I broached the subject of going back to Africa and was asked if the family was going.

I had not actually considered that, but of course she had to watch some movie on Netflix about some woman who ended up in a safari camp in Zambia.

So she is interested, as far fetched as the reality of that was.

So what do you do with your kids and non-hunting spouse?

If your wife isn't anti-hunting, but doesn't want to be there when the animal is shot, is there enough in camp to keep her sane.

Would a 7, 9, and 11 year old be entertained?

I have heard several people that had gone to Tholo recommend Botswana as the top destination to take your children.

What say you oh sages of African travel?

My kids were a bit older when I took them- 12, 16, and 17 (I believe). We spent 17 days which was too long. My wife, dad, and kids were ready to go home.

I would not have wanted to take them at a younger age.

I would find an Outfitter who has a wife that would be willing to take your wife/family on some non hunting excursions- shopping, site seeing, etc. I was in South Africa. I would let them take my family to Jo-berg. I would go to somewhere a bit closer to the lodge, a small town.

It’s a bit tough but doable. The Outfitter and his wife treated my kids and family well

Really South Africa will cater exactly to you and your family's needs.

If you plan on hunting somewhere more remote then consider hunting very early morning and reserve the late afternoons for a family game drive. Concentrate on one priority animal which should be common in the concession. Most camps are scenic and there is lots to see from the dining room or bar. A riverfront would be a bonus and can offer extra activities.

Kids love getting involved in the kitchen and learning from the Chef. Games and cards are well worth bringing over with you. Wifi could be advantagous etc

There actually isn't much to do at Tholo except ride on the truck to animal view. Camp has a waterhole with good viewing, but you are a long way from anything really touristy.

SA is your best bet where they can leave and do other excursions, everything from elephant parks, to shopping to spas. We have one outfitter that allows a free kid with each hunter.

Suggest you check with Nick and Isabel Nolte in Namibia. Outstanding hunting, excellent facilities, and great people who tune the experience to meet your requirements.

Good hunting,

I think you will have to broach the "observer fees" with the outfitter as well. $250 or so per person per day is a bit much when you are talking about the whole family.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
I broached the subject of going back to Africa and was asked if the family was going.

I had not actually considered that, but of course she had to watch some movie on Netflix about some woman who ended up in a safari camp in Zambia.

So she is interested, as far fetched as the reality of that was.

So what do you do with your kids and non-hunting spouse?

If your wife isn't anti-hunting, but doesn't want to be there when the animal is shot, is there enough in camp to keep her sane.

Would a 7, 9, and 11 year old be entertained?

I have heard several people that had gone to Tholo recommend Botswana as the top destination to take your children.

What say you oh sages of African travel?

Question?

How long would you be taking them, 7 days would be about what they would be able to handle, 10 days if you were to get them to go hunting .

Would any of your children want the chance to go hunting for say a Impala, Warthog, blesbok, Springbok, or such? They would each experience a different kind of hunting from sitting in a blind for your 7 year old to hiking with a PH after something.

If you were to take a specialized trip where there would be daily game drive or village shopping, maybe fishing in the ocean or large dams.

I had a PH build me a hunting trip to go after animals in different camps and there was something differed daily. 4 camps in 10 days with a day of shopping. Game drives were available at 2 locations for my wife to take. However she had the opportunity to go along, stay in camp or sit in the vehicle while I was out and about. We did evening drives for her, just to view game and no hunting.

Thank you Gents, I'll reach out to those parties identified.

I volunteered to go back to Afghanistan, Iraq or Kuwait for 6 months later this year. So it will most likely be 2022 or 2023 if I am sent.

Namibia is good as well. Try sand boarding on the dunes, seal kayaking in Walvis Bay, go to Etosha park. Most of the outfitters can set all of that up.

For Tholo, great place but remote. It is the kind of place where your kids could learn to hunt. In Bots, you could add a photo safari in the Okavango Delta, very cool place, lots of different camps.

In RSA, pick a family ranch that caters to families - Tollie’s African Safaris is excellent for families - in the eastern Cape, near Addo Elephant park and a host of other stuff. Plenty of animals, they cater to young hunters.

Can’t really make a mistake.

My African Safaris are sometimes a family affair and we go to Africa Dawn Hunting Safaris. http://african-dawn.co.za The kids have a ball there.
My grandson's first time was when he was 13 months old and he learned to walk in their boma. The staff wanted to hold him most the time. His last time he was 9 and he hunted.
A friend's daughter came with us once when she was 9.
The kids kept busy for 5 days, they swam in a nice pool and used the ATV under supervision. Game drives and walks with a camp staff were a huge event. It all went well and the time flew by. The children that you describe would be welcome on some of the stalks. A wildebeest hunt would be a real rush for them!

My wife loves the bush but does not hunt. ( She would join us maybe for a warthog hunt as the photographer and sometimes the ladies might come out in a vehicle to celebrate with us when we got an outstanding animal.

We always take children with us to Africa when we can. The educational value is unmeasurable.
After the hunt we would take kids/family on an adventure for several days like lion viewing in a park etc.
( We also took them on a professionally guided tour of Soweto. Few kids in north America have done that! If they are a bit nerdy like my grandson you could show them the movie Zulu before you leave home and then drag them to Rorke's Drift for a guided tour of the battle area. There is a ton of stuff to do with kids in South Africa. It is very kid friendly and safe with a registered guide.)
I hope this adds to the excellent tips above.

