Ask a seven-year-old what they want to see in Africa and you will get a very precise list. From family tents in malaria-free Madikwe to kids’ clubs in the Kalahari and self-catering tents with hot tubs, here are South Africa’s best family glamping safaris and the age rules to check before you book.
Most safaris start with a flight. This one starts with a full tank of fuel. Here is a 10-day malaria-free road trip from Cape Town along Route 62 and the Garden Route to the Eastern Cape, with Big Five at both ends and the best tented camps, treehouses and glamping stays along the way.
For a group of six or more, an exclusive-use villa or private tented camp is often the smartest way to do a luxury safari. Here is what you get, how the cost compares with a shared lodge, and the best private villas and tented camps in South Africa, from Singita Castleton to Tanda Tula Field Camp.
On the same reserve in the Timbavati, a night in a tent costs more than a night in a thatched cottage. Canvas is no longer the budget choice. Here is how tented camps and safari lodges compare on price, comfort, safety, children and privacy, and how to choose the right one for your trip.
Nobody has ever come home from safari saying the antimalarial tablets were the highlight. Here are South Africa’s best malaria-free tented camps in Madikwe, the Waterberg and the Eastern Cape, plus a Karoo option most people overlook, with rates, drive times and who each one suits.