Helpful Tips When Traveling with Kids

Africa travel expert Kent Redding, president of Africa Adventure Consultants (AAC), designs travel experiences for a living, helping travelers with children arrange fun, adventurous family safaris. Recently Redding and his wife and AAC co-founder, Kelly McElroy, took their 7- and 8-year-old sons on a South Africa safari adventure. "There’s nothing like doing it yourself to remind you what is really important when traveling with kids," wrote Redding in a recent AAC blog post offering his top ten tips for taking a family on safari.

A selection of Redding’s handy suggestions for family travel follows. If you are planning a trip with your kids in the future, his list  may prove quite useful for you and your family.

More Isn’t Always Better: Don’t try to do too much. Build in flex time for mood and energy level. For instance, "Letting our boys run like wild animals on the beach in the morning made afternoon drives bearable," says Redding.

Say Yes to the Game: Redding and McElroy limit video game playing time at home, but they downloaded new games and eased their rules while traveling to make "longer drives calmer and to allow Mom and Dad some quiet time, especially on the 24-36 hour plane flights" says Redding.

Focus on Kid-culture: "Kids like to meet other kids," saysRedding, who gave his boys "opportunities to interact with children from other cultures," including playing soccer with boys from the African mountain kingdom Lesotho.

Customize with Kid-Friendly Twists: Experienced travel planners like Africa Adventure Consultants can incorporate favorite family activities in any itinerary. South Africa offers myriad possibilities –Redding’s family rode ostriches, built sandcastles and went spelunking. “Even big-game safaris can be kid-friendly,” saysRedding, whose kids made plaster castings of lion prints, which became great souvenirs.

Africa Adventure Consultants is a leading safari company specializing in crafting custom itineraries to 13 countries in Africa, from classic photo safaris and adventure trekking to luxury honeymoons and family travel. The AAC staff has lived, worked and traveled throughout Africa for an insider’s perspective on creating the best safaris in top destinations. AAC offers personalized tour planning to Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In addition to customized private journeys, AAC offers more than 20 group trips, including gorilla safaris, Kilimanjaro climbs and migration safaris. For information, visit the Adventures in Africa Website.