If this is you, here are some ideas:
Create memories with them
A trip to the Kruger National Park in peak animal-sighting season, along with a stay at Kruger Park accommodation such as Kruger Gate Hotel is a great idea and not something that has been attainable by many of our grandparents. If your loved ones are up for it, spoil them with a guided game drive through the park to build memories from seeing the Kruger National Park animals including rhino, elephants, or leopards (and photographing them). This will be an incredible story to share with the family. There are many activities that are more sedentary for older people like enjoying the many birds of Kruger National Park.
Alternatively, if they don’t want a game drive, Kruger Gate Hotel is a destination within itself and a place where they can sit peacefully on the deck and view the game wandering around the watering hole. The Kruger National Park weather is great all year round, so they won’t have to move or lift a finger as staff will bring them anything they need.
Gift them with travel gift cards or vouchers
Another great idea is to get a gift card or voucher for your elders. Many hotels and attractions across the country offer gift cards or vouchers for accommodation, and you can also get flight tickets for them. And if you pair this package with a few vouchers to see some great attractions in that city, it will add extra magic to their adventure!
How to wrap a vacation gift
If your holiday gift is a surprise, this is the best, most fun part – how to wrap up your travel gift.
It’s not a physical object so you will need to apply some creative thought to this one. For example, if you’re treating your loved one to luxury accommodation at the Kruger National Park create a voucher with a photo of the hotel they’ll be staying at, with five stars underneath it. Look up the social media pages of the hotel to find some of the hotel’s best images.
Getting the kids involved in the wrapping process will have an even more special impact. For example, for the Kruger National Park holiday, let the kids help you build a little wildlife scene in an empty shoebox. Plastic animals, some sand and dry grass all glued into the bottom of the box, then draw a map of where they currently are and where they’ll be going, then attach a little hand-drawn location pin at their destination. You can pop the lid on and wrap it up. Make sure to add a note to the gift saying ‘fragile’, so your elders won’t turn the box over to unwrap it and send all the kids’ artwork into disarray.
Whatever you choose, your grandparents deserve to be spoiled, especially if they were heavily involved in raising you. That, and taking them on holiday and treating them in this way ensures that you still get to squeeze in some valuable time and bank treasured memories with them.