South Africa rated among top family holiday destinations in Africa

Kicking and screaming from airport to final destination, travelling with kids can be a nightmare. A key element of making sure they enjoy their experience is a getaway where they can have non-stop fun.

To remedy the malady, Go2Africa conducted a study which analysed 365,969 family-friendly hotels, attractions and restaurants. While Seychelles came top of the list of African countries, South Africa secured a third-place spot. Morocco was rated second.

Winning experiences in SA included our beautiful beaches, relaxing resorts and notably "big five" safari parks like the Kruger National Park. The survey results also revealed that tourists found South Africa to have well-developed infrastructure and a focus on safety for travellers.

The survey was conducted by identifying how many highly rated locations (hotels, attractions and restaurants) each area had on Tripadvisor. This also included locations that specialised in safaris. A percentage was calculated by assessing the total number of available locations with 4 to 5-star ratings.

If you're feeling the FOMO, check out these top local travel destinations:

BEST BEACHES

Topping the list of beaches are Camps Bay and Boulders Beach in Cape Town — or the Garden Route and KwaZulu-Natal’s Indian Ocean coastline. 

TOP SPOTS FOR 'BIG FIVE' SIGHTINGS

With famed fauna and flora, South Africa is home to unique wildlife that many travel thousands of kilometres to see. To best experience these highly rated spaces, here are the top-rated parks:

• Kruger National Park and its private game reserves like Sabi Sands, Thornybush, Londolozi, MalaMala, Lion Sands and Dulini;
• Madikwe Game Reserve;
• Phinda Game Reserve;
• Pilanesberg National Park; and
• Addo Elephant National Park.

FROM THE GRAPEVINE

Our food and vino are some of the best in the world. Look to the Cape winelands for the best wines, as well as the KwaZulu-Natal midlands for their craft beers and coffee for those with sober tastes.