The perfect family holiday at the Wild Coast Sun

Growing up in the Northern Cape and having most of my family living in Cape Town, our family holidays consisted of travelling the 1,000km down to freezing waters of the Western Cape.

The one thing you certainly do not do when you go there in July is even look at the beach, let alone take on the stupid mission of stepping foot on the sand.

So when I was offered the chance to go to the Wild Coast Sun in July I most certainly had my reservations.

But my eight-year-old twin boys Ethan and Riley had never seen the sea in real life so it was an offer I could not turn down.

When I told them we were going to go to the beach, you could swear they were offered VIP box tickets to a Rugby World Cup final involving the Springboks. They were over the moon, to say the least.

But my past experiences of the coast in July made me less than enthusiastic, and when we started packing, I had the mindset of stocking up on clothes like I was taking a trip to the arctic.

We embarked on our journey from Johannesburg at 4am, dressed accordingly.

The temperature gauge on the car was barely touching one degree Celsius and I was preparing for the worst.

But as we got closer to the Wild Coast Sun, the layers of clothing started to come off and the excitement started to build.

By the time we parked the car, it felt like we had teleported to another planet. We were all in shorts and T-shirts.

Clearly, the people residing on this side of the world were not nearly as surprised as we were because the beautiful reception area of the resort was laden with bright yellow #SUMMER signs.

We were greeted by smiling Cynthia Nene, the marketing manager of the resort, who instantly made us feel like we were more important than any guests who had ever been there.

After a welcome chat, she showed us to our room – a luxury sea-facing family suite. And, finally, our holiday had begun.

Unpacking was barely done and the boys wanted to go for a swim.

Luckily, the massive resort pool was a stone’s throw away from our room.

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After about an hour of splashing around – at 4.30pm in July – we had to force them to get out so we could start getting ready for dinner.

A buffet dinner and breakfast was another thing the boys were looking forward to. Ethan was going out to break the record for eating the most bacon, and Riley was going to pig out on waffles and flapjacks.

After stuffing ourselves on an array of courses, my wife and I were not prepared for what was about to happen next.

Walking around familiarising ourselves with our surroundings, we suddenly heard children going berserk.

We had made a mistake. We had walked straight into the Magic Company. The boys eyes lit up, and instantly we realised our budget was about take a massive knock.

After two hours of playing games and collecting tickets like they were possessed, we had to cut them off, knowing there were still more nights of this in our future.

Having children under the age of 10 who clearly believe sleep is for the weak, day two started at 7am.

After yet another session of making total gluttons of ourselves at the buffet breakfast, it was time to go to the water park.

We were greeted to a magnificent array of pools, slides and super tubes that would fill any water baby with tons of joy.

The boys were in their elements in a massive contraption made for kids, filled with all sorts of things water, including a massive pineapple which tipped over randomly, releasing a tsunami of waves.

With the mercury reaching a humid 25°C before midday, it was time for the beach.

The Wild Coast Sun is blessed with a beautiful private beach just for its residents, about a five-minute walk from our room.

The first feel of beach sand on their feet gave the boys a sense of nervous excitement as they just stared at the crashing waves of the ocean.

A little overawed at first, they made their way to the water and I felt a sense of pride because my boys were about to swim in the sea.

The water was so warm as they jumped over the waves and built sand castles in the baking sun. Life was good.

We had an array of activities to choose from, which included quadbiking, a segway trip around the resort, horseback riding on the beach and even a massage at the spa.

But knowing we had the unlimited energy of two eight-year-old boys to contend with, we decided to take a more tranquil boat cruise on the river.

It was a lovely trip and we had a massive ferry all to ourselves.

Even the twins were happy to take in the beautiful natural surroundings.

The ferry captain, who has years of experience, gave up his very important spot and let my boys be the skipper.

With the twins at the helm, we enjoyed a breathtaking sunset.

Life was very good. Our three days of relaxation felt like three minutes but it was an experience none of us will ever forget.

I would certainly recommend the journey to the Wild Coast to anyone. Even in July.

An adventure for all ages at the seaside

Sun International’s breathtakingly beautiful four-star Wild Coast Sun is the perfect family holiday destination.

Flanked by ocean, river, lagoon and 750 hectares of lush indigenous bush, the property boasts an R80-million water park, games area for children, outdoor sports, a top-ranked 18-hole golf course, casino and a range of restaurants.

The area abounds in adventure. Choose from deep-sea fishing, rock, surf, fly or spear fishing, scuba diving, hiking trails and horseback riding on the beach.

Walk along sandy beaches, where the only footprints are your own, or hunt for relics from old shipwrecks along the coast.

At the Mtamvuna River visitors can try paddle-boating, canoeing or simply relaxing on a river cruise.

Take a guided walk on the stretch of beach between the Wild Coast Sun and the Mzamba River and see the petrified forest, representing the fossilised remains of an ancient marine environment deposited during the Cretaceous period, some 85-million years ago.

For thrilling adult entertainment, the casino has a wide range of slot machines and popular tables games such as roulette, blackjack and other classics.

Both smoking and non-smoking facilities are available.

The championship 18-hole Wild Coast Sun Golf Course is famed for its magnificently curated fairways and greens which cross a rugged terrain of hills, ravines, rivers, dams, waterfalls and the lagoon, with unforgettable views of the Indian Ocean.

Land-based sports are mostly located at the Sports Centre, which houses a gymnasium, lawn bowls, squash and tennis.

The entire family will enjoy the adrenalin rush of Wild Waves Water Park, which boasts some of the world’s best water rides.

Choose from a gentle Lazy River tube experience, to fast-paced, heart-pounding body slides, tube rides and flume experiences.

Located just 5km from Port Edward, the resort straddles the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. It is a two-hour drive from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.

Sun International’s only beach resort was the sixth casino property to be built in South Africa.

Today, with Sun City it remains one of the original six. Sun City opened two years earlier, in December 1979.

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