For many of our travelers a trip to Africa is a chance to assemble generations of family in an extraordinary setting where each member of the family shares a sense of wonder and discovery together. We’ve been designing family safaris for multi-generational groups for over 20 years, and can offer helpful advice to families beginning to plan a custom African safari for summer 2015.
“We had moments that took our breath away…and we got to experience that with our children and grandchildren. We had the opportunity to be under a black velvet African sky punctuated by thousands of stars as we ate dinners around a bonfire and talked of the day’s events…” – Judy Rowland (shown far left), Writer & Story Teller
TIP #1: Don’t Procrastinate!
The African safari camps we recommend to our guests are ones we trust from 24 years of experience of African safaris for families – including our own. They are located in reserves with diverse wildlife and fewer crowds, where the resident guides are top-notch and the owners and managers are committed to sustainable tourism practices. However, some of these camps have as few as 18 beds available. If you are a family of 10, your group will occupy half of the camp! For this reason, we strongly encourage groups of 10 or more to begin their planning as soon as possible. Getting the right camps, and connecting them with the proper routing, makes all the difference in getting the most out of your precious time in Africa. If your family wants to plan a summer 2015 safari, now is the time to get started.
TIP #2: Consider “Outsourcing” Planning Across Family Groups
Consider “outsourcing” planning across family groups. If your family is spread across states or even cities, coordinating everyone’s schedule to arrive in Africa at the same time can be a major stumbling block to travel. Bushtracks can work with a single family point of contact, or help with communicating across branches of your family group to make the earliest phases of planning and schedule negotiations go smoothly for everyone.
TIP #3: Research Safari Camps Designed With Your Family’s Needs in Mind
Our website, www.bushtracks.com, allows you to filter 340 camps for ones with Family Friendly Activities or Educational Excursions. Or choose suitable camps based on the youngest traveler’s age in your party, or safari camps with triple rooms or family rooms, or safari camps with swimming pools. Later in your planning our expert planners can help you with the details of dietary restrictions and accessibility issues.
TIP #4: Start With Our Top Safari for Families
Southern Africa’s Best Private Reserves and Victoria Falls. This safari is a favorite safari for families time and time again. It’s just the right length, includes fantastic wildlife sighting in Greater Kruger in the company of guides who specialize in safaris for kids and teens. Many opportunities for diverse activities on land and water offer something for everyone in a multi-generational group. And everyone enjoys the changes in scenery from the majesty of Victoria Falls to two of the best private, big game reserves in the world. On www.bushtracks.com you can start with this safari, and customize it to your desired dates, number of travelers in your party – and modify the duration of your trip and your accommodations to suit your budget, and receive an instant quote.
The first version of this article was posted on 20 Jun 2014 at 1:20 PM.