Announcing: Travel With Kids Family Adventure South Africa Tours in July and August, 2014

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Announcing: Travel With Kids Family Adventure South Africa Tours in July and August, 2014

Posted Dec 17 2013 by badmin in Blogging Around

Like what you see on the Travel With Kids TV show? Now you and your family can experience it for yourselves with our Travel With Kids Family Adventure tours. Family vacations are precious, and sometimes few and far in-between. The Family Adventure tours aim to make the most of your valuable time and money by selecting unique activities that immerse families in the history, culture and nature of a destination while ensuring fun for everyone along the way! Plus, pre-travel tips and lists and books and videos, will start your trip off right and keep you organized!

To launch this new line of Travel With Kids Family Adventure tours, the Travel With Kids family will be personally guiding two small tours to South Africa in July and August 2014:

Travel With Kids Family Adventure South Africa Cape Town to Kruger Tour July 25 – August 2

Travel With Kids Family Adventure South Africa Garden Route Tour August 4 -13

From bumping across the bush looking for lions to meeting local school children and immersing in the rich history of this country, enjoy the majestic scenery and people of South Africa with special family-friendly activities, tips and tools from the experts in family travel. For more information, read on! Or call Kelly Brown at Destination Southern Africa at 1-855-FLY-SAAV

Travel With Kids Family Adventure South Africa Cape Town to Kruger Tour Itinerary

The first tour runs July 25 – August 2 and includes the beautiful, and original Dutch port of Cape Town with its vibrant history and culture and a 5-star safari in Kruger National Park.

Day 1:

Scheduled flight from Dulles International Airport to Johannesburg*

Day 2:

Scheduled flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town*

On arrival in Cape Town you will be met by English speaking guide for your transfer to your hotel.

Overnight on room only basis at Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments.

Located on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront Marina, the Village & Life’s Waterfront Village Apartments offers spacious 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom apartments with plenty of room for the whole family to spread out. Enjoy views over the marina or canals from the comfort of your living room or walk to nearby restaurants and shopping.

Day 3:

On this morning, you will be met by an English-speaking guide for a half day tour of the Townships, visiting the Uthando projects. On this tour, you will discover life in a township – see how the locals live, meet other families, visit a school and more. Although the townships are very poor, kids will come away with a better understanding of what makes these communities so strong. Watching local kids play and appreciate their surroundings, however minimal, gives visitors a new appreciation for the important things in life. Opportunity to donate supplies for the local school.

Enjoy lunch (included) at Lelapa Restaurant (or a similar local restaurant). After lunch, return to the Waterfront and depart by ferry to Robben Island, a World Heritage Site. The island became infamous during South Africa’s years under Apartheid rule. The government banished dissidents and political prisoners to the island, the most famous one being former president, Nelson Mandela who spent almost 30 years in prison.

Kids will absorb the turbulent history of apartheid in South Africa first-hand from a former inmate who acts as their guide through the prison. If you are too tired from the morning’s activity, or just want a little downtime, you can opt to spend the afternoon relaxing in your room or exploring the Waterfront area instead.

Overnight on a room only basis at the Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments. (Lunch included on tour).

Day 4:

On this morning, you will be met by your local English speaking driver-guide for your full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. With hills shrouded in mist and crashing ocean waters, the dramatic vistas along this coast will garner “ohs” and “ahs”, but its the baboon and penguins that will grab the kids’ attention!

Depart the hotel and flank the colder Atlantic ocean en route to Hout Bay. Once a fishing community, now one of the most popular residential areas, the harbour still has a charm of days gone by. Once there, board the M.V “Circe” for a half hour cruise to “Seal Island”.

The tour now continues over the famous Chapman’s Peak drive – if open, with a 200 meter drop on one side and a 200 meter rise on the other, as we make our way south, following the Atlantic Ocean until we reach Cape Point Nature Reserve. Said to be the romantic meeting place of the two mighty oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian, the explorer Sir Francis Drake once called this area “the fairest Cape that we saw in the whole circumference of the Globe”. And rightly so, it is a highlight of any visit to Cape Town. Keep an eye out for the area’s precocious residents…the baboons!

After enjoying lunch at a local fish restaurant (included), we continue along the Indian Ocean, en route to see the Jackass penguin colony which has become well established at Boulders Beach near Simonstown. Kids will enjoy listening to the bray of the penguins and watching them waddle in from the ocean and along the beach.

We return to the hotel in the late afternoon, having seen some of the best the Cape has to offer.

Overnight on room only basis at Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments. (Lunch included on tour)

Day 5:

Enjoy a full day of leisure to explore the beautiful city of Cape Town. Take a trip in the cable car up Table Mountain for incredible views over Cape Town and the waters beyond. Or, explore the infamous wine region with tastings and vineyard tours or hit the hills for sandboarding.

Marine Dynamics Great White Shark

For the more adventurous families, cage diving with great white sharks lurks just down the coast! Watch as great white sharks leap and frolic in the waters near your boat and then descend into a cage to get a look of these mighty creatures from below the surface.

Or if you want to just hang around, enjoy the views from your apartment and explore the vibrant V&A Waterfront with its many shops, restaurants and activities as well as the fascinating Two Oceans Aquarium. You will not be at a loss of family-friendly things to do in Cape Town!

Overnight on a room only basis at the Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments

Day 6:

Enjoy time at leisure until you are met by the guide for the transfer to the airport to board the flight to Johannesburg and the onward flight to Hoedspruit.

