I have to admit that just the thought of traveling to the local take-away with my kids was enough to curdle my blood, let alone considering an overseas holiday with young children to a place like Africa! Of course, I’m the dad so, really, I had it easy compared to mom who was always programmed to pre-empt any eventuality, emergency or situation.
Let me share a couple of observations, tips and hints that may help you take that leap of faith and plan that long awaited trip to Africa!
- Investigate, research and plan, plan, plan: check out some of the details of where you are going, look up testimonials of other travelers, speak to friends about their experiences and remember, failing to plan means planning to fail.
- A couple of weeks before your departure start putting your final list together: or if you’re like me start gathering all of those odds and bobs that you are likely to forget, and store them in one place, like the suitcase you will be taking with you. Sun lotion, insect repellent, additional prescription medication for the duration of your trip and of course all your camera goodies – you won’t want to miss a shot.
- Plan your holiday to begin from the time you start packing your bags: this will start the fun and anticipation off early and hopefully reduce the stresses allowing everyone to be a little more relaxed. For far too long I always considered that the vacation only started when we arrived at the destination and I missed out on so many potential extra days of fun!
- Enlist the support of your fellow travelers at the airport and on the plane: you’ll soon discover that it’s likely that those around you also just want to have a good flight experience and I have noticed that getting their buy-in to make the trip a success by making eye contact and engaging with them goes a long way to building a little “family” support group on board, especially when it comes to babies and being short of those three extra arms which most parents need.
- The Low-Down on Safaris: and probably one of the main reasons you are bringing the kids to Africa is that, well, they pretty much come in every size and flavor. Select a safari experience based on your budget, your children’s ages (there may be restrictions for safety reasons), whether it’s in a malaria free or malaria area (will determine whether you need prophylactic medication or not) how much time you have, whether you are chasing the Big 5 or just communing with nature.
- Plan your travel time or distance between destinations: with the ages of your kids in mind, but more importantly in line with their boredom threshold!
- Consider enlisting the services of a professional local travel planner: because it shouldn’t cost you any more (their fees are derived from the rate discounts they negotiate with the products) and apart from the fact that they are local experts, chances are they too have travelled with kids! Ask about special kid’s programs, facilities and options at the destinations you want to travel as well as activities en-route.
Regardless of what you might imagine the challenges of travelling with kids to and in Africa might be, they are really no different in many regards to taking a trip to the local store or eatery, you just need to prepare (OK, so maybe they are a little bit different). You see, I live with my kids in Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, to be exact and, as the marketing and Sales Director for a local tour operator, I travel a whole lot too. I have learnt a whole stack of things not only from my own travels with my wife and kids, but also from putting together child friendly itineraries and especially from observing other parents when they travel. I hope that this will help you enjoy your family trip to Africa!