Beginning to plan my first PG hunt and would like to include my wife and 12 and 15 year old daughters. None of them are hunters....yet.

I am interested in hearing opinion on which country would be best suited and safe for my group and possibly outfits that could provide memories for non-hunters while I blow up the world.

Not looking to "rough it" for accommodations for the girls. Prefer non-stop flights from USA.

Thoughts?

Check out Settlers Safaris. They are located near Grahamstown, S.A.
Comfortable camp for the family and day trips available for the "nonhunting" activities.
Fly Delta Atlanta to Jo'burg and over night there (I suggest Afton) then on to Port Elizabeth on SAA the next morning. You will be met there and the lodge is less than a two hour drive from there.

Essentially you have several great options. One big decision is do you want them to see and be around "wild Africa" and "the Big 5" with Elephants, buffalo, maybe Lions etc.

1) best non stop flight IMO is Atlanta to Joberg...its perfect. DAllas to Atlanta and straight across the pond
2) that puts you where you can hop right to the Eastern Cape (as noted above), Namibia, Botswana, or Zimbabwe...

You want an incredible combination? Look up Dogcat's combination of Botswana plainsgame followed by a stay in the Okavango Delta.
You want "wild" but nice and safe? Look at the Lowveld of Zim with the Save Valley, Bubye Valley options (something they will truly never forget)
You want to be around "civilization" more? There are many great areas around South Africa. Nice lodges...lots of plains game...pretty much all nice high fenced but huge properties.
Namibia can offer great combinations with a very safe environment and different terrain and areas such as the Desert and Estoshia

You need to think about the overall type of experience you really want including terrain and flora/fauna.
The really great news is ALL the options you will be given are ALL Great!!! Your family will have a truly incredible experience!!!

To my knowledge, there is only one hunting destination you can fly non-stop to, and even then you may have to touch down for a refuel in Dakar: Johannesburg.

From there by road you can pretty much get to any part of the country, although the closest hunts are going to entail about a 4 hour drive.

So here is an itin that would be interesting: pick up at JNB, drive to Dundee area and visit the Zulu battlefields for a full day (Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift); then visit Hluhluwe National Park for a couple of days; by now you will be salivating so time to start hunting. There are plenty of good places to hunt around there, if you need one let me know. While you are hunting your wife and daughters can visit the traditional Zulu village, do some trinket shopping, visit St. Lucia world heritage site etc.

I sure agree with Russ Gould's suggestion about taking in the Zulu battlefields from Dundee before your hunt.

I would like to add that we hired a guide/historian and it was fastinating.
(We also included other battlefields including Bload River but it was a bit much to digest at one time.)

Exploring around for a few days before the hunt is a good idea. Shakes off the jet lag and helps you get into the African stride.

I would like to add that Africa Sky Guest House and Africa Dawn Safaris were recomended to me a decade ago by a seasoned hunter and we have been happily using them ever since. Our whole family including two nine year olds will be going to Africa Sky in 2018. Great for hunters and non hunter alike.
They are located north of Vaalwater in the Waterburg mountains in Limpopo.
I perfer that country plus the Lowveld near Kruger National park for first time hunters. Better than the rocky country of the Great Karoo, I think.

like russ said and include a week in krueger

I have been to Zim three times, twice to northern Zim (Dande/Dande East) and once to the Save, all by myself. I compliment you on wanting to share your first safari with the family. I hope to return next year and take the wife for the first time. After a lot of research I have narrowed it to back to Zim or South Africa. If I were you I would first decide whether I wanted to hunt only plains game or if I wanted to hunt any dangerous game. If you want to hunt dangerous game, the Save is hard to beat and the facilities will be fine for the family. If you are satisfied with plains game for your first safari South Africa is hard to beat for the cost and the facilities are even nicer, plus, depending on where you go, a Krueger tour could be added on at the beginning or the end. PM me if you want more details on my research

I have been to Zim once and SA twice. If I were going on a first safari, or one with family, my recommendation is SA.. I think it is safer, one less plane to catch and the hunting in SA is very good, albeit lots of it is high fence.
Both of my SA trips were with Limcroma safaris. They specialize in archery. But do gun hunts also.
Have a great time!

Just back from my fourth family safari. All of us were in RSA, wife, boys 14, 16 hunted with me. Wife and daughter 7 spotted game from truck, went on Elephant encounter including elephant backed safari. we then flew to coast and all got in shark cage. This was probably our best family trip. We had been to Namibia in 07. Pre daughter. Great fam trip. lots to do. Zim for dangerous game. Not a great fam destination, but Huange park was great and vic falls was great for fam. RSA in 13 was great fam trip. Did 4 days at Kruger and boys did their first african hunting. RSA would be my first choice with the Delta Atl to Joburg flight. Happy to give specifics if you wish on outfitters

Wow. Thanks for all the responses and PMs.
It's coincidental that one poster mentioned the shark cage thing as I am looking to fit that in as well. Gotta do it.

I may have given the impression that the family has no interest in the outdoors which is not true at all. They just don't care to hunt. I am sure the girls will be absolutely thrilled to follow around and watch the carnage though.
I am more concerned with comfortable , relatively modern quarters for them than anything else. I'll sleep on the ground under a tarp but that won't fly with them.

Looking at 2019 , maybe 2020.
I visit the DSC show every year and am typically overwhelmed on even where to start looking for or who to approach for an African trip. Usually end up hunting stateside.
I will continue to read here and reach out as I have questions.

I'd recommend Namibia or SA.

Have done multiple of these. What I look for is a good PG hunting area that has reasonable access to national parks or other interesting activities - eg diving, fishing, skydiving, or running the dunes on quads in Namibia. Also, some areas have things like animal rescues that could be worth a visit - eg cheetah farms in Namibia. I know Charl at infinito can put together a mix of hunting a visit to Kruger. Have heard great things about blaaukrantz (can never spell it) and the rudman family, they could probably put something great together as well. If you are interested in Namibia,my top recommendation would be Jamy Traut Safaris - I just spent a couple of weeks with them going from a conservancy outside of Etosha, into Etosha for 5 days, down to the coast to see the dunes and back to their game ranch. Great people, great trip.

My other recommendation is to see how interested in the photographic angle - my family and I take a lot of camera gear and often gets shots just as good as the parks when out on the land cruiser.

Lastly, highly recommend they do a couple of evenings in the truck with you. Great time of day, great light, temperatures are not as cold as in the am and they can get some exposure to hunting while enjoying a great ride.

Happy to speak if you like, PM me.

RHutch:

We just got back from my wife's first safari. Like your family, she is not a hunter. A lot of thinking went into where and what type of trip would best accommodate someone who is not hunting and not used to roughing it. We went to Masailand in July/August, picking a place without tsetses and a cooler time of year. We hunted out of three different tented camps to give some variety, so she could see different terrain. And we didn't hunt leopard as I didn't think baiting would be enjoyable for her and knew she wouldn't want to sit in a blind for hours on end. She ended up having a wonderful time. I don't think she would have enjoyed dealing with heat and tsetses, though.

I sent you a PM. I would recommend Namibia. Nothing beats an Africa safari and no Africa safari is better than the first one. Be careful: it is a disease that can only be satisfied by the next trip.

Safe travels.....Larry

RHutch , my camp is a stones throw from Kruger and lots of things to do for observers in the area. My camp is very comfortable and family friendly. We generally have dinner with the family in the evenings in the boma. My kids are 12 , 16 and 18. I only book one group at a time.

Send me an e mail. I would gladly work out something for your family.

Good day RHutch,

Kingsview Safaris specializes in family hunting holidays. I have sent you a PM.

All the very best