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South Africa Family Safaris

South Africa Family Safaris

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

It’s easy to see why South Africa is the top destination for family safaris in Africa. A country of amazing scenic beauty, cultural diversity and world-class infrastructure, South Africa is home to some of the greatest wildlife reserves on the continent and an ideal place to see the legendary Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

The range of South African safari destinations includes malaria-free Big 5 reserves as well as private reserves adjoining the famous Kruger Park plus ‘beach and bush’ holidays in sunny KwaZulu Natal. And it’s easy to combine South Africa family safaris with Cape Town – you can even fly direct from the Kruger – and add Table Mountain, the Cape Winelands and whale watching to your experience.

South Africa is a big country however – where do you actually go? – and bear in mind that there is a slight, seasonal risk of malaria in some safari areas. And what if you would like to combine South Africa with Victoria Falls or Botswana? Your choice of safari destination and the time you visit is therefore best made by taking into account the ages of your children.

CHILDREN (AGES 1 – 5)

Make it easy: remove the malaria risk entirely by going to a malaria-free Big 5 reserve. Now you can go on safari at any time of year and you have the choice of several destinations where you’ll find family-friendly lodges with conveniences like playgrounds, kid’s menus and child-minders.

If you do want to go to wildlife destinations that have a malaria risk, then visit them in mid-winter (June to August) when the climate is very dry and mild and the risk is at its lowest of the year.

Families with very young children will need to arrange a private vehicle and guide for game drives so consider staying at an exclusive-use homestead or tented camp. Here you’ll have complete freedom and independence: these accommodations are fully serviced and come complete with your guide and chef.

CHILDREN (AGES 6+)

More options open up for families with children six and over. Malaria-free reserves are still a good choice but many lodges in the Kruger take children from this age and if you manage the malaria risk effectively, then you have South Africa’s flagship reserve to explore. We’d recommend a family-friendly lodge in one of the Kruger’s private reserves where you’ll have the best Big 5 experience at camps that have been delivering family safaris for generations. Go between May and October for the driest weather.

And if you’d like to combine wildlife watching with a beach holiday, then South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal has both as well as the warmest ocean temperatures in South Africa.

TEENAGERS (12+)

Children at this age are accepted at all accommodations so now you have the full range of South Africa safari destinations to choose from. It’s still a good idea to go for family-friendly lodges where you’ll have a big swimming pool, perhaps a games room, and extra activities for children but you may also want to think about a private accommodation where you’ll have complete independence and flexibility.

It’s always best to go on a family safari in South Africa between May and October, especially if you plan to combine South Africa with other regional destinations such as Botswana or Victoria Falls; this time of year is also recommended for a beach and bush safari to KwaZulu Natal.

Family Tours & Safaris

Start planning your safari with our range of itineraries below; we’ve highlighted our most popular South Africa family safaris – designed to be booked as they are – but you are welcome to contact us for other ideas better suited to your interests, budget and dates of travel. At Safari Online we have the expertise to make the perfect itinerary for you.

Nothing found for that particular selection, get in touch with us!

OTHER FAMILY DESTINATIONS

South Africa combines easily with other family destinations such as Botswana, Victoria Falls and the Indian Ocean islands – you can fly direct from the Kruger Park to the Mozambican coast for example, or from Cape Town to Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Browse Our Travel Blog for inspiration or simply contact us for more information.

We Recommend the Following Countries for Families with Children:

 

  • Botswana
  • Zimbabwe
  • Tanzania
  • Kenya
  • Namibia

BLOGS ABOUT FAMILY SAFARIS

Do you love family travel? And are you looking for some inspiration? Check out our family travel blogs below which will inform and inspire you for your next safari!

Madikwe Family Safari

Madikwe Family Safari

The Kohrs family share their thoughts on their safari experience at the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Travelling with their two children aged 2 and 4, they had a fantastic time: find out about the lodges they visited, what made their stay excellent and what to consider when travelling on safari with kids.

Read More
Children’s Activities in Victoria Falls

Children’s Activities in Victoria Falls

Whether you’re bringing toddlers or teenagers, the range of children’s activities in Victoria Falls makes it the perfect destination for a family safari. These activities are professionally run, age-appropriate and create life-long memories.

Read More
Okavango Delta with Children

Okavango Delta with Children

A safari to Botswana’s Okavango Delta with children promises to be a memorable family holiday. An unspoilt landscape of lazy lagoons and grazing grasslands, the Okavango Delta is home to abundant wildlife ranging from elephants and big cats to monkeys and mongooses.

Read More

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Reviews

Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)