With more than 8 years of experience doing safaris with kids we understand that children have different requirements than adults, and know how to create a programme with all those little things that really make a difference. We know the lodges with a flexible price policy and lots of other places where children and active families are welcome. Being specialized in Family Safaris we have the recipe to make your Family Safari a great experience for everyone.
Provided that the itinerary includes plenty of non-vehicle based activities to complement the game-viewing, children will love everything about a Tanzania family safari. It is tremendously exciting and you will never see your children as quiet as when the ranger tells them that they need to be silent so as to approach a pride of lion. They will become quickly adept at identifying all the different species and particularly at catching glimpses of the magical big-five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant). Adult vision quickly seems second rate compared to the eagle eyes of your children!
Some of our reasons for choosing a family safari in Tanzania include:
- World-class game viewing in beautiful surroundings
- Get up-close-and-personal with (safe!) animals on walking safaris
- Iconic national parks that the children will remember for ever
- Cookery lessons, bike and tuk tuk rides, waterfall walks, village visits
- A wide range of attractive child-friendly lodges and tented camps
- Learn to track rhino or follow elephant spoor
- Swap stories around the camp fire at night, under the stars
- Palm-fringed Indian Ocean beaches, perfect for post safari R&R
- Zanzibar, the fabled Spice Island of legend
Will all children enjoy a Tanzania family safari?
It is important to give careful consideration as to whether your children are old enough to enjoy a safari. Tanzania is not a cheap destination and you want to be sure that all members of the family will get the most out of their holiday. After all, what parent wants to be asked the dreaded ‘are we nearly there yet?’ just when you are watching a lion stalk its prey?!
There is no simple rule as to what age children need to be to enjoy a safari as this very much depends from one child to the next. However, we generally would not recommend a safari to families travelling with children aged 3 and under as they may struggle with the length of time in the safari vehicle. And of course, once you are out in the middle of a national park there isn’t the scope to stop and let younger ones run around to stretch their legs!
Children aged 4-7 are also, in most cases, probably still a bit on the young side to really enjoy a safari but there are definite exceptions. Some children in this age group find a safari completely thrilling and will be glued to the guidebooks trying to ‘tick off’ the different species and soaking up weird and wonderful information about different animal behaviours.
From 8 upwards, a safari is almost always a hit!
For all families we will be careful to recommend accommodation that we think will suit. This might mean staying in a lodge for a few days with that all important swimming pool, and then moving from here to a remote tented camp where you will go to sleep at night listening to the sounds of the wild. It might also mean selecting camps that have a range of activities for children, whether these are low-key (eg having a few board games and the option for an early child-friendly dinner) or more formal, such as organised tracking lessons during the heat of the day.
Is a Tanzania family safari safe for children?
Seeing lion, buffalo and hippo up close sounds wonderfully exciting, but in the back of most parent’s minds is the tentative question as to whether it is really safe to be quite so close to wild animals.
Fortunately, it is. All camps and lodges in Tanzania have strict safety controls, including regular patrols by trained safari staff. There are also strict safety guidelines, which apply in many camps. For example, guests must keep on the camp paths and cannot walk around after dark unless escorted by a member of staff. Safety is of utmost importance and good practice will be explained to you all on arrival.
When out and about on safari, it is of course imperative that the children don’t get out of the vehicle at any point. If anyone needs a toilet stop the driver will find a safe place to pull over (which may take a few minutes). This will usually be a wide open space so you may only have the vehicle to hide behind, but it means that the driver will have a good view of any nearby game and can be sure it is safe.
ITINERARY: 13 Days, 12 Nights:
Day Accommodation Activity
Arusha arrival Arumeru River Lodge Relax
Arusha to Tarangire Kikoti Safari Camp Game drive
Tarangire Kikoti Safari Camp Game drives
Tarangire – Manyara Tloma Mountain Lodge Game Drives
Karatu –Lake Eyasi Kisimangeda Tented Camp Iraq Tribe visit
Lake Eyasi. Kisimangeda Tented Camp Bush walk with the Bushman
Ngorongoro Serena/Sopa Crater drives
Ngorongoro Serena/ Sopa
Crater Tour
Ngorongoro Serengeti Mobile Tented Camp or similar Maasai,Oldupai Gorge
Serengeti Mobile Tented camp or similar Game drives
Serengeti Mobile Tented Camp or Similar Game drives
Serengeti Mobile Tented Camp or Similar Game drives
Serengeti – Arusha Flight to Arusha Relax/shop
Day room
Depart
Day 1 – Arrive Arusha Kilimanjaro International Airport (KLM)
Transfer to lodge for lunch, dinner, overnight (depending on arrival). Meet and greet safari briefing upon arrival at lodge or the following morning prior to departing for Tarangire. Dinner and overnight at Arumeru River Lodge.
Day 2 – After breakfast, depart for Tarangire National Park. During the dry season from July to November, animals concentrate along the Tarangire River, which provides the only permanent water supply in the area. You’ll have a spectacular view from a bluff above where you’ll have lunch. An afternoon game drive, dinner and overnight at Kikoti Safari Camp complete your day.
Day 3 – Morning and afternoon game drives in Tarangire National Park. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight at Kikoti Safari Camp.
Day 4 – After breakfast we’ll drive across the Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. If lucky, we may see the Manyara lions, known for their tree climbing habits. Elephants, hippos, giraffe, buffalo and other plains animals are present at Manyara. You’ll also see the famous jungle where early Tarzan movies were filmed. Birdlife in Manyara is also very impressive. Picnic lunch in the park and overnight at Tloma Mountain Lodge Camp, a tented camp overlooking the Oldiani Valley.
Day 5 – After breakfast and a relaxed morning, we pay a visit to a school and come back to the lodge for lunch. That afternoon we school we drive out to Lake Eyasi where the Bushman people lives. Dinner and overnight at Kisimangeda Tented Camp.
Day 6 – We leave very early in the morning for a search of the Bushman people as they don’t have homes. We will get a chance to go hunting with them and get to know a bit of their lifestyle. We will go back to the camp for a brunch. In the afternoon we bid our farewell with the camp, continuing our safari towards the Ngorongoro Highland. Dinner and overnight will be on the rim at either Serena or Sopa Lodge.
Day 7 – Full day in the Crater with picnic lunch. Dinner and overnight at Serena or Sopa.
Day 8 After breakfast we drive to Serengeti National Park, stopping at Olduvai Gorge along the route. This is where the Leakey’s discovered the remains of Homo erectus, bringing crucial understanding to the study of the evolution of man. Serengeti is the most famous wildlife sanctuary in the world, where the great migration begins and ends. Numbers of up to 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra inhabit the area. We may stay in two different areas within the Serengeti. This is also the perfect opportunity to take the dawn hot air balloon ride over the plains, followed by a full English-style breakfast served on fine china in the bush.
Each other day from day 9 – 12 will be spend exploring each side of the might Serengeti National park. Diner and overnight at Mobile Tented Camps or similar.
Day 13 – After breakfast we’ll drive to Seronera Airstrip for our scheduled morning flight to Arusha. Upon arrival in Arusha, we’ll be transferred to Arumeru River Lodge where you can relax in a day room, shop in town, prepare for you departure. An early dinner before you get collected for your KLM flight back home.
