![]() ![]() Tau overlooks a natural watering hole and our terrace provided endless entertainment when we weren’t on drives – we even had an elephant come within a few meters of our room, it was amazing!Ĭlick here to book Tau Game Lodge Our deluxe room at Tau Game Lodge The incredible watering hole views from our room at Tau Game Lodge Madikwe Game Reserve Our lodge, Tau Game Lodge, isn’t too far from the main road to Botswana and is relatively close to Johannesburg in case we needed to get back to the city. Tau and Madikwe offered everything we wanted – Madikwe is malaria free and only the lodge guests are allowed access to the park. ![]() We opted for a deluxe cottage in the family-friendly Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve – check prices here We also added the self-drive Addo Elephant Park to the mix as we’d had some incredible experiences at Addo on previous visits and the elephant sightings are so special in Addo. We narrowed down our options to the Madikwe Game Reserve, Waterberg and Pilanesberg National Park which are all malaria free, are home to the Big 5 and offer private game reserves. We were so lucky to spot some incredibly rare black rhino The Options Given the excellent malaria-free safari options in South Africa, this was where we decided to focus our search. The tradeoff was that it must be malaria free and preferably a private game reserve that wasn’t too remote in case J got sick and needed a doctor or a hospital. We wanted somewhere that offered an authentic safari experience with the potential for lots of big game sightings. Location is key when planning any safari and especially so when planning a safari with a baby. We used this travel cot to protect J from mosquito bites on our journey through Africa and Namibia 3 | Choosing a location for a safari with a baby We are sharing our own personal experience which does not constitute medical advice in any way. Safari with a baby tip: always consult a medical professional for advice on travel vaccinations and malaria risk. Luckily, there are some excellent malaria-free safari options, predominantly in South Africa, and this was where we decided to focus our search. We weren’t prepared to take any risks when it came to J’s health so we ruled out any of the parks where malaria presented a risk. Unfortunately, many safaris are located in areas where visitors are at risk of contracting malaria although the level of risk varies depending on the month and location. Over recent years we’ve had amazing safari experiences in Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands in South Africa and the Okavango Delta in Botswana but these trips were accompanied by anti-malarial medication and other precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Morning coffee breaks on our game drives! 2 | Malaria However, it’s very unlikely that a baby will be allowed on a game drive. Private game drives have the advantage of better wildlife spotting as the rangers and trackers are incredibly skilled and can also go off road for the best sightings. However, it’s much rarer to spot animals such as cheetahs and leopards and big 5 sightings often get jammed with cars. Self-drives are a great option for safari with a baby as you drive your own car, have the flexibility to start and finish when you please and the baby can join you. Self-drives are not usually permitted in these private reserves. game drives in private reserves: most game lodges in the private game reserves offer morning and evening game drives on small trucks with usually 6 or 8 guests in total and these are included in the daily rate.guided drives: on a safari truck in the same parks you can self-drive.self-drive: drive your own car through the park in search of wildlife.If you haven’t been on safari before this means you have the choice of: When planning a safari with a baby you’ll need to decide between a self-drive safari and guided game drives. Now that we have experienced safari with a baby we wanted to share what we learned, what you need to consider and the pros and cons of taking very young children on safari to help you with your safari planning! J’s first elephant sighting! What to consider when planning a safari with a baby 1 | Game drives or self-drives As first-time parents and with J only 8 weeks old at the time of departure we had zero experience of travelling with a baby but, after much research and deliberation, we decided to reserve a few safari nights in Madikwe Game Reserve in the far north of South Africa. While planning our first trip with J to South Africa and Namibia we spent a lot of time debating whether we could possibly go on safari with a baby. ![]()
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