Family Safari Holidays

With lodges and camps beginning to focus their attention specifically on families and children, a family safari in Africa has never been a better idea than it is today. A safari really is the ultimate family holiday - adventurous, personalised, comfortable and exciting - all ages will be captivated by the outstanding African wildlife. In our opinion, safari is the best family holiday for ensuring everyone, big and small, goes home with reluctance and fond memories lasting a lifetime.

Make the most of our extensive experience of putting together ultimate family itineraries, with a range and balance of activities, child-friendly guides and private or child-friendly accommodation. We have narrowed down our favourites for families to a fairly select portfolio that we can properly guarantee. Afterall, every family is unique, and by booking with us you ensure that your trip is completely tailored to your specific family dynamics and needs.

Why choose safari for a family holiday?

There is no holiday quite as adventurous as a safari! The whole family together in the wilderness is a fantastic way to spend a week if you are adrenaline seekers. The options are so varied! You can trek the rare and magnificant mountain gorillas of Uganda, get a birds eye view of Tanzania by hot -air-balloon over the Serengeti or from the summit of the formidable Mount Kilimanjaro, canoe down the Zambezi River in Zambia, or go camping under the stars in Namibia - there is so much on this vast, diverse and wild continent.

Wildlife is the key to all safaris, but can be particularly rewarding on a family safari. Young and old all love seeing the amazing African wildlife, and to have such a shared interest can be hard to come by in this day and age!

Perhaps this will be your last family holiday before the kids move out, or maybe it is your first proper family holiday - whatever the occasion, your children are far more likely to grow up remembering seeing that leopard chasing that impala, than that time they were lathered in suncream on a beach in Greece! Safaris truly make lasting memories for the whole family. They are not cheap, it is true, but are a recipe for a family holiday you will still be raving about in years to come.

It seems a rarity nowadays to be with your family without the distractions of the outside world bleeping their way into your life via your smartphone! A safari offers true wilderness - a refreshing break which can help you reconnect with nature and each other.

Safari lodges and camps are famous for their intimate, and very personalised service. When children are involved, especially younger ones, this kind of attention to detail from staff members can make a huge difference to your overall experience. Guides are often excellent with children, keeping them entertained and educated about the surrounding nature.

Where to go for an African Family Safari

Botswana Family Holidays

Kenya Family Holidays

South Africa Family Holidays

Tanzania Family Holidays

Zambia Family Holidays

Mauritius Family Holidays

Family safari itinerary planning

Planning your family safari itinerary is very dependant on your particular family's interests, but also the age of your children! You have a pretty big scope of choices where older children are involved, as throughout Africa they can do pretty much anything in terms of activities and types of safari that the adults can do. However, it can, as with any holiday, get very expensive when paying for mini-me's as well...

Another thing to consider is that young children will get tired from early starts - a safari is not the most relaxing of holidays! A few days can be enough for really young children. Equally important in our opinion, is a post-safari beach extension in order to give variety for the children, as well as grabbing some rest and recuperation before the outbound flight.

East Africa Family Holiday Vs Southern Africa Family Holiday

East Africa includes Uganda, Rwanda (both offering amazing gorilla trekking for the older families), Tanzania and Kenya.

Our pick of the bunch for a less specialised and safari/beach holiday is Kenya and Tanzania. When compared to Southern Africa family safari itineraries, Kenya and Tanzania are more cost effective. The reason being that flights are easier and cheaper to the beach, and also, especially when compared to Botswana and Zambia, the actual safari can be better value for money. However, you are not compromising your experience, as Kenya and Tanzania are really old safari hats, so have pretty much perfected the family safari for youngsters. They are also really spectacular safari destinations family or no family! From an East Africa safari, we love Zanzibar Island for fantastic accomodation options to suit many budgets and styles. The activities Zanzibar offers are also very wide ranging, which as any family will know, is especially important for keeping everyone entertained.

Saying this though, some may prefer Southern Africa even though beaches are slightly less accessible. Southern Africa is composed of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. For teens, Zambia or Botswana would provide a truly unforgettable safari experience for those with slightly depeer pockets! 10-12 year olds really suit safari in Tanzania and Kenya, as well as Botswana. Botswana offers incredibly intimate and tailor-made camps, which will really go that extra mile to ensure your child's every need is catered for. Zambia is truly perfect for older children with a sense of adventure. For children under 10's there are a number of options, of which South Africa is probably the best as it offers some safari areas which are malaria-free. For first time family safaris, South Africa is also another favourite of ours. From Southern Africa countries, hop over to the fabulous Cape Town and/or Victioria Falls for a bit of added variety! Also think about heading to the secluded Mauritius or the coastline of Mozambique for your chill-time in the sun.

There are pros and cons to both East African and Southern African family holidays. Both will suit different types of families for completely different reasons! The best way therefore to begin planning your family holiday is to give one of our experts a ring, so we can get to know you and tailor an itinerary perfect for your specific needs.

How much does a family safari cost?

A price for a family safari varies all over Africa, but lodges can start from around $450 all the way up to $2,000 per adult per night. Often, it is worth taking into account that many lodges offer special deals for children such as 50% off and so on... Ask us for the best deals! Generally speaking, you can get a slightly better value for money family safari in either Kenya or Tanzania, when compared to Zambia and Botswana.

Top 5 family safari tips

Take some time to recover from your flight before or/and after your safari! It is so important for kids not to be tired going into a safari, as you really want to make the most of your quality time in the bush.

We know where the best tents and rooms are for families so make sure you ask us about interconnecting rooms to ensure you can all be under one canvas!

Keep variety in your safari! Ask us about going to parks and camps which offer some variety, such as night drives, walking (depending on the age of your child), boating and maybe even horse riding.

Look at safaris during half term instead of in the summer months which are peak season, so naturally a lot more costly.

We would definitely reccommend a private vehicle. This way, your family can have freedom and will not get twitchy if you have another passenger who loves birds, when your kids just want to see a lion!

Is it safe to take children on safari?

Of course, when you are in the bush there are potential dangers particularly because it is home to wild animals. The freedom of the animals is what makes a safari so special, which is why they do roam around. However, camps have very stringent policies to make sure guests are very safe. As long as you listen to staff and your guide, then you will be perfectly safe. We only work with very well established safari camps and lodges, all of which have impeccable safety records.

Adventure Family Safari Vs Luxury Family Safari

You can be as adventurous as you like when travelling with older children, enjoying all the safari activities in the world! Walking is a particularly special experience, as you really get to see the nature and animals from a completely different perspective than you do in a vehicle. However, there are walking age restrictions in many camps accross Africa. So, if you have a really young child then we would reccommend a jeep safari. If your budget can afford it, then the luxury options really do cater for youngsters extremelly well, so this is definitely worth looking at too.

Family safari further details:

Between us here in our office we have visited almost every lodge of hotel in East and Southern Africa that is worth talking about, and re-visit regularly to see what's changed. The best way to book a family safari is to get in touch and have a chat with us, or come in and see us in our Putney office. Email us on [email protected] or give us a call from the US on 186 6356 4691 or the UK on 020 8704 1216.