Family Beach Holidays in Africa | Best Destinations & Safaris

Overview

Children and beaches are a natural match, which is why most of our featured beach destinations work brilliantly for families. South Africa’s coastline offers rolling breakers ideal for body boarding and surfing. Great fun, though waves do add a layer of caution for younger and newer swimmers. By contrast, most Mauritius and Zanzibar beaches sit behind protective coral reefs, creating gentle lagoon waters that suit paddle-happy toddlers and those keen on a wider range of water sports.

Safari & Beach Family Holidays - Other factors to consider:

A few practical questions help shape the right itinerary:

Do you want to avoid extra flights?
South Africa is the easiest option: KwaZulu-Natal or a combination of the Garden Route and Eastern Cape offer seamless safari-to-beach travel by road.
How far do you want to fly?
Mauritius (and the Seychelles) have glorious family-friendly beaches, but usually require a longer flight plus an overnight stay en route.

What kind of beach do you prefer?
Surfable waves or calm lagoon waters?

When are you travelling?
Northern Hemisphere summer means winter in the Cape — lovely for coastal walks, less ideal for sunbathing. For warm beach weather in July/August, look to northern South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius or Zanzibar.

Family-friendly combinations include:

A South Africa beach, safari and sightseeing holiday
South Africa plus Mozambique or Mauritius
Tanzania safari plus Zanzibar, or Kenya with its idyllic coastline

Ready to build new family memories? Let’s design a beach-and-safari journey that everyone will love, from toddlers to teens.

Other Safari & Beach Family Holiday Articles

Popular tours & safaris

Benguerra Island Fly-In

This short fly-in beach holiday to Benguerra Island in Mozambique is the perfect end to an exciting African safari or honeymoon. With its white, palm-fringed beaches and coral reefs, the easy vibe...

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Bush, Beach & Cape Town Family Breakaway

A relaxed 11-night family bush & beach safari from Phinda’s wildlife to Maputaland’s golden beaches with a Cape Town finale.

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Lake Malawi Beach Retreats including Kaya Mawa

An island beach holiday on Lake Malawi is ideal for honeymooners, couples and families. Combine it with a safari or simply enjoy a week away from the world. Stay at the romantic Kaya Mawa on...

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Family-friendly Destinations, types of Family accommodation, sample tours & useful tips & tricks Get our Free Family Safari guide

Accommodation

Thonga Beach Lodge

Thonga Beach Lodge is a stylish and relaxed beach lodge on the shores of the secluded Mabibi bay in Coastal Maputaland. Mabibi Bay is a magical place with a long sandy beach, snorkelling reefs,...

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Kaya Mawa

Exclusive lodge on Likoma Island , remote island retreat in the middle of Lake Malawi. Kaya Mawa is both full of character & architecturally innovative, as befits this unique and unspoilt...

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Azura Marlin Beach

Azura Marlin Beach, a reborn gem in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, offers a barefoot boutique retreat on Benguerra Island, blending modern luxury with African charm and Portuguese...

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10 out of 10 for everything

"The holiday was exceptionally good and we all enjoyed every moment, especially my son Stephen (10 years old). The fact that Stephen enjoyed it says a lot since he is a seasoned traveller (as are most expat kids) having been to almost 20 countries already in his lifetime. We returned with more than a thousand photos and wonderful memories of what Africa can offer at its best " - Family De Waal,

A varied and fantastic holiday that we will never forget

"Milandi interpreted all our needs perfectly and the tailor-made holiday was way beyond our expectations. As a first time visitor to South Africa, we were quite apprehensive about safety, but all the places chosen for us to stay in were comfortable and hospitable. " - Mr Andrew Thompson

I have been recommending you!

"Thank you so much Milandi! We had such a great time and experienced so much. I have been recommending you to some people as well. Everything is well organized and everyone was very pleasant. " - Mrs Claudia

Thank you for arranging such an excellent trip!!

"I would like to thank you for arranging such an excellent trip to see the wildflowers in the Cape, and especially for selecting our guide. He was perfect in all respects. He knew where to take us, knew the identities of most of the flowers and plants, and was a font of knowledge about southern Africa. As for the flowers, we couldn’t have picked a better year or a better time, and your ..." - Mr Bell

Holiday of a lifetime

"Just wanted to write a quick note to say a big thank you for all your help in arranging what was a fantastic trip for the three of us. My dad loved every minute of it. And said it was a holiday of a lifetime – which is what I of course had hoped it would be for all of us. " - Jo & Family

Frequently asked questions

It depends on your time of travel. Winter in the Cape (June–August) is better for beach walks than swimming, while Mauritius, Mozambique and Zanzibar all offer reliably warm conditions for summer-holiday travel from Europe or North America.

Mauritius and Zanzibar are excellent choices thanks to their protective coral reefs, which create warm, gentle lagoon waters ideal for cautious swimmers and toddlers with buckets and masks. Machangulo in Mozambique also has access to calmer lagoon waters.

Yes. Mauritius excels here, with many resorts offering well-run kids’ clubs and trusted babysitting. Several Seychelles resorts also provide child-friendly programmes, though offerings vary by hotel.

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