Kenya Family Safaris
START PLANNING YOUR FAMILY SAFARI TO KENYA
Kenya is a very established and superb family holiday destination, offering a fantastic balance of incredible game viewing, varied and exciting activities, rewarding cultural experiences and warm personal hosting. Whatever the age of your children, we can design your Kenya family holiday to suit your individual requirements, though we would advise that a truly great time for a family safari holiday in Kenya is when your kids are over the age of around seven to eight years old.
If you wish to include some time on the beach, the Kenya coast offers everything from affordable resort hotels to private beach villas and exclusive beach retreats, or you can consider travelling further afield to the beaches of Zanzibar, Mauritius or Seychelles.
WHY CHOOSE KENYA AS YOUR FAMILY HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Beyond offering some of the best game viewing in Africa, Kenya is a very practical family holiday destination, for several key reasons:
- Kenya can generally offer very good value for money, especially ‘safari and beach’ combinations
- It is easy to move around Kenya which has a good tourist infrastructure, especially on short internal flights which cut out the need for long drives
- There are many family-friendly safari camps and lodges in Kenya, often with specific family accommodation options
- There are convenient beach options for combination holidays, both within Kenya and further afield
- Children of all ages will nearly always be able to undertake game drives (though other activities may be age restricted)
- Most safari vehicles in Kenya accommodate 4 to 6 guests so a key part of a Kenya family safari could be having your own exclusive vehicle for game drives, without paying extra
Kenya also offers incredibly warm hospitality and friendly service from managers, guides and camp staff. One of the genuine benefits of travelling with children is the exposure they have to different cultures and ways of life. African people are natural lovers of children, and in addition to your children forming bonds with and learning from your local guide, it is not uncommon to find camp staff entertaining your kids with local games, cooking or enquiring conversation. Kenyan safari hospitality is as family-friendly as it comes, whilst genuine cultural opportunities visiting local schools or villages can easily be included in most safari itineraries.
BEST TIME FOR VIEWING WILDLIFE
WHERE TO GO IN KENYA WITH KIDS
Whilst Kenya offers a number of different wildlife regions to consider, the Masai Mara is Kenya’s most amazing safari area. If you are looking for a shorter ‘wow’ safari before heading to the beach, a Masai Mara family safari is likely to be your best option. The beautiful open plains offer incredible game viewing and are home to the annual wildebeest migration from July to October. Even within a quick four day family safari, you are likely to see everything you hoped for.
For slightly longer safaris (six or seven nights), we highly recommend the Laikipia region in central Kenya in combination with the Masai Mara. The extensive Laikipia region includes a number of private big game conservancies as well as some exclusive wilderness and community areas which offer a multitude of different activities and experiences – from walking and horse-riding adventures to fly-camping, river ‘tubing’ and cultural experiences. Many properties in Laikipia have swimming pools and the landscape is very different to the Masai Mara.
Please click on the links below to explore Kenya’s superb safari regions, and do not hesitate to Contact Us to discuss the different areas and what may suit your family best.
KENYA FAMILY FRIENDLY LODGES
From traditional tented camps to ranch-style safari houses and luxury safari lodges, Kenya is able to offer a huge variety of family-friendly camps and lodges. To create the best possible Kenya family vacation for you, we will ask you to consider how much luxury you would prefer, how adventurous and active you wish to be, whether you require specific family accommodation (larger rooms with extra beds or multi-roomed units), whether you have any specific interests to take into account, and whether your kids will benefit from access to a swimming pool in between activities.
As mentioned, there are so many family-friendly safari camps and lodges in Kenya, but here is a selection that we find work incredibly well for families. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us to discuss individual properties and what they could offer your family.
LAIKIPIA REGION
MASAI MARA
FAMILY VACATION ITINERARIES TO KENYA
We have a wealth of experience designing child-friendly safaris in Kenya, and can tailor-make your itinerary to suit the ages of your children and your personal requirements. The initial considerations for any family visiting Kenya would be how long to spend on safari, which regions to prioritise and whether to spend some time on the beach. Naturally the budget side of things is a crucial factor as well, especially if you are aiming for a luxury family holiday.
Although all our holidays are individually tailored to suit personal requirements, please see a selection of example itineraries below, which can all be very family-friendly. Please note all our example itineraries are designed just to show what is possible and can all be amended to suit personal requirements. We would always expect to talk to you in detail before recommending an exact itinerary.
MASAI MARA AND KENYA COAST
10 Nights
Amazing game in the Masai Mara, combined with Indian Ocean beach relaxation
From US$4,300 to $6,000 pp /
UK£3,450 to £5,000 pp
MASAI MARA AND ZANZIBAR
10 Nights
Superb game viewing in Kenya’s Masai Mara combined with Tanzania’s exotic Zanzibar
From US$5,050 to $6,500 pp /
UK£4,050 to £5,450 pp
LEWA, MARA AND KENYA COAST
10 Nights
Incredible game viewing followed by a few days relaxing on the beach
From US$8,895 to $12,000 pp /
UK£7,115 to £10,000 pp