November 28, 2023by Sasha Ella

Together is our favourite place to be

Making memories – together

The best memories are those of people you love, the places you have seen together and the experiences you have shared with one another – Anon

Holidaying as a family has numerous benefits. It creates lasting memories as you discover and experience things together. Being introduced to new environments, cultures and traditions encourages discussion and broadens appreciation of our diversity, be it of man or nature. Travel is rich in learning experiences and where better to unwind, escape and connect than at a Mantis property in Africa?

Educational excursions

Mantis Founders Lodge, an hour’s drive from Gqeberha in South Africa, is the birthplace of Eastern Cape conservation and the ideal base for a family holiday. Besides offering guided driving and walking safaris within the 25 000ha wilderness area to see the Big 5, it is home to the Founders Lodge Kids Conservation Warriors’ programme. This includes a Bear Grylls Survival Academy experience.

Bear Grylls, well-known adventurer and television personality, shares the Mantis passion for education. He invites young adventurers to join this outdoor experience to learn some of his key survival techniques, before putting them to the test. In just two hours, aspirant ‘survivors’ learn what it takes to make it in the wild!

Founders Lodge also offers rhino observation and monitoring. A crucial part of helping this endangered species survive, is supplementing their feed. While they are feeding rangers observe and record data, including the condition and behaviour of the rhinos. Guests – of any age – are welcome to join the rangers to learn more about rhinos and to participate in the daily feeding and monitoring as well as help to record vital information for the research database.

When not out on an adventure, there is a beautiful swimming pool, museum, billiards and a gym plus the new photographic hide! Accommodation is in beautifully appointed, comfortable, family suites or you can cocoon as a family by booking the exclusive use of the restored Founders Railway Carriage, permanently stationed on a ‘siding’ on a hill in the reserve. It has its own outdoor deck, private swimming pool, dining area and boma.

Cultural experiences

The Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites in Rwanda’s Eastern Province district of Nyagatare is an unsurpassed outdoor classroom. Here children can learn about the butterfly garden, the birds, bees, fish, chickens …even donkeys and the important role animals play within the eco system.

Located near the northern entrance of Akagera National Park, the EPIC Hotel offers a variety of experiences from traditional village walks, to viewing the wonders of Rwanda’s wildlife and landscapes. All activities are eco–friendly and celebrate Rwandese culture, traditions and way of life.

The Akagera National Park is the only Big 5 reserve in Rwanda, it also offers exceptional birdlife. There are 500 recorded species, its great interactive fun and challenge (even if you aren’t a twitcher) to spot and identify them – including the rare swamp-dwelling Sitatunga, the Shoebill stork, endangered papyrus Gonolex and much sought-after Red-faced Barbet.

The restaurant – serving seasonal, locally grown organic vegetables – offers a wide range of dining options and the fitness centre provides a place to stay active and energised during your stay. If you’re looking to unwind then the tranquillity and serenity of the spa with a pool, sauna and treatment rooms is the place to be. Or you can have a ‘family vs family’ tennis or basketball match. There’s also a fantastic children’s playroom and large family rooms.

It offers something for everyone and is the perfect blend of luxury, local culture and sustainable tourism.

If we experience life through the eyes of a child, everything would be magical and extraordinary. Let our curiosity, adventure and wonder of life never end – Akiane Kramarik

Desert delights

Situated in the most untouched part of Africa, the Kalahari Desert in Botswana is Feline Fields by Mantis. This luxurious safari lodge offers families the opportunity to experience a unique combination of nature, culture and heritage. The remote wilderness is the ancestral homeland of Africa’s first people – the San Bushmen.

Activities include meeting the San, seeing how they live in harmony with nature, surviving on foods foraged from the veld and natural medicine. Learn more about their culture and folklore through their fascinating storytelling.

Or you can go desert biking – on a mountain bike – on a game drive or guided walk, horse riding, play a game of tennis or even get in some golf practice.

The pool allows you cool off after a day in the desert, traversing the vast, arid landscapes. There is a family villa – with a private pool – and a child friendly menu. Completely off-grid, using state-of-the-art solar technology, this is an authentic desert safari experience. An oasis for the mind and body, where you can pause, reflect and relax so that you are in tune with nature.

When you travel with children you are giving something that can never be taken away: Experience, exposure and a way of life. – Pamela Chandler

Unplug and reconnect

Mantis Akagera Game Lodge, located at the top of a hill at the southern tip of the Akagera National Park, has elevated views across the savannah to Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s biggest lake (100km²) that borders Tanzania. It is the perfect base from which to explore the Park with its diverse habitats – from lakes to marshes, mountains, woodlands and the largest protected wetland in central Africa. Along with the Big 5 and abundant birdlife, the Park is home to a variety of wildlife species: Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hyena, crocodiles, vervet monkeys, bush babies, antelope …and more.

Accommodation combines modern luxury with rustic charm and there are several inter-leading family rooms to cater for families. All have spectacular views.

Activities include guided game drives and superb bird watching. There is a children’s outdoor play area with a dedicated pool and adventure filled holiday activities.

Adventures: They’re the best gift you could ever give your kids

Quality family time

In the heart of the Cape winelands is the Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis – a luxurious hotel situated on the Val de Vie Estate between Franschhoek and Paarl. It’s an ideal location for a family holiday – whatever the season – and a great base from which to explore the neighbouring region.

On the estate itself is the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf course plus a kiddie’s pool and play area, walking and running trails, a 42km mountain bike route, a gym with a yoga and pilates studio, a swimming pool as well as basketball, squash, tennis and padel courts. You can also visit some of the Impact Projects which include owl and bat rehoming projects.

Surrounded by Drakenstein mountain range, the active and diverse lifestyle of Pearl Valley offers outdoor activities for the whole family, outstanding restaurants and bar areas.

Within close proximity are wine estates and restaurants with child friendly entertainment areas: Farm animals, picnic sites, treehouses and climbing walls. You can visit Butterfly World or the Franschhoek Motor Museum with its 220 vehicles and various exhibits. Or get creative with ceramic painting at the Clay Café.

Don’t just tell your children about the world, show them.

As custodians of the habitats in which we operate and work, we are passionate about protecting our natural environment. It’s not just about the big things – every little thing contributes to the greater good for our environment, our animals and our people.

Join us to discover, connect and share experiences together – in nature. It’s never too early or late to be curious and to experience life through the eyes of a child. To make memories that last a lifetime.