Children and beaches are inherently made for each other so most of our beach destinations will be perfect for kids.

South Africa generally has an active sea with rolling breakers. This is great for body boarding and surfing. But not so ideal if you are looking for the complete range of water sports as offered in flatter waters. Similarly, waves are fun for kids but also add an element of risk for younger children. In contrast, most of Mauritius and Zanzibar are surrounded by coral reefs so that the sea at the beach is calm.

Other factors to consider:

• Do you want to combine a beach stay with other activities such as safari or general touring?
• How far do you want to travel? There are some stunning beaches in Mauritius or the Seychelles. But they involve a fairly long flight and  an overnight stay in Johannesburg prior to the flight.
• What sort of family beach holiday are you looking for? Waves or calm lagoon waters?
• When are you travelling? Northern hemisphere summer holidays mean winter in the Cape – great for beach walks but not really beach & swimming weather. At that time of year, you’ll need to head to the far north of South Africa or the sub-tropical islands of Mauritius, Mozambique or Zanzibar…

So there are several options:

• Opt for a South Africa beach and sightseeing holiday
• Combine South Africa with Mozambique or Mauritius for the beach
• Combine Tanzania with Zanzibar or Kenya with its coast

Other Family Beach Holiday Articles

Best things to do with Kids on the Garden Route

Seychelles versus Mauritius

Mozambique Ocean Experience at White Pearl

8 Reasons to visit Malawi