Children grow up surrounded by stories of animals in the wild and the ‘Jungle Book’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Finding Nemo’ are family favourites. Nowadays you can choose to have up close encounters with animals at incredibly close range with your family. Although this may seem like a very adult experience, there are companies such as The Adventure Company or Bushbaby who prioritize children by paying a lot of attention to the details. Elephants, hump backed whales doing breeches, seals basking in the sun and iguanas in the Galapagos will be a wonder to adults and children alike. The benefits of introducing children to animals and feed them in their own environment are endless.

Top tips for booking your family friendly safari

Consider carefully the age of your children and whether they are at an age which will get anything out of this encounter. Some safari or wildlife camps do have minders and a baby-sitting service. For children to benefit from the experience themselves between 6 and 8 is generally the best age.

You should look into the transfer arrangements and be realistic about your travel times. Travel can be in unairconditioned coaches or open jeeps and it is generally on uneven trails which can be exhausting even for an active healthy adult. This is because most of the best wildlife tours are in out of the way locations.

Immunization may be required to protect from life threatening diseases including yellow fever and malaria. What you will require depends on age, where and when you are going and your family’s health. Always get full advice at least two months before you go. There are some malaria free areas for safari in South Africa in the game reserves of Madikwe and the Eastern Cape. In Kruger however you and the children will need to take precautions against malaria.

Try to select a camp or a lodge that offers special activities and facilities for families. In some cases ranger tours are available for the younger members of the family.

Generally, a fenced camp is the best option for younger children.

These are just a few suggestions and a huge range of holidays for your family are run by specialist operators such as Bush Baby and The Adventure Company, who all run specific family-oriented wildlife encounters. Always remember to ask for special offers or discounts for booking on-line and if you are telephoning, please mention Sticky Fingers Travel.

Top tips for booking your family marine watching holiday

If you want to try whale watching in Ireland try whale watching westcork.com. If you are looking for excellent whale watching Hermanus in South Africa is just over an hour’s drive east of Cape Town. In particular the boat trips from Klienbaai with Dyer Island cruises are highly recommended. Our children spotted 11 whales, 60,000 fur seals, dolphins and penguins in one go. You can also get the benefit of white shark sighting on location in the famously named Shark Alley.

If booking a whale, dolphin or seal watching holiday or trip make sure you inquire about the minimum ages, the type of boat that is being operated and the frequency of sightings.

Look into whether or not there is sufficient cover in the event of bad weather, how many passengers will be in the boat and the language being spoken.

Check the facilities on the boat, such as food and drink and toilets.

Having a good guide on board is important.

Make sure your children pack and wear appropriate clothes as life on board can get a bit cold and wet. Bring a bag in the event of seasickness.

Make sure you also that the company has a responsible approach to the marine life in question and that the boats do not approach too close.

Have a look at specialist companies too and check that tours are designed for little people.You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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