Safari holiday with the kids? New family eco safari programme in South Africa

Of course it can be a relaxed vacation full of family fun and adventures for the whole family! During our new family-safari-programme in South Africa, children from the age of 6 years can become junior rangers. Different from the standard safari, the whole family can actively experience Africa’s fascination up close.

You will stay at a newly opened safari camp, which has been build in accord with the landscape, yet in a modern style. From here, you can overlook one of the Western Cape’s biggest Big 5 game reserves, which is only a four hour drive from Cape Town.

During this safari programme, you are not only a guest at the reserve but will be warmly welcomed into the ranger team and are able to peak behind the scenes of a South African game reserve.

The whole family will go on daily discovery tours through the bush; always following tracks in search of elephants, rhinos, lions or cheetahs. You will be actively part of the collection of important animal data such as regarding the feeding- or social behaviour, the evaluation of leopard photos from the camera traps as part of the leopard project or when the rangers go on rhino patrol.

Beate H. und son Fynn (8 years) from Germany were our guests recently: “The ultimate highlight of our trip was our stay at the Eco Camp and we are super happy and thankful that we were able to experience it! It is difficult to describe what makes this camp so special; the two rangers Brandon and Stevie are the heart of the camp and  live the nature and wildlife, and through that let us participate and immerse into this world. We were not only observers but part of the reserve- and that in a very sustainable and authentic way.”

The bush survival training completes this adventure. Children will learn how to identify animals, how to find their way using GPS or a compass, how to build a shelter and how to catch a fish.

Bernd and So-Kheng with Kira (11) and Juna (7) from Austria say: “The safari was superb and we are glad that we decided on the Eco Safari! It was all the different activities that made this trip so special, we were out on safari 6-7 hours daily and saw a lot. We used soap made out of herbs, made tea from fresh bush leaves and relaxed by the bonfire in the evening.”

All ranger activities during our family safari can be easily mastered by the children and are varied, so that the patience of the children (and the parents) won’t be tried.

And don’t worry, as eco ranger you won’t have to work too much. You will have the opportunity to encounter many animals during various game drives, and to take great close-up photos of them, too.

With so many outdoor activities, food is obviously an important aspect. During your stay you will be pampered with delicious traditional South African dishes, grill sausages and burgers on the bonfire for lunch in the vastness of the reserve, and enjoy Potjiekos ( a South African stew made in a stone pot) and game meat at the camp under the starry African night sky.

This safari differs from the standard safari as it is a special experience, filled with fun and adventure, during which you will be able to gain a deeper insight into South Africa’s wilderness and contribute to nature and wildlife conservation at the same time.

Gudrun H. from Germany with her children  Wolfgang (15), Jonathan (12) and Svenja (9): “I booked the family safari for me and my three children. We had a marvellous time and still talk about our experience at the Eco Camp all the time- far more than about the rest of our two week South Africa trip. The food was incredible and the team and organisation couldn’t have been any better. We had the opportunity to be together as a family and to discover new things on a daily basis, which brought us closer together as family.”