Photograph above taken by Olwen Evans
Planning a multi-generational trip to Africa can seem like a tremendous project to take on by yourself. Because there are different generations of individuals involved, you’re bound to come across disagreements in terms of what activities and accommodations to add to the itinerary, as well as which countries to visit. In fact, you might have scratched a multi-generational trip to Africa from your list because of the sheer thought of having to plan it and jump through hoops to make everyone happy!
Fear not, however. I have a few key tips to help you plan the ultimate multi-generational safari vacation that will make the entire family happy! See them below (and feel free to shoot us an email at hoainfo@hillsofafrica.com if you need help planning any of the details along the way):
Tip 1: Book villas and / or safari houses for your accommodations: The best accommodation options for large groups are villas and safari houses. Booking a private villa or safari house provides you with a tremendous amount of flexibility that you most likely would not receive if you booked at a main lodge or camp. Many camps and lodges have villa or safari house options, which are designated for individuals on an African family safari or multi-generational safari.
Most luxury villas and safari houses feature a private pool and deck area. They also almost always come with a private butler, chef, and safari guide. This means that your entire party is looked after carefully and with the utmost care. A private chef can tailor each of your meals to your specific dietary needs and preferences, while a private safari guide allows you to customize your safari experience. For example, you can choose when you want to go on your game drives or walking safaris, as oppose to having to deal with scheduled game drives and walks.
Tip 2: Create activity options for individuals in the group: As a multi-generational group, you’re going to have varying ages, physical fitness levels, and personal interests in your group. Therefore, it’s important to be careful when choosing safari tours and activities that your group will take part in during your trip to Africa.
It can be difficult to please everyone and cater to exact interests, so we suggest having specific days in your itinerary where there are two activity options. For example, if you are staying at Singita Pamushana, some of your family members may wish to go on a game drive while others wish to relax by the pool. Then you may have two or three family members who would rather go fishing during the day. Guess what? They can do whatever they want! You don’t need to have specific activities planned for each day on your African safari vacation.
Tip 3: Book a private safari guide: Unlike a group guide assigned to you at an accommodation, a private safari guide gets to know exactly what you want and will create a safari experience that is catered specifically to your interests. Therefore, your entire trip is a special interest safari.
A great private guide ensures that your adventures in Africa are consistent throughout your entire stay and has the ability to immerse you into the true spirit of Africa. He or she will be with you every day, teaching you about the mysteries of Africa and its fascinating wildlife and entertaining you, all while keeping your specific interests in mind. By the end of your trip, not only will you feel fulfilled in mind, body, and soul, but you’ll also have a newfound lifetime friendship with your guide.
And the best part about having your own guide is that you can experience a wide range of special interest safaris through just your one guide. For example, if your group wanted to track wild dogs in the area then your personal guide has the ability to change his or her course throughout your game drive to go in search of the wild dogs. This is something you might not be able to do on a general group safari with other tourists since the guide must accommodate the interests of the group as a whole. This scenario also applies for other areas of special interest including history, photography, culture, geography, and more.
Tip 4: Visit no more than one or two countries during your trip: With a large group, it can be overwhelming to visit more than two countries in one trip. Traveling too often from accommodation to accommodation, and spending a great deal of time on transfers (including both vehicle transfers and chartered flights) can create unneeded stress and tension. Therefore, we advise group travelers to pick one or two countries that they would like to visit and stay a minimum of two nights at each accommodation. The less travel time you have, the more opportunities you have for adventure and relaxation with your family!
