Choosing a safari lodge for families
by Caroline Goodwin
So you want to see the bush, in luxury or semi-luxury, with your young children, but you’re not really sure where to start? Whilst Club Med offers an amazing way to travel in snow or sand, the idea of noise and boisterousness is not conducive to a peaceful or enjoyable bush break. So the idea of a large family-friendly lodge is not commonplace at all, nor really what you want in the African bush. Especially because in general, guided bush tours, especially catered lodges, don’t come cheap. So you want to go where you will get maximum bang for buck and lion alike.
The first hurdle is finding a place that is happy to take you with children under 12 years old. Many places limit the age of children allowed and for good reason. They are set on perilously high slopes, or they are not fenced, or they are a walking safari lodge. It would simply be dangerous and foolish to have young children there. But lodges that welcome children of all ages do exist. From our experience, if the place states that it will take children under 12, the staff are usually super accommodating of children. They are geared up for your young ones and will make the trip special for them too. Please note: if they don’t openly state that children of all ages are welcome, they are sometimes a bit stuffy. But we have met some rangers who have become like second family to us, simply because of their kindness and accommodating manner towards our children.
Family Safari at Royal Malewane Africa House, Thornybush Game Reserve, South Africa
We’ve been fortunate enough to see some of the very best with our three children, from Jaci’s Sabi House to Misava Camp to Singita Castleton. Our girls are aged 4, 7 and 9; the youngest was a mere five months old when she saw the Big Five for the first time. So we have experienced the African Bush and shared that love with our children from before they could have a say in where we spent our holidays.
Here are some tips, from a wizened mother, who didn’t always get it 100% right.
Firstly, if you can find a place that is sole use or limited use (i.e. very small groups,) that is a total win. Having a private space for them to swim, run, play, make a mess, enjoy… makes the hours between game drives so much more accommodating. If it has a waterhole nearby, so that they can see animals without having to be in a vehicle, all the better. They will need to burn off some energy during the day and make some noise, after being quiet on a drive for a number of hours. Other guests, who are looking for a quiet getaway, might not appreciate them as much as you do. We’ve found a few special places that allow for sole use. Sometimes they are self-catering and just big enough for our family of five, others are slightly bigger and we have gone with one other family. Unless you particularly want to be with lots of people, try find a smaller lodge when travelling with children. See the food tip below, but it definitely helps when you can choose a menu and guide the chef according to your children’s whims, which you can do if you’re at a smaller lodge. Ideally, you have your own space and they have space to be free. Our kids make fairy gardens, art stations and have even brought bikes along on one occasion. Sole use or small camps often also come with the added bonus of your own vehicle.
Family Safari at Singita Ebony, Sabi Sand Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park
Which brings me to the game vehicle. If you can be in a lodge where they will give you a vehicle for your own group, that really helps! When you have young children, they don’t easily fit into a structured trip with strict timelines. 4:30 or 5:00 am is very early for little ones to get up and dressed and you feel flipping awful making that honeymoon couple wait while little Tommy is brushing his teeth. Some nights they will have bad sleep, or be up later than they should and need to be in bed a little later the following morning. Some days they will want to stop to see each and every Impala, Warthog, and Mongoose. These are not always conducive sightings to other, (international, less-frequent,) travellers.
So if you have a sole use lodge, then your own vehicle is a given. But if not, ask if you can have your own vehicle or at least be paired with another family with young children. There’s a good chance that they might sympathise. You don’t want to be tense and asking your children to be quiet for an entire game drive; these usually last about three and a half hours, it’s a long time for them to be respectful of other guests. Perhaps your children are capable of doing that, but mine aren’t. Especially not when we see the exciting stuff. They get excited too. Also, having them on the vehicle often means that the guide won’t go as close as they would normally do for adults, until they get to know your children a bit better. This may annoy your fellow guests, unless they have children too.