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Family wildlife holidays guide

At Responsible Travel, we don’t support zoos; we believe spotting wildlife in the wild is the best way to see it. Sharing that experience with your children is both fun and unforgettable, and family wildlife trips serve up just the right mix of animals and adventure, birds and beach, marine life and me time. Our family wildlife holidays guide explains what these trips entail and explains what we rate and what we really don’t when it comes to seeing wildlife with kids.

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Family wildlife holidays guide

Whatever you’re doing, wherever you’re going, the biggest challenge on a family holiday is keeping the kids entertained. That goes for family wildlife trips, too. There may be 80 elephants drinking by the Chobe River in Botswana, right in front of your jeep. There may be orangutans swinging through the forest canopy in Borneo. A pod of 30 dolphins may be racing alongside your boat in the Azores, but if your child is tired, grumpy, hungry, homesick, frustrated or all of the above, he or she won’t be impressed – and you won’t have a good time either.

Don’t assume showing your kids the world’s most iconic wildlife will blow their socks off – a well planned itinerary is more impactful than a single experience.

When it comes to combining wildlife and family, a well planned trip is essential. Kids need down time to play, pools to cool off in, manageable drive times, fun activities and sympathetic guides. Fortunately family wildlife holidays have every detail covered, so that when the big beasts show up, your little ones are ready to enjoy the spectacle. Find out more in our family wildlife holidays guide.

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What we rate & what we don’t

Underrated

Galapagos Islands

Yes they’re remote and expensive to reach, but once here, your children can – literally – walk amongst the wildlife, which is harmless and utterly otherworldly. Marine iguanas, giant tortoises, blue footed boobies and comical pelicans are waiting, and older children will love snorkelling with sea lions. It’s a year round destination, and land based trips, rather than cruises, give families space to explore.

Tiny wildlife

Encourage your kids to observe the small creatures and birdlife on your family wildlife trip, as well as the big beasts: tiny frogs and fluttering butterflies in Costa Rica; dancing lizards and dew drinking beetles in the Namib Desert; iridescent birds perched in trees in the African bush. Take every opportunity for first hand exploration, too, whether that’s bush walks, canopy tours or kayaking.

Family safaris

A classic safari isn’t naturally a fit for kids – long game drives, coupled with sitting still and staying quiet – but don’t discount an African safari. Specialist family safaris are designed with youngsters in mind. Drive times are kept short, lodges have pools and bush craft classes, guides are experienced at engaging children and other adventure activities are mixed in. Big game and big fun.

Small group travel

While tailor made travel offers flexibility, there are huge advantages to a small group wildlife trip. The group will be made up of three to five likeminded families. Children have ready made friends, which takes pressure off parents and gives them some time out. The group is small enough to reach out of the way places, but big enough for a good social mix. In addition, small group trips often cost less than tailor made.

Rated

The Great Migration

If the sight of millions of animals stampeding across the vast East African landscapes doesn’t have your kids’ jaws on the floor, nothing will. The annual Mara River crossing is perhaps the most spectacular element of this huge migration – and it falls within the summer holidays – but you can also see vast herds on the move in the Serengeti, too.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a long, distinguished track record for preserving its wildlife and the varied ecosystems packed into its tiny footprint. Turtles, howler monkeys, sloths and caiman are easy to see, with no need for long game drives. The fact that it’s small, safe, English is spoken widely and there are lots of adventure activities that dovetail in with wildlife watching makes CR a perfect family destination.

Orangutans in Sabah

Borneo is synonymous with orangutans, and Sabah is by far the best place for families to see these unique creatures. At Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary a huge canopy walkway is safe for even the youngest of children and a great place to see orangutans in the treetops. Kids will also love the giant flying squirrels, macaques and unsightly, flatulent proboscis monkeys.

Getting active

Back to back game drives, long journeys on bumpy roads or hours at sea do not suit most people, let alone children with bundles of energy and short attention spans. Well designed family trips build in lots of action packed adventure and flexible free time as well as wildlife watching, so kids can explore, have fun and relax, too.

Overrated

Tiger mania

Showing your children a tiger in the wild is an extraordinary and extremely moving experience, but you should also be prepared for no-shows. There can be a sort of mania among travellers to catch a glimpse of these endangered big cats, when actually sightings can never be guaranteed. Manage the mania, and your kids’ expectations, before setting out on a tiger safari.

Petting big cats

The chance for children to pet baby lions or cheetahs and have their picture taken with them might seem like the icing on your family wildlife holiday, but animals habituated in this way can never be released into the wild. In South Africa in particular, when lion cubs gets too big to be safely handled there’s a good chance they will end up on a canned hunting reserve. Read more about this issue here.

