PLANNING TO BOOK A FAMILY SAFARI TO KENYA? WE TELL YOU HOW….

Kenya, without any doubt offers an array of fantastic destinations and attractions that are ideal for families. Talk of the pristine African wilderness and jungle, both teeming with wildlife and geographical and the azure blue Indian ocean beaches that offer the perfect REST AND RECREATION destinations under the African Sun. Kenya also boasts of modern city hotels and safari lodges / camps, meaning that your family will be both safe and comfortable during the safari, whether in the cities or in the jungle.

When it comes to transport, roads are fairly good and safe, with the safari customized 4x4WD safari jeeps coming in handy where the terrain might be a bit rough. Besides driving from one destination to another, there are also scheduled domestic flights that fly to most of the destinations. Amboseli, Masai Mara, Samburu, Tsavo East, Laikipia etc.

However, you need to follow a few important steps in order to come up with a safari package that offers the best for each of your family member. In this edition, we are putting more emphasis on family travelling with kids aged between 5 and 17 years.

BOOK THROUGH AN ESTABLISHED SAFARI OPERATOR

The travel agency that you book your Kenya or African safari through will often determine the whole outcome of your safari. Booking through an established tour operator ensures that you get all the expert advice from a safari specialist who is hands on with all the requirements of a family safari. Such a specialist will have travelled to the safari destinations for years, meaning that they know the parks, reserves, lodges, camps, the activities and the terrain like the back of their hands.

While it can be difficult for you to decide on where to start with your family safari booking, a safari specialist comes in handy as they will bring expertise and a shared thrill to the planning process. A specialist will first listen to the interests of your family, consider the ages and other factors before recommending a safari that suits your taste, pace and budget. They will also craft your itinerary using lodges and camps that are kids friendly.

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM AGE FOR KIDS ON SAFARI TO KENYA?

Most lodges and safari camps in Kenya accept kids of all ages. However, a few lodges and camps only accept kids aged 7 years and above, while others may accept young kids for stays but not allow them to go for game drives. In some cases, some luxury camps will require that you book for exclusive use of the safari jeep during game drives. This is because some other guests might not be comfortable sharing their jeep with kids. especially during game viewing when the kids can be noisy. While booking your safari through a specialist, you will have the benefit of being guided to book kids’ friendly lodges / camps. You will be given their limitations (if any), and various budget options so that you can make an informed decision.

VISA FOR KIDS TO ENTER KENYA:

Please note that at the moment, children aged below 16 years do not need to apply or pay for a visa to enter Kenya. Currently, children aged below 12 years are also exempted from the Covid 19 vaccination and testing requirements.

DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET AND THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU NEED TO SPEND ON SAFARI

Another important note to consider when planning a family safari is the length of the holiday, and the budget. The perfect family safari in Kenya should have a fine combination of city, bush and beach. Most international airlines to Kenya arrive during the morning or evening hours. This would often mean that by the time you land in Nairobi after hours of flying, the kids will be tired. We therefore recommend that you spend at least a night in Nairobi so that the whole family can rest as they prepare to begin their safari the following morning. Depending on your budget and the number of days at your disposal, we would also recommend a city tour of Nairobi, where kids can visit various kids’ friendly attractions like the Giraffe Centre, The Nairobi Safari Walk and the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. The number of days that you will spend in the bush will depend on your interests and budget.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR FAMILY SAFARI IN KENYA?

Although Kenya is a year-round safari destination, it is worth noting that the long rains fall during the months of March- April while the short rains fall during the months of October – December. Although the rains don’t have much effect on sightings during game drives, some roads in the parks might be impassable. It is worth noting that different months fall under different seasons and accommodation and park entrance fees might also cost different. The cheapest months to travel are April and May, while the months of January, February, March, June and November attract fairly good rates. The months of July to October which also coincide with the summer and the wildebeest migration attract the highest accommodation rates.

BEST PARKS FOR KIDS IN KENYA DURING SAFARI

Top parks for families with kids include Amboseli National Park, Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy or Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara National Reserve.  Mombasa and Diani are the perfect places to wind down your safari with a beach holiday.

In Amboseli National Park, you can get up close with big herds of Elephants, get amazing views of Mt. Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in Africa) on a clear day, and walk to the top of the Observation Hill from where you can see the whole park from an elevated position.

The Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy which is located about 210 km (4 hrs drive from Nairobi) is ideal for kids as it enables them to enjoy wildlife viewing activities and also learn about wildlife conservation. Here, kids can visit and feed Baraka, the blind black Rhino and the Chimpanzee Sanctuary (only place to see Chimps in Kenya). The conservancy which is a safe refuge for the endangered White and Black Rhinos is the only place in the world where the two surviving northern White Rhinos (Najin and Fatu) can be found. At Lewa conservancy, families can engage in Horse / Camel Riding and also be involved in cultural and conservation visits.

Lake Naivasha is yet another safari destination which is suitable for family with kids. Located about 95 kilometers from the city of Nairobi, the resort where most lodges are built on the shores of the fresh watered Lake offers a place to relax, enjoy some activities and also learn. Right from the well-manicured lawns of the lodge, you can see monkeys, water bucks, Zebra, Giraffe and various bird species roaming around. Kids find this to be fantastic although they require the company of an adult so that they don’t get too close to the animals. A boat ride on Lake Naivasha offers families great land scape views and gets them close to resident wildlife like Hippos, Water Bucks, Giraffes, Impala, Wildebeest, Zebra and birds like Cormorants, Pelicans and the African Fish Eagle.  If spending more than one night in Naivasha, a boat ride, followed by a guided nature walk at the Crescent Island is highly recommended for families.

Masai Mara is Kenya’s most popular safari destination both for kids and adults. The reserve which is a northern attraction to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park is home to the Big 5; Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Black Rhino. Being home to over 90 mammal species and over 450 bird species, the reserve boasts of a high wildlife to area ration, meaning that families don’t have to drive for several kilometers for different wildlife sightings. Sometimes, an afternoon game drives covering about 50 kilometers can yield amazing sightings of cats, herbivores and birds. It is in Masai Mara where the annual wildebeest migration happens during the months of July to October when the over 1.2 million ungulates (mainly Wildebeests, Topi and Zebra) arrive from the Serengeti and spend days and nights feeding on the Red Oat Grass, mating and crossing the Crocodile infested Mara River. Although the Masai Mara is a year-round family safari destination, travelling between July and September gives your family a chance to experience the migration; the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.

CHOOSE LODGES AND CAMPS THAT ARE FAMILY FRIENDLY:

While most city hotels, safari lodges, camps and beach resorts can accommodation families with kids, there are some few lodges that are more family friendly. These are places where they have spacious rooms or family tents, inter connecting rooms, activities for kids and baby-sitting services. While most lodges charge children aged 3 to 11 years 50% of the adult rates (while sharing room with parents) and 75% of the adult rate (while sharing own rooms), some kids friendly camps will offer complimentary accommodation for kids aged below 5 years and also charge children rates for young adults aged between 12 and 17 years. In Amboseli National Park, Tortilis Camp by Elewana have family tents and offer triple tents too while Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge has family units, inter connecting rooms and special rates for young adults.

At Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Serena Sweetwater’s Camp have spacious tents and good rates while Lewa Safari Camp in Lewa offers triple tents (for children below 16 years) and family tents).

In Masai Mara, most lodges and camps accommodate kids of all ages although a few luxury camps will only allow kids on game drives at the discretion of the manager. The alternative to this is for a family to pay for exclusive use of the safari vehicle.

Some of the camps that are kids friendly include Ashnil Mara Tented Camp and Base Camp Masai Mara that have some family units. Base Camp Masai Mara’s (Young Explorers Club) , Mara Intrepids (Kids club) and And Beyond Kichwa Tembo (Wild Child) allow young children to immerse themselves into the local culture, teaching them about nature and environment while at the same time offering them an opportunity to have fun within the camp environs.  The fun filled activities which are led by a naturalist Masai guide include wildlife tracking, guided nature walks, bush survival skills like lighting fire the traditional way and use of bow and arrow.

While booking a family safari with Essenia Safari Experts, our specialist and highly passionate team of consultants will tailor make a safari that is suited to the interests of a specific family, considering the age of each traveler. During the safari, the family is allocated its own safari jeep and a safari guide whom kids will be comfortable to interact with. Where young kids are travelling and the driving times from one park to the other are long, we may recommend scheduled or chartered domestic flights for the convenience of the family.

Wish to enquire about a safari with us? Please click here or contact us on holidays@esseniasafaris.co.ke