Never go on trips with anyone you do not love – Hemingway
Multigenerational travel has emerged as one of the defining travel trends for 2018 and is a great choice for families who want to reconnect whilst on holiday. Travelling together as a group, made up of mixed ages and extended family can be challenging but heaps of fun too. Remember different age groups will have different objectives and you need to look at those. Some will be looking to explore new places, others might be seeking cultural experiences or adventure. It is important to get the balance right between everyone’s needs. And don’t forget about rest and relaxation! Start your planning by discussing as a group what your destination will be. Get everyone involved and listen to the different motivations.
A tremendous idea is to look out for exclusive use accommodation – research villas, lodges or large, private houses. Booking an extensive, exclusive use property is definitely a great idea as everyone gets their own space and privacy which is perfect for individual expectations and routines. No surprise that Morukuru Family is extremely popular with family groups and here’s why:
Morukuru Family has a number of exclusive use properties in their portfolio – for example Ocean House, AtholPlace Villa and Morukuru Farm House in Madikwe (plus two other bush properties namely Owner’s House and River House). These options offer a dedicated general staff as well as specialised personnel like a private chef, knowledgeable bush ranger and even a butler. All meals and drinks are inclusive and you can work with our chef to prepare food experiences tailor made for your group. Sometimes children need menus to be tweaked for their preferences or perhaps one of the party has specific nutrition requirements. All of this is taken care of. Morukuru Family is committed to a unique Freedom Concept – which means there are no set agendas when it comes to having fun and spending quality time with your immediate and extended family. The Morukuru Freedom Concept has been designed to offer guests total freedom with regards to the activities and the meals they prefer to enjoy ,meaning guests can decide what they want to do, when they want, with no fixed time schedule . Each day is customised by you to satisfy the interests and abilities of the whole group so groups can get involved in a dedicated activity hosted by staff or can choose to split up to take full advantage of the the array of pastimes to select from.
For example at Ocean House, the younger members of the group can set off on a marine walk, exploring the beach and rock pools whilst under the watchful eye of our experienced marine rangers; another group can set off independently to explore the fynbos on our mountain bikes and a couple can relax alone next to the pool whilst catching up with a great book. Everyone can come together over meal times and share their experiences. The same applies in the bush.
Perhaps the adults are keen to get up early for some sunrise game-watching but the younger children would prefer to try their hand at some biscuit baking or crafting. Often groups choose to break up during the day – participating in different activities but regroup during meal times to compare notes.
Recently we received a delightful card from a family that had chosen to spend time with us at Ocean House. They had designed a trip of a lifetime to celebrate the remarkable 50 year wedding anniversary of one set of grandparents. On the outside the card read : “The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been and the memories we have made along the way.” The inscription inside read: “ Thank you for showing us that group of 10 assorted human beings can travel long-haul together, across three time zones, touch down in South Africa, make our way to to Ocean House, spend ten glorious days in De Hoop and live to tell the tale and then some! When we got back home we had a reunion dinner and decided to adopt the following motto: “ Adventures Together!”.
Morukuru Family has been created by a family for family and we love to witness these memorable times created by special families.
Bon Voyage and happy travelling!
