Family Safari Holidays
Picture the first time your kids spot elephants roaming the savannah, make out a lion tucked under a rock having a midday nap, or espy a giraffe peeking over the trees as they reach for the highest leaves… Our family safari holidays are the ultimate way to connect with nature and see magnificent wildlife up close – the stuff of which lifelong memories are made.
Whatever your age, a safari is a magical experience, but when you're taking children, there's more to consider in the planning stages – and we, as safari experts, are here to help.
What's the best age for kids to go on safari?
We’re often asked what the best age for kids on safari is. The answer isn’t simple. Children of different ages get different things from a family safari holiday.
Safari lodges have a minimum age. Many welcome families with children and teenagers; some do so with pizzazz – think dedicated kids' programmes with fun and educational safari experiences, family game drives, either with other families or in a private vehicle, a swimming pool, interconnected family rooms and play areas. We're on hand to help pick you the right one for you and your crew.
If you’re looking for a safari holiday with young children, we can book you in at one of our favourite lodges offering childcare, so your little ones can have play and make new friends while you go out on game drives (really young children seldom sit quietly and still for the duration of a drive).
Which safari destination is the best?
We can also help you decide which destination to go to, based on our intimate knowledge of what each country has to offer. For example, we can advise on parts of South Africa that are malaria-free – a big draw when travelling with children. South Africa also tends to be one of our more affordable safari destinations, whereas Tanzania can be among the most expensive due to high park fees and the logistics of remote lodges.
But you don’t have to go to Africa for a safari holiday – other options include a safari lodge stay as part of a Sri Lanka family holidaty, or a small-group family wildlife adventure in Borneo or Costa Rica.
When is the best time of year to go on safari in Africa?
Different times of year offer different pros and cons, and there's some variation from north to south on the continent. May to September is ‘winter’, with warm days and cooler nights. Vegetation thins out, making it easier to spot wildlife, especially in the more southern areas. It tends to be drier too, so often wildlife gather near water sources. August is also the peak of the Great Migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara - a big attraction for many.
From October to April it's warmer and often wetter, so the vegetation is lush. We recommend this as a good time to spot birds or visit places like Victoria Falls. Safari prices can be lower too (with the exception of December, especially in Tanzania and South Africa).
Safari + Beach
We're big fans of adding a beach stay onto the family safari holidays we tailor-make for our clients. Our top combinations include a family safari in Kenya followed by a beach holiday on the Kenyan coast, a family safari holiday in Kenya or Tanzania combined with the island of Zanzibar, or a two-centre family to trip to South Africa and Mauritius.
