The first time we took our twins on safari, they were six years old. Our guide commanded instant awe in them by scooping up girafie droppings as if they were chocolate-coated raisins. He showed them lion tracks in the dry sand near a waterhole and taught them how to make pancakes on a camp stove in the bush. Joe and Ellie are nearly 18 now. Following that first wide-eyed brush with Africa, they’ve become seasoned safari-lovers, tracking Kenya’s Great Migration, canoeing the Orange River and foraging with Kalahari Bushmen. The thrill of an African safari still fires their imagination — later this year, we’re travelling to Botswana and they’re behaving like six-year-olds again. Even the prospect of long periods without Wi-Fi hasn’t dulled their enthusiasm.
That’s not to say, however, that the grandparents haven’t been tutting and clucking again at the mere mention of the words ‘family’, ‘holiday’ and ‘Africa’. “Is it safe? What about malaria…?” You can’t blame them for being concerned. Africa has its fair share of challenges when it comes to travelling with kids. But, equally, there are plenty of reasons why an African safari is the ultimate family adventure.