifton is a five-storey boutique property overlooking the tumbling Atlantic Ocean and Clifton’s sheltered beaches, which opened at the end of last year. It was designed by mother and daughter duo, Frith and Jessica, and the stylish furnishings represent their colonial heritage, with neutral colour palettes and rich textiles.
Accommodation: Cape View has seven suites; five luxury deluxe and junior suites, one two bedroom and one three bedroom – which would be perfect for a large family. All have 180-degree panoramic sea views with large bedrooms, a lounge area, deluxe bathroom and balcony. Suites also have private balconies with a Jacuzzi overlooking the coastline.
Facilities: Cape View Clifton has all the trimmings of a boutique hotel but with the privacy of a guest house. It’s surrounded by Clifton’s four beautiful beaches, one of which has a Blue Flag, all are in little coves so great for families to enjoy. The hotel isn’t far from the Twelve Apostles, Cape Winelands and Cape Town’s other attractions. There is also a swimming pool and a private gym. Guests will all have access to beach bags and towels – one less thing to pack.
Food: Each of the suites includes a full-sized kitchen and lovely dining area, so families have the option of self-catering. But meals can also be cooked for you in the guesthouse and served on the terrace by the pool, as the sun goes down over the panoramic sea views.
See Cape Town with kids for more Family Traveller recommendations.
Travel time: The nearest airport is Cape Town, which is about 35 minutes from Cape View Clifton.
Getting there: British Airways flies to Cape Town from London Heathrow from £757 return.
Price: Rates start from approximately £170 on a B&B basis.
More information: Visit capeviewclifton.co.za