What a Family Safari at Gondwana Is Really Like (Day-by-Day)

Curious about how you’ll spend your time on a family safari? I know I was when I first started researching our trip to South Africa. I had all the usual concerns – would the kids get bored, grumpy and tired? Would we get enough to eat? Is it safe???? How will we actually spend our time? So I thought it would be helpful to share what those long safari days actually look like.

Gondwana Game Reserve

I knew I wanted a family friendly safari near Cape Town as we didn’t want the hassle of an additional flight to Kruger. It also needed to fit in with our Garden Route self drive itinerary. After heaps of research, I landed on Gondwana Game Reserve which is just 4 hours drive from Cape Town and 20 minutes from Mossel Bay. It’s home to the Big Five – Lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and leopards and is Malaria free. Plus it looked super luxurious so ticked all our boxes. Most Game reserve follow a similar pattern so this should be relevant wherever you’re staying.

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How Many Days Should I spend on Safari with kids

We opted for a two night safari. In a smallish Game Reserve like Gondwana it was plenty of time. Our booking included 4 game drives although we only made it for three – skipping the sunset drive on our first night as we arrived too late. I was worried that the kids would get bored but actually I think we could have added an extra night and another couple of Game Drives. It really is that much fun. Just remember, your safari nights are likely to be the most expensive of your South African itinerary so another night considerably adds cost.

What is a typical day on a family safari in South Africa?

This is absolutely what I wanted to know before booking so here’s exactly what you can expect on your visit to a South African Game Reserve.

If you would like more information about where we stayed, read my full review of Gondwana Game Reserve.

Day 1 – Arrival

We were driving to Gondwana from Franschhoek just outside of Cape Town. We had spent the previous day on the Franschhoek wine tram and at Grande Provence vineyard so had a fairly late start to the day. We spent the morning exploring beautiful Franschhoek and enjoying the pool at the fabulous Belmont Hotel before hitting the road just before midday.

The drive from Franschhoek to Gondwana should take under 4 hours but we didn’t arrive until half five as we took it slow taking in the views on some amazing roads and stopping for lunch at The Bakers Dozen in Swellendam. Therefore we missed the first game drive.

This felt totally fine and unrushed which was important travelling with kids – I would just make sure you arrive before dark. The roads can be dangerous and it’s a little hard to find. If we had arrived earlier then we could check in from one for lunch, then taken part in the first game drive at 3.30pm.

On arrival we checked in and enjoyed a quick drink in the bar taking in the stunning surrounds of Gondwana. Our Lehele Lodge was located about 15 minutes drive from the main lodge at Gondwana so we had to wait for a ranger we could follow to find our lodge. I’m so glad we did, I don’t think we’d have ever found it if we weren’t in convoy plus it was pitch black! We also came across some pretty exciting sightings on that first self drive – we inched past a lion sleeping on the sandy road and were surprised when a buffalo walked out in front of us.

The excitement only increased when we arrived at our 4 bed lodge just before 8pm. It was absolutely huge and beautifully decorated in a modern South African style. Then it was the rush to choose rooms – lay out everyone’s safari clothes for the following morning and a double check of the alarm before an early night in the super comfy beds.

Day 2 – Game Drives

So this is where the real excitement begins. And also the early starts! We had to make our way to the main lodge for 6am for our first game drive which meant leaving our lodge at 5.30am, again in the dark. We dragged the teenagers out of bed at 5am with only a few moans and groans, it helped that we have laid out everything we needed the night before. I had also packed a bag with snacks, water, suncream and extra layers. It’s super cold at that time of the morning. It was a little scary doing that drive on our own but we didn’t come across any interesting creatures this time.

Breakfast

On arriving at the lodge we were greeted with fresh croissants, snacks and hot coffee. Very much appreciated for the early start. Then we met our ranger for the day and headed to our safari vehicle. These open topped 4 x 4s hold nine passengers so it was great that we could all sit together.

Gondwana supplied waterproof ponchos and cosy blankets which we wore pretty much the whole drive. Along with hoodies and beanies. It really was that cold!

The Rangers

Game drives last between 3 and 4 hours and all the rangers we went out with were super lovely, knowledgeable and careful. They communicate with each other via radio to update on wildlife sightings but we were rarely in the same place with other vehicles. They drive around checking for tracks, poo and broken bush but many of the larger animals are hard to miss. If the ranger feels they have a good sighting they’ll extend your drive a bit to ensure everyone sees as much as possible.

What we saw

Our first drive was three hours and I can’t believe how much we saw. Elephants, impalas, hippos, lions, buffalo and rhinos, all on drive number one! This was so lucky and made sure the kids stayed awake for the whole time we were out.

We also stopped after about two hours to get out of the vehicle and stretch our legs. The rangers know where is safe and keep a close eye on everyone. They laid out some coffee, hot chocolate and rusks for us to enjoy. We were even joined by some ostriches who seemed to want to steal the blankets from our car. They had to be chased off several times – hilarious!

Then it was back to the lodge where we could have stayed for breakfast and a swim but we just headed straight back to our accommodation, exhilarated but exhausted!

