We were invited to stay at Drak Gardens (otherwise known as the Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens Golf & Spa Resort) a short time ago, and all of us can’t wait to go back there again soon. What a wonderful place to take the family, filled with every activity you can imagine, good food (they offer breakfast & dinner buffets) and loads and loads of open space for little ones to explore (and get well & truly worn out & ensure good sleep!).

We spent 2 nights in their family room, and what a treat that was. Hubby and I were blown away by the amount of space in their family rooms, as we were all gearing up to share one room. Sharing one room with a 2 year old and a 9 month isn’t really my idea of fun, but it can be done! But I was so excited to find out we could all have our own space for the weekend. Even though both kids were up at 5am each morning (I am very spoiled with their usual wakeup time of between 6:30 & 7am). This was easy to manage though, as the breakfast buffet opened at 6:30 and it was light at that time anyway, which meant it was easier to get out of bed and haul them both off for a nice walk before heading to the dining room for breakfast.

There was so much to do during the day…an animal area where Everly got to spend some time with the friendly goats, a very sweet & good natured pony that took little ones for a ride twice a day (for free!), and then the highlight for all of us…the swimming pools! As well as lots of slides (Everly is still a little small for them) the main attraction for all of us was the Cove…a heated swimming pool which felt like a bath, and it’s where we spent most of the day. Aaron LOVED the warm pool too, and had a ball splashing around while watching his sister and all the other kids play.

Saturday afternoon we all took a nice long walk to the Adventure Park (past the Putt-Putt…putting that on our list for when the kids are a bit older), past the Zipline & tree top adventure course (which looked AMAZING!!! Again, popping that on our list for when the kids are older) and to the climbing wall, jungle gym & bike zone. We finished off with a treetop stroll through the bird walk, and then headed back (chasing the thunder clouds!) to the heated pool for a last dip before supper & bed.

Both kiddos arrived happy & smiling (thank goodness for both of them napping in the car!) and off we went to check in and get a feel of the place. Our room took ages to be ready (they were doing some last minute renovations…while we were a little frustrated at first, once we saw the room and how much space we would have, we would have waited ALL day if we had to!). There was lots to see and explore while waiting, and all the staff we passed on our way were so friendly and welcoming.

The Family Room

What a lovely family room, perhaps the biggest we have stayed in before. It was basically two bedrooms (each with their own door /entrance to outside) separated by a little passageway with two adjoining bathrooms. One bathroom had a shower, and the other a bath, both had toilets.

The bigger bedroom had a double bed, as well as a fridge (super important for us as I had brought some food items that needed to be kept cold) and a kettle. This was a lifesaver for those early morning wakeups, ensuring Mommy & Daddy could at least get a well deserved cup of coffee at silly o’clock.

Things to do

At check-in, I was given a programme for the resort, which showed all sorts of activities for the whole family. I was most interested in the animal feeding zone and the pony rides, and I wished I had paid more attention to it (I forgot it in the car the whole of he first day!) and we missed out on face painting and rock painting on our last day…but, thankfully Everly was none the wiser.

Even without the scheduled activities, we were able to keep both kiddos happy and busy. And Mom and Dad were both able to have a few quiet seconds to jump in the pool once or twice (each!).

I was also SUPER impressed by the little shop, which was so well stocked! I know that the area is really popular for overnight hikes, and with the self catering accommodation options available at the resort, you really can find all the essentials for your stay.

Everly & Aaron had a ball, and we had such a special family holiday together, with lots of laughs (and only a few tears along the way). I didn’t get a chance to visit the Spa this time, so I’m adding that to my (every growing) list for next time!

Thank you so much to Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens Golf & Spa Resort for having us to stay. We all had a really lovely time, and will definitely be back again soon.