Before my visit to Londolozi Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands (Kruger National Park) I have to confess that I thought no other lodge could compare with Singita. I am being forced to eat my words. Londolozi focuses on simplicity, family values and giving clients a private experience but what they do best is to make you feel like part of the family. It is not just about the luxury of a bedroom, they also pride themselves in giving an excellent safari experience with the true commitment to conservation. Londolozi has one of the largest land areas per bed in the Sabi Sands Area.

Londolozi is one of the most special safari experiences that you can have.

We stayed at their flagship camp, Private Granite Suites, only 3 suites each with a unique large outdoor pool. Each suite has its own pool - ours is the one in the main photo. And this pool was just for us! This small camp can also be booked on a exclusive basis and in that case they would allow a child or two to share. The interior is modern but not over done and rather simple - the suites are large and feel like a villa in the bush - and I believe offer one of the most luxury stays in South Africa. The service was special and the food was healthy and simple - not really over the top cuisine but very good! I loved it….

Londolozi is all about the true safari experience. I was pretty sure that the game viewing would be amazing as it is one of the 3 largest concessions in the Sabi Sands and it was. Not only did we see a large herd of elephants as we drove to the lodge, we saw leopard only minutes into our first afternoon game drive. We had the privilege of spending a long time with it with no other vehicle around. From there on we saw a large elephant herd in a dry river bed - bulls fighting only metres from our open 4×4. Julius - our Shangaan ranger – was one of the best guides I ever had. He has been working for Londolozi since 1994 and was a tracker before he became a ranger. He had a keen eye to spot very good sightings with the help of his tracker but what I specifically liked about him was his grace and how he listened and spoke to the guests and how he naturally took them to whatever they seemed the keenest to see next.

The following morning Julius took us to a lion kill site (we’d spotted the vultures from far) in the middle of dense bush where a pride of lions had killed a buffalo the previous evening. We spend a long time watching the cubs playing and eating and again passed a large herd of elephants.  We were lucky to see a mother and her baby hyenas and just as the morning could not really get any better we came across some white rhino. I was truly amazed with wonderful game experience but are sure that the maturity of our guide was a great advantage for us.

After the morning game drive we viewed all the other Londolozi camps, firstly we visited Varty camp -  that is also the main area for Londolozi with a large pool a wine cellar, a yoga deck and the Cubs club (Varty Camp is a favorite camp for families) as they have inter-leading room options - all the rooms also had plunge pools. I was not as impressed with the interior but I believe that the personal service and family safari experience offered would make a stay at Varty camp would make up for this. (It is also less expensive than Tree Camp and Granite Suites). They have a cubs programme to ensure that children are uniquely entertained.  Chris, the manager, also has a 7 and 10 year old that join the guest children for some interaction. Guests of all the other Londolozi camps can use the facilities at Varty Camp.

We  visited Londolozi Tree Camp which has a stunning main area and a large deck in the trees - the camp has great atmosphere - and is slightly more traditional in style compared with the new Private Granite Suites- but stunning views over the river as well.  Plunge Pools in all six suites. No children under 16 – great for honeymooners!

We then visited Londolozi Pioneer Camp- which I really liked as much as Tree Camp. Though the suites don’t have the great views of the river, this is more than compensated by the character and ambience. It was very full of the family history and made you stepped back into the pioneering days of safari in South Africa.  There are only three private suites which have a bush view rather than a river view – but very peaceful setting each with a great tsala  - no children under 16 unless it is exclusive use of the whole camp.

Founders Camp is the other family friendly camp and although it is the only camp that does not have plunge pools- it seems that they are planning to add plunge pools very soon! This camp was perhaps my least favorite - but it did have an attractive boma and large pool. 7 chalets have a classic style.

So in summary, I would recommend Private Granite Suites first of all, if budget is no option or Pioneer or Tree Camp. Varty Camp is a stunning camp for family safarais. All and all Londolozi is a winning combination!

