Top Family Safari Accommodations

The key to a great family safari is choosing the right camps, lodges and locations. Many countries offer a multitude of lodges and tented camps that are ideal for families who wish to explore the wilds of Africa. We do all the hard work for you – we sleep in the beds, meet the guides and test drive their kids’ programs.

Private homes and villas can be ideal for families. In recent years, we’ve seen more families traveling together, and a rise in small groups of like-minded friends sharing a trip. Both trips work best when travelers have their own space and flexibility in their meals and activities. Often a private house or villa can be an ideal solution, and many of these come with their own private chef, butler and private safari guide.

Here are just a few of our favorite family-friendly safari properties in Africa.

Kenya

Giraffe Manor – Enjoy sharing your breakfast with a Rothschild giraffe! Your whole family can then also go to the giraffe center to get up close and personal with a giraffe. Visit the Karen Blixen Museum and learn more about the history of the area.

Mara Serian Camp – If your family already enjoys the great outdoors, they will love a stay at Mara Serian Camp. In addition to the Great Migration, visitors here will be able to walk through the bush with Maasai warriors, take amazing photographs, and even go on a hot air balloon ride.

Ol Malo – There is so much to enjoy from this lodge. Game drives, fishing, river tubing, camel & horseback safari’s, mountain biking, run with a Samburu warrior, Samburu cultural walks, school, workshop, & village visits, hiking, camping under the stars, and your family can even sleep in a leopard blind.

South Africa

Kwandwe Ecca – This is a great choice for the adventurous family. This is rhino heaven, and rhino darting is a must for the adventurous. The accommodations here are comfortable for up to 4 of you, and include a private swimming pool. Children can enjoy pizza making with the chef and cookies with milk are served nightly.

Singita Castleton – This exclusive use lodge is set within 45,000 acres of private reserve. Consists of a main house with communal living spaces, six individual cottages, catering up to 12 travelers. Includes the added benefit of extensive high-end facilities, including a vast garden, swimming pool, wine cellar, gym, tennis court and spa treatment room. You can relax in the courtyard, gather around the traditional ‘boma’ or meet in the country-style kitchen, yet retreat to the privacy of our own space as needed. The lodge overlooks a waterhole where animals regularly gather to drink.

Tanzania

Gibbs Farm – Families can enjoy farm walks, learn about how the working farm operates, or enjoy special community cultural events. This one is sure to broaden your families’ horizons and cultural literacy.

Mkombe’s House Lamai – Explore the Serengeti together at this stylish camp with specially designed rooms for children. Everything you need for your family,  from cots to car-seats to an in-house chef to plan meals with. You can have your own private guide and vehicle, which gives you maximum flexibility to enjoy your time with your children instead of worrying about what other people want to do.

Serengeti Lamai Camp – Families here can relax, or they can go out on 4 x 4s to explore around the Mara River. Alternatively, you can enjoy a walking safari. When the kids get tired, you can still enjoy the Serengeti from the comfort of the swimming pool!

Singita House – The exclusive use offering at Singita Serengeti House allows families to just make themselves at home. Every need is catered for, welcoming families to relax and absorb every last aspect of the safari experience. Activities are tailored specifically to suit each family and babysitting services are available. Archery, baking with chefs, arts and crafts, butterfly program, face painting. Mini Rangers’ Course: Children can track animals, butterfly & frog exploration, a cosmic safari (astronomy,) learn bush survival skills; flower-pressing, and game-spotting competitions.

Botswana

Selinda Explorers Camp – Selinda Explorers Camp is poised in a remote, treasured location on the famous Selinda Spillway. The intention of Selinda Explorers Camp is to offer a quality wildlife experience, while allowing guests to explore outside of the vehicle, by foot and canoe. This classic camp, consisting of four custom-designed tents, transports us back to authentic safaris, but with a modern twist and hospitality.

The camp is designed in the style of the early explorers both in philosophy and practice. Whiling away afternoons under the canopy of jackelberry and mangosteen trees, interspersed with walks and canoeing, make this a respite from the ‘daily grind’ of a traditional safari. Get out, stretch your legs and feel Africa’s pulse – this is the place for you and your family.

Mobile Camps – The wildlife diversity that Botswana has to offer is best experienced on the move in a mobile safari camp. Providing a more adventurous and authentic alternative to the usual permanent camps, moving into some of the remotest areas of the Okavango Delta this is a wonderful option for a family of eight or more travelers and best combined with a permanent camp. Polished copper water jugs, paraffin lamps, pure white cotton sheets and feather bedding ensure an authentic safari experience – in unreal style!

These private expeditions allow you to immerse yourself completely in the incredible spectacles the delta has to offer. If you choose to watch lions hunting or spend the day at a busy waterhole the decision is yours. Observe elephants from the safety of your boat as they wash and feed on the roots of aquatic plants. Picnic and siesta in the arms of a giant baobab tree and spend the afternoon seeking out hyaena dens and as the day cools down, watch for hunting cats.

Give us a call at 800-405-9463 to discuss which options are most suitable for your family and find out more about our preferred family-friendly camps and lodges.

Want more? Get inspired here! Check out our team’s personal family safari experiences.