Richard Dobson/Getty images
Wild Things: A family comes across Masai giraffes during an afternoon excursion in South Africa

Feb 11, 2008 issue
By Tara Weingarten

Twice before, Alison and Geoff Edelstein had been on an African safari and thought it was the best vacation they had ever taken. They awoke each morning at 5, hopped on an open-air 4 x 4, and drove into the world of giant elephants that gathered at sunrise to chomp on the dewy leaves. But it wasn’t until they brought their two teenage boys with them on a recent trip to South Africa and Zambia that they fully appreciated the journey. “It is the biggest experience you can imagine, and you just want to share it with the people you love the most,” says Alison, 44, of Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Many families dream of visiting southern Africa to see free-roaming lions and rhinos up close. But such a trip is likely to be one of the most expensive vacations you’ll take in your lifetime, even if done on a budget. For that reason, many travelers wait until midlife to make the trek, when they have more disposable income and their kids are old enough to cope with jet lag, sit through long safari rides and get the full impact of what they’re seeing. Now winter through springtime is the best time to go—the bush is less dense and the animals are easier to spot.

To maximize your visit in Africa and reduce the costliness of inter- and intra-country travel, plan a trip that requires as few plane rides as possible. Even a short 15-minute airlift can cost hundreds of dollars. Opt for visiting just one or two countries. A good one- or two-week visit might include South Africa, which has a number of regularly scheduled flights from Johannesburg to a large number of game reserves, and Zambia, where the exquisite Victoria Falls offers a different African experience from a game drive.

Several reserves in South Africa cater well to Western tastes, with rooms outfitted with luxury toiletries, high-thread-count linens and minibars stocked with goodies. But those who prefer to rough it have plenty of choices, too.

At Richard Branson’s Ulusaba private game reserve (from $570 per person per night; ulusaba.com) on the Sabi Sand Reserve near Kruger National Park, experienced rangers take guests on daily sunrise and sunset rides for close encounters with the big five: lions, elephants, water buffalo, leopards and rhinos. In the morning, safari-goers stop mid-drive at particularly stunning vistas to enjoy a tailgate snack, and again in the evening for the much-loved sundowner cocktail. The resort is unique for its small number of guests and impeccable personalized service.

Young children are welcome at Ulusaba, though families with kids under age 13 must book a private game drive so that other resort guests won’t be put out if your kids want to stop the excursion early. (Sabi Sand Reserve is a malaria area, so check with your physician about taking prophylactic medication before you go.)

Less expensive accommodations can be found at the 22-guest Elephant Plains Game Lodge, also in the Sabi Sand Reserve, for about $288 per person per night. It offers the same all-inclusive twice-daily big-game drive and in-suite baths in comfortable cottages.

Travel to Zambia to see Victoria Falls, a World Heritage site that dwarfs Niagara’s claim to fame and is the longest curtain of water in the world. The Royal Livingstone hotel (from $768 for a room that can accommodate up to a family of four; www.suninternational.com) is perched along the Zambezi River and offers uninterrupted views of the churning river and the smoky mist of the falls. Make sure you sip a cocktail on the hotel’s wooden deck, just yards from the massive falls. A much less expensive alternative, the Zambezi Sun (www.suninternational .com), has rooms starting at $122 and is within walking distance of the falls. Make sure to stay overnight on the Zambia side of the Zambezi River, since Zimbabwe’s political strife makes it unsafe for tourists on the other side. It’s still safe, however, to make a quick and thrilling trek across the Zambezi Gorge on a frightening single-file bridge high above the river and get completely soaked by the falls’ surprisingly warm mist. It’s what Dr. David Livingstone would do, if he came upon the river today.