15 Amazing Educational South African Adventures for Worldschooling Families
Few places on earth can compare with South Africa for its sheer variety of incredible educational trip locations. From unbelievable wild African safaris sure to thrill any adventurer to stunningly beautiful vistas where visitors can kick back and relax, there are an amazing array of destinations across South Africa that make it a world schooling family’s dream!
Chilling with wild penguins at Boulders Beach (Cape Town)
Considering Africa’s reputation for wide open grasslands, dense jungles, and arid stretches of desert dunes, it’s understandable if you didn’t realize that South Africa is one of the prime locations for getting up close and personal with penguins.
Nevertheless, South Africa is home to two different colonies of wild African penguins, including one of the largest colonies in Africa located at Boulders Beach just outside of Cape Town!
Our entire family loved getting to see the penguins up close, mostly because of how cute they are. But since they are also an endangered species, going to see them can also be a great opportunity for explaining what it means for a species to be endangered and how we can do our part to make sure these amazing animals stick around.
Watching Whales in Hermanus (Cape Town)
Hermanus is a coastal town located a little over an hour away from Cape Town. It’s a beautiful little town, complete with cozy coffee shops, and a great artisan market where you can pick up local, hand-made crafts. That’s all great, and worth visiting on its own, but the real draw for a visit to Hermanus is the whales!
The oceans around Hermanus are shallow, calm, and warm, which make it a perfect location for the mating rituals of several different species of whale. Each year from June until December, the waters off the coast of Hermanus shelter Southern Right Whales, Bryde’s Whales, and Humpback Whales as part of their yearly migrations. On occasion, you can even spot Orcas!
The best time to visit is near the end of September or early October during the Whale Festival, but whales can be seen along the coast throughout the whale season.
We spotted several different whales within minutes of getting out of the car on the day that we visited, and it was spectacular! However, if I had it to do all over again, I would definitely spring for a boat tour. Watching the whales from shore was great, but I regret not getting as close as we could.
Surf Lessons for the Whole Family at Muizenberg Beach (Cape Town)
My family is pretty new to surfing, but after getting started on the beaches in Sayulita, Mexico, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out the waves at Muizenberg Beach!
South Africa has some of the world’s best surf, with amazing waves for any experience level accessible all year long. However, Muizenberg, in particular, is considered one of the best beaches in the world for beginner surfers.
There are tons of great surf school options along the beach, and lessons are relatively inexpensive, making this a perfect place to pick up a new skill!
While you’re there, be sure to check out the Shark Spotter’s Info Center for a little more education on all the ways South Africa is working to protect their sharks!
Exploring South Africa’s Stellenbosch Vineyards (Cape Town)
While there are a huge number of tourists who visit Cape Town to visit the region’s many natural wonders, just as many make the journey to South Africa to instead explore one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions.
On the surface, exploring a bunch of vineyards might not seem like a good time for kids, but the vineyards in the Stellenbosch region do an absolutely amazing job of welcoming every member of the family. These ended up being some of my kids’ favorite trips during our time in Cape Town
Highlights for us included watching the birds of prey show at Eagle’s Encounter at Spier Wine Farm and the Wonderdal Children’s Edutainment Center at Hazendal Wine Estate. Both Vineyards also had amazing dining options and wine-tastings, making them perfect locations to visit for a relaxing and educational outing.
Marveling at Table Mountain, One of the New 7 Natural Wonders (Cape Town)
Table Mountain was named one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World alongside locations like the Amazon Rainforest and Iguazu Falls (the beautiful waterfalls from Marvel’s Black Panther movie).
Many of the best natural attractions in the Cape Town area are located within the borders of Table Mountain National Park, and its profile can be seen from almost anywhere in Cape Town, but it is still definitely worth it to take a ride up to the mountain’s top.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Cape Town)
Amidst the foothills of Table Mountain lie the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. In a city filled to bursting with green spaces, these gardens have some of the most outstanding biodiversity in South Africa!
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is part of Table Mountain National Park, placing it firmly in the Cape Floral Region, which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site associated with the area. It has tons of beautiful flowers on display year-round, an excellent tea house for when you need a break, and also hosts the trailhead for a hike to the top of Table Mountain.
The gardens feature plants from locations all around South Africa and breaks their collection into smaller, themed gardens like the Aroma Garden and the Medicinal Plants Garden.
My personal favorite was getting to explore the different Proteas.
Robben Island (Cape Town)
South Africa has a wide array of natural sites to explore and learn from, but there are important cultural lessons that it can teach us as well.
Just off the coast of Cape Town sits Robben Island, which served as the prison home for a variety of political prisoners from South Africa’s Apartheid past, including Nelson Mandela himself.
Visitors to the island are given a tour hosted by former island inmates and can see the quarries where prisoners were forced to work as well as the bunkers and cells where they were kept. Places like Robben Island are stark, but incredibly important, reminders of how much we have grown as a human race, and of the dangers we face if we forget that progress.
