Finding a family-friendly safari lodge for children under 12 is not always that easy. These family-friendly travel destinations are aimed at intuitive kids who want to learn about wildlife and conservation while also spending time socializing.

Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, Western Cape

Located on the popular Garden Route, this family-friendly game reserve isn’t just kids-friendly, it’s also just a stone’s throw from some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, so you can have two vacations in one without having to worry things like malaria.

Apart from the beautiful accommodations, which are all tastefully decorated, Botlierscope‘s Village Lodge (the child-friendly lodge for children of all ages) also has a lovely playground with impressively long swings. Village Lodge also offers a variety of family-friendly activities such as junior ranger walks, pony rides, tadpole fishing, and more.

A family-friendly atmosphere in the Botlierskop. Image: Delivered

Botlierskop Tented Lodge also hosts children, but only from the age of six, and there children can also take part in activities such as canoeing, tennis, fishing and more.

Shamwari Riverdene Family Lodge, Eastern Cape

Overlooking the vast bushveld of the Eastern Cape, Riverdene Family Lodge is one of those places that you won’t want to leave. This is the perfect setting for families to bond while elephants roam in the distance and kids learn about the wilderness as they partake in the lodge’s popular kids’ program.

Riverdene Family Lodge also offers a lovely children’s play area, a shallow side pool for smaller children, a children’s adventure center, and much more.

Shamwari children's programShamwari Riverdene Family Lodge’s children’s playground. Image: Facebook

With a strong focus on family vacations, the Riverdene Family Lodge in Shamwari enables adults and children to learn about conservation practices. The lodge is also located in a malaria-free area, which gives you another family star!

Note that children under the age of four are not allowed on game drives at the lodge, but pre-booked childcare facilities are available at an additional cost.

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Kgalagadi Lifestyle Lodge, North Cape

Only 5 km from the popular Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kgalagadi Lifestyle Lodge in the Kalahari is the perfect family-friendly destination from a single source.

The family owned and operated lodge has 32 strategically located chalets and 4-star campsites and recently added Black Mane Butcher & Grill, the free-roaming Black Mane Lions native to the Kalahari, to its portfolio. stand to pay tribute.

The Kgalagadi Lifestyle Lodge also has a small grocery store that sells fresh fruit, vegetables, freshly baked bread and even has a butcher shop.

Family-friendly Kalahari staysFamily-friendly Kalahari stays. Image: Anena Burger

And if you want to explore the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park as a family, you can even rent an Oryx 4X4 at the lodge for a fixed daily rate.

This destination is the reason for sunsets and family memories.

Sun City, northwest

While not necessarily a nature reserve in and of itself, Sun International attracts thousands of visitors Sun city Resort every year. Surrounded by rugged mountain scenery and the nearby 55,000-acre Pilanesberg National Park with the Big Five, Sun City is a popular choice when it comes to family-friendly wildlife experiences.

The resort’s gardens include tropical rainforests and indigenous landscapes and have been classified as a botanical garden. Visitors often enjoy strolling along the trails and exploring various species of plants and birds.

Visitors also have the chance to see Africa’s Big Five in the adjacent Pilanesberg National Park – either on foot with a tracker or from the comfort of a Land Rover. You might even be lucky enough to spot one of the park’s newest additions: a baby white rhinoceros.

Baby rhino spotted in Pilanesberg National ParkThe baby rhinoceros was recently spotted in Pilanesberg National Park next to Sun City. Image: MANKWE Gametrackers

Families with older children can also opt for game viewing from a hot air balloon, or experienced (and inexperienced) riders can enjoy a leisurely excursion on horseback through a small section of the Letsatsing Wildlife Park.

Not to mention Sun City’s popular Waterworld, an artificial lake where families can enjoy parasailing, canoeing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, water skiing, and more.

For something different, you can pamper your family on a game viewing trail on quads. Children must be eight years or older to participate in this fun activity, where visitors walk with the Mankwe Gametrackers on a trail through the Letsatsing Game Park. On this trip, you can spot giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests, to name a few.

Thanda Safari, KwaZulu-Natal

If you want to teach your kids about conservation, the wilderness and part of South African Zulu culture while enjoying a luxurious safari experience, Thanda safari is the place.

Thanda Safari’s flagship, Thanda Safari Lodge, features nine bush suites that pay tribute to African wealth and welcome children of all ages to accommodation and game drives.

Thanda Safari’s villa iZulu is ideal for families looking for a more exclusive usage environment – a completely private retreat in the bush. It is a luxurious Afro-chic homestead with five beautiful suites, a heated swimming pool, wine cellar, library, game room and a spacious terrace overlooking the waterhole. The villa can be booked exclusively for families with children of all ages – an intimate family vacation like no other. There are even separate accommodations for child minders and children can also take part in game drives.

Thanda Safaris Villa iZuluExclusive use of Villa iZulu at Thanda Safari. Image: Delivered

While both Thanda Safari Lodge and Villa iZulu cater to children of all ages in terms of accommodation and game drives, Thanda Tented Camp can only accommodate children aged six and over on game drives.