Travelling with Children

What is the best age for children to be on safari?

This is definitely a variable answer as it really depends on family to family.... The true answer sits with the child itself.

 

Obviously you would not want to bring a 3 month old child on safari, but any child of the age where it generally isn't really understanding or taking part in enjoying the holiday is probably not an appropriate age.  It is after all a holiday, and the children should be of an age where they can enjoy it without putting stress on the parents... and also take advantage of the natural education a child should gain.

 

Don't be too worried about how young your child is, its more about the benefits they will gain, how they enjoy themselves and of course how stress free it will be for you, the parent.

 

 

Lodge Practicalities

Lodges are the best way to safari with Children as they are practical in that they represent a home from home.... a large permanently built room with great showers and toilets etc, does make life much easier when travelling with children.

 

Lodges all have policies on bringing children and can offer large discounted rates depending on their age. They may also state restrictions for age which can include the necessity of hiring private activities. The ages that are considered to be "children's" age can vary from anything between 0 - 12 years or 0 - 17 years.... each lodge has a different policy at which point a child of a certain age is considered an "adult" and therefore must pay full price.

 

Safari Lifestyles works very closely with all lodges, so we have all the necessary information to hand, and work this all out for you... Its a bit like a complex jigsaw puzzle fitting an appropriate itinerary together for you... but this is what we are good at.

 

 

Is it Just for children?

We would say no... The best safari guide any child can have is you, and you alone are the parents and are the only ones being with them 24 hours a day.... Essentially this is also YOUR holiday so you should also be getting the full benefit of your trip...

 

The most excited and interested children you ever get on safari are with parents who feel the same way.... so book a safari with yourselves in mind and the rest will follow.

 

 

What if I don't want to stay in a Lodge?

Perfect...!  Your option other than a lodge is a Mobile Tented Safari, and this can offer you a great deal of flexibility with children.

 

We run two types of safaris, Scheduled and Tailor Made.... The scheduled trips are designed for groups so you will be with other passengers, in this case there may be some age restrictions and I guess you do have to be mindful of other people on the vehicle.

 

Tailor made is private for you and your family so there is much flexibility about what you do, and there is much less emphasis on age restrictions. You may also be surprised at how reasonable the price can be for a private Mobile Tented Safari for just you and your family.... We do run all inclusive camping safaris and use tents designed with families in mind...  you can get an overview here...

 

​Tailor Made Mobile Safaris

Some TIPs...!

 

• Perhaps consider a private vehicle in Lodges.... This is peace of mind for you and you wont be constantly concerned about how others are perceiving your kids.... Of course if you are on one of our private Tailor Made Mobile Tented Safaris then you don't need to worry about this.
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• Kids love taking photos so give them a camera... even a cheap one...this will keep them entertained for hours in an amazing area.
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• Set the ground rules... Chat to them about behavior. Any time around predators is quiet time and the guide will have to insist on it, so its a good idea to teach the children the best ways to enjoy the wildlife around them.
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• Keep them close.... its obviously not a zoo here and we know that you as parents are aware of this, but it helps to keep an eye on them at all times.
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• Try and make sure they visit the toilet before the game drives... There will be a pit-stop break or two but its all better done before if possible.
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• Don't be afraid to go camping.... its one of the best ways for you and your family to get really close to nature and will leave you with unforgettable memories.