African Family Safaris With Kids: Top Family Safari Lodges in Africa for the ultimate adventure

Discover the Ultimate Luxury Safari with Kids: Our Best Places to Stay in Africa

An African safari is one of the most unique holidays you can experience with your loved ones. Picture this: celebrating your big birthday, anniversary, Christmas or even your elopement, in your own exclusive safari lodge, surrounded by the wild spaces and animals of Africa. Your very own slice of the wild, with no one around but the people you love most. Shared experiences are one of the best ways to connect with families across multiple generations!

We know that planning a holiday to Africa can be daunting – especially when travelling with kids. Parenting is hard. When you are on holiday, the last thing you want to be doing, is worrying about keeping your kids safe, healthy, happy and entertained. We all need a break! When you are booking an exclusive holiday like an African safari, you expect a high standard of comfort, including child-friendly accommodations, food options, and flexibility. You probably want assurances that lodges or camps will offer amenities like those of high-end resorts, especially since they’re in remote locations. You’ll want to reduce the actually planning and preparing for the trip to the absolute minimum. And most importantly, you don’t want to have to worry about your kids’ comfort, safety or entertainment.

That’s why we have rounded up our top 3 tips to make planning your “Bush Bash” hassle-free and smooth sailing! And if you would like some help, reach out to see how we can custom-design your dream African family safari.

Key take-aways:

1. Health & Safety: when travelling with kids, safety is even more important. Choose destinations with secure lodges, well-trained staff, private game vehicles and access to emergency medical services just in case. Working with trusted road transfer companies and experienced travel agents will alleviate most of your stress around safety on safari.

2. Keeping Busy: choose lodges with tailored educational and age-appropriate activities, child-minding services, private vehicle options, enclosed play areas, and reduced rates for young children.

3. Comfort & Luxury: save yourself the hassle of dreaded travel admin and decision fatigue and rely on experienced travel advisors to help select your ideal safari camp.

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1. Health & safety on safari: navigating different customs, transportation and culture

If you are thinking of travelling to Africa, you may be concerned about safety, particularly in remote safari destinations where wildlife encounters are close, and medical facilities might be far away. Health risks, such as malaria, also come up, especially for families with young children. The thought of close encounters with predators may worry families with younger children too. If you are opting for road transfers between destinations, you may be worried about road safety in a strange country. And with a few hundred popular safari destinations to choose from, it’s not easy picking the right one for you!

Working with an experienced travel provider gives you peace of mind that these risks are minimised, if not completely eradicated. We plan and give advice about malaria-free regions for family travel, work with trusted road transfer companies, and book secure lodges with well-trained staff, private game vehicles and access to emergency medical services. For example, we recently had one of our travellers fall in her hotel room whilst on holiday with her family. Because we are available 24/7, we were able to quickly get one of our trusted travel partners to take her to the hospital and get professional medical assistance. If you are looking for some practical tips on how to have a safe safari, have a look at our recent blog post.

The Right Choice: Kwandwe Private Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa. With two lodges and three private villas located, this 22,000ha malaria-free Big Five game reserve is perfect for family safaris. You are certain to find a stay perfectly suited to your family’s style, needs and sense of adventure. Guests of all ages are welcome on the daily game drives around the private reserve, and for those parents wanting a special date night, child-minders are available with prior arrangement at no additional cost. Exclusive- use bookings at the villas can design their own family safaris, with no minimum age restrictions, and game drives at flexible times anytime of the day.  

Those with older teenagers find ample space and incredible views at Great Fish River Lodge. Ecca Lodge welcomes all ages and with three dedicated family suites, personal stays with a dedicated safari vehicle and guide are guaranteed. For the ultimate family safari experience, Fort House, Uplands Homestead and Melton Manor are exclusive-use villas each offering a private safari vehicle and guide, private pool, garden, living spaces, personal chef and a completely tailored, intimate stay. Rates start from ZAR 99 500 (USD 5 600) for 6 guests + 1 infant. At less than $1000 per person/night, this is an incredible rate for a high-end, South African family safari. Special offers are available for 2025, with 20% discount for 3- or 4-night stays during certain periods!

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2. Keeping busy: child-focused activities and engagement

It’s no secret that kids have shorter attention spans and different needs from us! If you worry about whether a safari will be engaging enough for your family, be sure to choose destinations that offer fun, educational, and age-appropriate activities. This is especially important for families with teenagers, because half the challenge as a parent these days is keeping connected with your kids. A safari offers kids a chance to explore nature, discover wonders so different from those at home and develop their sense of worldliness and adventure. If planned right, a safari will be the experience of a lifetime for them!  

