How to Plan a wildlife Safari for Your Kids in Tanzania

If you are traveler but you have kids, sometimes taking your kids on a safari might sound like something that is done by the super adventurous travelers. But truth is, you can go with your kids to any safari, especially in Tanzania where there are a lot of destinations for a family-friendly safari.

With proper planning, you can make a wonderful safari for your kids that will be remember throughout their lives.

If you want to plan a memorable safari for your kids but you don’t know where to start, this guide will help you and give you a step-by-step guide to planning a kid-friendly safari in Tanzania.

Why Choose Tanzania for a Family Safari?

• Tanzania is beautiful and it offers everything you might need for a successful and happy family safari. Things offered are such as
• World-famous wildlife –wild animals such as Lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and even the Great Migration are found in Tanzania.

• Safe parks with great infrastructure –Tanzania has famous national parks such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara.
• Short travel distances are needed for kids so as they may not get tired and enjoy the safari. This happens in the northern circuit and it is ideal for kids.
• There are experienced family-focused guides who know how to engage children (and keep them safe).
• There are cultural experiences that are entertaining and fascinating to kids.

Now, lets go to the steps of planning:

Step 1: Pick the Right Parks

When traveling with kids, it is better to select few but important national parks. So, stick to a few well known and well connected parks and try to minimize the long and bumpy drives. Just in case you don’t know, here are the top destinations for family safaris:

Serengeti National Park

This is great for older kids who can handle longer drives. In Serengeti, you are going to witness the Big Five and possibly the famous Great Migration. Open spaces, endless animals.

Ngorongoro Crater

This place is perfect for kids. The area is a small and enclosed but highly packed with wildlife. You can have the best game viewing in just a few hours.

Tarangire National Park

This national park is famous for elephants and giant baobab trees. It is quiet, beautiful, and close to Arusha, the famous city for tourism and shorter trips.

Lake Manyara National Park

This national park is famous for a lot of birdlife, monkeys, and tree-climbing lions. This is a perfect for families with young kids.

Avoid: try to avoid remote national parks that have long drives or rough roads, like Selous or Ruaha, unless your kids are older and seasoned travelers.

Step 2: Choose Family-Friendly Lodges

Not all lodges are designed with facilities for children, so when you are booking for safari, make sure you are looking for accommodations that are:

• Secure and fenced, especially in areas with wildlife nearby, they offer family rooms or tents, Provide flexible dining times and it is best if they have fun extras like nature walks or storytelling by the fire.

When you are booking, it is better to ask your tour provider for lodge recommendations that are good for families.

Step 3: Time It Right

You can visit to see Tanzania’s wildlife anytime of the year, but for family travel, it is better to consider certain times of the year. So, for family safari, the best months to visit are June to October due to the fact that it is a dry season and the air is cooler. It is not advisable to travel the months of March to May due to heavy rains. Heavy rains cause muddy roads, more bugs, and harder travel conditions.

Step 4: Plan Your Itinerary while considering the nature of kids.

Kids have shorter attention spans and cannot tolerate a long, dusty and bumpy drives. Now, to build a kid-friendly itinerary you should do the following:

• Try to limit the game drives to 2–4 hours at a time.

• Make sure you include rest days or afternoons at the lodge so that kids may rest

• Break up the long trip with cultural visits or nature walks

• Include fun stops like Arusha Snake Park or Maasai village tours

When traveling with kids try to avoid to Try to see everything in one trip. Kids do not enjoy full day drives without breaks.

Step 5: Pack well for Your Kids

When you are packing for your kids for a family trip safari, pack the following for your kids:

Lightweight and long-sleeved clothes for sun and bug bite protection, Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, Sunscreen and child-safe insect repellent, Binoculars (kid-sized if possible), Books or wildlife checklists, Snacks and water bottles (kids gets hungry every now and then), Travel games, coloring books, or tablets for downtime and a small first-aid kit (with meds for fever, allergies, upset tummies)

Bonus: If you want your kids to enjoy more, try to mix Safari with Beach Time.

After a few days of game drives, go with your whole family and have a relaxation in Zanzibar. Go and enjoy white sand beaches, shallow waters, snorkeling, and spice farm tours. These activities make it a perfect break after a wildlife safari.

Final Tip: Book Your safari With an Operator that understands about family travels.

In Summary…

A family safari in Tanzania is more than a simple vacation. It is a chance to connect your kids to the nature and wildlife, new African culture, and beautiful wild wonders that they can’t get anywhere

We welcome you and your family to Tanzania.