Whilst a few operators specialise in the confluence of travel and families, such as Coral Tree Travel, there are some family operators that also do safari, such as Stubborn Mule (which does gorilla trekking in Rwanda, fly camping in wild Northern Kenya, and more).
But all the best safari operators are adept at curating family-centric safaris. These include the likes of Journeys by Design, Aardvark Safaris, Africa Travel, Green Safaris, Yellow Zebra Safaris, Expert Africa and The Explorations Company. Major lodge operators – also booked by the operators – include the likes of Great Plains, African Bush Camps, Wilderness, andBeyond, Natural Selection, Ultimate Safaris, and Asilia Africa. Most top lodge operators operate as ground handlers too, booking their private air and ground transfers.
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What are the accommodation options for a family safari?
Built lodges or tented camps under canvas – though mobile tented camps and pop-up tents on walking safaris led by private guides and trackers are also gaining in popularity for the adventurous.
When choosing between lodges, Kyle de Nobrega suggests opting for those “that cater for families and have spacious family room setups, preferably with a pool, to enjoy those midday hours between activities.”
“There are also plenty of camps and lodges with interconnected family rooms,” says Alice Gully, owner of Aardvark Safaris.
Think about picky eaters. “Make sure the lodge has flexible dinner times and menus for children,” says Will Bolsover of Natural World Safaris. “A head’s up to the lodge on dietary or meal preferences for kids is very helpful for them.”
Lodges with open spaces where kids can run around freely without the constant threat of predators are a dream, and a lodge with a kids’ programme is ideal. Endless game drives don’t work for younger children who may see one elephant and then say: “Can we go now?” Walking, swimming in rock pools, sleep-outs under the stars, fly-camping, quad-biking, tracking on foot with a guide and breaking up the days works better than constant game drives. Most of the major players take families into account. Wilderness has planned programmes for six- to twelve-year-olds, with activities from treasure hunts and Masaai football to drumming and walking safaris. Great Plains offers the Young Explorers Programme at camps where specially trained guides teach younger guests about tracking wildlife, creating local dishes and African jewellery, basic survival in the wild skills and more. Ker & Downey has the Young Explorers Programme in Botswana – each family group is hosted by a specialist family guide with a specially-designed programme.
Are exclusive-use safaris with kids a good idea?
Private safari villas are on the rise for those for whom privacy and creature comforts are the focus. This means safari villas with their own guides, vehicles, chefs and sometimes spas. These will almost always be separate from, but associated with, a wider lodge. There’s also the possibility of exclusive-use booking of micro-camps. With these setups, it may be possible to flout the minimum age policy.
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