Azura is Mozambique’s first luxury ‘eco’ boutique retreat. Built entirely by hand by the local community and operated in partnership with them, it has just 14 villas, each with their own infinity pool and designed for both pampering and barefoot escapism. There is also a spa, with 2 double treatment rooms located right on the beach and open to the breezes.

Guests here recently have been lucky enough to enjoy the company of some special visitors … .3 humpback whales are currently residing in the ocean just a short way from the island. Snorkelling and diving trips have meant guests get really close up to these gentle giants of ocean.

Other exciting ocean sightings include the elusive dugongs, baby manta rays, eagle rays and sharks.

Despite being a natural honeymoon destination, Azura is also very popular with families, and they have a new specific kiddies programme to keep the youngsters happy while their parents relax and enjoy the pure white sand and sparkling turquoise seas that Azura is famed for. Click on the link below to read more about what is on offer for families :

Children’s Programme

Finally, as already mentioned, Azura are very active within the local community, and they have just opened the island’s only school which they have built, helped by many guests who have generously contributed to Azura’s Rainbow Fund. Not only do the children have a brand new school building but they will soon be smartly kitted out in school uniform donated by one of the guests.

Samara Private Game Reserve encompasses 29,000 hectares of malaria-free spectacular Karoo wilderness. The reserve offers a tremendous game experience for those hoping to see cheetah (there is an excellent wild cheetah breeding programme in operation here), mountain zebra, the once-endangered white rhino, big herds of plains game such as kudu, eland, black wildebeest and beautiful birds, such as the rare blue crane.

The reserve is only a 2.5 hour drive from Port Elizabeth, making it an ideal end to any family holiday that takes in some of the Garden Route too.

For any bookings made between now and the 1st November, Samara are offering these fantastic deals for families :

• Pay for 2 nights and receive the 3rd night completely free

• Children under 14 years of age will only pay 50% if sharing with an adult – and children under 8 stay for free

• During a 3 night stay, one adult will receive a complimentary shoulder / back / neck massage – I would imagine this will appeal to all mothers !!

• Baby sitting services are provided free of charge

• Children get a specialised kiddies menu

• Because children under the age of 8 may not accompany their parents on game drives, they can enjoy a whole host of kiddy-friendly activities, such as their own shortened game drives (with popcorn and snacks), face painting, baking with the chef, orienteering courses, sketch your own Bushman paintings, star-naming, making animals from natural products, puzzles, crafting with African beads, insect and bug appreciation – plus all children receive a free gift on arrival

• All families will get a treasure hunt walk in the bush with their ranger

• Family picnics can also be arranged

For a stay here if booked with Travel Butlers, we are offering the following rates :

August : Adults pay R2,845 per person sharing per night
September : Adults pay R3,535 per person sharing per night
October : Adults pay R3,730 per person sharing per night

Children rates as quoted above.

The rate includes all meals, tea and coffee, 2 game drives daily for the adults, local house wines and soft beverages. PLEASE NOTE: All other drinks are NOT included.

The safari lodges of the Eastern Cape are ideal for people and families who wish to combine the ever-popular Cape Town and Garden Route with an unforgettable wildlife experience.

They all offer a fully inclusive malaria-free African safari including accommodation, all meals, 2 game drives per day in 4×4 vehicles, and an optional guided bush walk each day.

The land is privately owned, so the game viewing vehicles are not restricted to the road network and it is therefore possible for the experienced guides to follow the wildlife through the bush and to get extremely close to the animals.

And, as well as all this, Bukela and Hlosi are both offering a complimentary night if you stay and pay for 2 nights – so the 3rd night is completely free ! This offer is valid for travel from 15th July until the end of October 2010.

You can read more about these lodges and enquire about availability by following these links :

Bukela Lodge: Stay 3 nights for the price of 2

Hlosi Game Lodge: Stay 3 nights for the price of 2

Children are welcome at Hlosi Game Lodge.

Thornybush Game Lodge is offering guests who stay here from 16th July until the end of the year one complimentary night if they book and pay for 2 nights.

Thornybush Game Lodge is situated within the Thornybush Private Game Reserve - 11,500 hectares of fenced prime game viewing bushveld just west of Timbavati and the Greater Kruger Park.

Unrivalled game viewing, including the Big 5, is complemented by exquisite accommodation and sublime cuisine. Superb attention to detail and highly personalized service make for a memorable stay.

The luxury suites line the banks of the seasonal Monwana River, all with spectacular views of the active water hole and the surrounding savanna.

Spaciously appointed, each glass fronted suite has mini bar fridge, telephones, air-conditioning and private decks, as well as en-suite bathrooms with massive wooden framed windows overlooking the river, with indoor and outdoor showers.

The lodge welcomes children of any age.

The Cape Royale in Green Point, Cape Town, has just announced that it is going to introduce a children’s activity series in July to keep the entire family entertained should the Cape Town winter weather set in.

This hotel already attracts families, as it does not charge for children under 16 years of age when staying in a room with their parents, but the new Kiddies Club will offer activities such as baking, pizza-making, Playstation, Wii, Lego, DVDs, Play-dough and board-games for all ages, and a list of creative activities including arts and crafts as well as scheduled entertainment.

A babysitter can be arranged for children under the age of 2 years who will be too young to join in the other activities.

For the adults, Cape Royale offers an exclusive pool deck and Sky Bar which has a heated pool, and the Equinox Spa offers mini manicures and pedicure treatments.

Stay for 4 nights and only pay for 3 at Pestana Inhaca Lodge, just 40 km off the coast of Mozambique.

