So you’ve been staring at the world map pondering your next family adventure. The kids won’t stop asking about how buffaloes pee and why leopards have spots and so it’s been decided – a family safari trip to Africa is on the cards. But you still have some niggles bothering you before you can lock this holiday in. As local Botswana safari specialists based in Botswana with families of our own, we’ve literally heard every question under the African sun and we’re here to lay your concerns to rest. As Rafiki likes to put it – Hakuna Matata, my friend. Let’s leap onward to answering your questions about planning a family safari to Botswana.
1. Is Malaria in Botswana Dangerous for Children — “Is it safe to take my child to a malaria zone?”
This is a super common question, one you’re smart to ask.
We have a very low occurrence of malaria in the Okavango as well as Chobe, but we still strongly urge all guests (including children) to take malaria prophylaxis. Those of us who live here don’t take anti-malarial medication, but that’s because in Southern Africa, doctors are trained to spot and treat malaria immediately. Doctors across the pond (the United States or Europe for example) are very unaccustomed to diagnosing malaria – and this is where it can be most dangerous. Malaria medication side effects aren’t as severe as they once were, and taking a course of medication prior to arrival is a great way to ensure your bases are fully covered. We generally suggest malerone as it has minimal side effects and a course of treatment can begin a couple of days prior to arrival.
Easy Answer: The dry season (June–Aug) dramatically reduces risk; your doctor can advise on prophylactics – which we definitely recommend, and all reputable lodges use insect-proofing and nets as standard.
Top Tip: Long sleeve cotton and linen clothes are your friend.
2. Is a Botswana safe for children — “What if my child encounters wildlife at camp?”
Well, then they would have an epic story for show and tell back home. All jokes aside, coming face to face with a wild animal is always a concern, and we often do have elephants wandering through the camps – and also occasionally lions and wild dogs.
Lodge staff manage wildlife movement around camp as part of daily operations; incidents involving guests are extremely rare, and children are always escorted around the camp at all time. Adults are escorted any time after sundown.
Easy Answer: Your kids are safe, providing they don’t go rogue on the staff (or their parents!) and bushwhack into the bush in search of the Lost Arc. However, even rogue kids are very closely monitored by staff, and it is the job of guides and staff to know where all guests are at all times, and to very closely monitor all wildlife in and around the camp.
Top Tip: Relax and enjoy it. Don’t be overly protective of kids while in camp, as we have them covered, but also ensure that they are well aware that there are dangerous animals about and that they need to keep their eyes open.
3. Botswana safari age restrictions — “Is my child too young? Will they even be allowed?”
It won’t surprise you to learn that this question gets huge search traffic; and there’s actually a lot of misinformation circulating online saying under-12s can’t go on safari. As the experts – we can happily call bull dung on that one.
The clearest pattern across the Delta is that 6+ is the effective standard for most reputable camps, with the main exceptions being a few of the the premium camps which hold firm at 12+, largely due to elevated walkways and unfenced environments. Kwara Camp is another which is an adult only +18 camp.
As for the hidden gems among the camps, Shinde Footsteps is the standout — it’s not a standard lodge but an exclusive-use family programme built specifically around children, which is rare. Pom Pom and Rra Dinare are worth flagging, as they offer a very different feel to the big operators and tend to be more flexible and affordable.
Easy Answer: National parks impose no age limits for kids, but the individual lodges do, and for every one that restricts, there are several that welcome young children warmly.
Most lodges in the Delta will not accept kids under 6, depending on time of year. Do note: all kids under 18 need to share a room with an adult over 21.
4. Boredom / attention span — “Will my kids actually enjoy it, or will they be miserable?”
This – and it always boggles my mind to be honest – is an extremely common parental anxiety, especially for parents of kids under-8s. I know not one child who’s ever said “Psh, lions, whatevs.” However, in an age of ever increasing digital gaming and special effects, if your kids are used to colour changing robotic lions that spit fire and can transmute to the hidden realms in 7 different languages, then yeah, the regular ol’ African Panthera leo may seem a bit dull. But no, we tend to advise parents that kids tremendously enjoy the vast beauty of the African bush and that all kid-friendly camps and guides are well versed in cultivating and experience that enriches and inspires kids of most ages.
Easy Answer: A private vehicle and guide means you move at your family’s pace; most children are far more captivated by real wildlife than parents expect, and lodges increasingly offer dedicated junior activities (tracking, fire-making, etc.).
Top Top: Get your kids their own holiday journal and either a pair of binoculars or a simple small digital camera to document their own experience.
5. The long-haul journey — “How do I survive the flight and transfers with kids?”
Well, this is going to be your concern as a parent going pretty much anywhere in the world.
Families from the UK/US and Europe seem particularly concerned on this point. Australian and South African families are clearly used to doing big treks with their offspring. As an experienced safari agent, specialising in family safari holidays, we have a host of tips on how to make the journey less painstaking and will happily guide you on this if you book with us. But as a rule of thumb breaking the flight up is a good starting point. A Joburg stopover is standard practice and domestic flights to camps are short (under 2 hrs).
Easy Answer: Make the flight part of the holiday, not just the long boring bit before they can see hippos. Break up the trip and pack entertainment.
Top Top: Conceptualise some fun airline games, pack lots of safari related games and activities, books and even pre-downloaded YouTube content relating to facts about the Botswana wilderness to build their sense of adventure and excitement.
