Top Tips for a Family Safari in South Africa
Published on: April 29th, 2014
Last updated: January 6th, 2017
South Africa is the best country in Africa for family safaris, and as an outstandingly friendly country, it makes for a safe, stress-free stay. Jacada Travel are experts in creating fabulous trips specifically for families.
Malaria-Free Zones
There are many parts of South Africa that have the wonderful advantage of being both rich in game and malaria-free. For families with younger children, this eliminates the prospect of having to get medication for everyone and also provides peace of mind.
Just want to express our sincere thanks for arranging such a wonderful trip to South Africa. The three of us enjoyed every day of our stay in Jo’burg, Kruger, Cape Town and the Winelands area every step of the way. The tour guides were so courteous and knowledgeable. The luxury hotels were also of impeccable taste. I would like to endorse that Jacada Travel is the best in the business and would recommend Jacada to anyone planning a trip to SA. Thank you for your efforts in making our stay so comfortable and enjoyable in South Africa. The pictures of the Big 5 are still fresh in our minds. Especially the lions and the cubs!
Game Viewing
There are parts of South Africa that are perfect for young children, in that visitors are virtually guaranteed sightings of the full Big Five. This is ideal for keeping little ones interested and avoiding tantrums when they haven’t seen the lion you promised! With plenty of reserves from which to choose, we can give you the low-down on which ones will be best for what you want to see, in what space of time, and at which time of the year.
Hotels and Lodges
We have our favourite lodges and hotels for families, based on our own experiences and those of our clients.
For safaris, there are some excellent lodges that are very family-oriented, with guides who have their own children living on site, and special safaris for children that involve fun activities like finding animal paw prints and making plaster of Paris moulds of them to take home as a little souvenir. Dung identification is often a very popular safari activity with kids!
There is no need for babysitting services if parents want to spend an evening in the city or out at a restaurant, as we’ll put you in a villa with its own private team. South Africa is wonderfully well-suited to families, and leaving your kids with our hotels’ experienced staff isn’t anything to be nervous about.
Some of our favourite Cape Town hotels have lots of things to keep kids occupied, such as cookie-baking and pizza-making in the kitchen and rooms packed full of toys and with child-size beds to make little ones feel more at home.
If you were hoping to visit the Winelands, but perhaps you thought it wouldn’t be suitable for kids, we can book you into some of the hotels that really look after children with chocolate tastings while you indulge your inner oenophile.
Guides
Jacada works very closely with our guides and there are certain people that we know to be brilliant with children and families. Make the most of our insider knowledge by letting us pair you up with a guide who suits your style of travel, personality, and family needs.
English is very widely spoken in South Africa, too, so there aren’t the language barriers you might experience elsewhere.
On Jonathan’s birthday, Tanya (she is such a wonderful lady) not only arranged a cake, she also arranged champagne and sweets to be put in my son’s room, waiting for his return. We were all very touched… [On safari] the rangers tried their best to get us as close to the animals as possible. The children developed such a fond bond with the rangers over the few days and still mentioned their names when we were back. Thanks again Tessa.
Activities
South Africa is a fabulous destination for activities that appeal to all age ranges. From horse riding and rafting to snorkelling and surfing, there is plenty to keep active families very busy. Aside from safaris, there are also whale-watching and dolphin-spotting trips to take, alongside – for older kids – shark breaching and cage-diving tours.