Shamwari Game Reserve, in the malaria-free Eastern Cape in South Africa, is at the forefront of family-friendly safaris using Shamwari Riverdene Lodge as its base.  Upon arrival at Riverdene Lodge, the children’s safari co-ordinator will discuss activities taking the children’s ages into consideration. As well as game drives, children, and their parents, enjoy an exclusive visit to the Born Free Foundation Big Cat Rescue Centre where activities focus on promoting the conservation of species and the protection of habitat whilst maintaining a humane and compassionate approach to the welfare of animals.

They can also visit the Shamwari Wildlife Hospital where different types of wild animals or raptors are being cared for, under special supervision by the Shamwari veterinarian team, for release back into the wild.  Nearby is the Shamwari Film Studio where  kids can learn about how wildlife documentaries are filmed.

A new development is that families can now take home their very own high quality Shamwari safari DVD filmed by professional wildlife photographers. It would be like starring in your very own wildlife documentary!

This is an extra cost and needs to be arranged ahead of time by us.  You have your own private ranger and vehicle for the filming at Shamwari and a cameraman travels with you covering all of your safari and ranger experiences as well as the visit to the Born Free Foundation, the Animal Hospital & Themba the elephant. A radio microphone on your ranger ensures high quality audio of his commentary. The final result is a 15- 30 minute professionally edited DVD of your safari. It has received rav reviews from families and couples who’ve opted for this.

We are often asked, by families especially, to recommend a non-malaria game lodge. To put it simply, there are three non-malaria areas in South Africa which offer good ‘Big Five’ game-viewing:

Madikwe
Eastern Game
Waterberg

But to focus only on these areas leaves out arguably the primary game-rich area of South Africa, the Kruger National Park, which lies in a seasonal malarial area and the Mashatu game reserve which is considered very low risk. Also there is no escaping the risk of malaria if you want to go to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Victoria Falls, Mozambique and of course East Africa.

The risk of malaria varies considerably – by season and by micro-area. We break up malaria areas into the following categories:
High Risk
Intermediate Risk
Intermediate Risk (Seasonal)
Low Risk

Intermediate Risk (Seasonal) needs some explanation. What this means is that the winters (between May and August) are sufficienly cold at night that there are usually very few or even no mosquitoes during the winter period but the area offers an intermediate risk during summer. Of course this can’t be guaranteed but it is a fair generalization. It is always necessary to check the latest information with your doctor.

Children and Malaria Areas
Each family has to weigh up their own priorities and I cannot influence that choice. As a general rule I wouldn’t recommend an Intermediate or High Risk area for a child under 6 years but if you are going to a seasonal intermediate/low risk area, that could be a different matter.

To protect against Malaria we recommend taking Malaria prophylactics, using inspect repellant liberally and covering arms and legs at least one hour before sunset. If this is going to be a problem for your family, then you should think twice, but don’t dismiss some of the prime wildlife areas of South Africa especially if you are traveling in July or August…

Your specialist safari tour operator, such as Cedarberg African Travel, will be able to give you seasoned advice about the relative malaria risks of different lodges.

Imagine quaffing champagne and viewing penguins frolicking all around you from a beautiful sailing yacht off Cape Town. That’s what I was doing a few days ago. It’s a hard life in Africa! But putting aside the gloating, what’s particularly attractive is how easy it is to some sort of boat cruise in Cape Town. There are plenty of boats taking visitors from the V&A or Hout Bay on whale-watching cruises, romantic yachts at sunset or thrilling jet boats.

Where does the Titantic remake come in? Well, our sailing yacht, the Spirit of Africa, had a distinct prow along which you could gingerly edge your way until you found yourself perched high above the water with only the Atlantic Ocean stretching ahead with nothing but a few Southern Right whales, dolphins and penguins between you and South America thousands of kilometres away. Once perched here you simply had to fling your arms wide and imagine you were Kate Winslet.

You can sail for 1 or 1½ hours around Table Bay on the yachts, Spirit of Victoria, a traditionally designed 58ft Gaff Rigged Schooner, or Bonne Esperance, a 64ft Marconi rigged schooner, enjoying South African champagne as you go. You’ll have stunning views of Table Mountain and the city skyline and we particularly recommend the sunset cruise in summer as very romantic. From July to November you may be lucky to see the odd glimpse of a whale but seals and penguins are commonly sighted.

