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.

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