A safari vacation to Kenya is an excellent experience for all generations;  young and old. Besides Kenya, most safari destinations like Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa  welcome children. Many visitors take safaris in family groups  of multiple family generations that may sometimes include grandparents and grandchildren.

However, not all safari camps are the same. Some safari lodges are of course more family-child- friendlier than others.  A good number of safari camps are not toddler or infant-friendly at all. Staying is such camps with children would therefore not be advisable. In fact, we would discourage anybody from taking children below the age of 5 years,  on any safari.  Besides the safari camps and lodges not being designed for kids comfort, the dust and heat that are unavoidable nuisance during safari game drives and other activities, may not be good for  younger children.

That aside, Kenya, being one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa,  is also one of the most kid-friendly safari destinations.

In this article, we highlight some of the safari activities that children would enjoy while on safari in Kenya. So, if you have been considering taking a safari to Kenya, with your kids,  below is a list of fun activities that you may include as part of your itinerary.

Go on Safari Game Drives with the Children

A safari to Africa is not a safari without a game drive.  It is in fact the main activity in most safari destinations, Kenya included.  Safari drives in open-side vehicles offer a real delight for kids. Game drives are conducted at the time of the day when the wild animals are most active – early morning and late afternoon.  Children-friendly safari camps in Kenya do not have a fixed schedule for the game drives.  The safari guides will normally discuss with you , before or after dinner the programme for the following day.  You will have an opportunity to discuss and agree on the game drive departure time.

This is how a typical morning game drive would run;
Wake up at around 5.30 am.  By around 6.00am there is tea, coffee and home-made cookies to start the day. Around 6.30 am you board your safari vehicle and  leave the camp or lodge and venture into the African wilderness in search for the wild animals.  You are expected back at the camp for breakfast at around 9. 30 am.

The early morning game drive may be too much for some kids, if they are too young.  The afternoon game drive starts at around 3.30pm and the guests get back to the lodge by 6.30pm for sundowner and dinner.

If you are traveling with slightly older kids teenagers, then a full day safari game drive would also be a good option. The full day option begins after breakfast at your lodge. So you and your kids would need to wake up so early. After breakfast, you leave the camp with picnic lunch heading for the bush into the vastness of the African plains.  At around noon, enjoy your picnic lunch and continue with your discovery of the wonders of the wild.

Take Guided Nature Walks and Bird-Watching With the kids

A guided nature walk is another safari activity that kids enjoy on safaris in Kenya.  This type of safari activity presents both the kids and adults on safari with the unique opportunity to observe wildlife while on foot. The participants get to discover the smaller wildlife species that one would not be able to see while on a safari vehicle. The kids also get to enjoy the superb scenery of the African wilderness.

During the walks in the bush, the experienced local guides will be narrating facts and figures about the animals, birds, insects, trees and shrubs along the way.  Walks in safari are conducted mostly in the morning when it is not too hot. The walk could take anything from 1 hour to 4 hours.

If nature  walks appeals to you and your kids, then would be advised to book a lodge of camp located in conservancy areas as opposed to national parks.  Walking safaris and guided bush walks are only permissible in conservancy areas.

Visit The Local Homesteads With Children on Safari in Kenya

Most kids would certainly enjoying interacting with the local people while on safari.  A visit to an authentic village where all the participants – young and old get to learn how the locals go about their day to day activities. The kids will learn how to handle bows and arrows, make fire the traditional way and take part in a cultural dance.   You may see the local mean and women make their handicraft items. The items are normally offered for sale. You are free to haggle for the best bargain offered.

If your safari in Kenya includes a visit  to  Amboseli or Masai Mara, you will get a chance to meet the famous Maasai people. You will discover the way of life of the Masai people, one of the few peoples in the world that preferred to stick to the Maasai traditional way of life instead of succumbing to the lures of modern life.

Tree Planting With the Children on Safari at Amboseli, Kenya

A few safari lodges and camps have taken up very active roles in conservation of nature. One of such lodges is Amboseli Serena Lodge that has taken a leading leading role in environmental protection and preservation with a comprehensive action programme, the Re-forestation Programme.  This conservation scheme encourages guests at the Lodge to participate and plant “their” own trees. All the trees planted are indigenous species that consist of specifically drought resistant species.

By exposing the children to such conservation-oriented activities, you would be planting a seed of passion and dedication towards our natural world. They get to connect with nature early enough.  You just never know, this would be the making a  great conservationist.  Young minds are very impressionable and you would be surprised how such real-life encounters can impact them.

Environmental threats and social factors continue to threaten precious regions and communities. It takes passion and dedication to conservation and community to ensure that we don’t lose them.

Kenya Horse-Back Safaris With Your Children

With horse-riding activity on safari,  you and the kids encounter wildlife in a unique and exciting way.  You and family get to explore the bush by getting so much closer to the wildlife.  Caution: This is not a safari activity for all kids. If you children lover horses and may have already had some experience with horse-riding, then read on.  Children must be at least 12 years old to take part in horse riding safaris. All riders should weigh not more than 100kgs (220 lbs).

Just like nature walks, horse-riding is not permitted in the national parks of Kenya.  Safari camps that are located in conservancies surrounding the parks are the ones that offer horse-riding safaris.  Some of these Kenya Safari lodges include Kilima Camp in Masai Mara, Borana Lodge Sosian Ranch  in Laikipia and Ol Donyo lodge in Chyulu Hils.

Horse back safaris in Kenya are conducted under the care of your skilled questrian guide.  Adults and kids are paired with horses, considering their level of experience and comfort.  Some safari camps and lodges that offer horse-back safaris may offer horse-riding lessons if requested.