Taking a Family-friendly Safari in Kruger National Park
My family’s week-long safari in Kruger National Park is easily one of our kids’ absolute favorite trips that we have ever taken!
During our week in the park we managed to spot all 5 of the Big 5, as well as monkeys, baboons, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, and even seven endangered ground hornbills!
The park is filled to bursting with amazing animals and is an incredible place to see African wildlife up close and personal.
The best part? Because we chose to camp and self-drive instead of booking a guided tour, it cost us far less than you would expect.
Mapungubwe National Park
Located in the far north of South Africa, Mapungubwe National Park was the location of Southern Africa’s earliest known kingdom. The Mapungubwe kingdom lasted for roughly 400 years, from 900 AD-1300 AD, and regularly traded with other major cultural hubs such as Egypt, India, and China.
Today, families can make the hike to the graveyard of the Mapungbwe kings, located at the top of a hill, or check out the area’s rich cultural heritage at the Interpretation Centre and Museum. Or, if you’re more interested in seeing some wildlife, you can either self-drive the park or jump on one of the park’s guided drives for the chance to see elephants, lions, leopards and more!
Only 4 of the Big 5 can be found in the park, but there are plenty of other animals to see, including an astonishing variety of bird species.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
iSimangaliso Wetland Park was the first location in South Africa to be chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage site, in large part because of the park’s sheer biological diversity. WIthin the borders of the park visitors can find more than 6500 different species of plants and animals spread across a wide variety of biomes. The park is home to grasslands, wetlands, and forests stretching along the coast, and also includes aquatic protected zones with coral reefs and wild beaches.
Parts of the park are accessible via self-drive roads, but if you want to have the best possible views of the park, it is highly recommended that you book one of the park’s boat cruises. These boats can get you up close to the huge populations of hippos and crocs that make their home in the Wetland Park, as well as giving you amazing views of the landscape.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
South Africa has some of the best safaris in the world, and Kgalagadi Transfrontier park is yet another incredible location for seeing wildlife. The main reason you would visit here instead of one of the other, larger parks in South Africa is for the Kalahari desert feel that you can get there.
It’s a bit of a drive from the larger cities, like Cape Town or Johannesburg, but if you make the trip you’ll be treated to some absolutely stunning vistas and the chance to see the larger, black-maned lions that are native to the area.
Other big cats, such as cheetahs and leopards, are also around, as well as a wide array of grazers.
The Garden Route
More than just a single location, the Garden Route is a roughly 200-mile stretch of road with a huge number of stunning locations along its path. Different stops along the route each have their own appeal, with beautiful lagoons, sleepy villages, world-class surf, and stunning wilderness vistas all making an appearance.
If you’re looking for a stretch of road that’s absolutely perfect for taking an adventure-focused road trip, this is the route you’re looking for.
Drakensberg Mountains
UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites only lists 19 sites across the world as having both Global Cultural Importance and Outstanding Natural Beauty and Significance. The Drakensberg Mountains are one of those 19.
Located an easy day’s drive from either Pretoria or Johannesburg, a visit to the Drakensbergs makes an excellent weekend getaway for those looking to slow down and get into nature. The mountains are riddled with amazing hiking trails and beautiful vistas, including the highest waterfall in the world.
For those more interested in the area’s cultural significance, the Main Caves offer a glimpse into the past with up close views of San cave paintings and a small museum depicting what life was like for members of their tribe.
The Drakensberg Mountains make for a much slower-paced trip than taking a safari or visiting South Africa’s large cities, but there’s still plenty to learn!
The Panorama Route
Located just to the west of Kruger National Park, the Panorama route is a perfect stretch of road for those who love amazing geology. This route is home to an astonishing number of waterfalls, family-friendly caves, and one of the world’s largest canyons.
Blyde River Canyon may only be the third-largest canyon in the world, but due to the area’s lush, subtropical climate, it is the largest green canyon around.
While there’s plenty to see from the road, you can also check out amazing horseback and river tours in the area to see even more stunning vistas.
Cradle of Humankind (Johannesburg)
Located only a short drive from Johannesburg, South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind is a region where numerous early hominid fossils have been discovered. Since the first fossil discoveries in the 1920s, several different fossil sites have been discovered including fossils from at least four separate early hominid species.
Note: Cradle of Humankind focuses heavily on educating visitors on hominid evolution.
Visitors to the area can begin their trip at the Maropeng Visitors Center in the Sterkfontein Valley. The center hosts several different interactive displays discussing evolutionary theory and displays of the different hominid fossils found in the valley and elsewhere in the world.
After visiting Maropeng, you could also visit the Sterkfontein Caves for an underground tour of human history, or perhaps choose to follow the Taung Heritage Route where you can see local natural wonders or explore an abandoned Buxton Quarry mine.
While these 15 amazing locations are a good start on all the outstanding places you can visit in South Africa, they really only just scratch the surface on everything possible there. No matter what sort of adventure you’re looking for, South Africa has something to offer!
