Africa isn’t the first place that springs to mind when thinking about the best places to take a young family on holiday.
A quick google search for ‘best family holidays’ will reveal firm favourites like Bali, Thailand and even our own beautiful country. But Africa should be on the short list, and Dr Tammie Matson shows you why in this beautiful family travel adventure to Africa.
My husband Andy (Ridley) and then 3 year old son Solo get up close and personal in the back of an open Land Rover with a wild African elephant. Photo credit: Tammie Matson
I’m a zoologist who’s been working in Africa for about two decades on all sorts of species, from impalas to elephants. For the last five years my husband Andy and I have been taking our son Solo on all sorts of African adventures, across South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and we reckon there’s a lot of good reasons why others should be doing the same thing.
The Okavango Delta, Botswana from the air. Photo credit: Andy Ridley
What a lot of people don’t realize is that Africa isn’t all disease and poverty and crime. In fact the continent’s come a long way since I first started traveling there in the mid 1990s. These days, if you know where to go, you can experience an African safari for the family in supreme comfort and safety, that not only gives you all a great break, but also gives your kids a healthy dose of perspective and the kind of education they won’t get anywhere else.
Mating lions at Tinstwalo Game Reserve, South Africa – something you don’t see very often on safari! Photo credit: Andy Ridley
Here’s 5 very good reasons why you should go on an African safari now – and take your kids along with you
1 African safaris are fun! These days there are a huge range of options for kids’ activities on safaris, from learning about animal tracks from a knowledgable local guide to going on game drives in open vehicles and being able to ask an expert everything they’ve ever wanted to about animal behaviour. Ever wondered how to tell the difference between a male and a female giraffe? Ever thought about what animal really is the king of the jungle? If your kids loved ‘The Lion King’, there’s no substitute for the real thing.
2 There’s no better way to educate yourself and your kids about the importance of nature & our role in its conservation than getting into the bush and experiencing it first hand (and trust me, going to the zoo is just not the same).
3 When it comes to traveling with kids, you want to have an adventure but without compromising their safety. These days you can do an African safari in absolute comfort and safety. It’s all about choosing the right operator, time of year and place. It’s not risk free, but no holiday is, and frankly, I feel safer in the African bush than I do in many big cities.
4 The animal that poses the greatest risk in Africa is the mosquito. But to avoid these pesky insects, you can avoid malarial areas and go at times of year when there are few mosquitoes around. Aim for the cool winter months (June to August) or pick a malaria-free part of South Africa like Madikwe.
5 Species like elephants and rhinos are disappearing at an alarming rate due to poaching for their ivory and horns. There is a very real chance that these species may not be around in twenty years’ time. Go and experience the world’s most impressive animals in the wild now before they’re gone. And go the extra mile if you can by choosing an ethical safari that makes a difference, using your hard earned tourism dollars to help conserve wildlife and benefit local communities (more information on ethical safaris here).
Solo and his three year old friend, Grace, enjoying a hot chocolate on an early morning game drive in South Africa. Photo credit: Tammie Matson
One of my favourite family safari options is Tintswalo in the Manyeleti Game Reserve, which is part of the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa. Recently, in just 36 hours, on safari at Tintswalo, we saw Africa’s ‘Big Five’ – herds of elephants and Cape Buffaloes, not one but two leopards, a magnificent, highly threatened white rhino bull and two lions mating – all at very close range. It was undoubtedly the greatest ‘bang for buck’ I’ve ever had on safari, a true fiesta for keen nature photographers like myself. And when you’re taking kids with short attention spans on safari, lots of great wildlife action at close range is exactly what you want.
A rarely sighted baby leopard. Sights like this are so rewarding. Photo credit: Andy Ridley
But sometimes kids surprise you.
In the middle of the most amazing leopard sighting I’d ever experienced, my then three year old son, Solo, experienced what has to date been his African travel highlight. It wasn’t the leopard.
“Look mama!” he exclaimed excitedly.
His eyes were fixed on something in the opposite direction of the leopard.
Had my sprightly, curious little boy spotted something my zoologist’s eyes hadn’t seen? Was it another leopard or perhaps another elusive predator, a genet or a hyaena, getting ready to hunker down after a night of hunting? Was Solo in fact a natural naturalist, a chip off the old block?
“It’s… it’s…” Solo said, his eyes wide with wonder, “It’s a Land Rover!”
We were all happy that day, Land Rover and leopard lovers alike.
Three year olds Grace and Solo help unpack the tea and coffee on a break from a game drive at Tintswalo. Photo credit: Tammie Matson
Little kids spot things that we grown ups tend to miss, simply because they’re smaller. Solo gets a kick out of seeing elephants interacting with each other, but he also notices things like rainbow coloured grass hoppers and spotted geckos. While watching animals in the bush, it’s a great time to talk about how everything is connected in nature, and how some animals, like elephants, show compassion to one another. Animals are great teachers, and watching their behaviour can help curious little ones learn patience, listening and observation skills.
An increasingly rare white rhino at Tintswalo, South Africa. Rhinos are at peril due to demand for their horn, which is driving higher levels of poaching than has been seen in many years. Photo credit: Tammie Matson
The accommodation at Tintswalo is nothing less than five star, but for a very reasonable all-inclusive family price, which includes that kids under the age of six are free, and aged six to twelve are half price. Tintswalo’s Manor House, which has four bedrooms and takes up to 10 people, is a great option for families. It has a large pool, enormous lawn that is surrounded by an electric fence that keeps the big critters out (and your little critters in), and comes complete with toys and the best possible entertainment in the African bush – a personal guide who can teach your kids all they’ve ever wanted to know about the real animals that star in ‘The Lion King’. For Mum and Dad there are baby sitters and masseuses, cooks and housekeepers, to make sure you get a proper break.
Tintswalo Manor House’s outdoor setting where you can enjoy dinner with your family under the stars while listening to the lions roar in the background. Photo credit: Tintswalo
In this fast-paced rat race that we all live in, where we rarely connect what we buy at the supermarket to the natural world that provides it, there really is no greater gift to your children than the chance to experience the wilds of Africa first hand. In years to come they’ll thank you for it. And let’s hope that in the future that our kids’ inherit, they’ll still be able to see elephants and rhinos in the wild, not just in a zoo.
Tintswalo Manor House’s main bedroom, one of 4 in the house in the middle of a big five game reserve. Photo credit: Tintswalo
Dr Tammie Matson is an Australian mum of two of two boys, wildlife conservationist and elephant expert, author of three books about Africa and the Founding Director of Matson & Ridley Safaris, life-changing journeys that make a difference.
For more information on taking your family on an ethical safari in Africa, go to http://www.tammiematson.com
To help stop the ivory trade in Asia, take the pledge to say no to ivory at http://www.letelephantsbeelephants.org
The author and her then 3 year old son in South Africa on safari. Photo credit: Andy Ridley
By Dr Tammie Matson
Have you taken your kids on an African safari? Tell us in the comments below!
