Safari holiday with a 2 year old and 4 year old

[Boosiehs]

Ok - firstly am I mad?

It's my 40th next year. I'd like to do a big holiday with the family to celebrate (cry) and DH suggested a safari.

can anyone give any pointers? Is it a ridiculous idea?

Not all safari will take children that young. On a safari you go out at sunrise fir a few hours and then again later in the day on game drives. Will you toddler happily sit in jeep for several hours a day?
You'll need to find one that takes little kids preferably one with nannies so you can leave little ones behind if isn't suiting them/you.
Choose malaria free zone if don't want kids taking malaria meds.
Safari is wonderful I personally wouldn't take a 2 year old though. It's also expensive.

www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/mar/20/userstraveladvice

I wouldnt. going to SA say and having a visit to see elephants as a part of it maybe. But there's a lot of driving involved.

I'd do something more child friendly unless you are really used to travelling with your children. Or leave the kids at home.

Most safaris won't take children that young as the previous poster said. We took our youngest at age 12 and it was a wonderful holiday but I seem to remember the minimum age being 10 on all the ones I looked at. In addition there tends to be a lot of driving between the different locations (our one journey was about 5 hours) and you only get to stop at suitable pre agreed stops, not whenever your toddlers get bored and need a run around. If I were you I would save it for when they're old enough to appreciate it.

Yes your child cannot get out when they want. It's the African bush complete with wild animals.

I think a full safari would not be possible with such young kids - but I saw a TV programme about the Giraff Manor in Kenya where giraff roam the grounds which looked fab
www.thesafaricollection.com/properties/giraffe-manor

Wait until the DC are older, and will really enjoy and remember the trip.

Personally I'd wait and do it for your 50th. (Or park them with GPs and go without them).

We took our nearly-8 animal mad and our just 13 DDs a few years back. That worked really well as they could cope with getting up at 5am and putting on 8 layers of clothes, followed by 3hrs in a land-rover. They could be quiet when needed, use their own cameras, etc. And repeat at 5/6pm in the evening.

On our car for a couple of days was a family with a 6yo who was basically a pain - kept wanting to move seats, was noisy even when animals were close by etc. (Actually his teenage older sisters were a bit of a pain too, screeching when we were near buffalo and lions.)

Your kids would probably prefer Disneyland Paris / Orlando.

We took our DC aged 6&9 this year and they were just old enough to tolerate the early starts, long drives, bumpy terrain etc. And really enjoy the animals and bird life. Any younger and I think it would have been a nightmare. Safari is exhausting imo!

There's no way I'd take kids on safari - it's fabulous, but they're too young - also there are others who also go on the jeeps and I'm sure there'd be problems with other people
Not wanting to go with young kids - it's potentially dangerous too - we flew across SA a few
Times and often ended up in Jo'berg which I'd be really unhappy taking kids to

Solution :Longleat!

I know it's not quite the same, but I took my three kids to Rome when they were young as my first trip as a single parent.

Now they're teenagers, they delight in reminding me that they don't recall the holiday at all and the photos are the only proof they were actually there.

In retrospect, I wish I'd waited until they were old enough to appreciate it or at least remember it.

There are lots of safari lodges that specialise in family holidays so it is completely possible to do it. Have a look at the Madikwe Safari Lodge in South Africa. It's Malaria free and close to Sun City if you wanted to combine with a few days at a pool. You'd probably fly to Johannesburg but most children survive it
It's true that the kids will probably appreciate it more when they are older but you are allowed to do things you enjoy too.

Even at madikwe 2 year olds can't go on game drives but I guess could stay with the nannies, I think that's the best you will get for toddlers

I wouldn't take my 4 & 5 year olds. They'd be fed up in no time. And would be disruptive pains in the backside who needed a wee when there wasn't a break planned. We would annoy the other people on the drive. We've sort of agreed 9 & 10. Sun City not a bad shout though.

My 4 year old absolutely loved it. He could spot animals way off in the distance before any of us and guide would confirm with his binoculars. They are miles cheaper if you book when you are over there.