Safari with the Kids

My Top 3 Safari experiences

When you go on Safari with your kids, you want them to have the best experience. I’ve been lucky enough to go on safari with my parents many times in the past few years. Here are some of the places I’ve been to that have kiddies activities.

Jodie Ramackers at Ulusaba Rock Lodge

Ulusaba Rock Lodge, Sabi Sand | At Ulusaba Rock Lodge, kids join the Cubs Club and receive a bag containing a film camera, pencils, an activity book, a peak cap and some choccies. You even get your own welcome letter. Later in your stay, you can go on an excursion with your ranger and tracker. You get to sit in the tracker seat and spot animal tracks in the sand. Your ranger and tracker will show you how to use plants for an emergency. In the kitchen you are assisted by the chef where you get to make your own pizzas! The rooms are really nice and have a separate section where the kiddies sleep. The game drives are very educational and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m sure your children will love it. My favorite animals on the game drive was the Ottawa Pride of Lions. I was there last year and I had a blast! I enjoyed using all the goodies I received in my bag and I really learnt a lot there. https://www.virginlimitededition.com/en/ulusaba 


Jodie Ramackers in Gondwana Game Reserve safari

Gondwana Game Reserve, Mossel Bay | At Gondwana Game Reserve, the Kids club includes doing mini game drives, fishing, animal tracking, frogging, marshmallow braais and stories around the campfire. At the end, you get a goodie backpack, a certificate, a badge and a rhino piggy bank. When I was there a couple of years ago, our ranger showed us some animal bones, fynbos plants and we could do coloring with the other kids. We also decorated cookies and made pictures using plants. The villas are very luxurious with four poster beds draped in mosquito netting and a selection of three different rooms. On our first game drive, we saw rhinos mating and the next morning, a herd of eland came by the lodge. I had a wonderful time there. https://www.gondwanagr.co.za/


Jodie Ramackers at Thornby Game Reserve

Thornybush Game Reserve, Hoedspruit | Thornybush Game Reserve doesn’t have a kids club, but they can arrange some fun things for you to do. They have a nice swimming pool and the rooms all have splash pools. You do get a Ranger in Training backpack with pencils, an activity book, an Optic Wonder Plus (binoculars/mirror/compass/magnifying glass). In the rooms you can get a bed brought in specially for your child. I was lucky enough  to see two leopards mating. Our ranger took me to do the basics: tracking, plant life and Ant Lion (small insect that eats ants) catching. For breakfast, I stacked my plate with croissants, one of my favorite things to eat. The breakfast setting has a great view over the dry riverbed. https://www.thornybush.co.za/lodges/thornybush-game-lodge

I hope that if you visit one of these places, you and your child/children enjoy it, because I surely did. Thanks to all the amazing guides and all the people that make your kiddies’ adventure fun, your child will remember their stay for the rest of their life.