Scheduled flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit (via Johannesburg)*

On arrival at Hoedspruit Airport, you will be met by the local English speaking driver for the transfer to the lodge. After settling in to your room, join the other guests for lunch. After lunch there is free time to relax during the heat of the day, either in your rooms or around the pool. All guests will congregate in the late afternoon for “high tea” before embarking on your first open vehicle game drive under the guidance or your experienced ranger and tracker team in search of Africa’s famous wildlife. At sunset stop for “sundowners” to toast the end of another day in Africa, before continuing the safari after dark with the aid of powerful spotlights to, hopefully, glimpse some of the elusive nocturnal game. Return to the lodge for dinner.

From hearty breakfasts to gourmet dinners and enthralling game safaris, you will be pampered at this five-star lodge. Kids will love getting nose to trunk, face to whiskers with some of Africa’s wildest animals and your family will cherish the memories forever!

Overnight on a full board and two game drives per day basis at Thornybush Waterside Lodge (5-star)

Days 7:

Enjoy morning and late afternoon game safaris in the African bush with experienced game rangers and Shangaan trackers. Game drives are undertaken at the best times of the day to avoid the harsh African sun and view the animals at their most active times. After morning game drive, return to the lodge for lunch.

Comparing kids’ hands to lion tracks

In the afternoon, kids can choose to take a walking safari, the focus being on the small things in the bush: learning to track animals, how termites live, what the various trees and plants are used for, etc. while parents enjoy some adult relaxation. Meet for high tea at the lodge before heading out on your afternoon game drive and “sundowners” in the bush.

Overnight on a full board and two game drives per day basis at Thornybush Waterside Lodge (5-star).

Day 8:

After morning safari and breakfast you will be met by the driver for a transfer to Hoedspruit to assist at the Utah project. Volunteering time with your child to help improve the local community will have a lasting impact on your kids and their outlook on the global community. Dedicating your time and energy to support local children will be a bonding experience that your family will not soon forget.

Return to the lodge in time for afternoon game drive and “sundowners” in the bush.

Overnight on a full board and 2 x game drives per day basis at Thornybush Waterside Lodge (5-star).

Day 9:

Awake early for a final morning safari in this unspoiled wilderness, and a last chance to maybe spot that elusive leopard! Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before the road transfer to Hoedspruit Airport to board the flight to Johannesburg.

Scheduled flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg*

Scheduled flight from Johannesburg to Dulles International Airport*

Land Package Cost:

$2,250 per adult

$1,585 per young adult (12-13 yrs. old)

$1,150 per child (11 and under)

Travel With Kids Family Adventures South Africa Cape Town to Kruger Tour includes:

– Fully escorted tour by hosts of PBS television series Travel With Kids

– Lodging in 4- and 5-star accommodations

– Six safari game drives at exclusive private reserve

– Three full-day cultural encounters and nature discovery tours

– Some meals as outlined in the itinerary

– All transfers and ground transportation (airfare add-on available)

– Pre-trip checklist, FAQs, packing list, kids’ South Africa book and activity kit

*Not included in price

Travel With Kids Family Adventures South AfricaCape Town and Safari Tour Itinerary

The second tour runs August 4 – 13 and includes a visit to Caeptown, the townships, and the Cape of Good Hope followed by the dramatic south coast of the country where dramatic vistas are peppered by conservation centers and game reserves where we head out on safari.

Day 1:

Scheduled flight from Dulles International Airport to Johannesburg*

Day 2:

Scheduled flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town*

On arrival in Cape Town you will be met by English speaking guide for your transfer to your hotel.

Overnight on room only basis at Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments.

Day 3:

Overnight on a room only basis at the Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments. (Lunch included on tour).

Day 4:

After enjoying lunch at a local fish restaurant (included), we continue along the Indian Ocean, en route to

see the Jackass penguin colony which has become well established at Boulders Beach near Simonstown. Kids will enjoy listening to the bray of the penguins and watching them waddle in from the ocean and along the beach.

We return to the hotel in the late afternoon, having seen some of the best the Cape has to offer.

Overnight on room only basis at Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments. (Lunch included on tour)

Day 5:

: Marine Dynamics Great White Shark

Overnight on a room only basis at the Village & Life – Waterfront Apartments

Day 6:

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be met by the guide for the transfer to the airport.

On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, you will be met by the local English speaking driver for the transfer to Amakhala with arrival in time for lunch.

After lunch, enjoy time at leisure until the first open 4×4 vehicle game drive. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Overnight on a full board and 2 x game drives per day basis at Amakhala – Safari Lodge

One afternoon, visit a nearby conservation park such as:

The Elephant Sanctuary in the Crags for the Trunk-in-Hand Experience. An experienced guide will introduce you to the elephants, and you will learn about their backgrounds, behaviors and characters and more while being able to touch, feel, feed, interact and walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants. This one-hour program is suitable for all ages.

Or, Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre where you will experience the one-hour guided walking tour, visiting the cats and other wildlife at the centre. At the centre, kids 16 and older have the oppotunity to walk with cheetahs, and younger kids can walk with serval cats (extra fee). Through this amazing first-hand experience, families will learn about big cats and what is being done to protect them.

Day 7 & 8:

Enjoy the full days on safari. Your open vehicle safaris take place at dawn and dusk when the opportunity for seeing the game is at its best. Spot the Big 5 – lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino – as well as other fantastic African animals like hippos, zebra and hyenas. Between game drives, relax by the pool, take a boat cruise down the Kariega River sighting abundant river birdlife, or take a kayak onto the river for a quiet paddle.