Safari with kids: where I’d start

Most parents I talk to have safari on their someday list. Someday when the kids are older. Someday when it feels easier.

A safari can work at the ages your kids are right now. It just has to be planned around them. South Africa is where I’d start, and here is what it actually takes.

WHY SOUTH AFRICA

– Direct flights from the East Coast to Johannesburg and Cape Town

– A 6 to 7 hour time difference, so jet lag is closer to Europe than Asia

– Malaria-free reserves, if you’d rather skip the tablets

– It pairs naturally with Cape Town and the Winelands, so the trip is more than game drives

WHERE TO GO

Greater Kruger and Sabi Sands: private game reserves next to Kruger National Park. The classic Big Five safari, known for leopard. This is a low-risk malaria area, so ask your doctor about tablets.

Madikwe: malaria-free Big Five near the Botswana border, a short flight from Johannesburg, with some of the strongest family lodges in the country.

Eastern Cape: malaria-free private reserves that slot onto the end of a Garden Route road trip. A gentler, shorter safari.

WHEN TO GO

May to September is peak safari season: cool, dry, far fewer mosquitoes, and animals gathered at the water. Pack layers, because early drives are cold. Cape Town is in its cozy winter then: wine country, fireplaces, and whale season.

On a school calendar, Thanksgiving is the sweet spot, when the bush and Cape Town are both at their best. It’s worth pulling kids from school a few extra days to make the flight and the trip count. Spring break strikes a nice balance too, and is often better value.

WHAT IT COSTS

Safari lodges price per person, per night:

Well-run and comfortable, with simpler tented rooms: $750 to $1,000

Premium private reserves, with family suites and plunge pools: $1,000 to $2,000

The top tier, with private villas: $2,500 and up

Kids are often half price. Many of the family-friendly lodges I recommend charge kids about half the adult rate. Not every lodge does, which is one more reason the lodge you choose matters.

And that nightly rate covers everything. Really, everything:

– Your lodge room, tented suite or bush villa

– Three gourmet meals a day, plus coffee, tea and daily sundowner drinks

– Two guided activities a day: game drives, night drives or bush walks

– Park and conservation fees at most lodges

– Transfers from the airstrip, and sometimes light-aircraft flights in a fly-in package

The main add-on is a private vehicle, so you’re not sharing with other guests. When you book with me, you’ll also have 24/7 on-the-ground support while you’re traveling.

THREE ITINERARIES TO CONSIDER

The classic first safari, 11 nights: Cape Town 4, Winelands 3, Sabi Sands 4. For families who want the Big Five to be the point.

Easiest with young kids, 10 nights: Cape Town 4, Winelands 2, Madikwe 4. The shortest trip with the fewest moves, and no malaria tablets needed.

Road trip and safari, 12 nights: Cape Town 4, Garden Route 5, Eastern Cape 3. Self-drive the coast, with safari as one chapter of a bigger trip.

WORTH FLAGGING

Some lodges set age minimums for game drives, but many family-friendly lodges welcome kids of all ages. Finding that lodge is my job.

A private vehicle changes everything with kids. You set the pace, and when they’re done, you head back.

Book a year out. It’s true for any Africa safari, and the best family suites go first.

Follow along on Instagram for more insights into planning safaris with kids, with Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe coming next in the series, after this South Africa post.