The Kruger family who own and operate Africa Dawn cater to families as well as ardent hunters. You can watch wild game graze near by as your family eats dinner by the fire in the boma. The staff really like kids and will happily watch them while you "escape" for an adventure.

Have a great time, Brian

BWW,
I think the answer for "What age to take kids to Africa" depends much on how many times you might be able to do this.
If you can financially do it pretty regularly, then 'go for it' at any age.

My goal was to take my 3 kids one time each, individually. Took the oldest two when they each turned 14. Hunts were great, but I wish I would have waited another 1-2 years just for them to be able to handle a rifle a little better (size/strength.)

Now I'm taking my oldest (19) again this year and I'll be taking my youngest (will be 15) in 2022. I now have the goal to take each of them a second time.

I think you can make a very good deal on the observer fees. Your kids will either go out with you, or do whatever tours/shopping that your wife does. You could probably get the kids in there for something between free and very low, price-wise.

Good luck!!

Baker458 makes some good points. ie. youngsters are usually discounted or free. Also, I just thought of another thing. I always make sure that my family/group will be the only ones in camp.

Seth,

What we talked about would not be my recommendation at all for what you are asking about.

RSA is your best bet. Excursions for your family would be of additional expense if they were to leave the "ranch" but many things could be arranged.

Mark

Thanks all!

Can't speak to kids, but took my wife on her first ever trip to Africa in 2017. She does not hunt. We hunted three camps in Masailand. I only had one buffalo and didn't plan on her being there for that, but as luck would have it she was. After the shot, she asked if I got the eland. Generally, she went out with us every other day and hung out in camp the rest of the time. The staff called her "Mama Campi". At first, she hung out in the gari when we went on a stalk, but by the end, she was mad if we left her behind.

Now these were real plush camps with Michel Mantheakis, but she had a wonderful time and even wanted to go back with me this year on my postponed 2020 safari, even though it involves charters and she's terrified of small planes. She's reconsidered that in light of Tanzania's COVID response. Which is fine because I'm not sure how she'd react to a tsetse area.

She started terrified of everything. Every noise. I knew she was over that when I walked up on her holding a light so the PH could take a photo of a scorpion in a crevasse in a fig tree in camp.

Don't underestimate them. You'd be surprised what they like.

I went on a safari with my wife in South Africa. She has hunted a little bit here in New Mexico but I don't consider her a big hunter. She went out hunting with me nearly every day and ended up shooting more animals than I did.
She did take one day at a spa at the nearby photo safari camp and one day to go into town shopping with my guides wife. She loved the whole experience.

We had the conversation again last night.

She is scared to death of something happening to the girls. And scared that she would in her words "be a pain in the ass" on what would be my dream vacation.

So I think at least for now she is out.

Maybe when the kids are older.

I am either going in 2022 or 2023 dependent on if I am deploying to Afghanistan or not. If I end up returning March-October I'll probably stop over in Southern Africa on the way home. That would be the easiest for everyone.

BWW, I appreciate what your wife is saying and I would like to make comments without trying to "mow your lawn". I have a wife and two daughter in-laws and they have all been to the bush and cities in South Africa. One of the daughters is in fact kind of a sissy/princess.

If your girls are in the bush on a walk they will always have a supervisor/guide/bodyguard with them. You can emphasize to the Guide or PH that you want somebody "attached" to the girls at all time. Just tell them that you are nervous about things and they will encompass you, no need to be embarrassed. That's how my wife and I did it. I told my grandson to walk right behind Marius and in from of Unis". That's common practice for all family excursions in the bush, I later found out. No on will think you are PITA. The PH and staff are dedicated and take pride in making sure that no one gets hurt or scared. Don't worry they take some real city girl, princesses under their wings. At Africa Dawn Safaris, that I suggested, both the father and son are doctors of pharmaceutical medicine. ( They also own a chain of pharmaceutical stores in Johannesburg.) They are licensed to prescribe medicine and give needles for anything including snake/tick bite and do minor operation like stitches etc.
They have a naturalist, Melany, who specializes in taking the non hunters, adults and children for nature walks. The walk with a trained dog for early warning. At any hunting operation they are ready and happy to encompass you and keep you all safe. Even when I hunt alone they are like mother hens around me, holding branches, keeping me from stepping in holes, helping up and down steep place, offering to carry my rifle. That is why they get the big bucks! I'm an old guy and I lap it up.

If you are exploring in a city, town or rural area don't go anywhere with out a guide. Simple and safe. Don't rent your own vehicle. Your Safari operator and/or guest-house will set you up with a good and affordable guide, including for a Kruger Park game viewing tour.

If you want you can PM me and then your wife can email my wife, Sandy, to go over some things. ( we are retire folks in BC Canada. Been to Africa many times.) Please tell your wife to not worry about being a "pain". Enjoy Africa!

She is more worried about them getting abducted, than bit by a snake.

We live on a 2.2 million acre military base and deal with scorpions, spiders, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions and other wildlife regularly. They aren't quite ranch kids, but close.

She is also worried about them getting abducted when we go to town in Las Cruces or El Paso, as we are right on the border. It happens frequently enough around here.

But they don't get to run around much, not that I'd let them run around much if we lived back home in rural Wyoming. We are pretty strict, but they are little 5, 7, and 9. We are older parents in our 40's so it is probably normal.

Ah-ha, I see. Brian