10 Reasons NOT to go on a family farm holiday

The Dirsuwei family – mom Sarah, dad Ralph and their three sons – Jacob, 16, Luke, 14, and Cian, 11, is a Port Elizabeth family is on a mission to explore the world together, spreading positivity about South Africa through their travel blog,  Why would you want to go on a farm holiday?   1. It is far too quiet If you live in the city you are probably used to the hubbub and buzz of town life. The deafening silence of a remote farm pierced only by birdsong and the occasional moo of a cow will probably drive you around the bend. All that silence will make the casual chatter and happy laughter of your kids sound way too loud.

2. Time moves way too slow On a farm, time takes forever. The days feel longer and the evenings spent sitting around a braai seem to last all night. You will have so much time on your hands that you won’t know what to do with it. There will be time to play cards with the kids, read a book, ponder life, take a hike, go fishing, go horse riding, have an afternoon nap, chat around the braai and even some left to watch the stars.

3. Baby animals If you hate baby animals, you will hate being on a farm. You are bound to encounter a few different species of wide eyed, long legged new-borns. Lambs, calves, puppies, chicks, foals. They might even make you feed a bottle to one!

4. Fresh farm produce On farms, you get milk straight from the cows, and eggs from the chicken coop. I am sure you would probably prefer yours in plastic bottles or polystyrene. And what about the fresh fruit picked straight from a tree – who knows what could have touched it! And what’s with the farm-baked cake delivered to your farmhouse while you were out?

5. Way too much scenery The views at a farm are so wide they will probably hurt your eyes. There is nothing but a verdant patchwork of fields, trees, dams and the occasional hill. You will sit for hours looking at everything and thinking of not much at all. What a waste!

6. Dining (and wining) With all that time on your hands, you will probably eat (and drink) way too much. Farm style breakfast egg and bacon cook ups, freshly baked bread with farm spreads and cheese for lunch, farm meat on the braai at night. Completely over the top!

7. Too much fresh air Farm air is way too fresh. It will feel like you are breathing straight from an oxygen tank and you will have way more energy than feels normal.

8. Hiking is too much like hard work When you visit a farm you have to walk for miles along winding country roads, hike up to see bushman paintings in caves and follow your kids on horseback or on their bikes. Way too exhausting!

9. What’s the fuss about fishing? Farms have dams and rivers that are usually teeming with fish. What is the point of picnicking next to a river while your kids spend hours throwing a line with a hook on into the water, squealing with delight each time they get a bite?

10. Too much time with your family You will spend more time together as a family in one day on a farm than you probably do in a whole week at home. You’ll run the risk of being sick of each other in no time.

So there you have it. If you dislike peace and quiet, quality family time, spectacular scenery, great food and getting out in nature, you will probably not want to go on a farm holiday with your family. The nitty gritty If you are not convinced, then read how we discovered these reasons at . See more from the Dirsuwei family at