A holiday in South Africa could be loads of fun. Especially when the Northern half of the world is suffering under a thick layer of snow, South Africans are relaxing on wide open beaches enjoying the African sun. South Africa is also one of the most affordable tourist destinations in the world and perhaps the only one offering first world facilities at third world prices.

Self-catering holidays are very enjoyable and affordable options when you visit South Africa. The country has numerous top quality resorts where there’s fully fitted chalets for rent a prices that you will never find in the Western World. Our family recently rented chalet near the resort town of Hermanus in the Southern Cape which even had the latest model delonghi oven in the modern kitchen!

There’s a variety of car rental firms at Cape Town International Airport. You will need a credit card to rent a car from all of them, although in town there’s a couple that rents out older cars for cash. Always check out the car’s body in the presence of a company representative. Otherwise you will be liable to pay if they find scratches or dents on the car when you return it.

If you’re traveling with a baby, try to get a car that’s fitted with a britax car seat. This will not only ensure baby’s comfort, but also his safety. The additional cost of this is minimal compared to the advantages to be gained from having it.

Then head out of town with the N2. On the way you will pass the seaside towns of Strand and Gordon’s Bay on your right, before ascending Sir Lowry’s pass. There’s a lookout point at the top of the pass from where you have a magnificent view of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay right below you. On the other side of the mountain you will enter corn and apple country. There are many apple farms producing for the export market near the town of Grabouw.

A hundred kilometers from Cape Town you will enter the lovely seaside resort of Hermanus. Here you can find numerous self-catering resorts. Settle in and start to explore the beautiful surroundings. There are many restaurants overlooking the ocean near the town square. There’s also a flea market where you can buy clothing and artifacts made by local artists. You will also run into hawkers walking around offering watches for sale. I once bought a men’s sport watch from one of the that lasted exactly three days!

If you don’t have fun in the Hermanus area, you have only yourself to blame. The scenery is beautiful, the people are great and the numerous restaurants mean you can eat out at a different place every day. There are also boat trips and a visit to one of the surrounding towns is very interesting.

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Cape Town in South Africa has become one of the top 10 travel destinations on earth during the past couple of years. It comes as no surprise: with a list of ‘must-sees’ longer than that of any other city in Africa and Christmas weather to die for, it’s the ideal destination during the bitter winters of the Northern half of the world.

A large percentage of tourists of course visit the city because of its pristine beaches. When their family and friends in the other half of the globe are turning on the central heating, they are tanning on one of the numerous sandy beaches.

Cape Town is a great travel destination for a family. Even with a baby in your family there’s still no reason for not having a holiday filled with sun, sand and sea. When flying in, you can rent a car at the airport. For the baby’s sake try and get one that is equipped with a graco car seat. Then find a guest house that’s baby-friendly and start having fun!

Just as an example of how sophisticated Cape Town guest houses are becoming: a guest house where we stayed recently even had a spa baby where our baby could be bathed in the (more natural) upright position. Of course not every guest house will have one, but it pays to inquire before the time.

Another favorite tourist attraction of the Mother City, and one that you can hardly miss, is Table Mountain. This colossal massif juts out from the ocean to loom over Cape Town like a mother hen guarding her children. An open secret that all Capetonians know is that if the wind blows on one side of Table Mountain, you are sure to find a peaceful beach free from wind on the opposite side. The view from the top of Table Mountain is incredibly beautiful. You can either hike to the top or take the cable car.

Then there’s the V&A Waterfront, where you can enjoy a world class meal while watching a living harbor at work. And there’s the Cape winelands, where many South African export wines are produced. Another top tourist destination is the nature reserve of Cape Point. Here a cog-wheel railway leads to a lookout point where you can see two ocean meet: the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. A lovely restaurant, built into the mountainside, offers spectacular view of False Bay and the mountains of the Cape Peninsula.

It’s unlikely that you will have the opportunity to read a lot in Cape Town, but by all means pack your digital book reader. When everyone else in the family has fallen asleep, you can finish reading your favorite detective story while listening to the gentle sound of waves breaking on the rocks.

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