For sure! And in the next few minutes you will learn everything you need to know about why you can definitely go on safari with your children and how you can plan the whole adventure sensibly.
A few tips for planning a trip:
1. Plan your journey ahead.
Get your passports ready - for all of you. For many trips, all family members, even the youngest, need passports. The validity of the children's passports is often not that long. Therefore, it is also important to pay attention to the expiry dates.
Vaccination is a requirement for many countries. A double vaccination, for example, means that you have to start early enough to enjoy full protection.
2. Choose your destination wisely
Africa is not just Africa. There are so many different destinations within the continent. The most popular and best developed safari destinations are definitely Namibia and South Africa in the south and Kenya and Tanzania in the east. All four countries are ideal for family safaris.
3. Don’t go too remote.
Of course, it always depends on the age of the children and how travel-experienced you are. But in general we recommend safaris with short itineraries and few different camps. This way you can plan your safari day more freely as you wish and you don't have to cover long distances first.
4. Include your children in the travel planning
Nothing is more beautiful than anticipation. In addition, a long-distance trip to another culture and climate is also a big adjustment for children. With related books, photos and videos you can already sniff a little into the adventure on family evenings together. This increases general anticipation, but also understanding.
5. Self-Drive or Guided tour?
First time on safari with kids? Then we definitely recommend the guided variant. So you have time for your children and don't have to search the way, look out for animals and pick up the favorite cuddly toy from the floor, all at the same time. It's supposed to be a shared adventure. So focus on your family and the experience. And leave the rest to (us :) and) a professional guide to fully relax.
6. My personal tip: Keep your expectations low!
What I learned when traveling with children: It never turns out the way you imagined. Suddenly the children find the ant trail much more interesting than the actual "attraction". And that's actually a good thing. Children often open our eyes to the little beauties in life. Even if we might need a little more patience..
It's also possible that the children fell asleep in THE moment of the safari... A safari is pretty exciting.
7. But why should you go on safari with children?
From my experience I can say that a trip with the family is always something special. It creates shared moments and memories. And that's wonderful. And if adults desire to go on safari, then safari is exactly what they should do. :) Plan the safari easy and varied, and it is going to be a win for everyone - for big and small.
Anything else?
By the way, there is no real age from which children can go on safari. One can easily adapt the safari to the age of the youngest child.
Oh yes, one more thing: most children love to let off steam in the pool after a long day sitting in the car in the dusty savannah. Accordingly, it is advisable to book accommodation with a pool. 😊
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