Family safari holiday’s to Tanzania
We watched as elephants trecked through the hotel while on safari in Africa
Juliette was nearly two years old, we travelled from South Africa to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania both the mainland and Zanzibar but my wife and I both love Africa and we could not resist the temptation to visit our many friends in Africa and visit the continent we love so much.
We had a magnificent journey and really 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 extremely vigilant to use mosquito nets, we covered her with a strong mosquito repellent to the point that she wasn’t 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. Juliette has been on many safaris since a very young age and we have many friends who have children that have grown up in the safari lodges so the answer is a simple one, yes children are fine in the wild 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.
One dramatic episode that we had that I would like to mention because it could 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.The night ended up being one of the most fabulous 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 lost their prey. 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. Fortunately our guide and driver noted the change and immediately drove us away at top speed to safety with a pack of lions following us.
The food in safari lodges tends to be quite relaxed so no problems here either. There won’t be any difficulties with keeping the children entertained, this is a new and exciting world where they will be introduced to different cultures and also perhaps even poverty for the first time, the world and experience of Africa might play an important role in the education of our children.
As far as wellbeing is concerned we feel there is no real danger as long as the parents act sensibly. Certainly the first thing to do is sit down with your children before departure 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. For very young children I would suggest you select your camp carefully and check with your travel advisor which are 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. It is an uncommon disease which you wouldn’t come across in a safari lodge. Of a higher matter is malaria which is a problem right through the tropics. The local residents get it regularly and it is typically regard it as no worse than a bout of flu. However depending on the strain, it can be dangerous and the solution here is good prevention. You should get advice from your doctor because young children cannot take malaria tablets. Don’t forget to apply mosquito repellent profusely all over them, cover their arms and legs before the sunsets and make certain that the children sleep under mosquito nets. If you take these safety measures you can reduce the risk of malaria to almost 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.
