Riding back to Private Camp, the setting sun cast giant centaur shadows ahead of us, andI found myself reflecting on how we seemed to have drawn even closer together as a family over the several days we’d spend in this country of vast distances.
Three nights at Melton Manor
A succession of flights brought us across the border, and into South Africa and a very different landscape. We especially loved the last leg, along the coast from the ‘friendly city’ of Port Elizabeth – a nickname that could apply to anywhere we went in this welcoming country.
Although we weren’t the only guests staying in Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, we really felt that we might be. Staying at Melton Manor meant we were in a secluded part of the reserve, and essentially had our own slice of Africa. The combination of the reassuring solidity of our private villa and peaceful vistas of wooded hills, meant that we were soon even more relaxed. The range of activities on offer (when we were ready, of course) was just as tempting as lounging in the suntrap courtyard with its pool. Before that, there was the important business of choosing our pizza toppings.
Now that the girls were older, they could join us on all the safari activities – another bonus of taking this trip now. The imaginative range of kids’ activities on offer was impressive though, and just a few short years ago the holiday would have passed in a whirl of face-painting and cookie baking. Instead, we set off with our guide to meet the Kwandwe rhino-monitoring team.
They were modest both about their tracking skills and the importance of their work, and the oddly cloudy morning was illuminated by radiant smiles from two teenagers falling in love with a white rhino calf.
Having our own ranger, tracker and 4x4 vehicle meant that we didn’t have to start our game drive at dawn the next day – so we didn’t. In defiance of conventional wisdom, we only set off as the sun was climbing higher in the sky and the animals should have been moving to the shade. It seems, however, that the mother cheetah and her two cubs hadn’t received this memo, and we spent a good hour watching her attempts to get the youngsters to stay put while she went to hunt. We were happy not to have seen a kill, but wouldn’t have missed playtime for the world!
Three nights at Tintswalo Atlantic in a
family suite
The final, shortest leg of our journey to Tintswalo Atlantic was the best – descending by shuttle below Chapman’s Peak to the very edge of Cape Town’s sea. If you can imagine the contradiction in terms that would be a luxury shipwreck, we had found it.
We’d briefly considered a cruise as our main family holiday this year, but had come to our senses and chosen a luxury family safari instead. The salt tang in the air at Tintswalo Atlantic however gave an authentic maritime feel to our stay and we resolved to make the most of being oceanside. Spending the afternoon at Hout Bay Beach gave our tans a top-up, and we were still back at our boutique hotel in time to potter around the rockpools. Later, over sundowners, we used the telescope on the deck to scan for passing whale, and admired the rugged silhouettes above us.
The cable car to the top of Table Mountain ended far too quickly, but the views from the top extended forever. Our guide pointed out Robben Island, and landmarks in the city. We were early enough that ribbons of sea mist still hung between the skyscrapers, but at our rarefied altitude the air was crystal clear. Our customised city tour was precisely geared to our interests: walking in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps, and experiencing local café culture. Below the Town Hall balcony, you could almost hear the crowds greeting Madiba, and the steampunk espresso was similarly energising.
We couldn’t come to Cape Town without visiting the Cape itself, and our Cape Peninsula tour turned into a fascinating day out that had a little bit of everything: comedic moments with the Simon’s Town penguins, lonely lighthouses, exquisite seafood, and roads seemingly built to film car commercials on. The highlight, however, was our scheduled trip to go snorkelling with the Duiker Island seals. Their playful curiosity, as they weaved between strands of kelp and streams of silver bubbles, brought out the delighted child in each of us. It was far and away the best family trip to the seaside ever!
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OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): The view from Table Mountain is spectacular. Visit the penguins at Boulder's Beach. Have snacks overlooking the Great Fish River in Kwandwe. Kwandwe offers a safe haven to rhino.