Malaria-Free Safari in South Africa

A fun family adventure made effortless

Suggested duration11 days

From$12,000 ppper person

South Africa

Visit:

Cape Town, Franschhoek, Whale Coast, Eastern Cape

Malaria-Free Safari in South Africa

A fun family adventure made effortless

Highlights

As parents who travel, we know harmony trumps packed schedules. This journey moves at the pace of your youngest travelers, minimizing internal flights and favoring longer stays.
In Franschhoek, days unfold through a child’s eyes. Picnics, pony rides, and scavenger hunts invite playful energy, while gracious estates and memorable cuisine preserve wine country’s easy pleasures for the grown-ups.
On the Whale Coast, settle into a boathouse cottage humming with summer-camp energy. Joyful days fill with lawn games, table tennis, biking, and kayaking, while just offshore whales, dolphins, and seabirds parade past.
At Shamwari, guides scale safari activities for young explorers in a malaria-free wilderness that gives parents peace of mind. Encounters with rescued lions introduce kids to the power of conservation, inspiring environmental stewardship.

A white country villa sits beneath rugged mountains, surrounded by lawns, flowers, and tall trees in warm light.

Two children sit in an open safari vehicle, looking out over grassland as wildlife grazes in the distance.

Elephants stand on a sandy riverbank beside calm water, with green trees and distant hills behind under a soft sky.

This family adventure captures South Africa at its best—from Franschhoek’s vineyards to the Whale Coast’s beaches and the wildlife of the malaria-free Shamwari Reserve.

Malaria-Free Safari in South Africa

Franschhoek

Day 1: Arrive in the Winelands

Arrive in Cape Town and head straight to Boschendal Farm, your family’s luxurious base for the next four nights. Set among mountains and vineyards, this working farm in the Winelands of South Africa invites slow mornings and carefree afternoons. Settle in, savor a fireside dinner at the Deli Restaurant, and toast to the adventures ahead.

Franschhoek

Day 2: Scooters, Ducks, and Chocolate

Begin with a family “Scootour” in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve—easy fun for all ages. Then, head to Vergenoegd Löw for the delightfully quirky duck parade, where you'll watch hundreds of Indian Runner ducks waddle through the vines. Continue to the Spice Route in Paarl for chocolate tastings, scavenger hunts, and padel tennis—a perfect introduction to Franschhoek with kids.

Franschhoek

Day 3: Creativity & Play

Kids dive into Boschendal’s Tree House program with gardening, art, and pizza-making while parents enjoy spa time or wine tastings. In the afternoon, visit Farm Sanctuary SA to meet Pigcasso, the world’s only painting pig, before shopping the boutiques of Franschhoek village. Cap the day with a relaxed dinner in town, perhaps on a terrace overlooking the vineyards.

Cape Town

Day 4: City Highlights

Head into Cape Town for a day of fun, color, and discovery. Ride the cable car to the top of Table Mountain and spot dassies (rock hyraxes) darting between the rocks. Down in the city, wander Bo-Kaap’s rainbow streets. After a Cape Malay lunch on Bree Street, follow Mandela’s footsteps on a short walking tour before returning to your Winelands haven.

5 to 8

Whale Coast

Days 5 to 8: Coastal Adventure

Drive east to the Whale Coast and settle into Coot Club, a relaxed retreat for nature-loving families on the Klein River Lagoon near Stanford. Days unfold with kayaking, paddleboarding, and nature walks. Try your hand at fat biking or a 4x4 adventure to Walker Bay beach for sandboarding—and, between July and September, unforgettable whale watching from the dunes.

8 to 11

Shamwari Private Game Reserve

Days 8 to 11: Your Family Safari

Begin your safari at the malaria-free Shamwari, one of South Africa’s most iconic private reserves. Stay at Riverdene Lodge, a warm, family-focused haven designed for rest and shared adventures. Game drives reveal lions, elephants, and rhinos, while kids dive into the Adventure Centre’s zipline, climbing walls, and maze. Visit the Born Free Cat Sanctuary and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for a hands-on look at vital conservation work.

Shamwari Private Game Reserve

Day 12: Farewell to the Wild

After one last sunrise safari and a hearty breakfast, it’s time to say farewell to South Africa —with hearts full of wild stories and muddy shoes to prove it.

Who will love this?

For families who crave adventure without complication, this malaria-free safari blends luxury with hands-on discovery, so even the youngest travelers feel part of the story.

Bright Bo-Kaap houses line a steep street as a turquoise vintage car is parked beside the painted facades.

Lioness stands in short green grass, scanning a wide plain with low hills in the distance beneath a gray-blue sky.

A wide view over Cape Town reveals dense neighborhoods and the Atlantic coastline stretching along the horizon.

Make it mine

Your journey can be tailored to include a Cape Malay cooking class, a jewelry-making workshop, or a scenic flight for aerial whale watching.

With unbound possibilities, your Extraordinary Journeys Safari Specialist will design a family trip that feels beautifully personal.

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