So- what constitutes an adventure? This word has so many different meanings for so many different people. It can simply mean getting off the beaten track – and not doing what everyone else appears to do. It can mean doing something different to what you would normally do in your every day life – or even what you would normally do on holiday. For others it means lots of ‘daring do’ – and this we can provide in buckets full! I say family safaris simply because one can do the following:
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go on a private mobile camp safari just for your family, with a camp erected in the best wildlife areas – with the very best guides.
Go hot air ballooning across the desert
Go white water rafting or bunjee jumping or canoeing amongst wild animals.
Go zip lining through the canopies of trees 150 feet above the ground.
Take a catamaran and go sailing around the islands in Seychelles, Madagascar and Tanzania.
Take an Arab Dhow and sail around the Kenyan islands, fishing en route.
Go quad biking across the desert.
Go on a horse riding safari.
Go camel trekking in Kenya with the local tribesmen, learning about their culture and wildlife along the way.
Go on a private guided canoeing safari, stopping off on islands along the way and having a camp set up for you.
Go and see gorillas or chimpanzees in Uganda or Rwanda.
Go on an elephant back safari in Botswana or South Africa.
Circumnavigate the mountains of Africa – Mount Kenya, Meru and Kilimanjaro with a private guide and crew set up just for you.
Go canoeing or catamaran or laser sailing on Lake Malawi.
Take a walking safari in Kenya, Tanzania or Zambia.
Go on a week’s dhow and sea kayaking trip in Mozambique.
Go snorkelling and diving in Mozambique.
Go and see volcanoes erupting in Reunion.
Go on a marine big 5 safari in South Africa, seeing dolphins, whales, sharks, penguins and seals.
Spend time with lion or elephant researchers.
Paraglide in South Africa or Microlight in Zambia.
Mountain Bike amongst wildlife in Botswana and South Africa
Go on a gastonomic cycling tour of the Cape in South Africa
Be involved in game capture and relocation in Malawi and South Africa
I understand many people’s concerns regarding taking a young family on holiday in Botswana and I suppose it depends upon what age one is considering, but certainly I feel that 6 and upward is the appropriate age to take a child on safari. One forgets that their mind is like a sponge, absorbing all the information and the sights and sounds of the African bush. These days there is a half dose of anti malarial tablets that one can give to ones children too.
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There are three or four specific places where I feel that famillies with young children most benefit. The first is in the Delta where we can arrange a boating and private camping safari which is seriously good fun. Here one can learn how to fish as well! Secondly is to stay at a camp which is entirely closed to your family with the most amazing guide who is completely tuned into children. He teaches them about identifying the footprints of the animals in the sand, of learning about the medicinal properties of trees and plants (such as the leaves used for a toothbrush), to reading the night sky of the southern hemisphere and the planets and stars and the folklore attached to them. Then one learns how to fish and generally what skills to adopt for survival in the bush.
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Contrast that with the Kalahari Desert where one can get close to meerkats and quad bike (and have a sleep out on the salt pans) and one has a simply perfect family safari. Perhaps end off at Victoria Falls or Livingstone – and visit a local school – as well as seeing the Falls themselves – it simply doesn’t get much better than this!
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Taking a private mobile camp perhaps guided by a teacher who interacts with the children and gives them projects to do in between – which are both fun and educational! All I know, is that a safari to Africa with one’s family surpasses any other type of family holiday I have ever been on!
Family Safaris in South Africa are certainly some of the most popular – not least because of the diversity of the country. I am biased, because I come from South Africa and take my own children there each year to see my family in South Africa.
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South Africa particularly scores with families with younger children – because they have malaria free game reserves and coastlines. Here one can have the best of both worlds. It is equally good for famillies with adolescent children – as we can arrange anything from seriously good camping in the Drakensberg Mountains, to horse riding, to going on safari, to doing some great white water rafting and kayaking, to really good sailing, canoeing around penguins, climbing Table Mountain, zip wiring 150 feet above the ground through canopies of trees and diving with sharks. With a great climate, most South African children are completely outdoorsy and seriously sporty. Add the two together and one has a simply fantastic mixture of adrenaline filled adventure and sun filled days of non stop sport – whether tennis, swimming, golf, fishing, riding, sailing, kiteboarding, kite surfing – the list is simply endless. Even if one is seeking purely luxurious accommodation – with a children’s club – at a Relais et Chateaux so that the parents can have some time to themselves and feel a bit pampered – we can simply arrange the lot! Call the experts now!
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There is nothing quite like having luxury weddings in Africa. There are so many places that really lend themselves to having the most amazing wedding!
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We have arranged a number of weddings for our clients and they have all been simply stunning! One of them was in Botswana at this truly beautiful camp in the Okavango Delta, where the ceremony was performed on a private island and the bride and groom arrived and departed on the back of an elephant.
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We have also arranged several in truly gorgeous bush locations – where we have set up location in the most beautiful spot overlooking a wide river. The bride had the most gorgeous wild flower bouquets and she was married in a simple long dress. They had the most lovely African choir singing to them. Another example was in Zambia in Livingstone – getting married on Livingstone Island where there is a permanent rainbow and the Victoria Falls right next to you. Again we had a beautiful African choir singing for them.
