A safari with your family in Botswana will make for one of the most memorable holidays you can take together. Sharing your child's excitement at seeing wild elephants or lions in their natural habitat will only add to yours. Family safaris do take a bit more planning and care when selecting where to go and what to take, but they are certainly an option for those interested in taking their kids to see the wonderful sights of the African bush.
While it is true that some activities will not be available to young children, most lodges in Botswana welcome children and many go an extra step to provide dedicated options for young children and their parents, such as specialised guiding. Many camps will require you to hire a private game vehicle (depending on your group's size) and this will be at extra cost so do check with us first.
Many lodges offer visits to local villages and schools, and this is something that we think is especially worthwhile doing if you are taking your own children, to give [cont.]
them an insight into the way their peers live in Africa.
Obviously when taking your family on safari in Botswana safety is a primary concern, and we would strongly recommend talking with your GP before you get too far into your plans to find out about which vaccinations will be necessary, and their possible side effects in younger kids. When in Africa, the lodge staff and guides will be on hand to allay concerns and help out when needed - some lodges even offer a child-minding service while the parents go out and enjoy the activities such as walking that their children are unfortunately not able to do. You can be assured that in terms of crime and civil unrest there is virtually none in Botswana, which for us makes it a far superior destination for taking your kids with you than countries such as Kenya and South Africa.