Ignoring local culture

Don’t come on a family wildlife holiday with wildlife the sole focus. Alongside the animals you’ll also find welcoming local people, interesting history and amazing food. Enjoy laid-back Creole culture on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, visit Soweto in Johannesburg before a South African safari, take a village walk on a tiger safari in India and stay in local guesthouses on the Galapagos.

Irresponsible souvenirs

Children may want to spend their pocket money on a souvenir from their holiday, but make sure they are shopping responsibly. Never purchase items made from endangered species, including coral, turtle shells or eggs, ivory, fur or bone. It’s not ethical or responsible and, in the case of ivory, rhino horn products and cat furs, it is actually illegal, too.

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01273 823 700

Call us until 5.30pm

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

What does a family wildlife holiday entail?

Let’s deal with the wildlife element first. This type of trip will place seeing animals, marine life and birds at the centre of the adventure. A mixed sightseeing and cultural holiday, with perhaps an afternoon in a national park looking out for animals doesn’t quite qualify as a family wildlife holiday. Exploring the Galapagos Islands and meeting its giant tortoises and marine iguanas does. A safari in Tanzania with family friendly game drives and guides does, too. As does a holiday in the atmospheric parks of central India, searching for tigers and a supporting cast of Jungle Book characters.

The way in which you see the wildlife is geared towards families, too. Where the wildlife is dangerous – Tanzania or Botswana for instance – you’ll rely on the safety of vehicle, but safe and fun nature walks, bush craft lessons and boat rides add variety, and game drives are kept to manageable lengths. Elsewhere, children can have closer encounters with wildlife, from snorkelling with sea lions in the Galapagos to seeing orangutans enjoying lunch at rehabilitation centre in Borneo.

Wildlife is the main ‘theme’ of the trip, but woven through will be other activities to keep everyone from tots to teens engaged. Zip wires, rafting, sea kayaking, hikes, hot springs and even a few days lazing on the beach might all be included. If a family wildlife holiday was food, it would be the equivalent of a buffet rather than one huge meal that all tastes the same.

What’s a family?

A family can typically mean mums and/or dads, but also aunts, cousins and grandparents. Generally, as long as you’re an adult travelling with a child under the age of 18, you’re a family in the eyes of tour operators. Some trips will have minimum age restrictions, but most are flexible, and eager to be inclusive, particularly if you have kids with a mix of ages. Activities are tailored to youngsters, with duration, drive times, risk and physical challenge all taken into account.

Tailor made or small group?

A tailor made family wildlife holiday will give you the chance to pick departure dates and even the trip’s duration, and you can steer the activities towards the interests and ages of your families, upgrade hotels or work in beach time. Many have no minimum age.

Small group family wildlife holidays will have groups of 10 to 16 people, so that’s three to five families; small enough to tread lightly and reach remote places, but big enough for a good social mix. A small group can hop aboard local boats, eat at friendly restaurants and make use of traditional accommodation and homestays. Both styles of holiday sometimes offer discounts for children aged 17 years and younger, but it’s not a given. Operators may also try to put families together with children of similar ages, so teens aren’t paired with toddlers.

More about Family wildlife

Best time to go on a family wildlife holiday

The best time to go on a family wildlife holiday is, obviously, during the school holidays.

Where to go on a family wildlife holiday

Whatever the age or stage of your family, there’s a wildlife holiday that will have every member giddy with excitement.

Top 10 family wildlife holidays

Introducing the kids to the world’s wildlife is easy on a specialist family holiday that teams animal spotting with exciting activities and plenty of downtime.

Family safaris

African safaris bring you close to extraordinary wildlife, from elusive leopards to huge herds of wildebeest.

Tiger safaris with kids

Tiger safaris with children are not only possible, usually from about five years upwards, but also potentially one of the most exciting family holiday you can hope for.

Watching Orangutans with the kids

Seeing orangutans is a surprisingly family friendly option, but only if you do your research and read up on the best places for watching orangutans with kids, especially if the children are young.

Family wildlife holidays on land & sea

Family wildlife holidays that take in a range of habitats can deliver the biggest mix of sightings, while keeping the itinerary varied and active enough to amuse children.

Family wildlife holidays advice

From seeing orangutans in Borneo to packing for an African safari or keeping teens happy in Costa Rica, we have lots of family wildlife holidays advice, straight from our expert suppliers and tour operators.

More relevant guides

Written by Joanna Simmons

Family wildlife holidays guide