Family safari holiday’s to Tanzania

We travelled from South Africa to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania both the mainland and Zanzibar when Juliette was nearly two years old. My wife and I both love Africa and we couldn’t resist the temptation to visit our friends in Africa and go on safari as a family.

We had a splendid safari and actually had no trouble with finding food for our daughter or cots in the hotels etc. In fact the whole trip was just perfect. We were especially cautious to use mosquito nets and covering her with a strong mosquito repellent she was not bitten once in the whole trip.

So if you are thinking of travelling to Africa with your family but are worried whether your children will enjoy the safari and whether they will be safe, we hope you will be encouraged with our personal experiences. Our daughter Juliette has enjoyed safaris from the very earliest age and have friends who have raised their children so the easy answer is yes children do adapt well to the wild but with some conditions.

Children tend to love the wildlife and a safari is usually a wonderful experience for children of all ages. It can get a bit long and hot for children so we have some suggestions for you;

• take with you some animal spotting safari games
• learn the Swahili names for the animals which will help the children build a relationship with your driver and should provide fun.
• Download “safari games” free from the web this will entertain them when the safari is quiet.  We have a FREE children’s activity pack which you can view or download and print free of charge and includes a safari animal check list with Swahili animal names, plus some other fun stuff.

A remarkable experience we had one night while out on safari, I want to mention it because it might be useful for other parents travelling with young children while on safari…
We went on a night drive in Zambia in an open vehicle with other guests from the lodge.  It turned out to be one of the most spectacular we have ever done. We discovered a young leopard where we later found ourselves right in the core of a herd of buffalo that was suddenly being ambushed by four hungry female lions. The lions prey escaped. Our daughter in all the bewilderment began crying, within seconds the lions who usually regard vehicles as just part of the landscape started to see the vehicle as a possible prey, like a small animal in distress. It was fortunate that our driver spotted the change and drove away at full speed with a pack of lions following us.

The food in safari lodges tends to be quite relaxed so no problems here either. There should be no problems keeping children interested in this new and stimulating world where they will face a different way of life and maybe poverty for the first time, but I think the lifestyle of Africa can play an essential part in the education of our sometimes pampered children.

As far as safety is concerned we feel there is no real danger as long as the parents act sensibly. Once you have booked your safari it would be a good idea to sit down with your children and explain that Africa is a different world from the one they are used to, where there is danger around. There is no need to inflate but camp rules must be obeyed, because if they are not, the consequences can be very serious. With young children I suggest you choose your lodge and safari carefully checking with your travel advisor for one that is most suitable for children. Because of our first hand experience we can guide you on this as we have been on many safaris with our children. We also have a lot of information for going on safari & travelling in Africa

It is recommended that young children should not be vaccinated and are excused in most countries for yellow fever but truthfully I don’t feel this should be of concern. This is a rare disease which you should not encounter  in a safari lodge. More concern is for malaria which is a problem all through the tropics. The local population catch it regularly and it is usually considered no worse than a bout of flu. Although dangerous depending on the strain, the answer is prevention. You should get advice from your doctor because young children cannot take malaria tablets. Make sure that you rub mosquito repellent liberally, cover up arms and legs before sundown and ensure that the children sleep under mosquito nets. These safety measures will help you to reduce the risk of malaria to just about zero.

Don’t be scared about taking your children to Africa,  it is a wonderful experience for them and we have been back with Juliette many times, but do cover them up well and no safaris in open vehicles for very small children

Note: The above information is advice given on the basis of the author’s experience at the time of writing and the author cannot take responsibility for any traveller choosing to take the advise above. All travellers should speak to their GP taking advice from the relevant authorities before travelling.

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