Safari or Costa Rica

[SurreyisSunny]

I celebrate a very big birthday next year - 50 - yikes.

Im a single parent to a 6yo DS who will be 7 nearly 8 at the time. I’d like to take a big holiday to celebrate in August. Long haul. Ideally flying with BA as i have enough avios to fly business class. This is a one off holiday as i can’t usually afford this sort of thing. Before having my DS I enjoyed adventure group tours with companies like explore and intrepid.

I’d initially thought of a safari on a group tour but worry it maybe too exhausting for my DS. Long days and I wonder if once he’s seen a lion etc he’ll be like yep seen that… next! Also he maybe too young for walking safari tours as some specify age 10.

Another option is Costa Rica. It’s never been high on my list but looks like there’s some interesting stuff to see that would suit us both. No direct BA flights though.

Any thoughts on either or is there an option I haven’t considered.

My third safe option is Disney. We’ve been before and both love it but never with school holiday prices.

Oh that’s lovely. I hope my DS remembers like that too

Safari is holiday of a lifetime and he wil be talking about it for years to come. It’s magic ✨
never been to Costa Rica but been to other Latin Caribbean islands and would be safari everytime. Nothing compares. Enjoy!

@SurreyisSunny We took DDs to Kenya on a family safari aged 7 and 9. The key is to use an operator who understands dc. You cannot stay in some lodges as DS is too young. However you can stay at amazing camps in the parks with animals relatively easy to see. August is peak time in Kenya though. Governors camp in the Masai Mara is great.

We took dc to SA on safari at 13 and 11. We flew to Durban and then went to Hluhluwe Imfolizi and St Lucia wetlands (now renamed). We then went to Sabi Sands and Nottens Bush Camp. We saw numerous leopards, elephants and lions. Rhinos in HI and hippos in St L. Lots to see.

The description of Lewa Downs - hmm. Yes they offer riding but riding around young giraffe really would require an experienced rider. We met a guy who had fallen off on his honeymoon - very stiff!!! (Ha!)

DS would need to get up at 5.30. It’s very very cold in August in the early morning. Breakfast after early game drive and dinner after late afternoon game drive. No, he cannot get out of a vehicle and run around. He needs to be quiet and not disturb animals and others in your vehicle if you share. Get him spotting animals and into photography.

its a fantastic holiday if he’s up for it. Our DDs were. DD2 was a very good spotter. We like small bush camps best. Don’t choose anywhere with a long drive into a reserve. Stay in the reserve. If you choose the right reserve in SA you will see plenty.

We’re planning a self drive safari in Kenya this August with a 3 and 5 year old.

South African here…
There are definitely lodges which are more geared towards adults and those tend to be the more luxury lodges but most game rangers are very used to taking kids on safari. It’s not an all day affair, usually an early morning and late evening drive. So make sure you choose a lodge with a swimming pool (not private spas) for the in between times as otherwise there is not much to do for kids.

Cant remember if you said how long your intended holiday was but if you choose South Africa then definitely tag on some time in Cape Town. So much to do for kids and it will be a good balance between the chill of safari and the excitement of a city (the best in the world in my opinion).

@PurBal Have you ever driven in Kenya! Road deaths are huge. Dreadful driving on the faster roads. Hire a tank. Obviously if you live there, that’s different. You know what it’s like but don’t advocate it for others.

We’re visiting family friends who are hiring the vehicle on our behalf. They’re Kenyan and will do most all of the driving. Although I’d planned to do some.

Safari.

Kenya is the most beautiful country and the people I met were wonderful. So I would say safari.

@PurBal The drivers are awful though. Be prepared to be shocked!

Id vote for Kenya but depends what interests you and your kids or what you may prefer to do even they're a big older or what you want to prioritise first.

I did look up Kenya but was coming up 20k+ for a family of four with companies I recognised and wasnt confident to book with companies I didnt have recommendations for. If anyone has one or direct lodges they'd recommend we book with that wouldn't be 5k per person let me know! But ideally i agree with others that private game drives, if you can afford it, would allow you to personalise and that's prob why our quotes are so high. But - for example - my kids likely wouldn't enjoying seeing a kill/prey being eaten so I'd ask driver to aim to avoid it possible. Id suggest mix it up with chilled lodge days, cultural experiences else solid game drives will be too much for most kids (whereas id love that!). Also consider hot air balloon ride over the animals of the masonic mari if you can .

If you mean a private game drive ie by yourself with no other guests then that is pretty rare and probably why your prices quoted are so high. Most lodges have vehicles which seat 8 or so and you share your game drive with other lodge guests unless your party is big enough or the lodge isn’t full.

Asking a ranger to avoid an animal kill will not get you well liked I’m afraid especially if you are sharing with other guests.

I am a South African who has spent a fair amount of time on safari and in lodges and I have a list of things that foreigners do that really make the experience bad for rangers and other guests… that would be one of them. There is safari etiquette.

Also you don’t get to pick and choose what you would like to and not like to see on safari. Nature doesn’t quite work like that.