The lodge is situated on Inhaca Island, a small inhabited island lying just 40 km off the Mozambican capital of Maputo and positioned at the entrance to Delagoa Bay, and easily accessible by boat, ferry or small plane from Maputo.

The island is a great destination for anyone who wants to enjoy the relaxed rhythms of a small, semitropical, Indian Ocean island.

The Pestana Inhaca Lodge is situated on the beach front, amongst coconut palm groves and luxuriant tropical vegetation. There are a total of 40 en-suite rooms situated amidst exotic gardens. All the rooms have air-conditioning and ceiling fans.

Activities that can be enjoyed during a stay at the hotel include water skiing, wind surfing, snorkelling, sailing boat trips, walking trails, excursions to the lighthouse and the Museum of Marine Biology, as well as visits by boat to Portuguese Island, Santa Maria Island and Turtle Island, fishing and whale watching. The outdoor salt water swimming pool is ideal for relaxing around, or for the more energetic there is a fitness room and a tennis court.

For families, the Kids Club provides entertainment for younger guests, and there is also a games room complete with table tennis, pool table, darts and table games, and a TV room.

We stayed at Gomo Gomo, in the Klaserie Reserve which forms part of the Greater Kruger Park, in February, for just one night.

What a great place !

For me, the main word that sums it up is unpretentious. The atmosphere is totally relaxed – the rangers are extremely friendly, and banter easily between themselves and with the guests, so you really get the feeling that you are part of one big, happy family.

The room are pleasant – not particularly traditionally African, I will admit, as they are very ‘chalet’ like – square brick built structures – but they are plenty large enough and comfortable, and the family rooms are ideal if you are 2 adults and 2 children travelling together, as they consist of a double bedroom, a shared bathroom, and a twin bedroom. All the chalets also have their own wooden deck.

The lodge is built on a dam, with its own resident hippo who happily will regularly throw himself out of the water for a bit of a show.

The food was extremely good – nothing too fancy, but well prepared, well presented and very tasty.

Game viewing was excellent – Gomo Gomo share their traversing rights with one other lodge, Africa on Foot – so you are not fighting for space at sightings. We sat with a large pride of lions for nearly an hour as a result … who can complain at that ?

Pricewise, it is one of the least expensive lodges in this area … from 1st May until the end of July (yes … there is NO price increase over the World Cup period too !!!), the rate if you enquire with Travel Butlers is just R1,450 per person per night; from 1st August until the end of 2010 our rate is R1,590 per person per night. This includes morning and afternoon / evening game drives, bush walks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, teas and coffees. Children aged up to and including 2 years are FOC; children aged between 3 years and up to and including 12 years are 50% of normal adult rate. So really … quite a bargain !!

To summarise, anyone who goes here will come away feeling that they have had FUN on their safari, as well as having seen some wonderful wildlife.

For families going to Cape Town between 1st May and the end of October, they can enjoy a special Family Rate if they want to go up Table Mountain.

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are offering a Family Winter Special ticket price for only R160 per adult return, which includes 2 children under 18 years travelling for free The special is valid to begin with only over weekends and public holidays and then every day of the following school holidays – June 10 to July 12 and September 24 to October 3.

A special kiddies holiday programme will also be running during the school holidays, including a Winter Treasure Trail, spot prizes, magic shows, face painting and craft activities. Children will be entertained and taken on guided walks by the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway characters – Ernie the Explorer, Dale the Dassie and the Yeti. Additional activities include story-telling of the Myths and Legends of Table Mountain.

The Table Mountain Café is joining in on the fun too, and will be offering a kiddies menu for just R30 per child, which includes a free cup of hot chocolate or fruit juice.

Children can also win a Table Mountain Aerial Cableway beanie and scarf every month. Entry forms are available on the back of the Winter Treasure Trail map, available from the ticket office.

When people think of the famous London skyline now, they invariably picture the London Eye too. Since it opened in 1999, the London Eye has become one of THE most visited tourist attractions in our capital.

Many other cities across the world now have their own version of the wheel, and Cape Town are about to join this group.

Their wheel is due to be open in June, in readiness for the onslaught of tourists over the World Cup.

The wheel is 50m in diameter, and will be erected at the V&A Waterfront. There will be 36 enclosed air-conditioned capsules which will each hold 8 people.

The wheel will run daily from 10 am until 10 pm, and at night will be lit up with 2 million LED lights.

Each ride will last about 15-20 minutes, and will cost about R70 per person. There will also be various deals for families or for taking a private capsule.

Stay 3 nights at Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge, in the exclusive Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, and receive 3 complimentary nights in Cape Town’s trendy de Waterkant area. Valid for travel between now and 20th December 2010 (excluding travel over the World Cup period).

Chitwa Chitwa Game Lodge is a secluded portal to viewing some of the continent’s richest and most diverse wildlife. The lodge stands sentry over one of the reserve’s largest lakes, which bids a silent summons at dawn and dusk to the ever-present wildlife, including the Big 5.

The 8 individually, artistically styled suites each have a private plunge pool, and exude an air of bygone romance combined with unfaltering luxury.

Your 3 complimentary nights can be taken at Vos House, situated in the trendy de Waterkant area of Cape Town.

The house has 3 en-suite bedrooms, plus a separate family bathroom, and is filled with state-of-the art technology, including climate control, entertainment systems and wireless Internet.

Sliding glass walls and ceilings open to generous terraces on 3 levels, complete with 2 swimming pools.

Call us NOW to check on availability and rates !