Family Safaris

A safari with your family in Zambia 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, such as walking safaris or canoeing which are restricted to the over-12s only, most lodges in Zambia welcome children and many go an extra step to provide dedicated options for young children and their parents. While game drives are very exciting for older children, they do last typically 4 hours at a stretch, which can test the patience of younger children, so we would recommend mixing up your activities while on safari and not getting stuck somewhere with only game drives as an option. Areas like the Lower Zambezi and Kafue [cont.]

National Parks, with their myriad of river-based activities, tend to be better for keeping your options open. We would always recommend a visit to the Victoria Falls if the season permits, as there is a huge range of exciting activities available there for people of all ages.

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 them an insight into the way their peers live in Africa.

Obviously when taking your family on safari 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 Zambia, which for us makes it a far superior destination for taking your kids with you than countries such as Kenya and South Africa.

For more information on the family-friendly lodges we recommend, and for help in putting together a great family safari itinerary, contact us at ZambiaAway on the number at the top of the page.