It’s school holidays, it’s the Christmas season, and it’s a time of the year when parents should thank their lucky stars that they have children and make the most of every moment with them before they grow up and fly the nest.
Chuck cellphones away and make this season about family and shared experiences whether you are visiting the area or live here.
There’s enough on the Garden Route to keep you going for weeks, from puzzle parks to elephants, to trampolines to birds, big cats and monkeys.
As I have got older and as my children have grown up and flown overseas like so many splintered families in the global village we now live in, this is a season when I particularly miss them.
I often tell my son I should have bonsaied him when he was a toddler.
Having children feels like just yesterday and yet a very long time ago.
Those days were, without a shadow of doubt, the best days of my life.
I was a very hand’s-on mother and when I look back, I am so glad I built Lego and sandcastles and played with my children.
Beach holidays were golden times. I taught my son how to swim when he was just months old by blowing in his face and slowly submerging him.
I forgot to tell my husband that I had read the book on how to do this, so he nearly had a heart attack while others around the pool thought I was drowning my child.
We all got roller-skates and I still have a scar on one knee from falling off a skateboard.
We took our children for rides on elephants (it wasn’t yet regarded as cruel) and camels.
When I look back, I remember great holidays and priceless family time, memories that last a lifetime.
There are tons of things to do on the Garden Route just perfect for families.
The most obvious option is to take advantage of Blue Flag beaches in Plett, in Wilderness, near George and in Mossel Bay along with others in the Hessequa region.
Knysna used to have two Blue Flag beaches, which went by the wayside, but in spite of this, Buffalo Bay and Brenton-On-Sea are still lovely.
Lifeguards are deployed at this time of the year to keep an eye on bathers and there are shark spotters on duty in Plett.
Get boogie boards and catch the waves with your children.
When sunburn kicks in or it rains, families are spoilt for choice because irrespective of where you are based, everything is in close proximity.
There are loads of walks for the family to enjoy from a short version of Robberg Nature Reserve to forest walks in Harkerville.
Forests are magical places so venture to the Garden Of Eden, on the N2 between Knysna and Plett, where there is a gentle walk among the old trees.
If you want to dip into local history, the Millwood Goldfields in the forest above Rheenendal make a memorable half-day trip.
Children can walk through the old mining remnants, peer into shafts and learn the stories of Knysna’s short-lived gold rush.
The Knysna Elephant Park is a place to make lifelong memories.
Over the years, I have taken visiting family and my grown-up son and his Greek girlfriend, and it’s always special.
Buy a bucket of food for the ellies and it’s quite a thrill experiencing that trunk guzzling food from your hand.
Just outside Plettenberg Bay, a trio of wildlife offers families a memorable way to experience animals in spacious, but natural environments.
Monkeyland allows visitors to walk through a free-roaming primate forest, where rescued monkeys and apes move above and around you along elevated pathways.
Nearby, Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary focuses on big cats and other predators, offering guided tours that share the stories of animals rescued from captivity while educating visitors about conservation and ethical wildlife practices.
Here at Jukani, they also have a petting-farm-style area with miniature animals.
Children love touching the tiny animals and I have a feeling that adults like it just as much, if my behaviour is anything to go by.
Birds of Eden is the largest free-flight bird sanctuary in the world and it really doesn’t feel as though the birds are caged.
You follow a gentle boardwalk winding through a vast domed forest filled with birds flying freely overhead and it is guaranteed you will see a Knysna Loerie here.
Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre near Plettenberg Bay offers visitors a chance to learn about SA’s indigenous wildlife while supporting conservation and ethical animal care.
The sanctuary focuses on the rehabilitation of injured, orphaned and displaced animals.
Guided tours introduce visitors to species such as wild cats, meerkats and other rescued animals, while explaining the threats they face in the wild.
Garden Route Birds of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre, usually just called Raptor Rescue, is devoted to raptor rescue, a wildlife rehabilitation service focused on birds of prey such as eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, kites and vultures.
Injured birds are treated here, rehabilitated and wherever possible released into the wild.
Try to time your visit with a daily guided tour and flying demonstrations where you see some of the resident birds of prey up close.
When you have had enough animals, then Plettenberg Bay’s Puzzle Park is one of those rare attractions that manages to entertain children while engaging adults too.
Set in Harkerville, just outside Plett, it offers a mix of outdoor brain-teasers, optical illusions, a hedge maze and hands-on puzzles that encourage curiosity, problem-solving and plenty of laughter.
Set aside half a day. We did it without children and it took us much longer than it took any child to get out of the maze.
Then there’s Adventure Land along the N2 between Knysna and Plett.
It’s a water park with slides, pools and the works.
The Plett Ski-Boat Club area is perfect for watching boats launch.
Parents get to enjoy a cold beer while children can get a milkshake and play on the sand where they can be watched.
A stop at the SANParks Thesen Island office to see the endangered seahorses in their tanks is always a hit with children.
The Scratch Patch at the Waterfront gives children a chance to fill small bags with semi-precious stones at a reasonable cost.
While at the Waterfront, have an ice-cream and just watch the boats coming and going.
Visit the Redberry Farm in George. Strawberry picking is the headline attraction, but it’s everything around it that fills a morning: the hedge maze, the mini-train circling the farm, the pony rides, the bubble balls on the dam and the little shops selling strawberry treats.
George offers various family activities. Elevate Action Center Trampoline Park and Go-Karts is a big hit with children and teens.
It’s an indoor trampoline park with more than 70 connected trampolines (about 600 m² of bounce space).
There’s also an outdoor go-kart track if you want to make a day of it, and sessions can be booked individually or for parties and groups.
Children under four have a dedicated area to enjoy with a jungle gym, mini trampolines, climbing wall and ball pit.
The Herald