Free Time

We had six hours in our lodge before we had to leave for our next drive. It sounds like a lot of down time, especially if you have kids but honestly it went pretty quick. Everyone took themselves back to bed for a couple of hours, we made a light lunch, edited photos and read our books. Then it was time to repack the back pack for our evening drive.

Whilst we were happy to stay around the lodge, we could have taken part in the junior ranger programme – where kids head out with a ranger to learn about tracking, identifying birds and insects and learning about the Fynbos ecosystem.

Sunset Game Drive

At 3pm it was time to head back to main reception for our afternoon Game Drive. This time we passed a hed of elephants on our way making sure we gave them plenty of space to cross the road. We had some snacks at the lodge, found our ranger and headed back out into the bush.

On this drive we saw Wildebeest, a herd of giraffe, elephants, rhinos, hippos, zebra, impalas, and the same lions we saw in the morning enjoying an afternoon doze. None of it felt rushed and the rangers were happy to answer any of our questions.

We arrived back at the lodge just before six having worked up an appetite for dinner.

The Food at Gondwana

We decided to have dinner in the main Kwena Lodge. The menu was fantastic with locally sourced and freshly prepared ingredients. There were plenty of kid friendly options – our two opted for a burger which was huge! We also tried the steak and the curry, both were excellent as were the rather indulgent desserts. Then it was straight back to our lodge to get ready for our second early morning drive.

Day 3 – Morning drives and check out

We had another eventful drive in to the lodge for our 6am start. This time we came across 3 huge Rhinos clustered around the road. I’ll admit, this had me a little freaked out. You’re told to give all the animals plenty of space and not cut them off from each other. Ideally you just wait for them to cross the road. But these massive creatures were stubbornly not moving and they were easily the same size as our cars. After waiting about ten minutes to see what they would do (and trying to get in touch with the lodge on the phone with no signal) we slowly inched our way through the middle of them. All was fine, if not a little nerve wracking.

The Sunrise Game Drive

For our final game drive of the stay we were treated to a stunning sunrise although the kids mostly missed it as they had a snooze in the back.

As we had ticked off most of the sightings we wanted the day before we agreed to take this drive at a slightly slower pace, looking for the smaller, harder to find creatures who call Gondwana home. Our ranger detailed exactly how he tracks the animals and pointed our big cat footprints and trampled down parts of the bush. The roads we took on this drive seemed slightly less travelled, essentially we were off roading which was an adventure in itself.

Again we stopped for drinks half way round and took in the surroundings with a cheeky Amarula coffee and rusks. This was a slightly longer stop and a great opportunity to ask all those questions you don’t think of when you’re driving.

Not all game drives will be full of the big five but I think they’re just as magical. It gives you the chance to take in the vastness of the surroundings, spot birds, insects and watch the various herds interact.

Check Out

Check out at Gondwana is 11am. We arrived back to the lodge at 9.30am so we just had time to drive the 15 minutes back to our lodge, pack our bags then head back to reception to drop off the key.

I’m not going to lie, it was pretty hard leaving Gondwana. The whole experience was magical from start to finish. But it was time to continue on with our Garden Route itinerary. Next up a quick stop at Mossel Bay.

FAQs About a Family Safari at Gondwana Game Reserve

Is Gondwana good for families?
Yes—this is exactly why we chose it. Being malaria-free and close to Cape Town made it feel like a much easier (and less stressful) first safari with kids.

Will the kids get bored?
This was one of my biggest worries—and they didn’t at all. Every drive is different, and even the quieter ones still feel like an adventure. Yes they had a short nap on the second one but they didn’t really miss much.

Are the days too long for kids?
It really does depend on your kids. The early starts are balanced with a big chunk of downtime in the middle of the day, which everyone definitely needs. I recommend throwing the sleep schedule out of the window and just letting them sleep whenever they can for as long as they like. It’s only a few days and well worth it to avoid the grumps.

How early are the mornings?
Very! We were up around 5am most days. It sounds brutal, but once you’re out there spotting animals at sunrise, it’s 100% worth it.

What should you wear on a game drive?
Layers, layers, layers. It’s freezing first thing (we wore everything we had), then warms up quickly later in the day. Gondwana provide super cosy ponchos that are a little like dry robes and blankets to coy up together. I would say a wool hat is an essential here.

Is it safe to drive around on your own?
Yes—but you do need to be sensible. Give animals space, take it slow, and don’t attempt anything risky (even if a rhino is blocking the road…). Ask at the main lodge on arrival for what to do in an emergency but when we asked the rangers they reassured us that no self drivers had any problems. These are wil animals but they are used to cars.

What if you miss a game drive?
Don’t stress—we missed one and still saw so much. There are plenty of chances to spot wildlife across your stay.

Is the food ok for kids?
More than ok. There were loads of kid-friendly options and the portions were huge—no one went hungry.

How many game drives do you actually do?
Usually two a day—one early morning and one in the afternoon. Over two nights, that typically works out as four drives.

Will you definitely see the Big Five?
There are no guarantees, but we were lucky and saw them all apart from leopards. Either way, it’s not just about ticking animals off a list—the whole experience is incredible.

Is two nights enough?
Yes—for us it worked perfectly. But if you have the budget, I’d absolutely add an extra night.