If you are keen to see whales, during July to November you can take a longer boat cruise specifically in search of whales. This lasts for 3 to 4 hours as the boat sails up the West Coast towards Paternoster or around the Cape Peninsula to False Bay, depending on winds, sailing conditions and where the whales were most recently spotted. They average 6 or 7 different whale sightings per trip so there’s always excitement. Sightings include Southern Right whales in season (July to November), African penguins, Cape Fur seals, dolphins, basking sharks, sunfish and many species of pelagic birds.

Dare-devils will enjoy a one hour jet-boat ride: its hectic speed delivers an adrenalin rush par excellence and a broad grin magically appears on your face.

If you are keen to do this during your time in Cape Town, don’t wait until you get there. It’s very popular and the sundowner cruises get booked up. We recommend that you pre-book with your tour operator.

This is a subject I’ve been meaning to address for a few months, ever since my last solo research trip with all three of my kids. I got chatting with another Mother who had encountered huge pressures when trying to identify suitable places to take the family on safari when travelling without the company another adult. We’ve now done a lot of thinking about the unique needs of Single Parent Families on Safari…

Most affordable - Ker & Downey ‘Family months’ in Botswana
Veteran safari operator Ker & Downey has several camps which are ideal for families. When parents are travelling solo with kids, the most suitable is the more affordable Okuti, in the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. Here, the activities (game drives in 4×4 open sided vehicles and motorboating) are safe for children age seven and above and there are two family units, so there is a chance that there may be other families with whom to share the bush experience.

During the “family months” of March to June and November, three nights fly-in safari ex Maun costs US$4102 (£2051), based on one adult and two children age 16 years and under, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and boating and air transfers from Maun.

Larger families, especially with over 16s or in peak season, would be better suited to the Young Explorers programme, in which each family has sole use of a private camp. From July to October the cost of three nights ex Maun is from US$1838 to $2930 (£919 to £1465) per person, adult or child, depending on the size of the party.

Money no object - Kwando Safaris
Kwando Safaris has dedicated programmes, not only for children age 8 to 12 but also a scaled down version of Ranger Training for teenagers. Each family has a dedicated specialist professional guide and exclusive use of a vehicle but the parent can enjoy some private or adult time between game activities, as staff are allocated to handle the children while in camp to allow adults to get a break from full-on parenting as well. This programme is available year around. This programme is available year around at Kwando Safaris Kwara Camp, Lagoon Camp and Lebala Camp.

In the Shoulder Season from 01 April to 31 May and 01 November to 30 Nov, three nights fly-in safari to Kwando Kwara ex Maun costs US$6990 (£3495), based on one adult and two children age 16 years and under, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and boating, specialist family guide, private vehicle and air transfers from Maun.

Best for youngsters - CCAfrica Nxabega and Sandibe
The sister lodges Nxabega and Sandibe are both suitable for single-parent families with children as young as six years. They can offer shortened game drives, child-minders can be booked for the evenings and videos, colouring books, and games are available.

Three nights fly-in safari ex Maun, based on one adult and two children age 6 to 11 years, sharing a triple, inclusive of meals and snacks, beverages, game drives and air transfers from Maun.
From March to May and November costs US$4225 (£2212)
From June to October costs US$5895 (£2947)

As a Family Safari specialist we’ve seen a growing interest in child-friendly safari options especially in the malaria-free areas of South Africa. Madikwe Reserve is a small and unique alliance between the local communities, private enterprise and the North West Parks Board. Bordering Botswana on the north with the Great Marico River, it is one of Cedarberg African Travel’s favourite malaria-free family safari options.

The overall game viewing is excellent and the reserve boasts the Big Five and over 230 recorded bird species. You can also expect to see its packs of wild dog which are regularly sighted as well as black and white rhino, extensive plains game, including sable, gemsbok, springbok and giraffe.

