Going on an African safari is a dream on many people’s bucket lists, but when you have the amazing opportunity to live on safari, and work at a place like Londolozi, that once in a lifetime experience becomes part of your everyday life. I have been lucky enough to have run the children’s program here at Londolozi for the last two years, and there are so many reasons I have loved doing what I do. There are so many aspects that make Londolozi the place it is, but one of the things that I think makes it just that bit more special is the experience it allows children to have while they are here on safari. I wanted to share the five reasons why I think your family would love Londolozi:

Cub’s Den leader, Emma Gird and tracker, Shadrack Mkhabela, explore the wilderness with two Londolozi kids. The environment, the staff and the program in place make Londoloi the ideal place for your children to visit.

1: The wide range of bush activities in between game drives:

The children’s program runs from straight after breakfast until afternoon game drive, which means kids are kept busy and active while parents can explore other activities on offer or just fit in some good old relaxation.

The bush activities we have on offer are some of the things my brothers and I would do for fun growing up on a game farm. One of the best parts of my job is when I get to give a child that comes from a big city like New York, Paris, London or Melbourne the experience of growing up on a farm for a couple of days. Those activities can include fishing, mud fights, tree climbing, rock climbing and more general bush adventures. The tracking and track moulding is also an amazing activity where the kids learn from local trackers that have lived and tracked in this area for centuries.

Camp can also be a fun place with lots of arts and crafts, baking, swimming, mocktail making and more. The new Cub’s Den room is being finished off to be ready for this new year. It is situated behind Varty Camp, close to the big pool and will be a great place for a lot of creativity and fun.

Learning can also be fun. Here some of the kids attempt to catch some butterflies, which they will then identify with their ranger before setting them free again.

Emma Gird takes some of the kids out on a fishing adventure. Mud, water, open space and lots of laughs makes this a perfect activity to do in between the morning and evening game drives.

Some of the children climb the big, sturdy branches of a tree, mimicking the leopards they’ve been learning about. In the Cub’s Den program, kids are bought together from all over the world making this sort of experience invaluable.

2: Children friendly food:

We all know kids can be fussy eaters and we all know what they would have when choosing from a juicy hamburger or a fresh green, leafy salad. That’s why our kids friendly kitchen is ready with different options such as pizzas, fish and chips and our world famous, homemade chicken strips. We also have fun by offering some more local kids options like Sheeba pasta, boerewors rolls or impala steak and chips as a way to not only taste delicious food but to offer a new learning experience to the children as well.

3: Interaction with new cultures and people.

The staff village located in the back of house is a great place for the kids to learn about the culture of the area. The pre-school is a place where kids from completely different cultures and backgrounds can interact; broadening their horizons and giving children from all over the world a new perspective.

Shadrack Mkhabela teaches his bush craft. The Londolozi staff are incredibly patient and passionate about passing on their knowledge to children. The relationships that are made here are invaluable.

4: Parents night off:

While we definitely understand the importance of family meal time we also know that separate kids and adult time is also appreciated. Movie themed dinners with lots of delicious treats is one of my favourite things and it gives parents time to sit back and enjoy some well deserved time off, or perhaps the chance to savour a bottle or two of wine in the peace and quiet of nature.

5: Fun!

The overall purpose is to create a place where kids come and learn while having fun. A place where creativity can be released and kids can truly be kids. The African bushveld is definitely a perfect environment for it and here at Londolozi it is our number one priority. When it comes to kids, whether it’s out on game drive or part of the kid’s program, we know that if they are having fun it means they are learning and making memories that they will never forget. We also feel that by introducing kids to nature at an early age, we will help to instill a love and fascination in them that they will carry with them forever. Something that is so important in a time when we all need to be taking greater consideration for the natural world.

Some of the kids find a mud wallow to dirty themselves in with their rangers. The thinking is that if it’s good enough for a rhino, then it’s good enough for us too.

Creepy crawlies, learning in the sunshine and most of all fun is what the Londolozi Cub’s Den experience is all about.

Unfortunately I will be saying goodbye to this magical place I have called home for over two years, but I cannot be more thankful for my time here. I have so enjoyed being involved in the Cub’s Den program, and being able to bring the simple pleasures of safari life to so many awesome little people and their families. The Cub’s Den program will continue once I have gone and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all our young safari goers of the future.

Written by Emma Gird