On Safari with Kids

There are plenty of important issues to navigate if you’re taking your family to Africa.

Contrary to many misconceptions, Africa is an eye-opening stimulating and educational playground for children.

Wait ~ Going on a safari when your kids are toddlers can be exhausting and stressful. We suggest the age to start inviting them along is around seven, when they can follow guidebooks, tolerate a new schedule, and manage their impulsiveness during less-stimulating periods.

Let me give you some reasons to take your kids on safari.

Their guides will become their best friends ~ t’s not hard to see why guides are quickly elevated to hero status in the eys of most children. They drive big 4WD’s, talk about lions and stuff, and read animal tracks in the dust.

They’ll connect with the real world and learn loads about nature and wildlife ~ In this age of mesmerising smartphones, relentless connectivity and social media pressure, a safari in the Wi-Fi free wilds of Africa not only provides a digital detox for children, but it can also transport them back to the real world.

They’ll never forget their first wild elephant or lion ~ Children all over the world grow up loving African wildlife, but few get to see it in th wild. Instead, their fascination with lion, elephants, giraffe and zebra is nurtured by The Lion King and visits to the local zoo. Take that childhood wonder and curiosity on safari.

They’ll meet and interact with other cultures ~ children can break downcultgural barriers with local people. The concept of “family” is so deeply embedded in the culture of african people.

It might makes them budding conservationists ~ One of the most rewarding aspects of taking kids on safari is how it stimulates their innate empathy towards wildlife.To watch a herd of elephants browing peacefully on vast, tawny plains beneath a towering African sky can be a sobering experience to share with your children. They could be the last generation to witness such sights.

Get a private vehicle if you can afford it ~ The extra cost will make or break game drives. You can have bad luck at times sharing your game drives with first-timers who ask endless questions, stop for everything, and who don’t like kids swinging on the roll bars and throwing bits of muffin at each other. With a private guide and vehicle, we often shortened our game drives or parked at a river and let the kids make mud pies and collect dung beetles while the adults enjoyed gin and tonics.

Try to find out about a great kids guide ~If you get a guide who is inspired and energized by kids, it will forever cement your children’s passion for the wilderness and make the parents’ safari a joy. We have had guides take kids fishing in their own free time, had them make and shoot bows and arrows, and even catch frogs at night with torches.

Choose a safari in an area with an abundance of general games and lots of activities  Some parts of Africa have teeming herds of animals with action around every corner, others require you to work hard to find the wildlife and the focus is on landscapes and smaller animals and birds. Kids love big, hairy, noisy animals, so choose carefully. Consider safaris that include boat rides, hot-air balloons, horse riding, quad biking, bush walks, and active days that can really make it all exciting. Game drives twice daily can go on for too long and start feeling monotonous for young kids.

Be prepared for the game drive On the game drive, we suggest taking along a species checklist that allows kids to mark off what they have seen; children love lists. Alternatively, download a bird app so they can hear the bird calls and identify them during quiet patches of driving. Ask if they can sit up front next to the guide. Sometimes they can even have a turn on the tracker’s seat. Take small chewy snacks for sensory modulating, such as wine gums, carrots, and popcorn. Ask them to stop often and get out, so they can feel their environment. Take glow sticks for the drive back in the dark.

Consider a villa Safari Lodges are often surprisingly formal and quiet and in essence designed for adults who want to relax and escape busy lives, so if you have noisy, active kids communal dining, swimming pools, and living areas don’t work well. This is the main reason to focus our business on villas. Have a house to yourselves, where you can enjoy meals, wake-ups, and activities at our own pace, and where the kids can start feeling familiar and at home. Long dinners can be enjoyed, while kids watch a movie or fall asleep nearby.

Beware the downtime The daily routine of most safari lodges in Africa involves morning and evening game activities, leaving a long siesta period between 11 and 3 to relax, and visit the spa and pool. Our boys do not rest or sleep, and after a morning drive, where they have sat inactive for up to 4 hours, they are terrible fidgety and in need of action. Some lodges have properties that are electrified from any dangers and offer active play areas, small skull-bomas or walking trails, rivers to wallow in, trees to climb, shooting ranges, and a kids zone. If you have physical kids, consider these facilities in your choice. Lodges that are open to the bush will restrict their movements to the living areas and bedrooms.

Engage with the staff in the lodge African people love kids. Wherever we go our kids always end up making ‘best friends’ with chefs, barmen, waiters, and butlers. Our boys have sat at bars for hours learning to make various cocktails and sharing stories with barmen. They have even helped serve drinks! Some lodges will also facilitate very authentic visits to the local communities, which is a very enriching experience. Our boys will always remember their visit to a Maasai village in Amboseli.

Choose a truly child-friendly safari lodge Experience has taught us that some lodges promote themselves in this space, but only rely on a kiddy gift pack, a small sticky indoor play area, and a few bored babysitters. It doesn’t cut it so don’t be fooled by their marketing material. Ask the lodge about specialist guides for kids, ask them if they give families free private vehicles, and ask about specific activities offered in the ‘kids club’. Also, enquire about children’s meals and babysitting. Often a lodge will have two or three smaller lodges associated with the parent property and it’s quite common for one of those to be specifically aimed at kids, so check.

Combine the bush with some beach Safaris involving early wake-ups and long dusty days, so ending up with a few days on a beach is ideal.