I am planning to take my two grandsons ages 10 and 13 on an African safari. I want to spend no more than $6,000 per person not including airfare. There is so much information out there.&n
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Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362
Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362Discussion:34d479bb-4173-46ed-9c4e-189c02f54c6e
I am planning to take my two grandsons ages 10 and 13 on an African safari. I want to spend no more than $6,000 per person not including airfare. There is so much information out there. I have been informed I should go thorough a safari company. Any suggestions? I would like for them to see the big game especially giraffes, elephants, etc. I'm also interested in them becoming acquainted with kids their age that live on the continent.
Pat, we just got back 4 days ago and it was wonderful. We went on about 12 safaris in Botswana and South Africa. There was only one child on the safaris that we took and he was 9 years old. The rangers obviously have to be very strick not only with the kids, but with adults as well as it could become dangerous if they weren't. We had the safaris in the price of the lodging. We were very happy with Cheetah Plains Lodge. We also stayed two days at Elephant Plains Lodge and they were nice too. While they are quite close together in the Sabi Sands Reserve, we couldn't get all the days at one and we really were glad we were able to experience both. We were awed by the safaris at Cheetah Plains as one of their rangers, Abel, was a mountain of knowledge and shared it readily. With either you can arrange for airport pickup for an additional fee if you choose not to drive. Have fun.
BTW, Pat, since this was posted under SA, I assumed you had settled on that one. However, we also went to Botswana and that too was absolutely wonderful. We stayed at Elephant Valley Lodge there. EV is a 'luxury tent' lodge which means it has facilities in the tent. Their safari rangers were wonderful too and we were very lucky to have Patrick. You do see a lot more animals in Botswana, and that doesn't mean that SA doesn't have a lot. It's just that Botswana's sheer numbers are unbelievable. I'm not a tent person and this was my first experience ever, but it had enough amenities to get me through. Just thought I'd add that in case you are still trying to decide where you are going.
pat, South Africa has a number of child friendly safaris. We like Garonga which has a very cool sleepout option for a night. We also like Elephant Plains. Note that for the Kruger area safaris, you'll need to take anti malarials. If you really don't want to do that, Madikwe is a good option, and Jaci's Lodge is very kid friendly. http://travellingdad.quivertreeworld.com/
We went to Madikwe and to Addo in South Africa with two small children. The former caters to high-end luxury and the latter is a public park where you can drive yourself around or take guided tours. Both have the big advantage of being malaria free. Addo of course is a lot less expensive but, while you are likely to see more elephants than you can imagine as well as a lot of general game, the "Big 5" are relatively difficult (although not impossible) to see. Madikwe has it all. Private game drives, luxurious accomodations, and great food. We stayed at Tuningi Lodge which is small and intimate and seems to go out of their way to cater to children. We absolutely loved Tuningi and would recommend it most highly. But if you check out tripadvisor.com, you will see that all the places in Madikwe are extremely well reviewed.
Hi Pat, High school teacher here and Mom of a 4 year old. Been to Africa 3 times with my little girl. Once to East, once to North and once to South. You don't mention what time of year you want to go. If you go in our summer, it is their winter. Hands down, go to South Africa or East. We went to Chobe for the "water/rivery safari. Your grandsons will love the water aspect BUT Chobe park is very crowded. Like African Disneyworld. Then, we flew to Maun into Moremi Nat'l Park, The BEST experience we had and we saw no more than 5 trucks in 4 days. TONS of animals. Everything. We were in the camp with a private guide and camp. Explore Africa out of Colorado is amazing and well recommended on Conde Nast. Cherri Briggs is incredible and knows the area like the back of her hand. Her email is cherri@exploreafrica.net We did Victoria Falls, Chobe, Moremi and ended in Cape Town. You can customize it as you wish. Do Vic Falls, Chobe and Moremi. Your grandsons will laugh at Disney world after doing this trip. My daughter talks about it every DAY! Some things to know. If you do S. Africa instead of East, you all won't need shots. Just take Malarone, for malaria. We all did many times with NO side effects at all. One pill a day, EASY. Write me if you wish. I know Africa well :) Lisa AOMSINC@aol.com
I would suggest that you use a travel advisor that specializes in S. Africa. It will actually save you money and you will have expert advice. If you don't know one, you can always go to Triplology.com. They will match you with up to 3 experts in your chosen area.
