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holiday with baby guide to "South Africa"
Destination South Africa
Written By Claudine Nel
Flight time from the UK 11 hours - 12 hours - best overnight with a baby - she might surprise you and sleep through the flight.
Time difference GMT + 2 hours
Best time to visit The seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are directly opposite to those of the Northern Hemisphere. For summer months, lightweight (cottons and linens), short-sleeved clothes are best, although a light jersey/jumper might be needed for the cooler evenings. Umbrellas and raincoats are essential for the summers and the Western Cape winters. Warmer clothes are needed for the winter months.

Reasons to holiday there

South Africa is a beautiful country and has a bit of everything, dry Karoo deserts, wine routes, beautiful scenery and culture in Cape Town, wildlife in game parks and warm water and sandy beaches in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Weather is generally hot and sunny in summer with high humidity at the coast, especially Kwa-Zulu Natal. Winters are cool to mild.

A wide variety of accommodation is available from B & B's to luxurious bush lodges and hotels. Many of these will offer babysitting facilities. Highchairs & cots are also generally available in most hotels but always best to check and reserve if necessary at time of booking.

Good shopping and medical facilities are generally available. Many pharmacies have baby clinics with knowledgeable nursing sisters, which is useful if you need advice on baby feeding or have queries about travelling with your baby. Most of them are free or ask a minimal charge.

Ideas for things to do with babies/toddlers & older childrem

Cape Town - the Oceanarium, Planetarium, World of Birds, Table mountain, boat trips, beaches, forests and mountain trails.

- Hermanus and the Overberg - beaches and superb land and boat-based whale-watching.

- Little Karoo - Cango Caves to explore, ostrich farms where you can even ride the ostriches, the Cango wildlife ranch and many other child-orientated attractions.

- Garden Route - beaches; forest trails; boat cruises on the lagoon; steam trains; child-friendly game drives; boat trips to see the whales, dolphins and seals...

- Eastern Cape - malaria free Big Five game reserves; sandy beaches; Addo Elephant Park.

- Drakensberg Mountains - family-friendly mountain resort hotels with many activities for children and wonderful walking trails for all ages.

- Durban and the North Coast - for SA sun and swimming; Zulu villages with dancing displays; boat cruises; Natal Shark centre.

- Northern Provinces - malaria-free game reserves of Waterberg or Madikwe and the resort of Sun City with many attractions for children, including the Valley of the Waves, Camp Kwena holiday programme, from outdoor entertainment ranging from Adventure Golf to sophisticated Go-Kart tracks to indoor video arcades, ten pin bowling and soft play areas for smaller children.

Nappy Brands Available Huggies and Pampers are the main brand nappies available. Johnson and Johnson wipes & toiletries are also freely available.
Formula Milk Brands Available S-26, Nestle & Cow & Gate or similar are all readily available.
Availability of Jars of Baby food Various types of baby food are available in South Africa, with the main, very popular brand being Purity and Nestle. Organic baby food is also now available in the bigger supermarkets and pharmacies. The baby food of good quality with no salt added. There is also a wide variety of baby cereals, juice and biscuits available.
Best method to get around Driving is the best way to get around in South Africa. Roads are good and well sign posted. However, the distances between towns are significant, so if you're planning to self-drive, it is a good idea to plan your itinerary to ensure you don't drive long distances as fatigue is a major cause of road accidents. Avoid long car journeys that necessitate driving at night as it always carries more risk. Also, in some of the more remote rural areas, the roads are not fenced so there may be stray animals on the road - which could be very dangerous at night. There are service stations with restaurants and baby changing facilities along all major highways, so stopping to rest every 2 hours is advised.
Things to watch out for South Africa boasts a vast array of cultures, communities, sites and attractions. Most parts of the country can be safely visited by tourists provided they take basic common-sense precautions (for example not walking alone in deserted areas at night and being circumspect about how much photographic equipment or flashy jewellery you carry. Basic Safety Tip guidelines will be available at hotels and tourism information offices.


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