Staying at Zoutpan Ostrich and Guest Farm is a delightful experience for youngsters of any age and affords them the facility to see nature in a different perspective and smell air that smells of fynbos instead of smog.They need never be bored as there are endless activities for them to look forward to.
For the younger ones there are many wholesome activities to do on the farm itself.Here they will observe that milk does not come out of a carton and have the oportunity to milk a cow. See hens laying eggs and bottle-feed the lambs.
They will also mark the difference in size between a hens egg and an ostrich egg and follow the lifecycle of an ostrich from egg to maturity, hearing all the stories about what ostriches eat, what they do and perhaps even see the males doing their mating dance. They can also see the Arabian horses being groomed and ridden.
Bring bicycles for the older ones, who can follow the trails through the fynbos, seeing any number of birds on the way, or take them to the nearby Gouritz river bridge for quad-biking or bungee jumping.
On a farm nearby are the big five for them to marvel at, while at Stillbay or Mossel Bay there is great swimming on long sandy white beaches, boating, fishing, canoeing, horseriding and lots of other activities.
Mossel Bay has some interesting historical museums and they can watch the miniature ship-builders build their small replicas of real, bigger ships. Take a boat trip to see the seals, dolphins and whales in season, swim, search for sea-shells or visit the sea-shell museum or go to the township for a cultural tour.
Spend a day at Outdshoorn and learn about the history of the ostrich in this country. Visit a working ostrich farm and ride on of their birds. There are a couple of really interesting museums to take in, before you visit the world renowned Cango Caves with its timeless stalagtites and stalagmites - a journey not to be missed. Take a camel ride at Wilgewandel Farm, go quad-biking or learn to abseil.
Enjoy the Experience of a Lifetime and Walk with Wild Meerkats in Nature with research biologist Grant McIlrath (aka Meerkatman), while he opens your eyes to the veld.Close by is the Cango wildlife ranch where there is a host of activities on offer, plus the opportunity to view quite a few endangered species up close. Let the young ones wander around the Kiddies farm yard where they can connect with nature by feeding and cuddling the hand reared rabbits, guinea pigs and goats.
Take the Outeniqua Choo-tjoe train along the Garden Route from George to Knysna and back, all trains departing from and arriving at the new Choo-Tjoe station at the Outeniqua Railway Museum and passengers can enjoy a visit to the Museum as well as a trip on a steam train. Children can take a ride on the miniature steam train at the museum.
While in Knysna, take them to visit the elephant park and see the first baby ellie to be born there. .A ferry ride across the lagoon is a great way to see the Knysna heads and get a full view of the lagoon. Visitors can hire boats and canoes from various boating companies and a number of charter options are available for deep sea fishing or whale and dolphin watching The best time for watching whales is from August to October.
At Noetzie visit the estuaryand secluded beach which is famous because of the fairytale castles surrounding the beach that make it look like a scene from medieval times.
In Plettenberg Bay a visit to Birds of Eden, the garden route’s very own world class free flight bird sanctuary is a must. The unique two hectare dome (the World’s largest) spans over a gorge of indigenous forest. The sanctuary has its own mysterious ruin, which incorporates a walk-behind waterfall.
Monkeyland is right next door, and guides will take you where primates of 16 differing species (including the endangered ring-tailed lemur) also roam freely in the forest. Here is the world's longest suspension bridge. Part of the safari is across a canopy walk, which actually rises above the forest canopy for a birds eye view of this primate paradise.
