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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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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Cannot recommend enough

"I cannot recommend Cedarberg Africa enough, and more specifically, Mari Jacobs. I knew nothing about Africa and I thought it would be a wonderful place to go for our 2-week honeymoon. A co-worker had done a similar trip and passed along Mari’s name to me. She really is excellent at what she does and, most importantly at the time, she makes everything as stress-free as possible. " - Mrs Denise Rehrig, USA

Mr Chris Day, UK - Peter

"Peter couldn’t have been more helpful, and his suggestions were all relevant and useful to us. " - Mr Chris Day, UK

Thank you Cedarberg for the flawless planning and logistics

"I hope you have enjoyed a good summer – we got back from Namibia last Thursday and I wanted to send you some feedback. In short, we had a fantastic time and the logistics of flights, car hire, accommodation all worked perfectly so thank you Cedarberg for the flawless planning and logistics. Thanks again for your help. Hope to be back in touch to plan the next adventure ..." - Jeffery Family

It was by far the best experience we have ever had!!

"We are (regrettably) back from our trip and I wanted to let you know that it was by far the best experience we have ever had. The itinerary you designed for us was simply outstanding. Our guide in Cape Town was incredible and made sure we maximized our time, even throwing in little unexpected side trips to a wine farm, etc. The accommodations were top notch everywhere we stayed and the service ..." - Mrs Deb

It was a fabulous holiday

"I have booked through Cedarberg before and this is why I came back, as I was highly satisfied. This time it was a bit more complicated as Peter had less experience with Uganda himself and he had to communicate with Wildlife Frontiers a lot, which took time and some backwards and forwards. In the end it was so worth it, as it was a fabulous holiday. Peter also recommended the group experience an ..." - Mrs Monika Maintz

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?

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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...

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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....

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