KZN Midlands family weekend itinerary
The Midlands Meander is one of those South African touring routes that looks great in the magazine spread and gets complicated the moment you try to do it with a two-year-old. There are too many stops, the distances are deceptively long, and a lot of the "destinations" are craft shops and weavers' studios that hold a child's attention for about four minutes.
Done right, though, it's an excellent family weekend: green hills, decent guesthouse options, three or four genuinely kid-grade attractions, and air clean enough that everyone sleeps deeply.
Here's the working two-night plan we'd recommend for a family with kids aged 5–11 driving from Durban or Joburg.
Where to base yourself
Don't try to stay in three different places over the weekend. Pick one base and do day-trips.
Two areas work best for families:
- Around Howick / Karkloof. Central, close to the most kid-attractive stops, easy access to Howick Falls. Look for self-catering cottages on a farm — Joburg families especially do well here. Most farms have horses, dogs, ducks and a fence; that's nine-tenths of what a child needs from a weekend.
- Around Nottingham Road / Lidgetton. Slightly further north, more rolling-hills atmosphere, closer to the brewery and pottery stops adults like. Family-grade options exist; ask specifically about the play area before booking.
Day 1: Arrival and Howick Falls
If you're coming from Durban, the drive is about 90 minutes — schedule arrival for late morning. From Joburg it's a full driving day; plan accordingly and don't try to do anything on arrival.
The first stop on arrival should be Howick Falls. The viewpoint is free, accessible by car, and the falls themselves are spectacular enough to keep kids engaged for 30 minutes without input from a parent. There's a small market and curio area. Toilet access. Pram-friendly.
Combine with lunch at a nearby cafe (the Howick area has a handful of family-friendly spots; we'd ring ahead to confirm kids' menu and play area).
Then check in to your base, let the kids burn off energy on the farm or in the garden, eat early, sleep early.
Day 2: The reliable family-grade stops
This is the day to actually do the Meander, but only the family-friendly bits. The route to plan:
Morning: Karkloof Canopy Tour or the Karkloof Forest
The Karkloof Canopy Tour (zip-line) accepts children from about age 7 (check current age and weight rules). It's expensive but memorable. If you don't want to spend the money, the Karkloof Forest itself has free walking trails through some of the oldest mistbelt forest in KZN — a 2km loop suits under-10s.
Lunch: Piggly Wiggly Country Village
Piggly Wiggly at Lions River is the standout family stop on the Meander. Multiple kid-friendly restaurants, a play area, farm animals, decent shops for the adults. You can easily kill 2–3 hours here with the family fed and entertained.
Afternoon: Choose ONE
The Meander is full of small craft stops that adults love and kids tolerate for 15 minutes. Pick one and stop trying to do them all. Family-friendly options:
- Caversham Mill — gallery, river, picnic spots.
- Nelson Mandela Capture Site at Howick — the sculpture is genuinely powerful even for kids, and the visitor centre is well-designed. Free or low-cost; takes about 45 minutes.
- Bramleigh Manor or any farm with horse rides — most working stables in the area do pony rides for under-10s. Phone ahead.
Skip: anything described as a "weavers' studio", a "wood-turning workshop" or a "cheese-and-wine pairing". These are not for your children.
Evening: Dinner at the base
The drive between stops adds up. By 5pm, kids will be tired and irritable. Eat at your guesthouse or order takeaway. Don't try a fancy Meander restaurant on a weekend evening with cranky children.
Day 3: A slow morning and the drive home
The temptation is to "fit one more thing in". Don't. The drive home is the limiting factor.
Have a proper farmhouse breakfast, let the kids do one more loop of the dam / horses / farm dog, and drive home calmly. If the kids are old enough (8+), one final stop at Howick Falls Spa or the Midlands Pottery shops is fine; otherwise straight home.
The Joburg variant
If you're coming from Joburg, you've burnt one of your three days driving. Two adjustments:
- Stay two nights, not one. A single-night Meander trip from Joburg is a 14-hour drive split around 30 hours on the ground. The arithmetic isn't worth it.
- Break the drive at Harrismith or Van Reenen if the kids are very young. The N3 is a hard drive in one shot with toddlers.
Practical packing
Warm layers — the Midlands evenings get cold even in summer. Long sleeves for the bush walks (small bugs at dusk). Two pairs of shoes per child (the farm gets muddy). A torch each for the after-dinner wander to the dam. Allergy medicine if anyone reacts to grass pollen — there's a lot of it.
Where to next
For other South African family touring routes, see our Garden Route family stops and KZN North Coast beaches guides. For the Durban end of the trip, see beach days in Durban. And browse our Howick directory for kid-friendly venues we've vetted in the area.