Family Safari in Namibia
A Namibian Safari is an incredible choice for a family safari holiday. It’s safe, easy to travel around on a self-guided journey, and offers a wealth of attractions and activities that will delight kids.
There are fun things to do with kids of all ages: nature walks, wildlife spotting, and sandboarding for young ones, multi-day hiking, sandboarding, quad biking, animal tracking, and skydiving for teenagers.
With Namibia’s wide range of lodging options, choosing places to stay for a family holiday in Namibia is easy. Pick from self-catering bungalows and cottages, well-equipped campsites, or luxury lodges (just be sure to check with lodges beforehand if they have a minimum age limit).
Highlights of a family Safari in Namibia
- Parking off at waterholes in Etosha National Park to watch herds of zebra, wildebeest, and giraffe congregate.
- Going on guided bush walks in the barren-looking Namib Desert and discovering a fascinating world of insects, birds, lizards, and adapted plants.
- Scrambling up the dunes near Sossusvlei and sliding back down or zooming down the dunes of Swakopmund on a sandboard.
- Sitting around a campfire under the twinkling stars of the Milky Way.
- Spending a day canoeing on the Orange River or kayaking among seals, turtles, and dolphins off the coast near Swakopmund.
Travel Tips for a Family Safari in Namibia
It’s a good idea to pick two or three destinations and spend longer at each one rather than trying to see all the highlights of Namibia at once.
Driving distances in Namibia are very long, and you won’t get the most out of your family safari in Namibia if most of it’s spent in the car with the kids getting restless in the backseat.
When you have to do a long drive, think about breaking your journey up with stopovers along the way, especially if you’re traveling with young children.
If you’re going to be exploring wildlife parks (which involves lots of driving around), plan to break up the game drives with snack breaks and picnics at designated areas.
If you have young children, it may be best to avoid traveling to high-risk malaria areas. Traveling to Namibia in the cooler months from April to October is advisable, as the summer months can be unbearably hot.
Bear in mind that Namibia’s climate is harsh, and your kids will need to be able to cope with the elements. It’s extremely dry and dusty, it can be sweltering, and the sun is intense.
Be prepared with lots of sunscreen lotion, high SPF cream for lips, hats and clothes to protect from the sun, good sunglasses, and a big shade cloth if you’re camping.
Take note of lodges’ policies regarding game drives with children. Many lodges have a minimum age limit for young children on a game drive vehicle, and some lodges won’t accept children under a certain age.
If you’re travelling over the border to Botswana or South Africa after your trip to Namibia, you must have unabridged birth certificates for your children.