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.
Contact us or fill out an enquiry form and one of our travel experts will help you tailor make your perfect safari
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Enjoy an authentic African experience, with peace of mind
Experience our Tailor-made Family & Kid-Friendly Safaris in Africa
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.
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.
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.
Bear in mind that many lodges and game parks which you will be visiting may have travel restrictions due to the possibility of having to transfer to a smaller aircraft, you’ll also want to take home a souvenir or two so make sure you pack lightly for this reason.
Many lodges will offer laundry services which will help in packing less clothing; also do some research on the correct attire to wear on a game drive.
Insect repellent and all basic toiletries, certain items in certain areas might not be found or become quite expensive.
Cameras spare batteries, sd and memory cards.
Binoculars
Sunscreen and swimming gear
Medication including anti-malaria if venturing into a high risk malaria area, also bear in mind that children of a certain age will not be able to take certain kinds of malaria medication.
Also consult this article about what to pack on an African safari.
In Southern Africa, the dryer cooler months are a comfortable temperature for the whole family and there will be optimal opportunities to view game during these months.
However it’s deemed that if you wished for an overview for safaris throughout Africa, the best time of year would be September, October, March and April these months also experience cooler temperatures but not too cold.
Summer months can get excruciatingly hot and this can be quite unbearable for little ones, this is definitely something to consider when planning your African safaris with the kids.
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.
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.
Popular Family & Kid-Friendly Safaris in Africa
Each of our popular itineraries can be tailor-made to suit your budget as well as your specific interests.
FAQs about Family & Kid-Friendly Safaris in Africa
Children under the age of five are advised not to travel to areas at high risk of malaria.
Complications and death due to malaria are high among children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.
Mefloquine is prescribed to babies and children as well as are also available in syrup form - which makes it easier for children to take. Doxycycline should be taken by pregnant women or by children younger than 10 years since it can interfere with growing teeth and bones. Malanil is not licensed in South Africa for use in children and the paediatric dosage is therefore not available in South Africa. However, it is advised that Malanil may be used by children weighing more than 40 kilograms. Paediatric must be prescribed by a medical professional, as an overdose of the medication can be fatal. The dose is calculated according to the weight of the child - and a medical history must be taking into account to determine contra-indications.
Parents who are travelling with their child but not their spouse and those who wish to send their child on a trip accompanied by someone other than a parent or unaccompanied require an unabridged birth certificate. (It does not affect those travelling within South Africa.)
An Unabridged certificate is a certificate that reflects the particulars of both parents of the child. All children born in South Africa after 14 March 2013 were issued with a valid unabridged birth certificate automatically and free of charge.
Everyone born before that and those from countries who do not automatically issue an unabridged certificate must apply for the document well before their travel date.
The application process for Unabridged Birth Certificate are as follow; You can apply at your nearest Home Affairs office where your Biometric information will be varied. You will need your ID book along as well as your child’s ID number.
All documents submitted must be originals or certified copies. The Unabridged Birth Certificate costs R75. It can take up to eight weeks to acquire an Unabridged Birth Certificate from the date of application.
Electricity in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and in most of the continent is 220/240 volts.
Most safari lodges and camps are not connected to an electrical supply. Solar lighting (backed up by batteries) is common, with many lodges having a generator, which runs part of the day (morning and late evening when guests are out on their activities).
Lanterns also provide light at night. In many camps running on solar power, you will not be able to use a hairdryer.
Family safaris in Africa are a worthwhile and meaningful experience. Aside from spending quality time with your nearest and dearest under a wide blue African sky, a safari in Africa offers invaluable experiences including unique cultural experiences, memorable wildlife sightings, and the opportunity to learn more about nature.
Some areas won’t suit the family and it's also wise to be aware of malaria in others, however, South Africa has a few malaria-free safari locations and there are other safari lodges and bush camps throughout Africa that cater to young children and toddlers, just do the research beforehand.
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