Family Tours & Safaris

Africa is a good place for a family holiday. Children remember their first elephant or penguin for years, and many lodges and tours are set up for families.

The key is planning: the right reserve for your children's ages, a pace that leaves time to rest, and a few activities that are just for them. This page covers what we take into account.

Choosing a safari with children

• Malaria free. For young children, many families choose a malaria-free reserve: Madikwe, Pilanesberg, the Eastern Cape near Addo, or Aquila near Cape Town.
• Age rules. Many private lodges set a minimum age for game drives, often 6 and sometimes 12. Some offer a private vehicle for families at extra cost, so you can return to camp when the children are tired.
• Kids programmes. Some lodges run activities for children, such as tracking, bush skills and cooking, while adults go on a drive.
• Guided Kruger tours. Tours in Kruger National Park are usually more flexible on age than private lodges.

Family favourites in South Africa

Cape Town

The penguins at Boulders Beach, the Two Oceans Aquarium, the Table Mountain cableway, the Cape Point funicular and sandboarding on the dunes outside the city.

Garden Route

Ostrich farms and the Cango Caves at Oudtshoorn, easy beaches and forest walks.

Johannesburg and Sun City

Gold Reef City theme park, lion and safari parks, and the Valley of Waves at Sun City next to Pilanesberg.

Durban

Warm beaches and uShaka Marine World.

East Africa with children

Kenya and Tanzania have family tents and lodges with pools, and the open plains make animals easy to see. End with a few days on the beach in Zanzibar or at Diani. See Kenya and Tanzania safaris. Note that gorilla trekking has a minimum age of 15.

Planning the pace

• Keep driving days short, and fly between regions when distances are long.
• Plan one main activity a day, with free time in the afternoon.
• Stay at least two nights in each place.
• Ask for family rooms or connecting rooms when you book.

Good to know

• Documents. If a child is travelling with only one parent or with other adults, carry a copy of the birth certificate and a consent letter from the absent parent. Check the current South African rules before you fly.
• Car seats. Tell us your children's ages and we will arrange suitable seats.
• Health. Ask a travel clinic about vaccinations and malaria advice for children.