Safari with Kids: Seeing South Africa’s “Big Game” on a Budget

 “Get Out There” is a column for itchy footed humans written by Paste contributor Blake Snow. Although different now, travel is better than ever. Today we go on safari to South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park. 

For many people, seeing the wildlife of Africa is a life-changing trip. It certainly was for me—so much that my wife and I returned this year with our kids in tow. 

To keep costs down, we booked a “six day tree house safari” with African Budget Safaris at Kruger National Park, the #2 rated park in Africa. At an average cost of $1000 less per person than the #1 rated Serengeti, Kruger is a great (and arguably more convenient way) to economize, while still seeing the area’s beloved animals and landscapes. 

After a long 15 hour flight to Joburg (which ate half our budget), we overnighted at the fantabulous City Lodge Hotel, located within the airport. The next morning, after a full African breakfast, we were shuttled five hours northeast to Kruger. 

On our first sunset drive that evening, we saw rhinos, elephants, and night-swimming hippos. By next morning, the trip had already paid for itself, after sharing a glowing red dawn, wondrous smiles, and an up-close rhino encounter with my family in an open air Land Cruiser. By day three, we got more than we bargained for after seeing and hearing a pride of lions roaring in the wild—a memory I will never forget. 

Whether you’ve considered an African Safari or not, here are three things you need to know about the oldest, most convenient, and one of the most productive national parks on the continent. 

Visit private game reserves that border Greater Kruger 

For the best experience (if not results), our safari included two days driving the paved, Yellowstone-like roads of Kruger (where animals are comfortable around cars), as well as off-roading in 4x4s at two private game reserves. Both are recommended and provide an abundance of sightings and animal encounters, but the latter lets you escape the throngs of tourists, while still accessing the same animals in Kruger, since there are no fences separating the bordering reserves such as Balule. 

In between rustic private lodges, adventurous off-roading, intimidating bush walks, three course camp meals, and the paved drives at Kruger, we witnessed several prides of lions, towering giraffes (my favorite), endangered rhinos, massive elephants, zebras, cheetahs, leopards, buffalos, crocodiles, hyenas, ostriches, and just about every creature you hope to see in Africa. “What a magical experience!” I wrote early into the trip—definitely the “once in a lifetime” kind. 

So you know, most wildlife congregates at the south side of the 200 mile tall Kruger National Park, as do tourists. 

Plan several game drives to maximize your chances

Safaris aren’t like zoos where enclosed animals are forced to show themselves. Two women I met only planned a single day in Kruger and were disappointed after seeing only 20% of the “Big 5” (lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo). If you want to make the most of it, I would plan on at least 4-5 days to increase your chances of both plentiful and close encounters with wildlife. 

What’s more, our safari company arranged sunrise drives, afternoon drives, sunset drives, night drives, bush walks with armed guides, in-park BBQs under the Milky Way, and put us up in open air, mosquito netted lodges so we could hear the surrounding animals at night. This created an incredibly immersive, productive, and thought-provoking experience. I wouldn’t have traded it for even the most luxurious digs. 

For more sightings and fewer insects, go in winter (June—August)

For visitors from northern hemispheres, this works perfectly as it aligns with our summers. This way you get more active, easier-to-see animals and less bugs. So much that we didn’t have to use said mosquito nets or the several bottles of deet we packed. Hallelujah!

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a more remarkable, if not stirring, family safari. We ate delicious from-scratch meals everyday (dunking rusks in rooibos tea was a highlight). We sympathized with prey and predators alike, as lions only succeed 25% of the time. We also met new international friends and fun-loving guides who work incredibly hard. 

My only quibble was that drinking water was weirdly not included, which was annoying to shell out a few bucks everyday to stay hydrated. In the end, however, with South African affordability and supreme hospitality, we easily got a lot more than we paid for. 5 big stars out of 5.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel columnist. He lives in Provo, Utah with his adolescent family and two dogs.