Family safaris are eye-opening and enchanting experiences, but finding a luxury safari camp in a magnificent wildlife area that is as equipped for kids as for Mom and Dad is not always easy. A country like Botswana, which is perhaps Southern Africa’s most prestigious and accessible safari destination, celebrates the animal kingdom in an untamed and rugged way, yet fully embraces guest comfort. We are so pleased that we can also rely on Botswana to offer some ideal spots for travelling families with adventurous and eager children, ready to learn about the African wilderness. Currently, Khwai Bush Camp is everything we’re looking for in a Botswana family safari, and these are the reasons why.
1. Location
Khwai Community Area is a conservancy run by the local community. A piece of prime land on the edge of the Okavango Delta, bordering Moremi Game Reserve, and right on the Khwai River. Simply a supreme area teeming with wildlife and full of activity all year round. The density of game can be attributed to the presence of water in the Khwai River and its associated wetlands. Along the river are tangles of riverine trees, groves of towering mopanes, and grasslands, while dry and sandy Kalahari veld is found further away from the river.
Throughout the year, Khwai is a location that buzzes. This is as wild a destination as they come, which means children, as well as parents, are going to enjoy the associated safari value – this is not a place that’s slightly more ‘tame’ than the real African wilderness. What’s more? Khwai is part of a fantastic safari triangle and can easily be incorporated into a visit to Chobe Riverfront and Savute Marsh, not to mention Victoria Falls just over the border.
2. Family rooms
Khwai Bush Camp has two family suites to accommodate parents and children, sleeping the family together in one comfortable and luxurious thatched chalet kitted out with ensuite amenities and much more. One bedroom is the spacious master bedroom with a large double bed, and the second bedroom has two twin beds, so accommodating a family of four. This is ideal for families with younger kids as they can all be roomed together and not in separate chalets next door to each other. When you’re sleeping in the unfenced wilderness and wake up to the sounds of elephants feeding on the trees outside your window, or hyenas whooping close by, it is settling for parents to know that their kids are nearby and they can all enjoy the unfamiliar and exciting sounds of the night together.
3. Children of all ages welcome
Safaris are sometimes known to have a minimum age requirement, and often this has to do with the safety and responsibility aspect of conducting game drives and bush walks in the wild. The ability to understand and obey the briefing instructions for a game drive or walking safari is imperative, so often children are excluded because of their age when a lodge has implemented a strict age limit for activities. At Khwai Bush Lodge, children of all ages are welcome, however, bush walks are reserved for children older than 16 years. Guides will adapt and adjust to accommodate families, and when there are teens and youngsters who aren’t old enough to join a walking safari, a guided, exploratory bush walk around the camp can be arranged.
Of course, the game viewing aspect of a safari is integral to experiencing a trip to Africa, but there are so many other benefits to a holiday like this and we are firm believers that time spent in between game drives is equally as enjoyable. Meal times, storytelling around the fire, relaxing under the trees or playing games in the pool. Unwinding and depressurising in the wilderness is good for the whole family, and there is so much to be learned from travelling to Africa. Finding a safari camp to accommodate children of all ages in one of the most pristine wildlife areas in Southern Africa is precious – Khwai Bush Camp is one to know!
4. Versatility of activities
If you’re travelling with young children, the value of a wildlife encounter at sunrise might not be as high as some afternoon entertainment provided by knowledgable, trustworthy, and family-orientated safari guides who find fun and innovative ways to show and teach your kids about the African bushveld. The classic safari activities might be right on the top of the list for Mom and Dad, but less so for kids who could get fidgety and distracted after a few hours in a game viewer, so we know that a versatile selection of activities is ideal for a family-orientated safari lodge.
Khwai Bush Lodge is in a prime wildlife hotspot in Botswana, and there are certainly expertly guided twice-daily game drives on offer, or long walking safaris full of discovery and inspiration, and perhaps even heart-stopping big game encounters. In addition, there are specially adapted guided nature walks for young children, mokoro safaris during high water season, bird-watching activities, night drives in the private Khwai Community Concession, and fantastic culturally charged visits to Khwai Village where locally made items are on sale, traditional dances are performed, and interesting teachings are imparted. There really is something for everyone to keep both parents and children entertained and enthralled by the magic of Botswana.
5. Option for exclusive booking
People with kids often know other people with kids! Families attract families, and holidaying with families you love is often the best way to do things. Your kids have their friends to experience all the new and exciting aspects a safari brings to a holiday, and parents can enjoy the company of people they know and trust in the incredible African environment. Khwai Bush Camp only requires a group of 12 people in order to be booked out exclusively, opening up the whole lodge, meal times, and safari activities to the personalisation of the group. This beautiful spot in premier Botswana territory is open for exclusive use, which would include guiding, cooking, housekeeping, maintenance, and hosting, making it the ideal group family holiday to suit kids of all ages.
Take a look at what else is in the sublime Khwai area of Botswana: Khwai Private Reserve has just opened up three mouth-watering offerings for safari goers with a passion for star beds, underground hides, and remote wilderness experiences!
