Things We Love: Family Safaris
This is my third installment in a series we call “Things We Love”. This series is meant to shake the experience tree for your next safari, and I hope you enjoy reading about these adventures as much as I enjoy writing about them :-)
Those of you who have travelled with us are well-aware of a favorite tradition: Beers and Spears. The name says it all, right? At the end of an afternoon in the bush, we head for a lone acacia tree on a grand horizon. Greeting us are staff and a few local Maasai. A drink station is quickly set up, alongside a collection of spears…. naturally. At this point in time, guests both young and old visit with staff, hear their stories, and learn first-hand about the warrior culture from our local guides. We have cocktails (or not) and throw spears. Safely. We drive back to camp, smiles on faces, sun setting, another day in the African bush complete, spending quality time together as a family. Awesome, right?
When you think of the words “family safaris”, what picture comes to mind? A trip with adult children, full of long talks by the fire after sunset? An adventure-filled endeavor full of cultural and conservation activities for your school-aged children? Or a multi-family group, full of neighborhood friends bent on experiencing together the safari of a lifetime? Family safaris represent over half of our business, and for good reason – an African family safari not only offers quality time with the people you love, but also an experience with the natural world unmatched by any other environment.
So, what sort of things can you experience on your family safari? Unlike other pre-determined group trips, a family safari is uniquely tailored to your family’s special needs. Many camps provide junior guiding programs from early childhood through teenage years, where children can go on their own trekking adventure, following animal tracks into the bush, identifying plants for medicinal purposes, or other short walks about the camp, all under the watchful safekeeping of a local guide. Do you have young or school-aged children who may not love a safari in the bush every day? Many camps offer nanny services, arts and crafts, beading, or cooking classes for children while parents head out for their own safari or take some downtime. Luckily, these activities at camp appeal to every age! Many family-oriented activities include:
Beadworking and storytelling
Cultural trips to local villages and respectful learning exchanges with local communities
Cooking with the camp chef
Horseback riding trail biking
Swimming in local water holes
Sketching
Animal conservation education and junior guide programs
Most of our family safaris are planned around properties that offer sole use of camp and are experts at accommodating private and separate spaces. We specialize in large, multi-generational family safaris, sometimes two to four families strong – from four to twenty people. If you are thinking about your own family safari, we recommend planning up to a year or more in advance, especially for more private spaces. The more planning time we have - and the larger your group – the earlier the better. However, no matter where you are in your planning process, with over twenty years in the bush, serving adventures to groups of all ages and sizes, we are here to help make your experience truly memorable, tailor-made, and amazing. The most common sentence we hear from returning customers is, “This was our best vacation of all time.” We completely agree. Things We Love – Family Safaris!!!
Email us at hello@andybiggs.com when you are ready to plan your next African safari. We give honest advice, we plan authentic experiences and deliver life changing adventures.