Pat - here are a few suggestions in South Africa and Tanzania, though Africa Adventure Consultants mostly specialize in custom itineraries so you can plan exactly the trip you want. You can definitely do it for $6k or less per person and at varying levels of luxury (from camping to deluxe properties). East Africa has the advantage of having a private, enclosed vehicle (generally speaking), which can be good for families and younger children. If you prefer an open-vehicle safari, there are a ton of options in Southern Africa. (Not to say you can't have open vehicles in East Africa, but it's less common, especially as many safaris are driving from area to area rather than flying as in Southern Africa). Be sure to work with an operator that has planned family safaris before - better yet - someone who has taken their own children on safari. Some operators, camps and guides will be more experienced with families and that's the kind of expertise you want planning a trip like this. Good luck and enjoy - the African continent is amazing!!
Pat - one more thought - you mention getting acquainted with local kids - I find that East Africa is better for cultural opportunities and interactions. Make sure the safari company you work with understands that is a priority - it can get lost in the planning process!
The difficulty with kids is that their ADD tends to kick in on long safaris especially when they haven't seen much. Depending on their age and level of maturity I would suggest that you look into taking them on a short safari or a starter safari. The best place for this would be drakensburg. Its got smaller game reserves and shorter game drives where you will see quite a few animals (nothing as exciting as the predators) but it should help to keep the kids rather attentitive. Furthermore staying in drakensburg is not too expensive and you can be there for a weekend to kind of test the waters and find out how your kids are on a short safari and if they are ready for a longer safari in one of the larger game reserves in South Africa / Africa. Add to that Drakensburg Accomodation caters for all sizes of visitors and wallet so you it will be a great place to test the waters inexpensively.
There is also sun city where you can go for a safari and if you dont see any predetors then you can always go to the lion park in sun city where its like a petting zoo for predators.
Check out the special Family safaris on the Explore Worldwide website...South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Botswana. They are designed for families (some teenage departures as well).
I think Evander has made some very good points. Keeping the children interested without it being at the expense of the others on the safari is a problem, at least it was on the ones we were on where there was a child. After a short while the 9 year old, whom I believe was normally a very well behaved child, wanted to dominate the safari with his repeatedly insisting on looking for 'this' animal and then 'that' animal and trying to dictate the hunt. It soon became very annoying to both the ranger (although he tried to make the best of it) and to the rest of us on the safari. Then the child began wanting everyone else to change seats with him although all the seats were very good. Surprisingly, his mother didn't seem to think that was an unreasonable request. It was pretty obvious he was just bored because the thought the Leopard should appear on request. I really did get the idea he was a good kid and had lots of manners under normal conditions, it was just beyond his attention span.
Wow Pat, haven't you been given a plethora of information from the Frommer's community?! Everyone has given you plenty to consider, so I will make my two-cent's-worth as direct and simple as possible: - East or Southern Africa? For what it's worth and as a father of two aged 4yrs and 2yrs, I would recommend Southern Africa. There's more child-friendly choices and generally better infrastructure (including medical facilities), as well as vaccination- and malaria-free options; - I think it would be a shame to visit anywhere that doesn't offer a true free-roaming wildlife experience (such as that offered at Lion Park and Sun City), as there are sooooo many places that can provide real wildlife experiences that will showcase Mother Afrika (and Mother Nature) at their very best to your grandsons; - as mentioned by G12, be sure to stipulate (either to your operator or directly with your choice of accommodations) your desire for your grandsons to have some interaction with similar aged local children. I'm sure you will be accommodated no matter which region/country you choose to visit, as this type of cultural experience is a mainstream request nowadays; - perhaps it's easiest to book through an agent/safari company who can do all the reservation & corresponding for you. - all of the following properties offer some kind of child-friendly safari exeperience, and consequently know the special needs for little ones on safari (such as the attention-keeping factor mentioned by Evander and Caroline):
This is all great info. We're planning a trip w/ our 8, 5 and 2 yr old, so the South Africa safari suggestions are great.
I started a new disscussion asking for reccommendations for family-friendly places within a few hours drive from Cape Town. I look forward to reading any feedback.
