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...

WHEN Apr - Dec

DURATION 6 Nights

FROM ₤ 1,995

View

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.

WHEN Jan - Dec

DURATION 11 Nights

FROM ₤ 13,626

View

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...

WHEN Apr - Dec

DURATION 5 Nights

FROM ₤ 1,336

View

Download our Insiders Guide to Family Safaris

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,...

RATING Luxury

BOOK NOW

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...

RATING Luxury

BOOK NOW

azura-marlin-Peri-Peri-Beach-Evening-1020

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...

RATING Premier

BOOK NOW

View More Accommodations

Everything went smoothly

"From the initial enquiry until the end of the holiday everything went smoothly. We were very happy with all aspects of the holiday. All the hotels were comfortable; well staffed; good food. " - Mrs Kate Mars, UK

Great to deal with

"Cedarberg were really great to deal with. The Drakensberg mountains were spectacular. We most enjoyed Victoria Falls that literally took your breath away. The river boat cruises at Livingstone were well worth it. Also getting so close to the animals at Umlani in the Timbavati, even the lions and leopards. " - Mr Martin Butler, UK

Special memories

"I would like to thank you for the very full and comprehensive travel documents you put together for us – it made our trip so easy! The organisation was perfect and it was so helpful to have contact names for our hosts along the way! Our trip has certainly wetted our appetite for more holidays farther from home and other parts is SA. I have no doubt we’ll be returning one day! My ove ..." - Mr Mo Hemsley, UK

You delivered us a near perfect experience

"We had a wonderful trip largely thanks Cedarberg Travel. THANK YOU!! Thank you again Mari. We had a trip packed with fun, laughter, wildlife and bucket showers, all at a relaxed pace which made us all believe we had a real holiday, even if it started at 5.am every morning! I believe that you gave us 3 wonderful lodges ( arguably best we have visited in the African continent all with their speci ..." - Mr Dennis Lee

Great Recommendations

"I am into the details and ask lots of questions and I got all the info that I needed (and more) very quickly, which enabled my review all of Cedarberg’s recommendations and check for alternatives. I am very pleased to say that I changed none and all of the recommendations were 1st class. " - Mr Ian Crispin, UK

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.

Family Beach Holidays | A deeper dive

What are the best beaches in Mauritius?

Want to go to the Beach? All can agree that Mauritius makes for a great beach holiday destination. With miles of powder-white beaches, turquoise lagoons that reflect every shade of blue in the...

READ

Cape Vidal – Bush & Beach in a day?

Cape Vidal, on South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal coast, offers a rare combination: a wildlife safari and a beach day all rolled into one. Only in KwaZulu-Natal can you spot a white rhino before...

READ

Southern Africa Beach Resorts - Thonga vs White Pearl

Executive Summary (TL;DR ) Both Thonga Beach Lodge (South Africa) and White Pearl Resorts (Mozambique) offer idyllic Indian Ocean escapes, but they’re designed for slightly different travellers....

READ