Millennials, known as the ‘Wanderlust Generation’, prioritise travel over traditional investments, seeking adventures that offer excitement and cultural enrichment, with South Africa’s Garden Route, game parks, the Drakensberg, and Cape Town among their top destinations.
South Africa (20 May 2024) – Millennials love adventure and exploration and have been dubbed the ‘Wanderlust Generation’. Based on recent research, travel has emerged as one of the top aspirations of this generation, revealing they travel more than any other age group.
Rather than traditional investments such as buying a home, millennials value holidays more, which also helps to achieve another of their top priorities, work-life balance. Whether exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations, learning about new cultures and cuisines, or engaging in adrenaline-pumping activities, they seek out trips that offer value for money, excitement and an opportunity to enrich their lives with new experiences that they can share on social media.
ekko, a leading lifestyle brand for millennials understands this only too well. Sam Pillay, Director of ekko, says that whilst most of us aspire to international travel, “local is also lekka” and South Africa offers incredible diversity and a plethora of destinations to choose from. She advises millennials to consider adding some of the many attractions that lure overseas visitors to our shores to their bucket list.
“There are loads of exciting adventures to undertake in our own backyard, places that many of us haven’t yet visited with plenty of new experiences waiting,” says Pillay.
She shares her top four South African must-do holidays for millennials:
The Garden Route:
The iconic Garden Route, stretching from Storms River in the Eastern Cape to Mossel Bay in the Western Cape is a paradise for millennials who love adventure. This route offers fantastic opportunities for exploration, from beautiful forests and sandy beaches to lagoons and farmland. Wind your way down from Gqeberha to Storms River, home to SA’s highest bungee site, and ensure you stop off at Plettenberg Bay and Knysna. The coastal town of Mossel Bay is a surfer’s paradise and the perfect base to discover more of the area, including the magnificent Outeniqua mountain range.
Game Parks:
South Africa boasts a wealth of game parks and private reserves, with two of the most internationally renowned being the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga and our oldest game reserve, Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park in Kwazulu Natal. You can’t live in South Africa without visiting a major game park at least once. Enjoy some of the best game spotting in the world as many of our game parks are home to the Big 5. Exciting night or dawn game drives are definitely an adrenaline rush and most of our bigger Game Parks are located in areas with several other key attractions nearby.
The Drakensberg and KZN Midlands:
The Drakensberg and Kwazulu Natal Midlands offer an escape into nature with a twist of adventure. They ooze charm and allow guests to experience a slower pace of life while still offering the thrill of various outdoor activities. From canopy tours, hikes and horse riding to exploring arts and crafts along the Midlands Meander route, one is spoilt for choice. Log fires and hot chocolate in Winter, picnics next to a waterfall and hikes in Summer add to the pleasure of the exhilarating beauty of KZN’s unspoiled foothills, waterfalls, and mountain views.
Cape Town and Surrounds:
Our Mother City and surrounds are undisputedly SA’s most popular tourist destination, rivalled by very few places in the world. Its spectacular beauty, mountains and ocean, the V&A waterfront, Winelands, top-class cuisine, diverse cultures, museums, whale watching and more, will satisfy the wanderlust of any millennial – for a while.
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“For millennials seeking travel and premium experiences without a premium price tag, ekko ticks all the boxes,” concludes Pillay.
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