PLANNING THE AFRICAN SAFARI—THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
by Katie Brown

Bobby memorized every species of large cat by the time he was seven. Sarah Anne, two years older, could recite not only the cats but also all the ungulates. Bobby tried to best her by learning as many bird species he could--until he realized there were over 400 for East Africa alone. When the kids began watching reruns of Wild Discovery for the umpteenth time,
Jonathan and Suzanne realized they were raising two new members of the Africa Fascination Club. But how could these parents, limited by budget, afford to cultivate their children's love for the Dark Continent with the safari expedition they
wanted to give them? How could they, limited in free time, effectively plan a two-week safari, halfway across the world, that would satisfy their children's active natures? With a little research, they soon discovered that family-sized and priced package tours now dot the travel landscape like acacia trees on the grassy plain of the Ngorongoro Crater. African safari opportunities are blossoming like flame trees in terms of
expedition content and focus, and price competitiveness. Once you have decided your price range, selecting the focus of a family expedition becomes the key--do you prefer education, adventure, conservation, culture, wildlife, or a combination? Although many companies offer family safaris, only a few promise to educate and stimulate children while maintaining a
level of comfort that keep parents and grandparents interested and worry-free. Expeditions should strive to complement children's curiosity and adults' demands for quality. What should parents or grandparents consider when choosing an African safari with families?

Family Glue
Do you remember the last time your mind was completely empty of everything except a beautiful view of mountains, the ocean, or all of your children smiling at the same time? Getting the family away from it all stimulates often dormant feelings of filial unity in the fractured world we inhabit. Most African safaris offer the opportunity for families to travel with a
small group of wildlife enthusiasts and to experience separate activities. On regular safari departures, families often have the chance to bond as no other young people are present. On specialized student safaris, children can meet and travel with other youngsters on an itinerary designed with them in
mind, while their parents sacrifice none of the traditional comfort and style of a relaxing vacation.

Are Yours the Only Children?

Some regular African safaris are generally suitable for families, while others offer specialized itineraries designed for maximum multi-generational enjoyment. Experienced safari operators should be able to help you judge if your children are ready to travel with people of all ages or if a younger crowd is more appropriate. Involving the children in making travel plans
ensures their excitement level remains high, but also helps prepare them for being plunged into a new environment--not only the new country but also the new social environment. If your family safari is the first time you take your children overseas, then adequate preparations ensure easier transitions to what may be an intimidating situation.

The Classics

Classic safaris offer endless savannahs teeming with giraffe, elephant, large cat, wildebeest, birds, and ancient cultures, coexisting with ballet-like grace. Some classic expeditions are rounded out with combined wildlife and cultural opportunities, introducing families to the mysteries of Africa at educational and physical levels appropriate for all age ranges. Within loose
structures, these safaris balance set schedules with chances to engage the family in private activities such as studying water holes for visiting animals, and enjoying the company of schoolchildren in nearby villages.

City Safaris?

Many African safaris begin in large cities like Nairobi or Cape Town, allowing time to get over the rigors of travel and to adjust to new culture elements. Even in sprawling metropolises everyone may be introduced to both the culture and nature of the destination country. Just outside Nairobi, for example, is Nairobi National Park, and Karen Blixen's home is within
city limits. Other expeditions plunge you right into the safari experience, and allow souvenir shopping in the markets on the way home.

The Ultimate Field Trip to Earth's Largest Classroom

Student and family-specific safaris, on the other hand, are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences. They usually include a diversity of habitats and activities, and provide participants chances to explore natural and cultural history. Children may be gathered together for age-appropriate
activities such as arts and crafts, or animal tracking at the local watering hole, while their parents receive adult versions of the same.
It can be essential that visitors understand and appreciate the fact that huge tracts of wilderness exist only with the blessing of the local community. In order to establish a genuine cross-cultural understanding between your family and native peoples, community service projects may provide you the opportunity to interact with locals on a close level. Grandparents and grandchildren from the USA might collaborate with local
grandparents and grandchildren to paint a school or church, plant gourds for harvest, or lay water pipelines. Visits to market or traditional African meal, prepared and eaten according to the local custom, further acquaints you with the African way of life. To guarantee your children learn the most from their experiences on safari, you may ask them to write reports to take to school for extra credit, or to prepare photo essays of their experiences.

Jeep or Camel?

The non-traditional safari opens your eyes beyond anything you might see on a televised game safari. Trailblazing in Land Rovers or covered Jeeps, horseback riding or camel treks, hot air balloon rides over the savannah are readily available methods for game viewing in today’s expanding realm of adventure travel. Night game drives also allow glimpses into another world of wildlife, and children love being the first to spot elusive nocturnal animals. Visits to remote villages intimately acquaint your family with the African bush. Searching for wildlife on narrow hunting trails used by warriors, learning about plants, insects, and smaller reptiles, mammals and
birds, are often missed on more conventional safaris. The bonus for concerned parents is that the walking safaris are completely supervised, and staffed by a crew who may prepare hot meals in advance of your return from the morning's jaunt in the bush--a pleasant mix of adventure and comfort.

Once the Alarm Goes Off

Daily activities should reflect the interests and energy levels of your entire family. Early risers can participate in morning bird walks before breakfast, yards from one's tent. Morning and afternoon game drives or walks visit different areas of whichever park you are presently visiting. Easily roused children can also become easily tired, (as can their parents!)
so good expeditions offer breaks at mid-day for resting and reading. Determining what kinds of activities your children will want to participate in, whether all of you would like to drive in search of game two times a day for twelve days, will help you pick which expedition will suit your entire family.

