Going on an African safari is on the bucket list of many people. However, when you have kids it seems like an off-limits item that is best left until they grow up. If you’ve been looking at some of the tours on 100 Destinations and wonder if a safari can be done with kids you’re in luck.
A safari can be a life-changing experience for a child that can be taken with them for the rest of their lives. Not only is it doable, if you are thinking of it then you should definitely go for it. In this article, we will go over some things to think about when planning your African safari with your kids.
Watch for age restrictions
While most tour companies allow children on their safari tours, there are sometimes age restrictions that need to be met. Many of them won’t allow children under the age of two to go on a guided tour. Others actually have a lower limit of six years old so choose the tour company wisely depending on the age of your children.
Since both children and animals are unpredictable, some tour companies don’t want to risk anything when in an open vehicle. However, self-guided tours in which you drive your own vehicle into the park and follow a road are not the same. In those, there is no age limit since you are safely inside the vehicle.
Think about the length of the safari
Although many kids will get a thrill over seeing animals like giraffes and warthogs in their natural environment, they will eventually get bored if that is all there is on the itinerary. Luckily, there are many different types of safaris that range in time spans.
If the kids are small, then think about a half-day excursion that will quickly get you to where the animals are and then back in time for lunch or dinner so there is not much downtime to bore a child.
There are safaris that can range from half-day to even multiple days so think about some of the trips you have already done with your kids to determine how well they can handle the timeframe. If you often do multiple-day camping trips then your child should be up for just about anything.
Is it dangerous?
Going on a safari is perfectly safe as long as you follow the guidelines set out by the game tour company. Many of them will have you in an open vehicle and you will need to stay quiet to not spook the animals. If your child is not able to follow this rule then this is not the thing.
If you opt for a self-driven tour then you have to stay inside the vehicles at all times, this includes keeping your arms inside and not hanging them out of the window even for a picture.
If you are able to follow these rules then there is no danger to going on a safari with kids.
