As the festive season is just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your family holiday.
An exhilarating game drive with Machaba Safaris © Machaba Safaris
Summer is an excellent time of the year to bring the family on holiday to Botswana. You and the kids will be able to experience the bush while the days are lengthening and the temperatures are warming up.
The Okavango Delta is a priority safari destination for wildlife enthusiasts both young and old, which is why we’ve created a list of family-friendly holiday luxury safari camps.
Linyanti Ebony
Families looking for luxury accommodation in northern Botswana need not look any further than Linyanti Ebony, a member of the award-winning African Bush Camps family. Nestled into a private concession in the Chobe Enclave, which shares a border with Namibia and overlooks the Linyanti River and surrounding marsh, this 10-bedded tented camp offers brilliant views as well as exciting bush activities for the whole family.
On game drive at Linyanti Ebony © African Bush Camps
The family suite sleeps a group of four, and is a great option for those wanting extra privacy, security and relaxed comfort. A bath tub in the family unit makes washing young children and babies easy, and a shower is also installed.
The camp can accommodate children of all ages, and includes a small splash pool with private dining and lounge area. As the family suite is separated from the other guest tents by the main area, you need not worry about boisterous kids keeping other guests awake or vice versa.
Wild dog mother and pups © African Bush Camps
All the kids can look forward to 4×4 game drives in open safari vehicles, river safaris on mokoros – a dugout canoe unique to Botswana – and nature walks around the camp. Only those that are 16 and older are permitted to accompany the armed professional guide on a walking safari. Other activities to be enjoyed by the family include boating, fishing and a scenic helicopter, which is offered between April and November.
Okuti and Dinaka Camps
Okuti Camp is on the banks of Maunachira River within the Moremi Game Reserve, well-known as a prime game-viewing location. Dinaka Camp is in the northern part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a site of multiple diverse biomes. Esteemed safari operator Ker and Downey welcomes families to these family-friendly establishments.
Children aged seven and older are welcome © Ker and Downey
Okuti and Dinaka camps have two family units each, with two rooms and a spacious en-suite bathroom in each unit. Dinaka Camp is wheelchair accessible as all areas of the camp are connected by sturdy wooden walkways. Both camps are perfectly suited throughout the year to families with children that are seven years or older.
Southern Carmine Bee-eaters © Ker and Downey
At Okuti Camp, the self-drive option is available for those who prefer experiencing the bush as a special family outing. Professional game driving in specially-designed safari vehicles gives the kids the height they need to spot wildlife in the distance. Guests can also travel via motorboat along the Okavango Delta and amongst the reeds of the lagoons, where a wide variety of bird species can be sighted.
Lodging at Dinaka Camp during the dry or rainy season, guests will have the opportunity to experience the different states of vegetation in the Central Kalahari. With a limit of four guests per game drive, everyone is guaranteed a window seat for great game-viewing. The family can learn about the local fauna and flora whilst on a guided bush walk, making it both a fun and educational holiday in Botswana.
Little Machaba and Gomoti Plains Camp
Machaba Safaris are classic 1950’s styled safari camps in Zimbabwe and Botswana, with those in Botswana being Little Machaba and Gomoti Plains. The game-rich Khwai Concession is home to Little Machaba and the aptly named Gomoti Plains alongside the Gomoti River. Children of all ages are welcome at both camps, with rates dependent upon each child’s different age.
An exhilarating game drive with Machaba Safaris © Machaba Safaris
Both Machaba and Gomoti Plains camps have two family luxury suites each, with en-suite bathrooms and private living areas that provide plenty of space for quality family bonding whilst on holiday. There is a good balance of exciting and more relaxing activities to ensure the kids get some downtime and are well-rested for the morning game drive. Each camp features a shared swimming pool and library, which older children can enjoy alone whilst parents are being treated to a pamper session at the spa on site.
Elephants stroll past at Gomoti Plains Camp © Machaba Safaris
Along with the morning game drives, there are game drives that begin in the late afternoon through into the early evening. Whilst on a game drive, guests can expect to see large predators, impressive herds of elephant and a variety of plains game. The bush can be experienced up close on a walking safari or viewed from the comfort of the family tent.
Let us help you create the perfect safari experience for your family.
