A few weeks after returning from two weeks in Southern Africa, people kept asking me the same question:
“What was the best part?”
We visited Cape Town, spent several days on safari in South Africa’s Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, saw Victoria Falls from Zambia, and continued into Botswana. We stayed at beautiful properties, spent countless hours on game drives, and finally experienced places that had been on my radar for years.
The obvious answer should have been the wildlife.
We saw lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos, and more animals than I could possibly list. There is something undeniably magical about seeing them in the wild rather than at a zoo or on television.
But when I think about the trip, the animals are not what I talk about first.
I talk about Charlie.
Watching Africa through my five-year-old daughter’s eyes was the best part of our family safari.
Seeing Safari Through a Child’s Eyes
Every sighting was exciting to Charlie. Every game drive was an adventure. Whether we spotted a lion or another impala, it was somehow the most fascinating thing she had ever seen.
As adults, we can become preoccupied with finding the next big sighting. We want to see the Big Five, capture the perfect photograph, and make the most of every minute.
Children do not experience safari that way.
They notice everything. They ask questions we would never think to ask. They become fascinated by tracks in the dirt, tiny insects, strange bird calls, and the personalities of the guides.
They are simply excited to be there.
Watching Charlie was a reminder that safari is not about checking animals off a list. The most memorable moments are often the ones you never planned.
Beginning Our Family Safari in Cape Town
This was my first visit to Cape Town, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.
The combination of food, wine, scenery, wildlife, and culture is difficult to beat. Within a relatively short drive, you can explore the Cape Winelands, visit the penguins at Boulders Beach, take in the views from Table Mountain, or enjoy some of the city’s excellent restaurants.
For many travelers, I recommend combining Cape Town with a South African safari. The city introduces an entirely different side of the country and creates a more varied itinerary than safari alone.
We began our trip with three nights at Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel. It was the perfect place to settle in before continuing into the bush.
One of the most unexpected highlights of Cape Town was our guide, Chizzy, pronounced “Cheesy.”
Charlie absolutely adored him. By the end of our time together, they were inseparable, and I am fairly certain he now has a best friend for life.
When we began planning our return to Africa for March 2027, one of Charlie’s first questions was whether Chizzy could be our guide again.
Naturally, we booked him.
A First Safari in South Africa
Our first game drives began in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, where we stayed at RockFig Safari Lodge.
If you are considering your first African safari, South Africa is often where I recommend starting. The wildlife viewing can be exceptional, there are excellent luxury lodges, and the logistics are generally easier to navigate than in some of Africa’s more remote safari regions.
South Africa is also a great choice for families when the right lodge is selected. Not every safari camp accepts young children, and those that do can have different minimum ages for game drives, walking safaris, or shared vehicles.
At RockFig, the intimate setting and personalized experience worked beautifully for our family. More importantly, the pace allowed Charlie to enjoy the safari without every day feeling overly structured.
It was one of the easiest places to understand why people fall in love with Africa and keep returning.
Our Take on Victoria Falls
Our next stop was Zambia to see Victoria Falls.
The falls are extraordinary in scale. The Zambezi River spans more than two kilometers at this point before plunging into a series of gorges, creating what UNESCO describes as one of the world’s most spectacular waterfalls.
If Victoria Falls has always been on your bucket list, it is worth experiencing.
That said, it was not the highlight of the trip for me.
If your primary goal is wildlife and safari, I would devote more of the itinerary to South Africa or Botswana and treat Victoria Falls as an extension. I am glad we experienced it, but it would not be my main reason for returning to the region.
This is also why safari planning is so personal. A famous destination is not automatically the right priority for every traveler.
Experiencing an Exceptionally Wet Botswana
Botswana has a reputation as one of Africa’s premier safari destinations. After visiting, I understand why.
The camps are intimate, the guiding is exceptional, and the experience feels wild and remote. Fewer guests and smaller camps can create a sense of exclusivity that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Our visit coincided with an exceptionally wet period. Heavy rain flooded roads and affected local airstrips, creating a few unexpected adventures along the way.
It also transformed the landscape.
The scenery was lush and dramatic, and the conditions created wildlife-viewing experiences we might not have encountered during a more typical season. Our trip did not unfold exactly as anticipated, but that is part of traveling somewhere genuinely wild.
The weather did nothing to change my overall impression of Botswana. It deserves its reputation, and I would return without hesitation.
Clearly, I need to go back and experience it under different conditions.
What Safari Is Really About
People often think safari is about checking animals off a list.
It is not.
Safari is about slowing down. It is about early mornings, coffee in the bush, sunsets over the bush, and conversations that feel different when you are far away from everyday life.
The animals bring you there.
Everything else makes you want to return.
The guides become an important part of your experience. The drives create a rhythm to your days. Small moments begin to feel significant.
For me, those moments included watching Charlie’s face each time she spotted an animal, listening to her questions, and seeing how quickly she connected with the people around her.
I returned home with hundreds of wildlife photographs.
My favorite memories are still of her.
Can Young Children Go on Safari?
Yes, children can absolutely go on safari, but the details matter.
A successful family safari depends on choosing the right destination, lodge, room configuration, and pace. Families should consider:
The lodge’s minimum age requirements
Age restrictions for game drives and other activities
Whether private safari vehicles are available
Drive times between camps
Malaria considerations
The length and timing of game drives
Pools, family activities, and downtime at the lodge
Family suites or connecting accommodations
The child’s ability to remain quiet around wildlife
A five-year-old who loves animals and handles long drives well may have an incredible experience. Another child might enjoy shorter game drives, more downtime, or waiting a few years.
There is no universal “right age” for safari. The itinerary should be designed around the individual child rather than expecting the child to adapt to an adult safari itinerary.
Would I Take My Five-Year-Old on Safari Again?
Without hesitation.
When I planned this trip, I knew the wildlife would be incredible. I did not anticipate how much fun it would be to experience Africa through Charlie’s eyes.
The lions and elephants were exciting, of course. But her curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm for every game drive became the real highlight.
That is why we already have another African safari planned.
If you ask Charlie what she is most excited about, she will not say the lions.
She will tell you she gets to see Chizzy again.
When Should You Start Planning a Family Safari?
A safari is rarely a good last-minute trip, particularly when traveling as a family.
Many safari camps are small, and the limited family suites and private vehicles can book well in advance. Planning early also gives you more flexibility to choose camps based on your family’s needs rather than settling for what remains available.
A thoughtfully designed safari is not simply about selecting a country. It requires choosing the right camps, routing, guides, activities, and pace.
Those details can determine whether a child feels exhausted and restricted or completely captivated by the experience.
If an African safari has been on your family’s bucket list, I would love to help you decide where to go, when to travel, and which properties will be the best fit.
Start planning your family safari
Some photos by the fabulous Lizelle Goussard.
