Family Safaris

As Family Safari specialists, we know the perfect family safari is an art and not a science

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Overview

Stress-Free Safari Holiday Planning for Busy Parents

family safari in Africa - Makgadikgadi Salt pansBecause you deserve a magical family adventure — without the pressure.

Planning a family safari in Africa can feel like a full-time job.

You want this to be the family trip that everyone remembers. But between school schedules, work demands, and too many options online… where do you even start?

Sound familiar?

  • “I’m short on time — but want to get this right.”
  • “I’m worried about safety and logistics with young kids.”
  • “I don’t know which lodges suit kids — or where to go first.”

Whether you’re juggling Zoom calls or school runs, we handle the details so your safari brings joy — not stress.

Introducing Cedarberg Africa, family safari experts

We help busy parents plan unforgettable African safaris where everything — from kid-friendly lodges to travel logistics — is taken care of. So you can relax, reconnect, and make memories that last a lifetime.

Tiger fishing on Lower Zambezi, Chongwe River campWe’ve been designing tailored safaris for families like yours for over 30 years. We’ve travelled with our own children. So we know what works — and what doesn’t.

We’ve seen a flourishing growth in stylish hotels and game lodges that welcome families. And we are constantly evaluating our family safari lodges.

Each family is different. Some may just want the beach, but other families are well-travelled and keen to experience cultural nuances.

Each family has different considerations: your kids’ ages, ideal sleeping arrangements, travelling abilities and family interests all influence what sort of family safari in Africa is right for YOU.

So, whether it’s a multi-generational trip, or your child’s first safari, we’ll help you choose the right destinations, the right pace, and the right balance of adventure and relaxation.

“We take the pressure off you so can do the fun parts; we handle the nitty gritty.”

Our Family Safari Plan: Simple. Seamless. Personal.

  1. Caprivi Strip Namibia (Zambezi region) - children on boat cruiseChat with one of our family safari experts
    Tell us about your family and what you'd love to experience.
  2. Get a tailored itinerary
    We create a safari that fits your budget, travel dates, and kids’ needs.
  3. Enjoy a smooth, safe, amazing trip
    We take care of the rest — and we’re always just a phone call away.

“Cedarberg took the stress out of planning our first family safari. Every lodge was perfect, our boys still talk about the elephants at breakfast, and I actually got to relax. It was the best family trip we’ve ever had.”
Laura, UK

Why book your Family Safari with Cedarberg Africa?

We have 30+ years of planning safaris for families. We have 1st-hand knowledge of truly family-friendly lodges, not merely family-tolerant ones.

Our team travels with our own kids so we get it. We understand  what families need: downtime, flexibility, and food that kids will actually eat!

What You Can Expect from Us:

  • Seamless logistics from airport to lodge
  • Lodges and activities suited to families
  • Guides to what to do with kids in Cape Town & the Garden Route
  • Detailed itineraries packed with family-friendly ideas and excursions
  • Conservation-positive travel that gives back
  • First-hand support from people who’ve done it with kids

Family safaris in Africa

Ready to Start Planning?

Give your family the gift of adventure, bonding, and unforgettable moments in Africa — all without the planning stress.

Not sure where to start? Start here:

Download our Family Safari Quiz

Download our Insiders Guide to Family Safaris

Or look at our family safari travel styles 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.

Family Safari Holiday – Factors to Consider

Chiild relaxing on safari

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 blog article.

Family Safaris in Africa & Malaria

Mark jumping into a rock pool

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 detail.

More Family Safari Holiday Blog Articles:

Top picks for Family Safaris

Download our Insiders Guide to Family Safaris

Family-friendly Destinations, types of Family accommodation, sample tours & useful tips & tricks Get our Free Family Safari guide
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I loved the trip!
"I loved the trip. The accommodation was all lovely, i.e. comfortable, nicely located, some nice touches (e.g. treats at bed turn down), the managers were all helpful. The locations of each were also beautiful and convenient for what we wanted to do " - Mrs Deb, USA
As always an excellent itinerary
"Choices of lodges was perfect. Everything went extraordinarily smoothly. As always an excellent itinerary, great local agent/guide/driver and good trip notes. Good to hear from Milandi personally when a local problem caused a change in the itinerary during the trip. " - Mr Tim Flesher, UK
Vacation of a lifetime
"Milandi and the Cedarberg team not only planned each detail but also gave us helpful tips in advance to help us prepare for our holiday. Once in SA, there was never a need to contact Cedarberg because each day’s activities went off without a hitch " - Mr & Mrs La Doe, USA
Wonderful adventure for us!!
"I want to Thank you for planning another Wonderful adventure for us!! " - S Family
Cannot recommend enough
"I cannot recommend Cedarberg Africa enough, and more specifically, Mari Jacobs. I knew nothing about Africa and I thought it would be a wonderful place to go for our 2-week honeymoon. A co-worker had done a similar trip and passed along Mari’s name to me. She really is excellent at what she does and, most importantly at the time, she makes everything as stress-free as possible. " - Mrs Denise Rehrig, USA
 
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Leanne Koopman-Monk

AFRICAN TRAVEL SPECIALIST

Hi I'm Leanne, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience GET IN TOUCH