Planning the Best Family Safari with Teens
We all know travelling with teens comes with its unique set of challenges: they operate in a different time zone to other humans, can have the attention span of a goldfish and really only like hanging out with other teens—much less Mum and Dad. So is it mad to plan a safari holiday with teenagers? Absolutely not! Get it right and it’s likely to be one of the most rewarding and memorable family adventures full of excitement and laughter.
Learning how to start a fire at Kicheche Mara Camp
How to plan the perfect family safari with teens:
Choose your destination carefully
Even the most fanatical wildlife fan will tire of endless hours in a vehicle. Some destinations offer more variety than others with quad biking, horse riding, canoeing, walking and mountain biking on offer alongside traditional vehicle-based wildlife viewing. Make sure there’s something for everyone. Pick a destination like South Africa, Zambia or Kenya and you’ll be onto a winner.
Mountain biking with a guide at Loisaba, Kenya.
Mix it up
Combine a traditional safari with the likes of Livingstone where you’ll find plenty of adrenaline fuelled activities, or Cape Town for fab shopping, bars and restaurants. With a bit of expert planning your African family holiday will provide your teenagers with all the action and adventure they need.
White water rafting is an exhilarating way to experience the Victoria Falls. Thorntree River Lodge, Zambia.
Add time on the beach
Recharge your batteries on the beach. Mauritius has some great family friendly hotels, Mozambique is a good choice for a ‘safari by the sea’ atmosphere, and you’ll find a wonderful collection of beach lodges and hotels on the Kenyan coast. Or try something a bit off the beaten track and head to the 350 mile long Lake Malawi where sandy beaches, clear waters, PADI scuba courses, fishing, kite surfing, kayaking and star gazing are all on offer.
Family snorkelling in the crystal blue waters of Lake Malawi. Kaya Mawa
Make room for plenty of downtime
Dragging teenagers out of bed at the crack of dawn day after day isn’t going to be fun for anyone. Although a safari holiday is likely to see them more eager to get up than a school morning, if they want to sleep in one day, let them.
Enjoying some down time by the pool at Nyamatusi Camp, Zimbabwe.
Consider booking a private vehicle
Many of the safari camps we recommend to families offer private vehicles for free or at a reduced rate. As it is the iconic African species that are likely to grab teenagers’ attention, having your own car avoids the conflict that could arise from sharing with keen birders!
Hire your own private vehicle for unlimited freedom and flexibility on safari. 4 Rivers Camp, Botswana.
Find out beforehand where they can plug in
Though parents might want to get away from it all, cutting teenage social media communication is akin to disappearing off the planet. Updating the outside world with news of their African exploits now and again will work wonders. Some may even surprise themselves and become so immersed in the wonders of Africa that they take a break from the digital world altogether!
Family enjoying the African sunset at Great Plains Selinda Camp
Try something different
Though walking isn’t exactly a beloved teenage pursuit, it’ll take on a different perspective in the company of camels. Mainly there for the luggage there’s no problem hopping aboard for a quick ride now and then. Also, following lion and elephant on foot will get everyone’s heart racing.
Our family visitors just love walking with, and learning from, our wonderful team of Samburu guides. Creeping up on giraffe with the camels always raises a laugh.
Kerry Glen, owner of Karisia Safaris
Hitching a lift at Karisia Walking Safaris, Kenya.
If you’re feeling really adventurous how about a private family trip up Mount Kilimanjaro?
Hike Mount Kilimanjaro with Summits Africa.
Take a private safari house
With your own private accommodation, guide and vehicle you can do exactly what you want, when you want – so no worrying about fitting your family in with others’ plans. Some of the very best private safari houses are found in Zambia’s South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi national parks, and in the Masai Mara in Kenya.
Family time relaxing by the pool, Luangwa Safari House, South Luangwa, Zambia
The best time of year to travel
Africa is a truly vast continent with many different altitudes and seasons. This means that the weather varies enormously. Planning a family safari with sunshine and great wildlife is possible all year round.
The two most popular times for family safaris are Christmas and the summer holidays. Easter is also an excellent time to visit Africa and also benefits from ‘mid-season’ costs. For those with two weeks off in October, the weather and wildlife are excellent pretty much anywhere.
Car ferry Zambian style – taking a wildlife drive from Luangwa Safari House
This 9 day itinerary to Zambia is the perfect holiday for teenage or older children.
What next?
Our team of specialists has travelled widely throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean and can offer expert advice on planning every type of safari from family and beach holidays to riding and primate safaris. Do get in touch – chatting to people in person, by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally we make suggestions. Whether this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever. Please get in touch whatever stage you’re at.
Hi i would like to enquire what you can offer in the way of a safari for my wife and I, plus a 7 year and 10 year old daughters, during the holiday i would like to see the Victoria Falls, so perhaps Zambia would be good, Green season might be good, Mozambique to see the magnificent grove of Baobab trees in the south are one thing i need to see at some time if not this trip
Thanks for getting in touch. Many of our team have travelled with their own children and we have all planned trips for families with kids of a similar age to yours. I’ll ask someone to ask some initial questions and then share some ideas with you by email.
Hi
Am thinking about a safari trip for 2 adults, and 2 boys aged 16 and 13 between 5th – 22nd July 2024. I’d really like to visit Vic Falls, maybe do some canoeing or white water rafting and some walking safari in addition to traditional safari. Looking at your website Zambia is perhaps a bit more cost effective than Botswana so would be keen to hear what options you would have.
Thanks
Dear Kathryn, Thank you for your enquiry, we would be delighted to help you plan your family holiday. I have passed on the information you have provided to one of our travel experts who will be in touch very soon. All the best, Katy
Good afternoon,
I’m just starting to think about a vacation for sometime in 2024 with my 12 year old son (who will be 13 when we travel). This would be a precursor trip to one I’d like to plan for our entire family of 6: 4 kids ages 4, 9, 12, & 14 (today). Africa is a big country with tons to see so I thought why not go with my son for a one on one adventure then go back with everyone for the Big 5 and a more family friendly trip of a lifetime before my oldest is off to college. Switch the itinerary to be fun but different and see as much as we can.
For my one on one trip I could only reasonably be gone maximum of 8 days. Our family trip should be 2 weeks I would think. Would love to hear some itinerary ideas!!
Good morning Jennifer, thank you so much for getting in touch. We would be delighted to help you plan your family holiday and one of our expert sales team will be in contact soon. All the best, Katy
Hi
My wife, 16 year old son and I want to go on a two week holiday to South Africa for Easter 2025. My wife has walking difficulties and is registered disabled.
We wish to go to a private reserve that caters for us all and has a high chance of seeing the big 5. We would need some downtime built in to the safari due to my wife’s condition but equally teenager activities too.
After the safari part of the two week break we would like to see some of cape town etc but I appreciate their would need to be compromise for not moving at a fast rate. At the end of the holiday, we would want a beach break for a few days minimum before flying home
Do you think you could help us ?
Dear David, thank you for getting in touch, we would be delighted to help you plan your family holiday. I’ve passed your details onto our sales team who will contact you in the next day or two. All the best, Katy