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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Kenya with two toddles?! Best things to see/do

13 replies

HavingFaith · 27/01/2026 12:31

Hi! I’m planning a holiday for later this year. We have two young kids and no childcare so leaving them at home isn’t an option.

I really want to go to Kenya and go to Nairobi national park for a half day ‘safari’ drive (as I think this is all the kids could manage - they’ll be 18months and 4yrs). Is this feasible?? Or is bringing kids this young a terrible idea?!

The national park is right in the city - if anyone has been, is it a good experience?

We’d then head to diani beach for a relaxing few days on the coast.

Any tips? Places to see? Places to avoid? Places to stay? Nice restaurants for my DH birthday dinner?

Thanks so much xx

OP posts:
parietal · 27/01/2026 12:46

Why not wait until the kids are a few years older and will appreciate it?

BathTangle · 27/01/2026 13:04

It is do-able (I've done it myself) but you will need to have plenty of snacks/things to keep them occupied as despite how amazing we know it is to see a rhino/lion/elephant in the wild, they will find each sighting boring after a VERY short time!

Go to Giraffe Manor and David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for more manageable activities!

Petrine · 27/01/2026 13:13

The park is huge - over 40sq miles. I think your children are too young to appreciate it.

isthismylifenow · 27/01/2026 13:25

As someone who lives in Africa, and have been on a fair few game drives, a crying baby or toddler on the same vehicle is nothing short of a nightmare.

Sorry OP, but I think they are far too young. And if you were to be sharing a vehicle (it happens sometimes), it is unfair to the other passengers. They will have also paid a lot for the experience.

If you are dead seat on it, then do a self drive. Hire a car and drive yourselves. Driving in Nairobi is an experience all on it own though...

Forgottenmyphone · 27/01/2026 13:33

Bomas of Kenya is brilliant and I’m sure it would hold their attention.

clarrylove · 27/01/2026 13:42

I'm not sure this is a good idea OP. What will you do about malaria prophylaxis for your little ones?

schmalex · 27/01/2026 14:00

I really wouldn't. A toddler is going to be bored and if they're noisy (which let's face it, they will be) it will ruin the experience for everyone.
Wait until they're a bit older or go to a safari lodge with a nanny to leave them with while you go and enjoy the wildlife.

Gastropod · 27/01/2026 20:26

Unless you are going for specific reasons I'd say wait a few years so they can really enjoy it. Assuming you are travelling from Europe, it's a long flight, they are too young to really be able to take on any sort of game drive, and you will have to protect them from hot sun and biting insects carrying a variety of nasty diseases. My teenager returned from Kenya with dengue fever, despite all the precautions we took!

Clearinguptheclutter · 27/01/2026 20:28

I really wouldn’t
it’s not particularly safe

if you do end up in nairobi the sheldrick elephant sanctuary is a must. We also enjoyed the giraffe sanctuary.

Original poster
HavingFaith · 27/01/2026 21:26

Thanks for all your opinions and info! I had planned to have a private game drive so wouldn’t have any other passengers. The kids have already done longer flights than this one would be and were great….but it seems this trip may be too ambitious! It’s a big birthday for my DH so I was trying to do something I know he’d love but perhaps it’s best for another time down the line :-)
if anyone has any other destinations for a more family friendly trip, please share as I’m stuck now lol xx

OP posts:
eurochick · 27/01/2026 22:27

How about the Maldives? We went when my daughter was 5 and it was great - each island is basically a giant beach, there are lots of pretty fish, a very slow pace of life, etc. And if you pick one with a decent kids club you can go off for a snorkel or massage while they are entertained.

EdgarAllenRaven · 28/01/2026 19:20

There are some very glamorous resorts on short haul flights like the IKOS resorts in Greece, or for longer haul you could fly to the Caribbean
I cannot recommend any particular resort as researching myself!

TeamGeriatric · 28/01/2026 21:00

If you want to go to Africa maybe Seychelles or Mauritius? Somewhere malaria free. We went to the Maldives with kids of a similar age, stayed at Anantara Dhigu. We were in Singapore just before that, the kids found Singapore really quite hot, I think the heat radiates off the buildings. We've also done Indonesia (Java and Bali) with a 1 year old and 3.5 year old, visited Borobudur which is amazing. Aside from the safari issues with kids, Nairobi itself was not particularly enticing, although this was 2007 so not recent experience.

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