Mum and daughter celebrate 21st birthday in Kruger and Cape Town

A mother-daughter family adventure in South Africa, celebrating a birthday on safari in the Kruger National Park and ending on a high in Cape Town.

I wanted to give Emily an experience in travel and a wonderful lifetime memory for her 21st birthday present. I thought an adventure in South Africa including a safari, some culture, city life and relaxation would be the ideal present. I contacted Far and Wild, giving a basic brief of what we would like, how long we had and our budget. They gave us a fabulous itinerary that met all our requirements and added flexibility with the idea to self - drive for more of an adventure, to see more of the country, and to keep costs down, so we could eat out every night and have more spending money in South Africa!

We flew to Johannesburg, collected our hire car and then drove near to Kruger for the first night of our South Africa safari in a safari lodge called Rissington Inn. It was delightful, the staff were warm and friendly, and we had a superb bungalow all to ourselves with its own terrace. The lodge also had a fabulous restaurant with an amazing menu. It was such a great place to recover from our long journey, with a beautiful swimming pool, gardens and relaxing seating areas around the bar area with superb views over the surrounding countryside.

The following day we drove to Kruger and spent 4 hours exploring the park on our ‘self drive' safari to Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp, our home for the next 2 nights in the park.

“It was so exciting to see all the animals, including giraffe ,elephants, baboons, kudu, impala and lions even without the help of a guide!​”

Our accommodation at the camp consisted of a compact and clean little mud hut with air conditioning, hot shower, toilet and outdoor kitchen with a BBQ area. We loved it! We were surrounded by nature and animals that have realised there are less predators around the camping areas, such as naughty monkeys, mongoose and impala. It felt a bit like living in a Disney movie!

On arrival at the camp we booked onto the sunrise and the sunset safaris; only £16 each for a 3 hour safari. They were amazing and the guides were so informative. We continued to self drive safari too and saw in total 26 species of mammals and many birds, eagles and owls. It surpassed all my expectations! Kruger is so full of wildlife, you will never be disappointed if you go on safari here.

Then we flew down to Cape Town, the most visited capital city in the world! We stayed in Trevoyan Guest House which was extremely comfortable and well located. The owners were very helpful recommending everything from days out, restaurants and safe places to park.

We were absolutely wowed by our ascent in the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, our city tour, our trips to Cape Point, Hout Bay market and Boulder Beach (to see the penguin colony) to name a few! We wined and dined in numerous Cape Town eateries that were just fabulous and so reasonably priced.

All in all it was the most fabulous holiday, that was very well planned with detailed itineraries and directions. We are so grateful to Far and Wild and would have no hesitation in recommending them to friends and family and indeed the whole world :)

Wondering when to visit? Take a look at this guide on the best time to visit South Africa.

Looking for some more inspiration? Take a look at our best safari holidays ideas, our favourite family safaris, our big five safari guide or our top African safari honeymoon suggestions.

If you'd like to plan a family holiday to South Africa, call our friendly experts on 01768 603 715 or fill in our enquiry form.