Madikwe is South Africa’s fifth largest safari region and is the best malaria-free reserve in Africa. It borders Botswana in the country’s North West Province and offers an incredible diversity of species, including the Big Five. This is a perfect reserve for families, not only because it’s malaria-free, but because many of the properties welcome children of all ages and abilities.
This is the largest private reserve in South Africa, nestled in the heart of the Northern Cape. Tswalu is dedicated to conservation and here you can see endangered species in abundance, including pangolin, cheetah, and caracal. The Tarkuni House is a lavish, exclusive-use property, perfect for a larger group of family or friends seeking an exciting safari adventure.
The Waterberg district is only a few convenient hours from Johannesburg, so we can have you off the plane and on safari on the same day. Here you’ll find some excellent private safari reserves, all malaria-free. Ant’s Collection is perfect for equine enthusiasts and Leobo is a wilderness playground without limits.
The accommodation on the Shamwari Private Game Reserve is top notch, with options for every family. It’s in a prime location on the Garden Route, close to Cape Town and with stunning coastal views. Add to that diverse and abundant wildlife, including the Big Five—elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo—and you’ve got a perfect malaria-free family safari destination.
Located in the eastern Cape, Kwandwe is one of our favourite Garden Route safari destinations. Here you’ll enjoy one of the highest guide-to-guest ratios and spectacular, child-friendly accommodation. Among the pristine, riverine landscapes your expert guide will teach you all about the diverse flora and fauna in ways that both parents and children will love.
Our favourite safari properties in Laikipia are on vast, private reserves with very few people. Coupled with higher altitudes and a semi-arid climate, the risk of malaria is low. The places we will take you are teeming with wildlife, including the highest numbers of black rhino in Kenya.
The Serengeti and Masai Mara share the same ecosystem, with the border of Kenya and Tanzania down the middle. Night temperatures on the undulating, short-grass plains can be brisk—not ideal if you’re a mosquito! Regardless of which side of the border you stay, we wholly recommend everyone visit at least once in their lifetime. The area has a higher concentration of animals than anywhere else in Africa.
For much of the year, Makgadikgadi is lunar-esque, with very little water. Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, there is very little chance for malaria to spread. At other parts of the year, the salt pans are transformed into a shallow, glittering oasis. As long as you’re happy to take anti-malarial tablets, there’s no reason to worry about travelling during the green season! We can time your trip to see Botswana’s zebra migration, where vast herds leave the Okavango in search of Makgadikgadi’s fresh, rain-fed grass.
Namibia as a whole has generally low malaria rates, barring the lush Caprivi Strip. Here you can travel miles upon miles without seeing much water or many other people. Etosha is Namibia’s best safari region. Here animals of all species gather around precious waterholes to share a splash and a drink.
Damaraland is where the great, windswept dunes of the Namib tower hundreds of metres high. The apricot desertscapes are a hostile environment to the humble mosquito, so there’s little worry of malaria here. On safari in Sossusvlei, your guides will use their eagle eyes to help you spot spear-horned oryx and rare brown hyena.
One of our favourite parts of Namibia is the Skeleton Coast. Mosquitoes are no match for this forbidding, desert coastline and the area is so sparsely populated that it's virtually malaria-free. We’ll fly you in on a private plane for a spectacular aerial view of the shipwreck-strewn beaches before taking you on exciting adventures on the ground. Dune-boarding and quad biking are particular favourites for our clients of all ages.
Madikwe Hills Private Game Lodge is an intimate and luxurious safari lodge in the heart of the Madikwe Game Reserve. Little Madikwe is the lodge’s private villa, which welcomes children of all ages. Your safari experience is entirely at your pace, with a private pool, viewing deck, game drive vehicle and ranger.
Set amidst two rolling mountain ranges, the Motse legae and Tarkuni homestead are the ultimate private sanctuaries on the vast Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Recently redesigned to uncompromising standards of comfort and elegance, Tarkuni is an exceptional choice for families seeking a tranquil, exclusive-use escape.
Ant’s Nest is one of the best places in Africa for a family safari. Arriving at Ant’s Nest, you’re welcomed into the family of owners Ant and Tessa Baber. They built the lodge to show people of all ages the magic of this pristine wilderness environment. It is located in the malaria free Waterberg Game Reserve north of Johannesburg and is surrounded by stunning landscapes of hills, forests, areas of open savannah and rivers.
Leobo Private Reserve is located in the malaria free Waterberg region of South Africa, just a few convenient hours from Johannesburg. This is an exclusive-use, adventure playground, perfect for large family getaways or groups of friends. The 12,000-acre reserve spans rivers and lakes, rolling valleys and jagged escarpments.
A spectacular private game reserve in the Eastern Cape, Kwandwe offers families a unique Big Five safari experience. The reserve is huge—54,000 acres to be precise—and has one of the highest land to guest ratios in Africa. Of their five intimate lodges, Ecca is our favourite for families, with modern facilities and special activities curated for small children.
From the time you arrive, owners Steve and Annabelle Carey embrace you into their safari family. They invite you to make their home in the wilds of northern Kenya your own. This is the place to reconnect with nature on an authentic bush camp adventure.
Lewa House is more than simply a place to rest your head after your safaris. It’s the intangible warmth of being welcomed as family by owners Calum and Sophie McFarlane with the touches of home that make it a unique experience. You’ll wake in your thatched cottage to share biscuits on the veranda with the resident ‘go-away-birds’, soaking in the landscape of gently sloping plains and distant mountains.
Discover the remote corners of Kenya’s Laikipia Province, a vast and impressive landscape defined by rocky hills scattered with traditional tribal villages and camel trains traversing the arid wilderness. Staying at the family-owned Ol Malo House ranch, you’ll explore this area on horseback, hikes, drives, and flights, ensuring a thrilling adventure for all ages.
Saruni Wild is one of our favourite camps in the Masai Mara for families with children of all ages. This is one of the smallest camps in the region, nestled in a remote valley of the private Lemek Conservancy on the very northern edge of the Mara plains. The experience here is that of a true African adventure, with local Maasai guides leading you and your youngsters on exhilarating game drives, bush walks, and even showing you what it takes to live like a Maasai Warrior.
Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp is our favourite property for a truly exclusive family safari in the Masai Mara. Located outside the national reserve on a private conservancy, Cottar’s combines authentic style, inspired guiding, immersive activities and fantastic attention to detail. All of which creates an unforgettable African safari.
Mkombe’s House is the first and only private house in the Serengeti. This is one of our favourite choices for families who want a classic Tanzania safari in exclusivity with expertly personal and attentive service.
Ignite your inner explorer with a stay at Camp Kalahari, where the comfortable canvas tented suites are reminiscent of an African adventure from an earlier era. With a range of activities for all ages and two family suites, this is an excellent camp for discovering the enchantment of the Kalahari with your youngsters.
Would you like a callback?