Bringing Apples for the Teachers

On family safaris, trained education staff and naturalist guides are eager to help your family get the most from your trip. Introductory briefings and discussions about ecology and culture, orientations describing rules of conduct and the principles of African social etiquette, are designed to
ensure your comfort and safety while in Africa. In a sense, local guides become your teachers as you move beyond the realm of celluloid safaris and into the bush yourself--they provide unqualified glimpses of their daily lives as well as instruction in wildlife identification.

Parks vs. Nature Preserves

Many safaris balance visits to national parks with privately funded game reserves devoted to conservation. National parks are governed by strict guidelines, including not being able to leave your safari vehicle. Most African governments do not yet have all the qualified land set aside for protection, so private reserves serve as buffers against development and destruction. In the preserves, traditional game drives may be paired with
safe walking safaris, perfect for high-energy little ones. Imagine searching for zebra, ostrich, baboon, and giraffe along established migration trails or near water holes, a must in this harsh but picturesque landscape. Imagine tracking African elephant, black rhino or wildebeest. The more balanced
safaris will attempt to demonstrate that even on a vast savannah, variations in game populations and terrain can alter the wildlife experience.


Dinner with the Neighbors

Opportunities to interact with people who are notably different from folks at home, but share similar experiences, are unforgettable to children. Suburban families meet pastoralists, business men meet healers, soccer kids meet soccer kids. The wilderness is home to myriad tribes, such as the Samburu, a semi-nomadic culture that maintains ancient traditions and ways of life. Following a Samburu guide, visiting an enkong dwelling, your family will have an exceptionally close glimpse into the daily lives of these people.

Home is Where You Hang Your Hat

Traditional safaris make use of romantic and exotic tented camps, nature lodges, and quality hotels. Permanent tented camps in the heart of private nature preserves or just outside national parks offer hot showers and in-tent toilets. Traveling tented camps create a sense of isolation from the commercial world--children's minds can leap to the idea that they are
explorers in the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, or Karen Blixen. Meals are served under open skies, with 360-degree views of wilderness. Grunting hippos often accompany impromptu musical concerts by staff members.


A Jot-list for Parents

Vacations enjoyed with children become some of the most memorable, especially to the children, for whom any trip across "half the world" is sure to become almost folkloric. Those quickie shopping trips and carpools and meetings become elements of a world temporarily forgotten, and families
are able to act together in a natural state in the most natural of
destinations. Safari operators carefully select the destinations best suited for children, but be sure to check if that operator has prior knowledge of the area before venturing--expertise in Kenya doesn't necessarily mean they've mastered Zimbabwe for the 12-and-under set. All in all, special itineraries are the order of the day, full of activities for all ages, from grandparents to grade schoolers. Safari experiences become
more than sightseeing with the best of the operators--educating Bobby and Sarah Anne is the real reason you're taking them farther than The Crocodile Hunter on Discovery, so get your money's worth with a full-on educational safari complete with hands-on workshops.

Ask Before You Go

Does the operator have strong partnerships in the destination country?

Almost all operators act like service agents, applying their travel expertise to the country you'd like to visit on safari. They guarantee the quality of their programs by forming alliances with highly qualified in-bound operators, but new players to the game may not have yet selected the best
partnerships.

How large is the "small group?"

The size of the group definitely matters on an African safari, when each person deserves a window seat and time with the naturalist guide. Sometimes it is possible to arrange private vehicles and guides within a small group expedition if your family is sizeable enough, without paying for a private
experience.

How often do children travel on safaris with the company?

With the increase in family travel, most of the large operators will have offered family travel in some form or another for many years, and will be well in tune with the needs of individual families. Asking if guides are specifically trained, if the activities are varied in length, activity level, and activity focus, and if families have alone time as well as group time can help flush out the operators likely to be insensitive to different-aged
travelers. Experienced tour companies will have information packets tailored to family travel, including packing and reading lists.

How knowledgeable are the naturalist guides?

Experienced leaders can make or break a safari, especially if your children are as inquisitive as most are. Be sure the guides have experience traveling with children or multi-generational families, and are ready to make the group seamlessly cohesive if some travelers are not bringing children of their own.

Does the operator offer both group and independent activities?

Depending on how much free time you wish for your family, often the best way to have family experiences is before or after a small-group expedition, on different extensions to the core program.


How many times do we have to change hotels?

Packing and unpacking can become tiresome quite quickly, especially if your children are not old enough to pack for themselves. The most relaxing safaris allow a few-nights' stay at each location.

Will children eat the food?

Most of us realize that children are picky eaters. This can become even more pronounced on safari, when the strain of being away from what is familiar is compounded with not recognizing half of what's on their plate at dinner. Having a selection of familiar and exotic food can expand their
horizons and provide the comforts of home.

Does the operator offer guaranteed departures?

It would be terrible to be three weeks away from the vacation of a lifetime when lack of travelers suddenly causes cancellation. Life's more hectic moments—say, when you juggle a run for fresh milk with ferrying the kids to practice and preparing the biggest contract of the year, often make us question, "When will it all slow down?" As the children
and grandchildren shoot up like stalks we try to plan precious moments that will stay with us forever, but even those well-planned, easy-going trips to the ocean can cause us to become frazzled and we leave the directions on the counter and the sunscreen in the bathroom. Preparations are left to the very people who are trying to get away to relax, and the activities never seem to fulfill the energetic youngsters. An all-inclusive safari to Africa, on the other hand, is blessedly worry-free. Internet searches, glances through Family Adventure Magazine, and suggestions from friends turn up a variety
of pretty color brochures. Busy parents and grandparents have only to select the expedition of their choice, make a few phone calls, and pack the bags. Getting to the airport on time doesn't hurt either, but apart from that, a well planned trip will keep the kids happy and interested so far from their Pokèmons and Playstations.

Katie Brown, a marketing executive, has traveled extensively through five continents.