Some people would say that a family safari is an impossibility, and that children and safaris don't mix. In my experience you can take children on safari, and quite young children too, provided you think ahead, get organised and pick your safari with care.

A well planned family safari is a shared experience of a lifetime. There is a lot of negative talk about the impossibility of a safari with children. They will be too young to appreciate it, too impatient to sit still, too noisy to be tolerable on a long flight, will frighten off the animals, be unsafe etc.

Certainly many organised safari tours exclude children under seven or even those under 12 making these tour operators a non starter for a family safari. In some cases this is primarily for your child’s safety. Most game-viewing vehicles in lodges are open, to give maximum viewing ability; from the predator's point of view, the young of all species are an easy prey, so your child may be eyed speculatively, not to say appreciatively, by the big cats, who pick up on young excited voices. But if you are willing to do some research then a family safari can work and you will all have a fantastic experience together.

 There are a few safari camps in non malarial zones.  Have a look at the Mandiwke Game Reserve, just 3 hours drive from Johannesburg, or Kwandwe and Shamwari or Addo Elephant. 

Otherwise, the recommendation is anti-malarial tablets - generally children's Malarone, but get specialist advice depending upon the age of the children and the region that you are travelling to.

The best advice is always to avoid being bitten in the first place, so take plenty of insect repellant and wear long clothing.

Before you book, here are a few things to think about and questions to ask a prospective safari camp:

• How many guides do they have working at any one time?  If they have a number of guides and drivers available it means they will be able to take the party out in batches for game drives of differing lengths according to everyone’s attention span. This means that the eager beavers can go out for four hours, and those with less stamina can do a shorter loop.  With the jeeps in radio contact as soon as something is spotted you should find that all the party is able to reassemble and marvel at the game.  The hard core few get the kudos for spotting the leopard, and the kids in the second tranche get the instant gratification required.
• Don't underestimate your kids - they may surprise you with their attention spans in an unfamiliar environment. We found that the excitement of being in an open topped jeep lasted day after day for the children – especially when the driver took them through rivers and off the beaten track. The African bush was mesmerising and the children were botanical and wildlife sponges, with their knowledge far exceeding that of the adults by the end of the week.
• Does the camp provide water, juice and snacks on game drives?  Keeping kids (and adults) topped up with water and blood sugar levels high enough to avoid grumpiness is vital, and so much more relaxing if someone else has thought about it all for you.
• Does the camp offer any other activities?  Some camps run boat trips, walking tours, and fishing expeditions.  Check if these are appropriate for children to take part in.  Walking tours are often inadvisable because they are more exposed and you run a greater risk of becoming separated from one another.  A mix of activities and that coupled with the use of the outdoor pool meant active little bodies can be kept contentedly busy throughout the day.
• Does the camp offer babysitting?  Often the dining area is a significant distance from the sleeping accommodation.  This means if the youngsters are shattered from a big day in the bush, they will be a couple of hundred snake and elephant-filled metres away from where you are dining.  You will not be able to hear them, and you don't want them wandering around on their own.  Reliable babysitters are often provided by the camp for a local charge.
• What is the sleeping accommodation?  Often tents are doubles, and do not always have room for children's beds to be added as extras.  If you are offered adjacent tents find out how close to one another they are.  Also, check what the rules are at the camp after dark.  Most camps do not permit guests to leave their tents after dark without an armed escort for safety reasons.  You do not want your kids trying to find you in the dark at the time the hippos are wandering past.  Nor do you want to hear a distraught child having nightmares, when you are unable to get to them until the guard comes round on the next circuit.  So, you either need to be confident that your kids are reliable sleepers who won't be fazed, or consign yourselves to some sharing, adults with children.   Kruger lodges offer some family accommodation where you can share a hut with more than one bedroom.
• By contrast, the accommodation at Nxabega was canvas tents, and the openness of the camp meant that one was truly close up with nature. On one morning attendance at breakfast was precluded by the elephant family who had decided to dine out on the deck immediately outside. That coupled with the active termite mounds, and the python who took up residence in it next to the children’s tent made for a memorable experience. Pythons are not a problem, but find out from the camp what sorts of venomous snakes they have in the area, and whether they carry anti venoms, and what the air lift arrangements are.  If you check it out, you won't need to use the information!

Child-friendly camps do exist, but even if you are struggling to find one, there are other ways to improve the family friendliness of your holiday:

• How big is your party? Can you book an entire camp? Some game lodges are quite small, so this may not be as impossible as it sounds. Having the place to yourselves means you can set your own schedule. We travelled to Nxabega camp in Botswana with three generations of family including four children, aged 7, 6, 3 and 1, plus one large bump. Crazy – perhaps, but in hindsight, inspired.
• Most lodges are dedicated to game-viewing; which means an early start at sunrise or before, followed by a four-hour game drive, then brunch, then an optional and usually longish game walk, followed by a siesta, then tea and snacks at 15:00 or so and then an afternoon/evening game drive for another four hours or so, with dinner about 20:00. This is often too much for adults, let alone a three-year old, but the staff at Nxabega could not have been more flexible and helpful.

• Make sure your kids have the right clothing to stay comfortable and safe.
• Long-sleeved shirts and long trousers with socks are a must for the early evening and morning when mosquitoes are prevalent.
• Sunglasses should be of good quality and fit well.
• Your children (and you) need wide-brimmed sun hats or caps with flaps to protect your neck and head.
• Take lots of insect repellent, including child friendly brands of high concentration DEET.
• Take any prescription medicines and other medicines you might need (e.g. childrens paracetomol).  They can be difficult to come by on safari.
• Don't forget the sunscreen.  SPF 30+
• Finally what about treating the kids to their own inexpensive digital cameras?  Ours took loads of excellent pictures (and loads of hopeless ones too) but fiddling with buttons and deleting kept them occupied for hours!
  

Is it easy to do a safari with children? No, it takes a certain amount of courage, and faith in your children’s ability to come up trumps when faced with new situations. Fussy eaters, and shrinking violets would probably not thrive. But is it a trip that will linger long in their memories? – unquestionably yes. It is a shared memory indelibly imprinted into the family consciousness and an experience that comes highly recommended.