Ken & Barbara, past clients on whose heart Africa left a big sandy imprint, decided to bring the whole family (including children AND grandchildren) on a African adventure this time around. Super star consultant, Lise Kargaard, designed a trip that was the perfect combination of action packed activities for the youngsters and downtime with a view for the oldies. They travelled in December… to Cape Town, the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Victoria Falls and Namibia. The family photo album below is accompanied by Ken’s glowing feedback. Thanks Ken! 🙂

Obligatory sundowner stop while on safari in the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve

“Sabi Sabi  (Bush Lodge) was absolutely perfect for our group. All of the rangers and trackers were great with the little grandkids – they especially adored our five year old granddaughter and wanted their pictures taken with her all the time. We saw all the game we expected to see, including leopards every day. The accommodations were great and the food was wonderful. Everyone gave Sabi Sabi 5 big stars.”

A game viewing cruise on the Zambezi River while staying at Victoria Falls

“The view of the big water hole (from Victoria Falls Safari Lodge) was great and of course the tour of the falls was excellent. Barbara must have walked almost 2 miles which she never does and was a real trooper. Although it is not peak water time, there was still a very good flow. Everyone enjoyed the Boma that evening although I don’t think we can be judged as accomplished drummers it was still good fun participating and sampling such a wide array of local good foods. A very nice experience. The Zambezi river cruise was also really enjoyable and the weather cooperated nicely.”

One for the mantlepiece – family portrait at the famous Dead Vlei
Hiking up the biggest sand dunes in the world at Sossusvlei

” Our gang loved Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. The individual units were wonderful and the staff were great. I should mention that you managed to place Barbara and me always in the closest accommodation to the main lodge which was perfect for her. We enjoyed the food and the desert views from our dining table and the front patio of the lodge. These Namibia views are almost like moonscape views. The stark beauty of the place is just amazing and quite a change from the rest of our trip. We all chose to make the drive the next morning over to the Sossusvlei dunes which was a wonderful experience. The morning was spectacular and the dunes amazing. This was definitely a highlight and we came away with some wonderful photos.”

Excursion into the dunes at Wolwedans  – Namibia is big sky country

” The sundowner that evening was in a lovely spot with fantastic view. One of the cooks was sent out earlier and set up chairs and cooked up some hot bites for us and set up a full bar. That evening a guest astronomer led us through the heavens, including a comet, from their very nice observatory. The night sky in the Namib Desert is the darkest I have seen and the stars were amazing. The open panels above the beds in the villas produced an out of this world sky view.”

Contemplating the year that was – Sunset on old year’s eve in the Namib Desert

The next morning all the boys/men (including yours truly) did the 4 wheel motor bike/ATV or whatever you call those things over the dunes. There were 5 of us and it was good fun. None of us had ever ridden these machines before, but our guide worked with us and got us through the ride without a scratch. The drive down to Wolwedans was uneventful and we arrived in time for a nice lunch, after which we rested up in anticipation for the big night ahead.  New Years eve at Wolwedans was very special. We were all driven to a dunes evening and dinner with great food, ever flowing drinks and music. We even had a countdown before midnight and ushered in the new year with great fanfare.”

The whole family at The Cape of Good Hope

Like the sound of Ken’s multi-generational African safari experience? Contact Us about planning something special for your family.

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT FAMILY SAFARI
1. Spend longer in fewer places to cut down on travel
2. Mix up tented camps and lodges
3. Choose places with plenty of different activities
4. Flexibility is key – it is great to  be able to run the day as you wish
5. Have a private guide