Travelling with kids in Africa

Q: Did you have any concerns prior to travelling with your family, in terms of COVID protocols and multiple movements - flights, road transfers etc.?

A: Yes. I think travelling with young kids always needs thought and planning. But my concerns were more about how they would manage a long flight after so much time without #travelling and what would happen if their devices ran out of battery ??. There was definitely an additional layer of anxiety for me because we have not travelled in a while.

Q: How was the reality compared to your expectations prior to travel?

A: It was an odd experience preparing for this trip. I am exceptionally organised when it comes to travelling with my kids. I have all my ducks in a row long in advance - extensive packing lists and plans for how to manage travel, especially with a 3-year-old. We had not been on a plane as a family in such a long time and I think this was actually the big thing I realised - normal travel is tough and takes a lot of planning with young kids and I had forgotten what that felt like.

There was certainly a greater level of planning, preparing and thinking about all the things that could happen for this trip and it made a big difference having @Louise Engelbrecht, one of our Travel Managers, assist me with the additional protocols and logistics. When we finally arrived at #Angama Mara in Kenya, I realised that minus my internal anxiety, everything was pretty similar to how travel was before #COVID. On the plane, I felt less at risk of COVID exposure than I do in a restaurant or in a queue at the bank. And the airports were relatively quiet and very well managed.

Q: What were the highlights for your daughters on this trip?

• The view of #Victoria Falls out the window of the plan.
• Spending quality time with their parents and especially their grandparents.
• Being able to be out on the vehicle all day and having lunch ‘in the wild’.
• My 7-year-old loved the #birding and her best activity was ticking the birds we saw off from her list from the Lodge.
• My 3-year-old had a few naps on the safari vehicle – she never naps in the day and I think the #relaxation and movement of the vehicle just lulled her to sleep.
• The people they met at the lodge made a huge impression on them. They cried their eyes out when we had to say goodbye.

Q: Do you think travelling in Africa with young kids is only for adventurous & seasoned travellers?

A: I think travelling with young kids anywhere is only for the prepared and seasoned parent. But maybe that is because I have wild spirited little humans. But the travelling and the experience of being on safari did not feel adventurous to any of us. It felt restorative, peaceful, rejuvenating, connecting and every day I wish I was back there.

Q: What tips can you give us in planning such a trip?

• The best part of preparing was working out everyone’s outfits for the trip – the girls loved their safari gear and we had fun putting together safari outfits. I knew we would be doing a family photoshoot with Adam Bannister at Angama Mara and we all wanted to look the part and create some memorable family photos.
• Gear that is safe and appropriate for the kids to use is also a great one - make sure you take binoculars the kids can use as the lodges usually have binoculars for adults. Also, an old digital camera is a wonderful idea. My 7-year-old took some incredible photos on my old small Canon.
• A detailed packing list is essential (fortunately @timelessafricasafaris provided me with a list as a guideline). It is very difficult to create a packing list to share with other families as so many things on our list are personal – like the girls’ lovies ?? – I have created a list that may help you build yours.
• We booked 2 interleading rooms at this specific lodge and I got the lodge to send me a video of how the rooms connected to make sure I felt comfortable with how the kids would have access to us during the night. I suggest asking your Travel Manager to help you research what the room layout is beforehand to make sure your family has what they need.
• My 3-year-old has some dietary restrictions and I sent this to the lodge in advance so they could be prepared for our needs. Communicating clearly with your Travel Manager so they can share your personal needs with the lodges ad other people looking after you on the ground is a big help.
• I always find out about and try and participate in the activities we can do at the place we are visiting – for example, Angama Mara has a program called Run with a Kenyan – my husband and I both run and the experience of being picked up at our room by a local and taken for a run in the bush was amazing. We even got inducted with an official team t-shirt. Our running guide had the most awesome shoes on and he told us that the lodge sells them and for each pair bought, a pair is donated. This small aspect of our trip was very meaningful to my husband and me.

There are almost always unique places to eat and things to experience as well as unique kids activities – and these usually add a really great addition to your trip.

Get in touch with us if you would like to receive a copy of Casey’s Family Packing list

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