Packing Tips for Parents

Here are our top 10 safari packing tips for
parents travelling with children.

Going on a safari with your children will undoubtedly be one of the most unforgettable family experiences you will have. Our Founders, the Hunters, have travelled extensively throughout Africa with their 3 children since they were born and here Wendy Hunter outlines her top 10 tips for making it an easy and stress-free holiday. You can also find our ultimate packing guide here.

1. Kids Safari Books & Checklists

All of our children absolutely love ticking off what they see on safari! Often you can buy children’s safari books in the national parks that allow them to look for plants and animals specific to that park and have many activities for the little ones to do. There are also excellent online options that will allow your children to become fully engaged in the experience and help educate them simultaneously.

2. Home Comfort Snacks

The food on a safari holiday is exceptional and all camps and lodges that accept young children fully cater to children’s meals and requirements. That said, we have always found it useful to bring some snacks that we know our kids enjoy from home so you know you have something to hand even if you are in a remote destination. Food pouches were also great when we were travelling with babies and kids as most don’t need refrigeration and are the perfect size for travelling.

3. Kids Camera

Taking photos is often an integral part of a safari for most people and children are just as excited to do that as you are. Depending on the age of your child, an inexpensive camera is a great way to allow them to document the trip from their point of view and share with family when they get home. Our younger children have enjoyed using the cameras that have an instant print option on the front as, although not as good quality for proper photos, they were able to print the pictures immediately. They would then annotate the photos and stick them in their notebooks, which gave them a great activity to do during periods of the drives when there was less activity.

4. Kids Binoculars

Your children will love spotting animals through binoculars and there are plenty of child-friendly options on the market. If you are buying kid’s binoculars it is worth buying proper ones and not toy ones, as they will be stealing yours otherwise! When something is worth watching through binoculars, everyone wants to look at the same time, so kids having their own allows everyone to catch the action.

5. Car-friendly games and toys

Each of our children would have a small rucksack filled with a selection of their favourite small toys, card games and colouring pens and paper when on safari. This was perfect for longer game drives, transfers and even at the lodges to keep them entertained.

6. Bottle Sterilising Tablets

We found these to be an easy way to sterilise baby bottles, dummies etc. when travelling as they are effective in cold water and only take 15 minutes to work. They are also very small, so easy to pack. They are not, however, very environmentally friendly, as with any chemical, so when we could we would use boiling water or a microwave method.

7. Formula

If you are travelling with an infant who drinks formula milk, it could be a good idea to bring the one they are used to with you. Whilst formula is available, it may not be a brand that your child will be accustomed to and if you are flying directly to lodges, there might not be the same opportunity to purchase it in the country. A space-saving idea is to transfer it from the large tub to a zip-lock bag for easy transportation.

8. Warm Clothes

What often surprises first-time safari goers is how cold it can be on morning game drives, even if the temperature during the day is very warm. We always pack a light down jacket and a warm hat for the kids so that they can be cosy and have their ears protected from the wind on open-top vehicles. Your safari lodge will always provide blankets for game drives and even hot water bottles on early drives in areas where it is particularly cold in the morning!

9. Appropriate Gifts

One of our children’s favourite things to do is play with local kids and experience how children live in different parts of Africa. You may be incorporating a cultural experience into your safari or visiting a school for example, and having something with you that your children can share with those they meet can be a wonderful experience. Our safari experts can discuss this with you in detail but examples of fun and appreciated items are pens and pencils, balloons, party tooters and postcards from home so they can talk about where they are from.

10. Prams & Car Seats

The lightweight, aeroplane-friendly, folding prams you can buy now have been excellent for us on safari due to their compact size and ease of transporting. Whilst you won’t likely be going for long walks on safari, our children would nap in them whilst we had lunch or dinner. If you are connecting through a city or even a large airport, they are also great to have on hand. If you are travelling with a baby you may also want to bring a car seat with you. We used two fitted to a safari truck and not only did it mean that the little ones were safe, but they were also high up and were easily able to see all the action. Please do discuss this with our team if you plan to take either so we can let all transfers and lodges know ahead of time.