6. Health and vaccinations — “What jabs does my child need?”
Okay, let’s clear something up real quick. A vaccine and malaria medication are not to be lumped in the same category. The course of treatment for malaria is a recommended prophylaxis, it’s not a disease for which you cannot get vaccinated.
There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry into Botswana (unless you are arriving from a yellow fever country) Tetanus and hepatitis A are worth discussing with your GP, but the health burden is low compared to many destinations.
Easy Answer: Nothing ops critical needed on this front. Visiting Botswana on safari is a jab free holiday (see caveats above).
7. The guilt of travelling with kids — “Will it ruin other guests’ experience?”
Hey parents with teething toddlers – we see you. And to that understandable concern in your overstimulated mind we’d like to say that if someone were the sort of person who’s life experience can be “ruined” by the presence of tiny humans, then we are of the opinion that they should stay in exclusive No-kids-allowed resorts.
Kids are a beautiful part of life and can often delight and surprise even the most rigid traveller into seeing the world from a new perspective. You’ll likely be staying in accommodations with other travellers who also have kids and so will be among kindred spirits.
Easy Answer: If the anxiety of ruining someone else’s holiday is eating you up – a private vehicle solves this entirely (and most campos require families with kids under 12 to book a private vehicle anyway); your family isn’t sharing game drives with strangers, so there’s no social pressure.
Top Tip: Teach your little ones weeks before your travels about the bush whisper. It’s the secret voice that magically keeps all animals in your vicinity calm and feeling safe around you. “The better your bush whisper – the more animals you’ll be able to tell your friends about.” Practice it often in the garden and parks before you leave.
8. Food and diet — “Will my fussy eater survive the bush?”
We get it – getting kids to eat a vegetable on the best of days can feel like a covert operation deploying decoy crumbed veg among the fishfingers. What if the lodge can’t cater to your selective safari snacker?
The good news is that family-friendly lodges routinely offer flexible mealtimes, kids’ menus, and can accommodate allergies. But it’s worth flagging any special requirements or eating no-nos at time of booking, however it’s rarely an issue.
Easy Answer: Safari camps and lodges are used to catering for kids and will be able to feed your potentially fussy little foodie.
9. Family Safari Okavango Delta & The cost — “Is a Botswana safari worth it for kids who might not appreciate it?”
This is a very common parental hesitation, especially considering that a Botswana holiday is not on the budget end of the holiday stick. On this note we can only say that no one knows your kids the way you know your kids. If you feel they might not be ready for it there’s no harm in shelving this holiday for a couple of years and going somewhere closer to home while they are still very little or planning a holiday more aligned with their current obsession. But if you’re dead set on your family safari adventure and you position it the right way, then we’re pretty sure the kids will find something on the holiday to appreciate. Beyond that – kids are kids and you can’t tailor your every life decision to what they most want in the moment. Some life experiences – and often the best ones – are the ones we didn’t go looking for.
If it helps, under-16’s get discounts of around 50% – which is standard at most lodges; the experiential impact on children tends to be profound and lasting, not wasted.
Easy Answer: Only you know your kids well enough to answer this. But a 50% discount for kids could help with the budget.
10. Safety at the lodge (pools, walkways, unfenced camps) — “Is the physical environment child-safe?”
This is an increasingly more searched for parental quandary and we can’t help wondering if parents and modern society isn’t just getting overly used to hyper vigilance for their children. Obviously basic safety and security is considered in all holiday accommodations that welcome kids. But could they fall and scrape their knee, yes. Could they get stung by a wasp if they swat at it – yes. Life is not incident free.
Family Friendly Safari Lodges in Botswana
However not all camps are equal — this is exactly why choosing the right lodge matters. As agents who specialise in family aligned safari experiences, we focus on operators and accommodation properties with this in mind (ie: no elevated walkways, fenced-in pools, connecting family suites etc).
Easy Answer: Cuts and bruises can happen in your backyard just as easily, they may as well happen in appropriately safe holiday accommodation in the African wild.
Top Tip: Make sure your holiday booking agents include only child friendly lodges and accommodation when you go about planning your family safari to Botswana.
11. Travel documents for children — “What paperwork do I need?”
This is another one of those general travel related queries that falls in the practical preparation camp. Aside from the obvious passport, Botswana is fairly easy to travel to in terms of paperwork.
Here’s the paperwork you need if you’re travelling with children under 18:
- an unabridged birth certificate
- if travelling with one parent only, a notarised consent affidavit from the absent parent is required
Top tip: Compile a list with photographs of your child’s luggage items, especially expensive items, in case it’s needed for travel insurance purposes.
12. “Is it the right age?” — When is the ideal time to go?
When is the right time for anything really? There’s no single right answer to this one.
Again, the real answer is: it depends on your child — many families have gone with toddlers and had wonderful experiences with the right setup. Those are often families where the parents really wanted to go and they happened to have a child under 6, so the kid went along and they made a grand adventure of it. But if you’re considering this specifically for the developmental readiness of your child’s ability to enjoy a safari, the 6+ is “the right age”.
Easy Answer: Most operators say 6+ is a sweet spot for engagement.
And that’s our feedback on the 12 most common concerns parents worry about when planning a safari to Botswana for their family and kids. We hope we’ve laid your concerns to rest and that you can get back to being excited about planning your family safari to the Okavango Delta.
