Toddler Travel…in the wild

It is one thing to plan a trip, it is another to experience the curated trip. For years I have planned family travel, and this year as a new mom I finally got to experience first hand what it is like to take a child under the age of two on safari. Here are a key take aways:

MASAI MARA JULY 2021
  1. The Accommodation

Most camps in the reserves do not allow children under the age of three. As you select a camp, make sure you inquire about their child policy. Chose a camp that caters strongly to children activities and allows them to go on game drives. It would be disappointing to make it all the way, and then there are restrictions on the children going on safari.

In addition, depending on the days that you would be at the camp, the child may not want to go on all the game drives especially since the morning game drives are quite early. Choosing a camp that is child friendly helps as they would have child care and activities to keep the little one occupied.

2. Personalized travel

The roads can get quite bumpy and dusty. I highly recommend that you do not travel in groups – small or large. After long hours of being in nature, the child may become fussy. As much as they may enjoy viewing the wildlife, you are not sure how they would respond to the experience. So having a personalized trip gives you the autonomy to control every bit of the trip – well the parts that you can.

3.The experience

My son truly enjoyed seeing the wildlife. Barely two years old, he was ecstatic, and could name each and every one of the animals by the end of our trip. Even though he may not remember, we have lots of amazing pictures to last him a lifetime. Of course children under five stay complimentary so that is a plus.

Though it may seem daunting to take a child that young on safari, after my experience, I would say it was well worth it!

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