Two of our consultants, Mari and Wanda, recently visited a number of the Madikwe lodges and this is the first in a series of posts on Madikwe.

Jaci’s Lodges are one of our favourites and cater for children of all ages. The personal service is excellent.

Jaci’s Game Lodges consist of two separate game lodges, Jaci’s Safari Lodge and Jaci’s Tree Lodge on the eastern part of the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve.Children can share in the suites with the parents or a family can bookthe exclusive Nare Suite- which has its own private guide and private landrover for a tailor-made safari experience for your family (but comes at a price!)Jaci’s Tree Lodge, is definitely our favourite lodge in the Madikwe Reserve and has huge tree suites where up to three extra children can easily share the room with the adults. Children are accommodated on stretcher beds (so we don’t recommend it for older children). You also need to be aware that the bathroom is open plan, with a screen which you can use to screen the bath (with an enclosed toilet) so this may not suit all families.

Children aged 10 and under, sharing with their parents in the same room, qualify for a special children’s rate. (They will allow older children as well to share but you need to be aware of the sleeping arrangements – see above). This special child rate includes child minders and the daily ‘jungle drive’ for younger children. Older children from 8 upwards are allowed on the adult drive and will have dinner in the dining room on their return from the evening drive.

The jungle drive takes place during the day, usually immediately after breakfast - this is anything from ½ to 1 hour depending on the interest levels of the children on the drive. Parents are welcome to come along but must not behave like adults! We find that Jaci’s is flexible about these age limits. If you have two older children who can come on the main game drive and a younger child of 6 or 7 (who’s fairly mature and able to cope with a 3 hour+ game drive), they will usually allow them to join their parents and older siblings rather than be the child left behind.

We really recommend the specialized childrens’ safaris which are an optional extra. These can be booked directly at the Lodges and are recommended for children aged 3 - 7 years old. The children’s safaris go out every morning and evening whilst their parents are on game drive.

Another very child friendly safari lodge is Tuningi Safari Lodge which is on the western side of Madikwe Game Reserve. The lodge area is fenced so it is very safe for families. We especially love the two bedroom suites that are perfect for families with older children or 3 children.

Tuningi Safari Lodge is an elegant game lodge on the western side of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. The décor is a mix of colonial and modern African influences. They also offer baby sitting and do a shorter drive for children under 6 after main morning drive. The rooms are large and can accommodate 2 smaller children (12 years and under) on camp beds (not proper beds).The family suites consist of 2 en-suite bedrooms, lounge in between, dining room and kitchen. Unfortunately there’s no child rate for the first two children in these rooms but a third child will have a reduced rate. Children of 6 years and up can go on game drive. One of these family suites is a little further away from the camp and can be booked, along with a separate suite, as Little Tuningi. If Little Tuningi is taken then you have a private ranger and landrover at your disposal. Little Tuningi works very well when we have grandparents, parents and grandchildren all travelling together.

We really liked the management couple as they seem geared towards families. The more mature guides also work well with families.

Thakadu River Camp – Great Value for money and perfect for the family seeking a less expensive option. The rooms are small but newly furnished and fresh in style.

Thakadu is a community-owned and community-driven project. The tented rooms are small but very nice with all the normal amenities and each has stunning views over the Marico River. The guides are all local and have the advantage of knowing the area very well as well as its unique history.There are 12-tented suites and Little Thakadu is an 8-bed satellite camp that can be rented exclusively. Some of Thakadu’s tents (Family Tents) allow two smaller children on a sleeper couch and are available at an excellent rate for families. The Main Lodge is completely open plan and use natural stone and included stunning fire-place and sitting areas for relaxing.

Morokuru is one of our personal favourites as well. It has a stunning open-plan design with large windows and a modern décor with clean lines and bright colours. Our clients feel really very special here. There are two houses and they are available only as a unit. You can take either house or both together. The Owners House has two bedrooms but generally they do not allow children in that house. Morukuru House is a 3 bedroom villa so perfect for larger families with children. Again sometimes a large family party takes the Owners House for the grandparents or adult children with the parents/grandchildren taking Morukuru House.