• Book non-stop flights whenever possible. This streamlines the journey from points A to B and reduces time spent waiting around in airports.

• Get to the airport early to avoid having to sprint through the terminal with a baby on your back or holding the hand of a 4-year-old.

• Dress yourself and your little one(s) for comfort. Be sure to take a change of clothes and a sweater or jacket for each child (and possibly even yourself).

• Bring several types of toys on board. You could even buy several new things for a few bucks - little cars, action/character figures, small stuffed animals, coloring books & crayons, sticker books, rubber stamps, etc. - and present your child with a new toy every hour or so.

• If you are the parent of an adventurous toddler, you might consider tagging him/her with an ID bracelet including name, parent's names, address, phone number, destination, and airline.

• Experience the cosmopolitan chic of beautiful Cape Town - dine, shop, and meander along the waterfront. Then venture to Table Mountain, Cape Town's famous flat-topped mountain, complete with stunning panoramas across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean.

• Wine and dine in the fertile, verdant valleys of Western Cape. Follow the signposted 'wine routes' through South Africa's 13 major wine regions. 

• Inhale the dizzying vastness of the Kalahari, or the arid semi-desert of the Karoo, where unforgiving landscapes playing host to numerous natural marvels and eccentricities. 

• Visit Namaqualand in the spring, when the rugged landscapes soften under an explosion of wildflowers. 

• Hike the Wild Coast, in South Africa's Eastern Cape region, home to some of the most sublime coastline on earth, much of which is only accessible by foot. Take in breathtaking natural sights including isolated beaches, waterfalls, untouched forests and rivers. Hiking will give you the chance to mix with locals like the Xhosa and the Amapondo.

• Experience a vibrant sense of community by visiting a township in the areas where blacks were forcibly relocated during apartheid. Tours run from most major cities; Soweto in Johannesburg and the Cape Flats in Cape Town are most popular.

• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park - Visit this stomping ground for Africa's Big Five mammals- Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo & Rhino - plus other wildlife galore.

• Head to Jeffrey's Bay (J-Bay) near Port Elizabeth, and ask for directions to Super tubes - a 'totally epic' spot revered by surfers as the world's best right hand point break. 

• Savor creation's primeval majesty in the world-renowned safari destination of Kruger National Park.

It's easy to put your fitness goals on the back burner, especially when you're on vacation. With a little forward thinking, however, you can make sure your health objectives remain intact throughout your travels. Keep in mind that it may not be possible to execute your full fitness regiment while you're away from home, but you can still follow through with your core goals, and even substitute your normal activities for others you don't normally get to do - yoga on the beach, kayaking, or scenic hikes, to name a few.

A week prior to your trip - Write down one or two health goals you wish to maintain while vacationing. Re-read them each day before you leave.

Five days prior to your trip - Visualize yourself accomplishing your goals each day in your travel destination. Think about what your days will be like and what barriers may hinder you from accomplishing your goals. Problem solve ways to get around those hindrances.

Two days prior to your trip - Pack what you'll need to accomplish your goals at your travel destination: clothing, shoes, sporting equipment, addresses for health-oriented restaurants, grocery stores, spas, fitness centers, etc.

During your trip - Use positive self-talk to keep yourself motivated and ward off defeatist attitudes. Reward yourself for making good choices and take solace in the fact that you're accomplishing your goals in the face of an assortment of temptations to do otherwise.