We had a wonderful trip and really had no problems with finding food for our daughter or cots in the hotels etc. In fact the whole trip was perfect. We were very careful to use mosquito nets, to cover her with a strong mosquito repellent and in fact she was not bitten once in the whole trip.

So if you are thinking of travelling to Africa with your family but are worried whether your children will enjoy the safari and whether they will be safe we hope you will be encouraged with our personal experiences. Our daughter Juliette has enjoyed safaris from the very earliest age and have friends who have raised their children so the easy answer is yes children do adapt well to the wild but with some conditions.

Children tend to love the wildlife and a safari is usually a wonderful experience for children of all ages. It can get a bit long and hot for children so we have some suggestions for you;

• take with you some animal spotting safari games
• learn the Swahili names for the animals which will help the children build a relationship with your driver and should provide fun.
• You can download “safari games” free from the web and this will keep them busy. We have a FREE children’s activity pack which you can view or download and print free of charge and includes a safari animal check list with Swahili animal names, plus some other fun stuff.

The only real incident that we had that could be useful for other parents travelling with young children while on safari…
We went on a night drive in Zambia in an open vehicle with other guests from the lodge.  It turned out to be one of the most spectacular we have ever done. We spotted a young leopard and later found ourselves right in the middle of a herd of buffalo being ambushed by four female lions. The lions missed their prey. Our daughter in all the confusion started crying: Within seconds the lions who normally consider vehicles as just part of the landscape started to look at the vehicle as a potential prey, a small animal in distress. It was fortunate that our driver spotted the change and drove away at full speed with a pack of lions following us.

The food in safari lodges tends to be quite relaxed so no problems here either. In general there should be no problems keeping children occupied in their new and exciting world here they will come face to face with a different culture and also perhaps poverty for the first time, but I think the reality of Africa can play an important part in the education of our sometimes over protected children.

As far as safety is concerned we feel there is no real danger as long as the parents act sensibly. Once you have booked your safari it would be a good idea to sit down with your children and explain that Africa is a different world from the one they are used to, where there is danger around. There is no need to inflate but camp rules must be obeyed, because if they are not, the consequences can be very serious. For very young children I would suggest you select your camp carefully and check with your travel advisor which are most suitable for children. We can guide you on this from first hand experience as we have been on many safaris with our children. We also have a lot of information for going on safari & travelling in Africa

It is recommended that young children should not be vaccinated and are excused in most countries for yellow fever but truthfully I don’t feel this should be of concern. This is a rare disease which you should not encounter  in a safari lodge. Of a higher matter is malaria which is a problem right through the tropics. The local population catch it regularly and it is usually considered no worse than a bout of flu. However depending on the strain, it can be dangerous and the solution here is good prevention. Young children cannot take malaria tablets but please get advice from your doctor. Make sure that you apply mosquito repellent generously, cover up arms and legs before sundown and ensure that the children sleep under mosquito nets. If you take these precautions you can cut the risk of malaria to almost zero.

Do not be scared about taking your children to Africa,  it is a wonderful experience for them and we have been back with Juliette many times, but do cover them up well and no safaris in open vehicles for very small children

Note: The above information is advice given on the basis of the author’s experience at the time of writing and the author cannot take responsibility for any traveller choosing to take the advise above. Travellers should speak to their GP and take advice from the relevant authorities before travelling.