At our &Beyond family-friendly lodges we love to welcome your little ones. Nothing makes us happier than watching the joy on their faces as they encounter amazing experiences on safari. Our WILDChild Programme has proven just that by forging bonds between our young guests and their planet.
Our safari guides will always put our guests’ safety first above all else, and your ‘sprogs’ and their welfare are taken most seriously. So I would like to highlight some facts around children and their safety (and yours) on safari.
The ‘Big Five’ (namely, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino) are considered high profile game, and thus, potentially dangerous. So as a rule your children under 6 will not be able to go on game drive. Additional children’s drives can be arranged with your ranger. On every safari holiday, your guide and camp manager will discuss your family’s expectations on drive. Children under the age of 6 aren’t allowed on drive and once there, the team will assess the child’s ability to listen, focus, and stay still and calm. If a child cries in a lion sighting – it’s perceived as a distress call which will attract predators to investigate. Not ideal.
So please trust our team to keep you safe. Based on their assessment of the situation, they will decide if it’s safe to go into the sighting. Typically, children older than 6 years are allowed into all sightings. However, it is still at your guide’s discretion as some older children (and sometimes even their parents!) do not have the emotional capacity to engage in a high profile sighting.
The best way to go about this is to book a Private Vehicle for your family if you are booking less than 3 rooms in total. We strive to have a maximum of 6 guests on a vehicle, so if you’re a family of 4 then you’ll pay the extra for the privilege of having your guide all to yourselves and not worrying about affecting other guests if your kids want to go back a little earlier or stop for a longer snack break!
So sit back, relax, and know that you are always in good hands on your safari. Our guides have the world’s top qualifications and many moons of experience. They cannot wait to take you places and show your family incredible things…
Ready to book your family safari? Let’s get planning!
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