You might have sworn off kids until such a time as you’re good and ready but it’s far more difficult to say no to a French bulldog puppy. You tried, you really did, but eventually their cuteness got the better of you and now you’re saddled with a four-legged friend for life.

Once you get past all the digging, pooping and chewing it’s kind of plain sailing. Fewer holes in the garden, stains on the carpet and bite marks ruining your shoes – whoever said this pet thing was hard had it all wrong.

Then comes the time for a little holiday, be it a weekend away or a year end much needed break to charge the batteries. Your usual pet-sitting buddy can’t make it and you decide to bring Puggles along, because that’s what you named him after a night of heavy drinking and now it’s stuck. The problem is the more you look the harder it is to find accommodation that will accept wee Puggles for who he is, why does everyone think he is some kind of monster?

It doesn’t have to be that way and we’re going to show you how. We’ve selected some of SA’s premier holiday destinations and rifled through to find those that are pet-friendly, the kind of place you can bring your furry friend without fear of judgement. All you have to do is click on the location and you’ll find all of SafariNow’s listings that allow pets, because if a dog really is a man’s best friend you can’t exactly leave him at home now can you?

Hermanus, Western Cape – 17 locations from R249 p/p sharing

This lovely town, on the coastal area of the Overberg, is most well known for its awesome land based whale watching. The nearby Hermanus Lagoon is a great place to sail or paddle, and the paragliding is excellent. The diving is great and Hermanus is a popular beach destination, even though there is only one beach. For nature lovers a visit to the Fernkloof Nature Reserve is a great way to get up close to the dainty montane coastal fynbos which attracts scores of jewel bright sunbirds and elegant sugarbirds which flit about the proteas.

Knysna, Western Cape – 17 locations from 250 p/p sharing

If there is such a thing, Knysna is the heart of the Garden Route. This medium-sized town on the banks of the usually placid and always beautiful Knysna Lagoon is a real tourist haven. The lagoon, which is guarded from the sea by two enormous, rugged, sandstone cliffs, known as The Heads, is a fabulous playground as well as being the source of the cultivated oysters for which Knysna is famed.

Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape – 20 locations from R220 p/p sharing

Plettenberg Bay, or Plett, as it is more familiarly known, is the most fashionable spot on the Garden Route and has been called the Riviera of Africa. It’s no exaggeration. With fabulous beaches stretching for miles, whole neighbourhoods of expensive summer homes hogging the best views, a couple of championship golf courses, and about a dozen world class polo fields, it’s definitely the playground of the rich.

Paternoster, Western Cape – 19 locations from R468 per unit / room

Paternoster is an idyllic beach holiday getaway, perfect for plenty of eating, reading, snoozing or doing nothing at all. Numerous inlets offer hideaways where you can work on your suntan, watch whales and dolphins or catch a fish. During August and September the spring wildflowers transform the landscape into a vivid carpet of daisies.

Parys, Free State – 14 locations from R200 p/p sharing

Parys, a cosy agricultural country town, is situated in the Northern Free State about 120 km from Johannesburg. The Vaal River stretches for about a kilometre into the town itself and visitors can enjoy fly-fishing, mountain and quad biking through the valleys, and hiking through the indigenous forests, streams and scenic mountains. Other activities include abseiling, bird watching, sunset drives in the wildlife conservancies, hot air ballooning, and horse riding.

Clarens, Free State – 14 locations from R175 p/p sharing

Clarens is a small, quaint village with sandstone buildings, surrounded by the spectacular Maluti Mountains of the Golden Gate National Park, which is only 20 km from the village. It has become known as the “Jewel of the Free State” due to the beauty of its pristine natural surroundings. Be ready to be surprised by the simple things in life here, the village is an acclaimed area as one of the best trout fishing spots in South Africa and it offers magnificent routes for horse riding through the valleys.

Dullstroom, Mpumalanga – 14 locations from R200 p/p sharing

Explore Dullstroom with its exquisite fishing, fly-fishing, hiking trails, horse riding trails and picnic spots beside breathtaking waterfalls. Walk through an abundance of wild flowers and catch a glimpse of elusive fauna.

Dullstroom is most notably known as South Africa’s premier trout fishing area, it is also the only region in South Africa where you will find the endangered Blue Crane, Crowned Crane, and the endangered Wattled Crane.

Hartbeespoort dam, North West – 12 locations from R220 p/p sharing

Hartbeespoort, also known as “Harties”, is a small resort town in the North West Province of South Africa. It is situated on the slopes of the Magaliesberg Mountain and on the banks of the Hartbeespoort Dam. The resort is filled with quaint brick houses surrounding the large man-made dam. The small town is ideal for family day outings or a long-weekend holiday. There are enough adventure activities, restaurants and markets in the area to keep you entertained for days on end.

Magaliesburg, North West – 14 locations from R300 p/p sharing

The Magaliesberg is a beautiful low range of hills not far from the city of Johannesburg and close to the town of Magaliesburg. Note the spelling. Magaliesburg is the town, Magaliesberg is the range. But, hey, what’s in a name? Magaliesberg is a fun little centre with a very countrified feel to it and loads of bucolic pleasures.

Although not very high, it’s a beautiful range with lovely flora, some small game and loads of beautiful streams, pools and waterfalls. It’s a real escape from the frenetic urban conurbations of Pretoria and Johannesburg, and it’s hard to believe it’s so close. The hiking is legendary, there are some fun kloofing trips and some good climbing, too.

Ballito, KZN – 13 locations from R250 p/p sharing

In KZN’s North Coast, Ballito is a mega-tourist-friendly seaside resort with wonderful, safe, shark net-protected beaches. Tidal pools ranging from kiddies’ paddling numbers to a full Olympic-sized pool offer safe bathing for all levels of swimmer and even non-swimmers. There is a lovely long boardwalk offering easy scenic beach walking and a more rugged trail all the way up to Salt Rock includes a short tunnel best attempted at low tide. The surfing is great at nearby Salmon Bay.

You see that, all those lekker spots and you can take along each and every member of your clan. It beats coming home to a house terrorised by an unhappy mutt but, and we don’t like to sound soft but it’s true, what’s a family holiday without the four-legged Puggles coming along for the ride?