can anyone suggest suitable safari places for kids(in south africa or other)
that dont have malaria problems,and does allow them to go on the tours in the park?

thanks

Bryan,

The easy and least costly would be to fly int Johannesburg and pick up a rent vehicle. Drive your self and family to Kruger. Then you can drive your family around all you want during the times the camp dates are open. It is easy. The way to keep the mozzys away is at night ware long pants and long sleeve shirts.

Before Mrs. Jsnydcsa and I had kids, we spent many memorable times at then ccAfrica's now One&Only's Kwandwe ( http://www.kwandwereserve.com/ ) and know from rangers and staff there that it's Uplands Homestead is perfect for parents (presumably, they're coming along) and kids. You have the place (including the ranger, tracker, vehicle and staff) to yourself. We now know from experience (and from parents who've told us) that it makes it a LOT easier to accommodate kids both on the drives and with non-game drive activities for kids (help cooking treats, looking for bugs and birds around the house, games, fishing, etc.) Plus there's a pool there too that the kids would enjoy.

Kwandwe has since added a lodge/house or two (maybe more) and some of them are similar to Uplands and could certainly accommodate kids.

And, Kwandwe is malaria free.

thanks-what sort of accommodations would you advise in kruger-there
seems to be many different rest places-any tips on which is best?

Technically, the Kruger ecosystem is a malaria area so I don't know if that will work for you.

The Madikwe is a malaria free reserve on the South Africa/Botswana border. It is about a four hour drive from Johannesburg. I rented a 4x4 and drove to Madikwe in July of this year with my wife and teenage daughters. We went to Sun City on the way back. Sun City is one hour from Madikwe and about three hours from Jo�burg. It was really too cold for water activities at Sun City but my kids, being from Minnesota, did them anyways! In Madikwe, we stayed at Madikwe Safari Lodge owned by More Hotels. At Sun City we stayed at the Palace.

Madikwe: Here are some other choices in the reserve but I am not sure of the kid�s ages:
Motswiri � Kids of any age
Madikwe Hills � You would need to stay at Little Madikwe Hills if kids are under 12
Buffalo Ridge � no kids under 12
The Bush House � kids of all ages

Eastern Cape � Malaria Free
Amakhala Game Reserve � Leeuwenbosch Country House allows kids of all ages.
Lalibela Game Reserve � Mark�s Camp has a childs program.
Kariega Main Lodge is child friendly; The Homestead is child friendly but you need to take the whole thing, 5 bedrooms.
Kwandwe � this was mentioned above.
I took my kids into Addo when they were 3 & 5 back in 2001. I was a submarine officer in the (US) Navy at the time and not in the safari business. We were visiting family in the Port Elizabeth area. Riverbend in Addo also is great for families and children of all ages are welcome.
The Eastern Cape in general is great for families as transfers between these three properties for example, can all be done by road, which is far less hectic than flying with children.

Near Cape Town - Malaria Free
Samara is great for kids and The Manor can be booked on Exclusive Use basis. Children under age 8 typically cannot participate in game drives:
http://www.samara.co.za/children.htm

Others:
Mashatu in Botswana six hours north of Jo�burg is also malaria free.
What is your budget? Is it is unlimited Tswalu is a fantastic option. Plenty of rhino.

Craig Beal � owner � Travel Beyond

I would argue that, to all practical intents and purposses, the Kruger is malaria free, at least for visitors staying at lodges and in rest camps. I'm just back from 12 nights at Pafuri, and did not see or hear a single mosquito.

I've never stayed there, but Tuningi advertises itself as child-friendly.

For as long as they last.

Johan

thanks for all these tips everyone-interested in kruger very much but just worried about the malaria as smallest kid will be 4 then-also i heard reports of the kids getting bored just being in the car-so wondered if there were other options?
budget fairly limited-(the kwandwe someone suggested looked great but very pricey)though we plan to fly in on award tkts so can take an extra hop from joburg for free.
other area people were saying good for kids was durban-but presume no good safari areas there or?
really just looking for ideas on best areas for kids(4,8,10)
and do want to see some animals!
thanks

It's not a safari, but Cape Town is fantastic -- lots to see and do with kids. And, while not "big game", my son (just under 5 years old at the time) loved seeing the penguins at Boulders Beach, the ostriches at Cape of Good Hope, as well as all the parks and various urban things to do in Cape Town itself.

cape town is fantastic-wife and i went before so we wanted to try somewhere different...

any advice on best places to stay in kruger park with kids?

I haven't actually stayed at either of these places yet, but we are planning a stay at both Umlani and Kambaku in the Timbavati area of Kruger in just a couple of weeks. Both lodges allow children to go on game drives (mine are 5 and 8), and have some activities, games, etc., for children. Additionally, we are not staying there, but Honeyguides also had one camp that allowed children. Thornybush also allows children, but not on the game drives. Instead, they have activities and babysitting during those times.

I don't know what your price point is, but while we found the cost of both camps (Umlani and Kambaku) to be eye-wateringly expensive, they do seem to be significantly cheaper than many of the other options. Of course, you could also just stay in a SANpark rest camp, and drive yourself about, which would be a lot more economical.

(Also, you probably already know about this, but there are paediatric malaria tablets available now, conveniently suitable for ages 4 and up, depending on the size/weight of your 4-yr-old.)

Your best bet in that general area is Gomo Gomo. Very child-friendly. They are in the Klaserie, whereas Umlani and Kambaku are in the Timbavati, but are almost neighbors and share some traversing.

Johan

In February I'm taking my daughter & son (8 & 6) to Riverdene Lodge http://www.shamwari.com/propertycontent.asp?pageID=113 on the Shamwari Game Reserve located about 45mins from Port Elizabeth.

They have a dedicated kids programme http://www.shamwari.com/Uploads/J610...dsonSafari.pdf and will take children 4 and older on game drives.

Several friends/people have recommended it to me with descriptions of it being the best holiday they've ever had, and that it is the best for kids.

It was the best holiday we've ever had. Saw all the big five and so much more. Staff were superb and could not have been more friendly, helpful and welcoming. The children learnt lots and were really inspired.

We were just at Addo, and though we don't have kids, it seemed very family friendly. It is not far from Port Elizabeth, in a nonmalarial area. We stayed in very nice SANparks accommodations; they have a wide range of lodging options. You can self drive or go on game drives with a park guide in an open vehicle. We did both. The kids on our game drives had a blast. We saw tons of animals up close -- many elephants, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, kudu, ostrich, and even some jackals and a hyena. It was quite affordable too.

We also went to a small private game reserve nearby, Schotia Safaris, for an afternoon/evening game drive that includes dinner. This tour lets you see lions (which are hard to see in Addo) and other animals not in Addo and is also well priced. Kids were on those drives too. Addo is by far the more authentic safari experience but this was great fun too, and the combination allowed seeing a wide range of animals without spending a fortune.

Hi Bryan,
I agree with you. Johannesburg is a nice place for safari purpose. I have my personal experience with my 6 year old boy. It was a nice experience.