Combining award-winning Leobo Private Reserve with South Africa’s most exclusive desert safari lodge and the perennial attractions of Cape Town, this luxury malaria-free family safari is perfect for adventurous families, and enormous fun for children young and small.
While travelling here is possible year-round, the summer months from November to March bring rain and sometimes oppressive heat.
Price depends on the experiences and accommodation included, and your time of travel. It is based on a family of four travelling for 12 nights and does not include international flights.
4 nights in Leobo Private Reserve, 4 nights in Tswalu Conservancy, 4 nights in Cape Town
What makes your South Africa family safari special?
- Enjoy an unparalleled range of amazing outdoor adventures all curated around your interests
- Hang out with hippos and crocs, aardvarks and meerkats, penguins and seals
- Spark your children’s interest in conservation and community through amazing projects
- Escape to Paternoster by helicopter and enjoy amazing seafood in true West Coast style
- Enjoy the beauty of South Africa’s Cape Province in the side-car of a chauffeur-driven, vintage motorbike
Your South Africa private family safari itinerary
All the fun you can handle
The Waterburg
Far more than just a private game reserve, Leobo is located deep in the stunning malaria-free landscape of South Africa’s Waterberg. Just a short flight from Johannesburg, it’s a thrilling private playground to enjoy Southern Africa’s most extraordinary adventures. Let your imagination run riot, facilitated by the wonderfully hands-on team. Fly-fishing, horse-riding and game drives are just the start, quickly escalating to paintball battles between Leobo’s helicopter and the opposing team on quad bikes below.
Kick up dust as you charge down trails on off-road buggies or dirt bikes, before spending the afternoon at the mountain lookout with a barbecue and drinks. Head out into the bush on a walking safari or hike to caves filled with ancient rock art; go wild swimming and kayaking in the river; camp out on the hippo deck or enjoy a picnic with a million-dollar view on a rock bluff only accessible by helicopter. After a day in the wild, the rooftop observatory is the perfect place to contemplate the mysteries of the universe in the star-filled night skies overhead.
Meerkat research
Tswalu Conservancy
If you had to choose one wildlife reserve that your kids are going to absolutely adore, then it would be Tswalu. Surrounded by the dramatic desert and savannah landscapes of South Africa’s Northern Cape, Tswalu offers unparalleled opportunities for adventure, and the chance to strengthen family bonds and create lifelong memories.
Whether you’re tracking cheetah on foot or horseback, sleeping out under the desert stars, learning the art of tracking or hanging out with meerkats and aardvarks, you’ll all soon become immersed in the outdoor classroom that is Tswalu. Days here are personally tailored to your interests, from private drives and walks to dining and down time, with the duration and scope of each activity carefully aligned to the age and special interests of your children. Best of all, you can stay here knowing that you are contributing to one of Africa’s great conservation success stories.
A mother’s love
Cape Town
Cape Town makes the perfect conclusion to a South African family adventure. Indeed few cities offer more opportunities for enjoyable outdoor activities. With the fantastic Labotessa Hotel as your luxurious base in Cape Town and our top-drawer private guides, quirky storytellers and hosts to open doors for you and make things fun, the Mother City and its spectacular natural surroundings are yours to explore as you never imagined possible, all curated around your interests. Spend a morning on a scavenger hunt, armed with a camera and a series of assignments to complete.
Learn to surf, sail or paddleboard, snorkel with seals, hang out with penguins, go zip-wiring or mountain biking through the mountains. Jump into a vintage motorbike sidecar for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope. Go foraging before cooking up what you’ve found on the beach. Or fly by helicopter over the Table Mountain to the West Coast for an amazing fresh seafood lunch.
Where you'll stay on your South Africa family safari
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Leobo Private Reserve
Located in South Africa’s malaria-free Waterberg region, Leobo is one of Africa’s most exclusive private reserves. With no guests other than your group, a state-of-the-art villa, gourmet cuisine to enjoy, and access to endless fun activities, a stay at Leobo offers privacy, freedom and the space to explore a 20,000-acre playground of African bush on your terms. Leobo is ideal for larger groups or multi-generational families. Search for wildlife on game drives, help the conservation team dart rhinos, and explore by kayak, quad bike or helicopter. There are horseback safaris and fishing trips, and there’s even an observatory telescope for some serious night-time star-gazing.
The Motse, Tswalu Kalahari
Set amongst the vast desert landscapes of the Northern Cape, The Motse at Tswalu Kalahari is one of Africa’s great conservation successes and one of its most luxurious safari camps. The accommodation, facilities and Michelin-starred cuisine are everything you’d expect from a place that refuses to stint on comfort or service, but it’s outside where the magic really happens. Activities are led by world-class guides and completely tailored around your preferences, whether that be tracking cheetah and black-maned lion, or exploring the reserve on horseback. Bring the kids and see them bloom on Tswalu’s Junior Ranger Programme. Tswalu also happens to be one of the continent’s hotspots for meerkat, pangolin and aardvark.
Customise your luxury South Africa family safari
All of our journeys are fully bespoke, and can be customised to meet your needs, interests and preferences. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
Add on a few days to explore South Africa’s magnificent Wild Coast from Gwe Gwe Lodge
Swap the bustle of Cape Town for the tropical beaches and laid back rhythms of Mauritius
Make your trip conservation-focused and help rangers at Tswalu to notch rhino ears
Go searching for South Africa’s Marine Big Five while enjoying the luxury and privacy of Morokuru Beach House
For the ultimate bragging rights, take a day trip to Antarctica
Looking for more inspiration?
We have a huge range of inspiring private experiences and accommodation options available. Get in touch with our South Africa specialists.
ENQUIRELearn more about our luxury holidays, or call our expert Africa team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) to discuss how we can turn your dreams into something truly magical.
