A family safari is a great way to expose your kids to nature and wildlife without having to worry about the boredom they may experience on a regular safari tour. Family safaris are tailored to keep the excitement of being on a wildlife and birdlife-spotting safari alive and interactive for everyone.
What You Need To Know
Getting true value out of your holiday investment means having an itinerary that will keep your kids alert and captivated throughout your family adventure. That’s exactly what we can offer you.
When customising a family safari for kids, we know which activities are best to include and which to exclude in order to combine good wildlife sightings with keeping children interested and entertained.
- Safari for kids younger than 5 years old
We don’t recommend taking infants or children younger than 5 years old on a safari. Most establishments aren’t infant or toddler-friendly, and the heat and the dusty game drives may make your baby feel very uncomfortable.
- Less is more on a family safari in Africa
When arranging family safaris, we divide the day into two parts. During an early-morning game drive, your guide will focus on wild cats and other interesting larger wildlife to ignite your kids’ imagination. This will give the guide an opportunity to interact with and involve the children during the drive, keeping their attention. To make sure that the youngsters are kept interested and cheerful, we recommend that you keep driving distances as short as possible or at least to break up the day with some interesting stops.
During the second part of the day we introduce an activity that takes place outside the vehicle. A short walk, an animal footprint-identifying session or a game-tracking activity is spot on for sparking interest. Cultural experiences are great safari activities for both kids and parents, and they make a good change of pace.
- Keeping the kids involved on a family safari
Teach your kids how to use binoculars and give them a chance to look for animals and birds. We provide animal and bird checklists to help the youngsters make lists of what they have seen and what they are still looking for.
Why not combine your wildlife safari with some time on the beach, where the family can swim and play. Africa has a string of wonderful beach options and we can easily customise your family safari to incorporate a trip to the seaside.
Accommodation and dining options for a safari with kids
Accommodation that provides a buffet option is always a family safari favourite, making it easy for kids to eat and drink what they like (and as much of it as they want), and keeping their spirits up and bellies full. A la carte dining is a bit restrictive for children, offering them limited food options.
Every family is different. Speak to us – we’ll design the best possible family safari experience for you and your children.
Know Before You Go
Make sure you pick a safari camp or lodge which is child friendly and has options for kids to stay with added activities; this will help in avoiding unnecessary disappointment by booking accommodation at lodges or camps which aren’t child friendly.
Diversify your holiday by visiting a beach for a few days after your game viewing, this will enable your children to have a bit more to do then just spending time on safari and many game viewing areas in Africa are not far from world class beaches.
In many regards lodges and guides will not allow children under the age of 2 to go on a game drives; however children above the 2 year mark and beyond are usually allowed on game drives.
Many family oriented lodges will also not allow children under the age of 16 to participate in game walks.
When To Go
The best time to go on a safari will differ from country to country and it is stated that if you plan your schedule correctly you could go on one almost every month of the year in a different African country.
Although this is a different as you want to make it, so ensure your family has the best time possible in an area where the weather is suitable and the facilities are in line with your families needs.
Dryer cooler conditions are more than likely to suit a family better as the wetter hotter months can become quite taxing with some national parks even closing their facilities as well as certain roads becoming hard to access.
The best idea would be to consult a Discover Africa sales consultant for the best information on when to go on a family safari this will also largely come down to which country you want to visit and what you would like to see.
Safari or Holiday Styles
Lodges with child friendly amenities such as trampolines, badminton, table tennis or swimming pools will do wonders in ensuring your children have hours of fun after the game drive is over.
Family game drives and nature conservation lessons with top guides (check game parks requirements for age and safety and what their policy is regarding this). You can also;
Visit to local schools
Beginner’s bird watching courses
Game lodges with board games, puzzles, colouring books, babysitters and children’s books.
Where To Stay
National Parks all over Africa really do have a world of accommodation facilities to choose from. However ask one of our sales consultants today to find out about the most child friendly options to ensure your trip to Africa is happy and successful.
