Livingstone Club members Kristina and Matthew traveled to mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar with Africa Adventure Consultants (AAC) 10 years ago to celebrate their honeymoon. This year, they made a last-minute decision to take their kids on safari to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. They had found their honeymoon to be so transformative, they wanted to share a safari with their children.
The kids, ages 5 and 7, leant the parents a bit of magic, helping them to see the world through their young eyes.
“From our hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town to our game drives in the bush, every single moment was more magnificent than the next.”
The family had lots of memorable moments on their trip to South Africa. They described their hike on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town as “epic,” with dramatic weather and enjoying their wonderful guide.
“We loved Henning, our Table Mountain Guide, and Marc, our Cape of Good Hope tour guide. Both were dynamic, genuine, energetic & engaging! Henning really embraced the fact that we love to hike with our children and took us on the hike of a lifetime!”
On their safari in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve at Rockfig Lodge, Kristina, Matthew and the kids saw ‘everything’ on safari including the Big 5, wild dogs with pups on the hunt, oryx, kudu, insects and so many amazing birds.
A favorite sighting happened on their first game drive.
“A leopard had just dragged an impala up a tree. Leopards are so rare to spot (we didn't see one at all on our trip 10 years ago), so to see this was incredible. We visited that leopard every day we were there, still in the tree with the impala!”
They had very much hoped to see cheetah, as everyone in the family loves them. During several days in the bush, they never spotted the cats – nature can be unpredictable. Then, on their very last game drive, “we saw them! It was incredible!”
They credited their guides for having a big, positive impact on their travels as well, really connecting with them and the kids personally. In the end, they “felt like family.”
The family’s accommodations played a big part in their enjoyment of their trip, including staff members going above and beyond to make their daughter’s birthday special.
“We loved Rockfig Lodge in Madikwe. We had the Tlou villa and it was an absolute dream! If we were to build a home for our family, it would be the Tlou villa. It was so comfortable, spacious and absolutely beautiful. The staff at Rockfig felt like a second family and we have kept in touch with them, even since our return!
Kristina and Matthew found working with AAC “exceptional in every way,” and rated their safari as “excellent.” Even with planning last minute, the trip came together beautifully.
“AAC made this trip come to life for our family. Traveling with small children might seem intimidating but everyone at AAC really listened to *exactly* what I was dreaming up and made it all come to life, even better than we could've imagined. We are beyond grateful for the memories we've made and can't wait to plan our next adventure.”
If you are considering a safari, they offer this advice:
“Call AAC, explain exactly what you'd like. Then sit back and relax because every detail will be handled!”
Contact one of our Journey Specialists to start planning and subscribe to our newsletter below for more travel stories and inspiration.
Photos courtesy AAC Livingstone Club members Matthew and Kristina, AAC Journey Specialist Nell Pollak and Rockfig Lodge