When we were planning to visit Africa for a safari, a friend advised us to try a self-drive safari, which offers an amazing and memorable experience. When we settled on trying self-driving in Africa, a lot of questions popped into my mind. Due to the help of the tour company and a lot of online research, we managed to conduct a successful and interesting self-drive safari in Africa. I have decided to compile this article to answer most of the questions about traveling to Africa with the kids and sharing our self-drive safari experience in Africa. This one stands out as the best among our family overland adventures.

Is it safe to travel to Africa with kids?

Safety, the main question asked by most of the people planning to travel to Africa with kids is about safety. The continent often gets an unfair reputation from the media, leading many to believe that every African country is beset by war, crime, famine, drought, and disease. While Africa does face challenges, each country is unique, and we never felt unsafe or threatened during our 101 days of self-drive overlanding in Africa. Apart from the occasional challenging border guard and traffic police official, we experienced a hot welcome throughout Africa.

Dealing with police and border guards?

In Mozambique generally, our experience was positive. We had been warned about frequent police stops for bribes, but this never occurred maybe we were lucky. It only happened once when a soldier asked for food.

When we entered Tanzania, the situation was a bit different when we were pulled over multiple times and accused of speeding, despite not exceeding the speed limit, they presented us with a photo of our car, superimposed with a speeding number, via WhatsApp. I found it very challenging to deal with officials in such situations.

Fortunately, my husband was more patient and he was able to successfully handle the situation to win them over.

We never paid a bribe at any point.

Whenever we encountered a traffic officer, we learned to be very smiley, say ‘yes sir / no sir,’ and essentially cater to their ego. Unfortunately, positions of authority are often abused across much of Africa, so it’s a game you have to play along with, even in more developed countries like Namibia and South Africa.

Speeding Fines in Africa

The obvious solution is to avoid speeding, and we made a conscious effort to stick to the speed limit; however, that often wasn’t enough. Our initial strategy was to have the boys smile and wave, which worked occasionally. If the police officer didn’t reciprocate with a smile, we would then request to accompany them to the police station to pay the alleged fine, explaining that we had no cash and wanted to handle it officially. The police would recognize that this was more hassle than it was worth, particularly since we weren’t speeding, and would let us go.

Malaria on African Safari

We all took antimalarial medication during our self-drive overland trip in Africa. Although some view them as controversial due to potential side effects, we opted for Larium for several reasons. Research indicates that children have a greater resistance to malaria, and our parents have used it multiple times without any issues. Additionally, Larium is taken weekly, whereas Malarone is taken daily. However, it is recommended not to use Larium if there is a history of mental health issues. We suggest consulting a medical travel expert to discuss your options.

What Vaccinations Are Needed When Traveling to Africa?

Before this trip, we had been on a safari in India, so we were already current on vaccinations and did not require any additional ones for Africa. It’s advisable to consult your doctor for guidance on vaccinations. However, the standard ones typically include:

• Diphtheria, Polio, and Tetanus (combined booster)
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Cholera
• Rabies

What if someone got injured?

As we knew we would be far from medical help we ensured that we had a good family medical kit. This included a first aid handbook and a malaria test kit.

Did your boys get ill?

During the 101 days of self-drive overland safari in Africa, aside from our youngest boy having a high temperature for one night, all our kids never fell ill. We allowed them to play in sand and dirt, and live a grubby existence like most kids of the same age.

For the sake of our kids getting ill, I believe we were just lucky, they may have a strong immune system from their time in India. Alternatively, they may be just as likely to contract a virus in Africa as they would be in the United Kingdom.

Either way, we had our First Aid Kit ready. When our youngest kid had a high temperature, we monitored him with a thermometer and conducted two malaria tests and they both came out negative. He was fine the next day.

PLANNING

Did you have to do a lot of planning before your trip

To be completely honest, NO. For many travelers, a safari like this takes years to organize (consider these adventure planning tips).

In our case, it all came together in just a few weeks. With my husband getting a 5-month leave from work, some voluntary redundancy funds available, our boys not yet in school, and a great deal on a 4×4 rental in Africa… we took advantage of the opportunity and went for it. Fortunately, everything appeared to align perfectly… just barely.

What route did you take?

We arrived in Johannesburg and we found that our Toyota Land Cruiser V8 which we hired from 4×4 Self Drive Africa Ltd already waiting for us at the airport this was the starting point of our safari and it ended in Kampala Uganda. Our Africa overland self-drive safari led us through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.