If you want something more traditional, we have some really lovely small, pretty churches in the winelands in the Cape in South Africa where one can make one’s vows and your names are etched into the ancient wooden doors. Another lovely church is in the Mpumalanga region on an avocado pear plantation – whilst a further suggestion is on one of our favourite estates in Plettenberg Bay.
It is still possible to go on holiday and experience a non malaria africa – whether it is for a safari or simply a holiday that has no safari activity at all.
South Africa is always a good country to start with – as it offers fantastic areas which are non malarial – perfect for famillies with young children or for couples who are expecting a baby and don’t want to take any innoculations or indeed those on medication who simply cannot take anti malarial tablets.
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In terms of safari – Marakele, Madikwe and the Waterberg regions in South Africa offer the best game viewing in a non malarial area. These include staying at private villas or homesteads which one closes to a family or a party of friends, or even staying at a traditional tented camp. The game viewing is just as good as many of the parts of Kruger. For those who are not that interested in wildlife, then Cape Town has a huge amount to offer, from Cape Town itself to the winelands, where one can stay at magical little boutique hotels with views over the grape vines and the mountains. Then there is the garden route, where one can walk or canoe or simply explore and finally, end in Plettenberg Bay where we have anything from private houses to stay in, to modest guest houses and then our favourite, a Relais et Chateaux called Kurland. North of Cape Town is an area called Clanwilliam where there is rock art and the most amazing array of wild flowers – or even heading east to montagu or staying on a historical wheat farm where one can ride and be entertained by a third generation South African and experience a home stay.
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In Cape Town, one is spoilt for choice from beautiful, artistic boutique hotels to villas and further along the coast- perhaps stay at a gorgeous Relais et Chateaux lodge where one can go out and see the largest concentration of southern right whales by boat or on land.
Perhaps go white water rafting on the Orange River or go or learn how to sail, cook, fly fish etc and there are wonderful places to stay which are artistic and cultural in the Limpopo Province and Magoebaskloof which are beautiful and spectacular and combine well with the malaria free waterberg mountains.
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Kenya also has non malarial regions although these are not as game rich as the Masai Mara for example, but they offer a good alternative and the flight from Europe is shorter to Kenya than to South Africa. Some of the most amazing family properties are based in the Laikipia region in Kenya – staying in tree houses, camping, staying at a farmhouse, horse riding, camel trekking etc.
A Family Safari is about the most special safari that anybody can have. So – what’s so special about a family safari? Okay – how about the special bond that it promotes within a family – the sacrosanct time that one has at a time like this that simply doesn’t exist at any other time?
Getting to know one another again as a family and appreciating the time one has with each other? Whether that spends time doing things that you used to enjoy once upon a time as a time as a family ie: horse riding, fishing, quad biking, snorkelling, diving, playing tennis or afresh and learning about how one’s interests have diversified.
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Whether that means going down an avenue of scientific knowledge of lion and elephant behaviour or spending time with chimpanzees and gorillas – or even seeing the big 5 and then finishing off with spending some time sailing on the ocean whether that is in a catamaran or on a laser boat or windsurfing or waterskiing or deep sea diving.
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Whether it is the marine big 5 or the land big 5, we can assemble whatever wish you have in mind – whether a safari in the savannah plains or spending time with elephants, lions, giraffe, zebra – a full big 5 safari – or something photographic where it is just you and your camera – or perhaps climbing a mountain – or seeing the best primates in the world – we are complete specialists – we all come from Africa – our passion is in Africa – and we are used to designing a custom made holiday of a lifetime – so don’t hesitate to call us for your dream safari!
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Whether canoeing, sailing, beaching, having contact with the local population and understanding their culture and learning about wildlife – we are here for you!
Family Safari Botswana – well, the country truly lends itself to some of the finest family safaris imaginable!
Depending upon the ages of your children, we can adapt a safari to suit your family perfectly! Top of the range must go to the young explorer’s programme that we offer. This is for children aged 6 upwards and is based in the Okavango Delta. Here the camp is closed to your family and we have the most wonderful guide in Paul Molesang. The children will learn how to identify the signs of the bush – the tracks left by animals and they will learn which plants and trees are used by the local people to make toothbrushes, to cure certain ills etc as well as the folklore attached to them.
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In addition, they learn about the night sky, how to fish for bream and a host of other fascinating facts. They then receive a certificate to say they have done all these things which the children all love – in fact, our two ten year olds thought it was the greatest thing ever!
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Then they can go to the Kalahari Desert, get close to meerkats and ride quad bikes over the salt pans, having a sleep out as well, beneath the stars. They can walk with San people and learn about their culture. Perhaps even visit an orphanage in Maun. If you ride, they might like to do some riding in the Delta or further north and we can arrange for the family to camp in your own private, mobile tented camp should you wish. We can also arrange a canoe safari for a couple of nights, learning to read the delta as the rivermen have done for a hundred years! Botswana is so rich in wildlife which makes this one of the most rewarding safaris possible!
