Family Safaris

As specialists in Family safari holidays, we’ve seen a flourishing growth in stylish hotels and game lodges that welcome families. However designing the best family safari for each client remains an art and not a science. There’s a difference between family-friendly lodges, and family-tolerant ones, and we are constantly evaluating our family safari lodges on this score.

Some people seem to assume that once you have kids, all families are identical in terms of their needs. They want a beach and middle-of-the-road hotels. We know that NOTHING is further from the truth!

Families vary every bit as much as couples do. Yes, sometimes you are on a tighter budget, but ideally you want the same quality of hotels that you enjoyed before you had kids. Some may just want the beach, but others are well-travelled and keen to experience cultural nuances.

Furthermore, each family is different – your kids’ ages, ideal sleeping arrangements, travelling abilities and family interests all influence what sort of family safari in Africa is right for YOU.

We suggest that you look at our family safari top picks below. Then give us a call or email us. We’ll chat to you, find out what you are looking for and put together a tailormade proposal for YOUR family safari.

Why book your Family Safari with Cedarberg Africa?

• We know our stuff! We've been doing this for a long time. So we know which safari lodges & hotels cater for children & what they offer.
  We've travelled extensively with our own children. So we have 1st-hand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t!
• Our family safari proposals describe the exact nature of the accommodation.
• We have a wealth of information on activities for kids & nearby family attractions in the popular areas, including our complimentary guides to the Garden Route and Cape Town.

Why not check out our article on Affordable Family Accommodation in South Africa.

Family Safaris – Factors to Consider

We believe that introducing your kids to the wonders of African wildlife makes for a great family holiday. However it’s important to consider what will be the best family safari experience for YOU.

• The age and attention span of your children
• Their ability to travel long distances happily (either by car or by air)
• Trade-off between seeing animals in an accessible region (minimising travelling time) versus seeing wildlife in a more remote, wilderness location?
• Your attitude towards malaria?
• What sort of trips does your family enjoy? Adventurous or laid back? Lots of activities, or time alone in a pristine environment?
• Always together, or some time apart?
• Whether you’d like a specialist family safari programme (available at selected lodges) or have a more relaxed free-form family safari in mind?

See our Tips for Kids on Safari article.

Family Safaris & Malaria

Malaria is around in most, but not all, safari destinations in Africa. We recommend that you don’t take small children (five & under) to year-round malarial areas. Older children simply take the same precautions as adults. Avoid being bitten by covering up with long-sleeved trousers and shirts just before the sun sets and applying child-friendly insect repellent.

The only year-round non-malaria game reserves are in South Africa. Excellent Big Five game-viewing is on offer in the Eastern Cape, the Madikwe Game Reserve and the Waterberg.

South Africa also has a number of seasonal malaria areas where the risk of malaria is greatly reduced between May and September, such as the Kruger Park and northern KwaZulu Natal.

See Malaria-Free Safaris for more details…

More Family Safari Resources to Help you:

Download our Family Safari Quiz

Download our Insiders Guide to Family Safaris