Seven ‘must-do’ Ballito holiday adventures

Keeping the kids busy this holidays is no easy task.

While our beaches are the obvious drawcard, we are spoilt for choice with some of the best family fun in KZN.

Here are seven of our favourite favourites this holidays.

1. Valley of Lights 

Sugar Rush Park has teamed up with Magic Lighting to create a spectacular experience for the whole family with Valley of Lights this holidays until January 1.

From 6pm to 9.30pm every night Sugar Rush Park will be wrapped up and decorated in Christmas lights, creating a wonderland of colour.

Entertainment and fun activity corners will be available for kids, including night-time putt-putt, forest walks, extreme inflatables, a kids play zone, train rides, the jump park and helicopter rides for the whole family. You can even get your photo taken with Santa.

Tickets are R60 for prior bookings or R70 at the door. Food and drinks will be on sale. Visit computicket.com or @valleyoflightssa on Instagram or Facebook.

2. Monkeyland 

Monkeyland-KZN is a free-roaming sanctuary for exotic primates raised in captivity, located 27 minutes inland from Ballito.

Guided tours of this 23-hectare indigenous forest take between an hour and an hour and 20 minutes.

If you’re lucky, you might see the ringtailed lemurs soaking up the sun or capuchins and squirrel monkeys foraging for insects; maybe you’ll hear the call of the black howler monkey, the loudest land mammal in the world.

Monkeyland-KZN is running an incredible special offer over summer – all day tickets are half price until January 31, so R150 per adult and R75 per child.

Tickets are valid for the whole day so why not go on tour, enjoy a pizza lunch at the restaurant and then go on a second tour; the kids will love playing on the jungle gym while your pizzas are being made. Monkeyland-KZN is a fantastic day out for the whole family.

It is recommended that you wear comfortable closed shoes for your guided walk through the forest and apply mosquito repellent.

Visit www.monkeyland.co.za or contact them at 032 004 0178.

3. Tidal Tao snorkelling safaris 

A guided snorkeling trip in some of the most beautiful spots on the coastline.

You can expect to see at least 20-50 species of fish, corals, a wide variety of invertebrates and big shoals swimming around, including Moray Eels, Parrotfish, Damsels, Surgeons, Butterflyfish and loads of other colourful fish.

Snorkeling safaris are arranged by prior booking and cost R320 per adult or child over 10 years old. R150 for children between six and 10. Children under five are free as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

Visit www.tidaltao.co.za, call 079 307 0608 or send an email to snorkel@tidaltao.com.

4. Club Venture zipline

For a totally different experience, you can do a zip line tour at Club Venture, situated only 15 km inland from Ballito.

Guides will strap you into your harness, provide a briefing and accompany your group, while you experience your adventure from a bird’s eye view. The two-hour tour will see you slide along steel zipline cables from platform to platform across the Sampoya River.

Enjoy a leisurely nature walk to the top of the cliff and be introduced to the all new parazip which enables you to experience a feeling of parachuting down the mountain while being safely attached to a zipline cable.

Suitable for ages five to 75, this adventure is a must for the whole family.

Open six days a week – Sunday to Friday from 8am till 5pm, closing at 3pm on Friday.

Contact 082 414 2448 or 032 942 8014.

5. Ballito Cable Ski Park 

The Ballito Cable Ski Park is maxed out with exciting sports and adventure.

The water sports make use of a cable ski, which is 350 metres long and nine metres high.

A lifeguard is on duty and there are safe swimming zones clearly laid out for swimmers.

The ski park also has a café, a sheltered seating area from where to watch the fun, a sundowner viewing deck, a grassy area that is ideal for picnics, and a fire pit.

Contact 032 815 1165.

6. Go-Karting

Older kids looking for a thrill will love go-karting.

Put on your helmet and hit the accelerator at Ace Karting at the Ballito Junction (Parking Level 3 outside entrance 3). For R100 you get 20 laps or go for gold and pay R150 for 30 laps around the track.

Ace Karting is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am till 6pm out of season and everyday in season. All ages are welcome, so grab the family and book your spot at 082 867 9955.

7. Snow Globe

Parents need look no further than Ballito Junction which is delighting kids with a do-it-yourself slime station.

The fun however does not end with the sticky, squishy goodness parents will never understand, but kids will also be able to enjoy a larger-than-life snow globe in the Urban Eatery until December 31.

Some amazing prizes are also up for grabs and to win is quite simple. All you have to do is snap a selfie or bring together some friends or even the entire family for a photo and use the hashtag #SnowGlobeBallito when posting the photograph to either Facebook or Instagram.

One winner will be chosen each week until the competition comes to a close on December 31.

Download The North Coast Courier mobile app, now available free from the Apple iStore and on Google Play, for IOS and Android phones.