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Alternately, if luxury is your thing, Botswana has no shortage of these style of lodges! One can never put a price on these sort of safaris – as the memory lasts forever! Perhaps start your safari at Victoria Falls which is such fun and end off on the coast somewhere, like Mozambique?
Elephant Safaris can come under the guise of many different types of safari!
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Does one mean a safari whereby one has a lot of interaction with elephants – such as in Kenya where one can go out with a researcher for a day and learn everything about an elephant and perhaps even be involved in a tagging process. Or in Botswana where one can either ride on an elephant’s back for three days or even walk alongside it, with its trunk in your hand, in the Okavango Delta?
Perhaps it just means those areas where one is most likely to see the greatest concentration of elephant – which means – Amboseli and Samburu National Parks in Kenya – although Meru and the Masai Mara have a good population of elephant too! The Caprivi Strip in Namibia where I used to live, where herds of up to 500 elephants would congregate at the water’s edge on a nightly basis. Chobe National Park in Botswana has its numbers swelling to 60 000 elephants in the park at certain times of year although it has good populations elsewhere such as south Chobe and Moremi.
Hwange, in Zimbabwe is renowned for its Presidential Herd of elephant which is really impressive. Tarangire National Park in Tanzania is also home to one of the strongest elephant herds – again 500 strong can be seen at certain times of year.In Mana Pools one can get really close to them in a canoe – being silent they dont see you as a threat, more part of the river!
Addo National Park in South Africa also has a tremendous elephant population and one can spend time observing them at a waterhole.
I confess they are my favourite mammal, so I follow them closely in all the parks they appear! We would love to assist you on your next elephant safari!
Family Safari Holidays are my favourite way of travelling together as a family. There is simply so much to do – which is also away from the social media that has dominated our children’s lives!
Each year I take my own family on two safaris a year – this year it was a riding holiday and a luxury safari in South Africa – ending up in Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay. Mozambique is a great country to end up at for the coast – gorgeous waters of 30 degrees celsius, amazing snorkelling and we have found a first class lodge which caters really beautifull for younger children – which is owner managed.
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Last year it was Kenya – doing a camel trekking safari, doing a riding safari, then spending some time in the Masai Mara at a wonderful tented camp where the owner has his own children – and then ending up on the coast. We have a handful of places which we use for our famillies which are sensational! They range from a private villa in Lamu complete with private skipper who can take you out snorkelling and sailing around different islands each day – to a lovely Robinson Crusoe-esque place which is family owned and they have more watersports facilities than one can shake a stick at – and that is also based in Lamu. We have some places in Kiwayu which are sensational – notably one where there is fabulous deep sea and fly fishing, great snorkelling, windsurfing, laser sailing and water skiing. At certain times of year you can go swimming with the dolphins which is simply amazing! I did it this year! Next year we are going back to Madagascar which is great for children – you can take a catamaran for several days around the islands!
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Botswana is superb – and a couple of the camps have a special programme for children – and we can arrange a private mobile tented camp which means its a camp that moves and only your family stays there. Go quad biking on the salt pans of the Kalahari desert – learn to fish in the Okavango Delta – learn how to read the stars as well as the footprints of the animals on the sand. Zambia is great – and you can combine it with the Lake of Malawi where one can take a catamaran or simply go sailing .
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Then we have Tanzania, which you can team up with either Zanzibar or Unguja or Mafia Island, go snorkelling, diving, dolphining, kite surfing and wakeboarding – just to name a few activities on offer!
Chiawa Camp and Ol Mondoro are two of our favourite camps in the lower Zambezi Region in Zambia. Why? So simple, really. We know the owners well, the Cummings family, who really understand what it is that people want out of a great safari. We always think that Chiawa Camp should be included in a Zambia wildlife safari.
Take the location. Few camps can possibly rival this – with those extraordinary views over the Zambezi River. Then we have the camp itself – it is simply gorgeous! Huge tents with lots of space and great views – big kingsize beds and bathrooms with old fashioned Victorian claw baths.
Then we have the cuisine – arguably the best in the lower Zambezi! Attention to detail is everything and the food is fresh, light and flavoursome!
Lastly, but probably the most important – is the atmosphere and the quality of guiding. Being a family managed establishment, the atmosphere is one of warmth, welcome and homeliness (but equally utterly professional!). This is one of the oldest camps in the region. Secondly, under Grant Cummings’ direction – is the guiding which is second to none. Whether one is out on a 4 x 4 vehicle or walking and tracking lion or elephant, the quality of information and care given is truly in a class of its own. There is tremendous fishing here too and one can even hire a boat to try and catch tiger fish on a fly or perhaps go canoeing down the river.
On top of this, the Cummings family have been heavily involved in supporting the local community which one can see and this makes the experience as a whole one of the most rewarding that one can undertake on a Zambian holiday.
African & Indian Explorations Clients are all fully bonded under our ATOL and Association of Bonded Tour Operators Trust (ABTOT) licences.
ATOL no 7159 and ABTOT number 5197.
“African and Indian Explorations” is a trading name of African Explorations Ltd Afex House, Holwell, Burford, OX18 4JS, UK