A lot of safari destinations are not adapted to kids. You’ll want to choose safari camps that offer tailored activities like Junior Ranger Programs, nature walks, animal tracking, and interactive cultural experiences. A trusted travel agent can help you find camps with safe, fenced areas for younger kids to play, as well as lodges with excellent WiFi connectivity for teenagers (or the exact opposite, depending on your preferences!). Family-friendly lodges will have reduced rates for kids under 16, with free accommodation for toddlers. Some lodges also offer baby-sitting services or reduced rated accommodation for your nanny.  

The Right Choice: African Bush Camps has lodges in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, with an extensive offer suitable for family safaris. Their nightly rate starts from $1300 in the high season, kids from 7-15 receive a 50% discount and kids under 6 years travel free. Several camps have family suites and inter-leading rooms to cater to families with younger children. Their Ngwana Club is a family-friendly program that offers children of all ages a variety of safari-related activities. This allows parents some child-free time during the day! Families with kids younger than 6 years can book a private safari vehicle for game drives.

Have a look at one of our recent family safari’s review of their stay at African Bush Camps:

“Nini assisted us in the planning and detailed logistics of our very special family holiday to Zimbabwe: her assistance and that of Wild Wonderful World was clear, efficient and made for smooth travelling (where travelling can easily become bumpy!). Communication via WhatsApp and email was just right - succinct, precise with no excess correspondence. We weren't ready to come home from Zim: Mana Pools, Kariba, Hwange (African Bush Camps with guide Bheki Ncube a highlight) and Vic Falls. Just go!” - Marie

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3. Comfort and luxury: making your African safari as care-free as possible

The last thing you want as a parent whilst travelling, is having to worry about keeping your kids quiet, and not bothering other guests. Especially for first-time safari-goers, finding child-friendly safari lodges isn’t easy. With so many choices of countries, destinations, and price-ranges, it can be difficult to decide which is the best for you and your family. A lot goes into planning an overseas family holiday.  

You’ll probably want to save yourself the hassle of dreaded travel admin and decision fatigue. We have visited a multitude of carefully curated luxury safari lodges ourselves, so we know which ones provide spacious family suites, fine dining tailored to family preferences, Wi-Fi where possible, and private guides. Wherever possible, we recommend travelling families to choose private villas or exclusive-use lodges. That way, you have full control over your days, choosing when and where you go on game drive, and can enjoy game drives even with babies or toddlers! Private lodges aren't just for families either… they also offer the opportunity for groups of friends, and even work colleagues on a team building experience, to make the most out of a private safari experience.

When travelling with a family or larger group, don't underestimate the convenience of private transport. Private jet travel allows you to bypass many of the typical pain points associated with traveling - especially with kids. Avoiding long layovers, having expedited airport procedures, creating your own itinerary on your own schedule. These things enable you to relax and enjoy the experience in a more convenient and luxurious way. And it saves time! Time that is better spent at your destination, enjoying your much needed family time. 

The Right Choice: Little Mombo, Okavango Delta, Botwsana. Exclusive and intimate, Little Mombo in Botswana is exceptional for sole use up to eight guests. They offer an educational program for children aged 6 to 16. Trained staff, known as Bush Buddies, provide personalized experiences tailored to each child's interests, fostering a love for nature and conservation. This complimentary service is available upon request for children aged 6 to 12, with a Bush Buddy assigned to each family to offer mentorship and companionship throughout their stay. While the kids are kept busy, parents will be able to enjoy the brand-new wellness spa to be built in 2025. Rates for 2025 start from USD 2 100 per person/night, babies under 2 years old travel free, kids from 3 – 16 stay at 65% of adult rate. Be sure to enquire about a direct private charter flight from Maun to the camp.

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The bottom line

We’ve curated our fair share of family safaris since 2018. We always create itineraries that balance excitement and relaxation. Picture game drives at sunrise, followed by leisurely breakfasts by the water, and afternoons exploring with a knowledgeable guide who brings wildlife to life for curious young minds. The one thing we know to keep into account: flexibility is key for a family safari to Africa! We keep our finger on the pulse with all our safari partners, to make sure we are always up to date with the latest child-friendly offers and discounts.

When planned right, an African safari will change your children’s lives forever. Believe us, Wild Wonderful World Founder Michelle even wrote a book about it! When Kate, a 7-year-old girl from America, went on safari in South Africa with Michelle as her safari guide, they teamed up to turn their adventures into a book advocating for wild animals and their conservation.

When you are ready to start planning, get in touch to design your custom safari adventure! Here are some ways to contact us:

• Book a free exploration call with our travel team, to discuss your needs and wants and see if we are a good fit for your family.

• Send us an email with your request

• Complete our online enquiry form‍

Written by Evelyn Poole