How to make an African safari meaningful for your kids
As if the fulfilment of seeing your kids in awe of the magic of nature is not rewarding enough, time spent with loved ones in the bush is also a fantastic bonding experience, and the most fun you can have together.
As an adult you get to see the wild through the eyes of your children and feel the wonder once again just like you did on your first safari. Plus, there’s nothing like the amazement on a child’s face when they see an elephant so close they can almost touch it.
Africa: a unique continent for family vacations
Africa is a great continent for family travelling. Most importantly your kids will get to meet their heroes like Mufasa, Simba and Gloria. (Sorry no autographs.) But an African Safari is also a unique chance to introduce the world to children in ways that can’t be taught.
Namibia’s Bwabwatha National Park, as an example, is 6,100 km² and home to 35 large and small mammal species including the African elephant, African buffalo, hippopotamus, roan, sable antelope, kudu, lechwe, sitatunga, lion, leopard, hyena, wild dog and more. There are also more than 450 bird species here, including the wattled crane, African skimmer, and Western-banded snake eagle. The fauna is pretty impressive too, including trees such as the leadwood and rhodesian teak, the marula and the sausage.
A safari teaches kids cultural meaning and appreciation of the natural world
Understanding the value of nature and our role in taking care of it is not a skill that young children will have. It is something that develops and grows when taught. You can teach this to your children by exposing them to the right experiences while travelling.
1. Learn local skills
Learning local skills and traditions when you travel will allow your kids to build deeper connections. This can lead to stronger, more authentic connections, making their safari experience richer and more meaningful.
2. Make sustainability a real experience
When you make an effort to understand and participate in local traditions, it shows respect for the local people and their way of life. It allows you to move beyond the tourist bubble and truly appreciate the uniqueness of a destination. You get to understand not just the sights, but the values, beliefs, and history that shape the community. Developing this type of appreciation can transform the way your child sees the world.
A visit to a local community project where they can learn a skill or craft will let your kids experience how giving back to a community is part of sustainable tourism, and our responsibility to the world. As they learn how to create something traditional they also help to preserve a craft and ensure that tourism benefits the local community.
3. Encourage dreaming big
Their time on safari will undoubtedly spark your kids’ wildest and most imaginative dreams. This provides you with an opportunity to show them that they have the power to create, explore, and shape the future in ways they have not yet imagined. Dreaming big also helps them discover their own passions and interests. It’s a process of self-exploration that allows them to figure out who they are and what they want to contribute to the world.
“As they learn how to create something traditional they also help to preserve a craft and ensure that tourism benefits the local community.”
A tailored Kids on Safari holiday at African Monarch Lodges
African Monarch Lodges, which is situated right in the heart of Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park, makes the logistics of a family safari easy by offering tailored options to instil appreciation and understanding of the natural world in children. It also includes authentic cultural immersion through visits to The Sijwa Project, a culturally rich initiative that’s making a real difference in the local community.
The Kids on Safari package – available for stays at our Nambwa Tented Lodge – teaches children about the need to protect nature and how conservation tourism can be a force for good. If your children love nature and trips to the zoo, then Kids on Safari will be a dream come true. It will also make your parental duties feel like a walk in the, well … bush.
The lodge has ten soulful and spacious tented suites perched high in the treetops of the Bwabwata National Park in the heart of KAZA — the largest wildlife conservation area in the world. As adults you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful seclusion and the migrating wildlife below, while your kids will be whisked away on treasure hunts and bush walks where they will learn tracking and survival skills in the bush as they explore the riverways of the Kwando River.
Younger children can be accommodated with their parents with a maximum of two extra beds added to the suite. Your kids can also be accommodated in their own private room close to your room. Pre-booked child-minding services are available at an additional cost.
The great outdoors is indeed the best classroom of all
The lodge can tailor a range of activities for younger guests, but here a few examples of what they may get up to during a 3-night stay: bushwalks, bush quizzes, a visit to the Sijwa Project – including bracelet making, camping on a private island, tales around the fire, a boat cruise, fishing, receiving their Junior Ranger kit, and getting their certification.
Visit Kids on Safari or contact reservations@africanmonarchlodges.com or +264 (0)81 125 2122 for more.
