My first safaris were from the back seat of my dad’s plane when I was still a baby, and they became a regular fixture throughout my childhood (although we jus called it going to the bush). So when parents ask me whether a safari actually works with kids, I kind of take it personally, because I’m living proof that it does.
And here’s the thing that isn’t spoken about enough: a safari is the only holiday where you won’t need to ban screens, or put kids in front of the TV to keep them occupied. Instead, there’s a herd of elephants crossing the road in front of the vehicle and even the teenager has put the phone down.
I’ve planned a string of multi-generational trips lately and they keep proving the same point. Grandparents, parents and kids on one holiday usually means someone is compromising, but on safari the six-year-old is learning to track, the grandparents have their gin at sunset, and everyone arrives at dinner with stories to tell. That almost never happens on a family holidays, which is exactly what makes it so special.
But , and it’s a real but, a family safari takes more planning than a simple couple’s trip. Child policies vary wildly between lodges, and lots of them won’t take young kids at all. The lodge choice is everything here. You want a place where children are part of the experience, not politely endured.
Lodges that actually get it
The best lodges have built kids programmes that treat the bush as the world’s greatest classroom, which of course it is! Londolozi’s Cubs Den is the gold standard for me: bug hunts, tracking lessons, learning to make fire and read prints in the sand. Your eight-year-old comes home able to identify a hyena track, which is more than most adults can say. Singita’s Mini Rangers is right up there, and &Beyond runs its WildChild programme across a lot of of their lodges. None of these are babysitting with a safari sticker slapped onto it, they’re hands-on, and frequently the part of the trip the kids love the most.
The malaria question
The accommodation question
Standard lodge rooms often aren’t designed with families in mind, so once again the lodge choice is key here. Interleading rooms, family suites or multi-bedroom villas all work well, and getting this right makes the difference between a trip that works well and one where someone’s down a pathway in the dark. Enter the safari villa: multiple bedrooms, a shared living space, private pool, your own chef, guide, and vehicle. These are fabulous for giving everyone more space, more privacy and more flexibility. I’m doing a separate blog soon on my favourite safari villas, so keep an eye out for that.
How old should the kids be?
The question I get asked a lot. Technically there’s no minimum, and some lodges will take babies, but the sweet spot, in my experience, is six and up. That’s when a child can manage a few hours on a vehicle, embrace the safari experience, and remember it afterwards.
Worth knowing: most lodges won’t put young kids on shared game drives with other guests. It’s not lodges being precious, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Wildlife is unpredictable, small children more so, and three hours of sitting still is a big ask for a four-year-old. The fix is a private vehicle, which most family-friendly lodges can offer, and honestly it’s an upgrade, because whether you stay with the leopard for twenty minutes or head back to the lodge early is totally your call.
A family safari done well is the best trip your family will ever take, and I don’t say that lightly. It does take more planning, and the lodge choice matters more than usual, but that’s literally what I’m here for. Forget the theme parks, a leopard in a tree beats a man in a mouse suit, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