Horse back safaris may last anything from 2-3 hours, normally in the morning hours or afternoons. For children or parents on safari with kids, you may request for shorter sessions if the entire length is  long for your family.  The best time to visit Kenya for horse riding safaris is in the dry season from July to October, as the rains make it difficult for both the horse and rider.

Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari With Children

Typically children under the age of 3 would not be allowed to fly on hot air balloons.  So this activity would only be recommended if your kids are older than 3 years.

The balloon flights begin just before dawn. The pick up from your safari lodge would be anything from 5 am to 6 am, depending on the distance between your lodge and the balloon launching site.  Upon arrival at the launching site, the balloon flight crew will be doing the necessary safety checks on the equipment.  You then get a briefing from the pilot on the safety procedures.    In the meantime, the burners are ignited to bring the basket into life.  Once the balloon is heated up enough, you are soon airborne soaring majestically over the African wilderness.

After about 1 hour airborne, you land.  As a celebration, you enjoy a champagne bush breakfast at the landing side! A fitting en to your memorable flight in the wild.

Kids  Watching  Dolphins at Kisite Marine National Park

This type of activity is ideal for families that are considering bush and beach Kenya safari package. Kenya has beautiful beach options to choose from so that you extend your vacation to the beach from the wilderness. We at Hallmark Travel Planners can easily tailor-made a family safari to include a trip to the beach.  For a chance to swim with the dolphins in Kenya, a safari with beach extension to Diani beach would be the one.  While staying the Diani beach, take a trip to Wasini Island to swim with the dolphins.

Wasini Island lies off the Indian Ocean Kenya coast, on the southern side, close to a place called Shimoni. The island is about 5k, long and 1 km across. You will not find or see any cars on Wasini Island. Next to Wasini Island is Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park.

If you incorporate this activity on your safari with kids, you will be picked from your hotel along Diani Beach at around 7.15 am. You will drive to Wasini Island, arriving at around 8.30 am.

Arrive at Shimoni Jetty from  where you  board an Arabic-style dhow and sail for another 1 hour searching for dolphins. Then sail on to Kisite-Mpuguti marine national park where you will snorkel and, possible  swim with the dolphins.

Kisite Marine national park is the second most famous marine park in the world after the Australian Marine Park. Marine wildlife that can be seen here include turtles, marine tortoise, coral reefs and different types of marine fishes.

You will have your lunch at a restaurant in Wasini Island which is mainly sea food and Swahili dishes. After lunch, you will sail along the mangrove swamps and then visit the Wasini Island where you will learn more about the Swahili people and the Arabs history.  Return to Shimoni Jetty  at around 4.00 pm and drive back to the hotel.

Let Your Kids Visit  Orphaned  Elephants,  As You Adopt One

There are many day trips that kids can enjoy. One of these is a trip to David Sheldrick Trust. It is also known as the Elephant orphanage. The orphanage is located within 30 minutes from most hotels within Nairobi and can be visited either at the start or at the end of the safari.

The Elephant orphanage is essential the adoptive mother of the baby elephants that are orphaned when poachers attack and kill their mother.  The David Wildlife trust has taken the noble responsibility of feeding the baby elephants, keeping them ward and generally proving the ‘motherly’ love and care. Eventually, when they are mature and strong enough, they are released back into the wild to live like wild animals that they are.

At the end of your visit, you may adopt one of the orphaned elephants at the David Sheldrick Trust. For a small amount of US$50, you can help keep one of the baby elephants healthy and strong as they grow. Of course you wont take away the baby elephant you adopt, but you get an adoption certificate and an information pack with details of the baby elephant you have adopted.  For the rest of the year, you trust will be sending you updates on the status of your ‘foster child’.

Feed The Rothschild Giraffes  With Your Kids

The Giraffe Centre in Nairobi is a great place to visit with kids.  Like the Elephant orphanage, it was also set up as a project meant to rescue the Rothschild Giraffe.  The centre is managed by an organization called African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW).  It was founded in 1979 by the late Jock Leslie-Melville, a Kenyan citizen of British descent, and his American-born wife, Betty Leslie-Melville. They began the Giraffe Centre after discovering the sad plight of the Rothschild Giraffe. A subspecies of the giraffe found only in the grasslands of East Africa.

At the time, the animals had lost their habitat in Western Kenya, with only 130 of them left in the wild.  Jock and Betty made the first effort to save the subspecies bringing 2 young giraffes, Daisy and Marlon, to their home in the Langata suburb, southwest of Nairobi. Here they raised the calves and started a programme of breeding giraffe in captivity. This is where the centre remains to date.

At the centre both adults and kids will have lots of fun with animals. From a platform designed for visitors, you are able to stand eye to eye with the majestic animals. You can also feed the giraffes with small pellets that you are given by the attendants.

Star-Gazing on Safari in Kenya

The glowing lights of the big cities that we live in provide us with comfort and convenience. But they take away something that is really beautiful –  the immense and awesome universe of galaxies out there.  While on safari, you are mostly far away from the artificial lights. Out there you meet real nature, without the light pollution of the cities. During the day, let the kids have their fair share of wildlife adventures. At night, sit out with them, look up into the star-studded sky, marveling at the innumerable planets and stars out there! Kenya offers some great places to go star-gazing for you and the kids. Choose one of these places on your next safari.

Please remember:

These are just a few of safari activities that can keep the children interested while on safari. Most of the activities listed here will certainly be enjoyable to them. Some will have more impact than others, but at the end of it all, the kids are more than likely to be impacted positively. They become more aware of the world and may be inspired to take more care of the planet.

Are you ready for the safari with your kids? Hallmark Travel Planners makes the process on planning and operating the trips seamless. Call or email us today to explore the best options for your safari holiday with children.