A Family-Friendly Safari in the Heart of the Greater Kruger

Why Serondella is Perfect for Families

Imagine the thrill of tracking a pride of lions with expert guides—and then spotting them! Picture stargazing under an inky sky while hyenas whoop in the background. Or the joy of swimming in a rim-flow pool as elephants bathe nearby in a muddy waterhole.

Children at Serondella learn about the secret lives of creatures like scops owls, dung beetles, and chameleons while experiencing the simple joy of digging in a dry riverbed or watching monkeys play in camp. A stay here is full of tactile, absorbing interactions with nature—experiences that children thrive on. They may even learn a thing or two about themselves as they connect with the rhythms of the wild.

As a parent of an eight- and ten-year-old, here are some of the reasons why I think this family-oriented lodge is a fantastic option for anyone wanting to take their kids on safari.

Spacious, Family-Friendly Lodge Layout

Family suites provide privacy while ensuring that every family member—child, parent, or sibling—has their own space. Each suite includes:

• Two inter-leading bedrooms on either side of a large living area
• A small kitchenette and an outdoor deck
• Private plunge pools (one heated)

For larger families, Willem’s Den offers three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, lounge, private garden, boma, and plunge pool.

The camp is designed around a central garden dotted with fever trees, giving kids space to explore (though younger children should be supervised, especially at night). The main deck, where meals are often served, features a lounge, sun loungers, and a large rim-flow pool overlooking a very active waterhole.

Our Kids’ Experience

Our children took full advantage of the lodge’s offerings—they swam in every pool, played board games and chess in the library, kicked a ball on the lawns, and even napped in the swing chairs shaded by fever trees. They also spent hours watching the waterhole and loved their spacious, beautifully appointed rooms with cool concrete floors, shaggy carpets, motion-sensor lights, and king-size beds.

Tip:

The variety of spaces works brilliantly for kids. They can splash in the private pools, play games in the library, read in the swinging chairs, or watch wildlife from the lower deck. Ours found ways to be together or alone and it was easy to move them between activities and spaces to match or change their energy levels.

Kid-Friendly Dining

The lodge offers a dedicated kids’ menu featuring favourites like pizza, spaghetti Bolognese, and burgers, all prepared by the incredible kitchen team—many of whom are parents themselves.

We found the main menu very accessible to children too. The lunchtime build-your-own meal options (inspired by global flavours and fresh local ingredients) were a hit with our kids and included familiar favourites like chicken strips, fries, tacos and fresh guacamole served with exciting salads, spring rolls, and delicious condiments. The generous portions and variety allowed them to try new foods, which is a fun part of travel with kids, while making sure there were ‘safe’ options too. The lodge also stocks the rooms with snacks like rusks, biscuits, juice, nuts, and dried fruit—perfect for in-between meal nibbles. The team even adapted welcome drinks and cocktails for the kids so they’re never left out of a single experience.

Tip: For younger kids, ask to have dinner ready upon returning from the afternoon drive, as it extends past sunset and possibly bedtime. For toddlers, consider taking along a packed dinner for the evening drive.

Welcome Packs

Each child received a thoughtful welcome pack that included:

• A personal note
• A gorgeous backpack and water bottle
• A Future Ranger cap
• Plush stuffed elephants (Serondelli and Amber in our case!)
• An Activity Book with wildlife information, puzzles, and colouring pages

They also loved the cosy robes, slippers, and child-friendly minibar stocked just for them. The nightly turn-down service included a short bedtime story on their pillows, inspiring their own storytelling sessions and reflections on the day. My daughter wrote thank-you notes to the housekeeping team each morning, appreciating the small, personal touches.

Tip:

When you leave, you can thank the staff with gratuities, but I know my daughter loved giving the small gifts of a homemade thank-you card and a little notebook as much as the housekeepers liked receiving them. You can also ask the lodge about their work with local communities and children from less advantaged backgrounds.

Friendly, Engaging Staff

A child-friendly culture is evident in how Serondella’s staff interact with young guests – it’s not something you can fake. Our butler, Arnold Godi, chatted with my son throughout the course of our stay about birds, soccer, food and his family. And he provided my daughter with a steady stream of homemade iced tea and kind words. The chef Thomas Matoworenyi checked in to ensure the kids were happy with their meals. At the braai (barbeque), they enjoyed interacting with him, and weren’t shy to ask for extra cookies from the sous chef in between the (generous) meals! Our tracker Jeffrey Mabasa allowed them to sit on his tracker seat and answered endless questions about animals. He also showed them tracks and signs, and shared exciting anecdotes about his life in the wild. The spa staff pampered both kids with mango and coconut massages, helping them relax after days packed with excitement. Staff members are available to babysit if you want some downtime to yourself. The lodge is advertised as child-friendly, so child-free guests are aware they’ll be sharing space with (reasonably well-behaved) little people.

Tip: Use the babysitting service! Parents don’t often have the luxury. For example, if you’d like to skip a morning drive and sleep in, ask a staff member to collect the kids for hot chocolate instead! Want a kid-free game drive? Arrange for someone to watch your child for a couple of hours. They’ll be so well entertained they probably won’t even notice you’re gone.

Kid-Friendly Game Drives

Game drives are an essential part of the safari experience. Depending on group size and guide availability, you may have a private vehicle—something worth requesting when booking.

There may be an additional cost – but with young kids especially, it’s worth it. Having our own vehicle meant:

• We could follow our kids’ interests (they were more captivated by a baby giraffe than a leopard sighting!).
• Guides kept them engaged with wildlife ID, tracking lessons, storytelling – and their full attention
• We could manage drive durations, ensuring they stayed exciting rather than exhausting.

Drives can be long, so pack the kids’ welcome backpacks with snacks, sunscreen, and wet wipes. Kids love feeling kitted out and independent, and their activity books will keep them busy in the quieter moments between sightings. Keep lists—these are great fun to compile, and aside from being a wonderful record of discovery, they can lead to lots of friendly competition and games linked to who sees what animal and when.

Tip: For young children, if you have your own vehicle consider shorter drives; one hour of engagement is often better than three hours of restlessness.

Other In-Camp Activities

Between game drives, kids can:

• Take nature walks with guides to spot rare plants, tracks, and insects.
• Bake with the chefs or create arts and crafts.
• Enjoy kid-friendly massages at the spa.

Our children also loved the board games in the rooms and library, the magnifying glass and nature curiosities, and watching monkeys and nyalas wander through camp.

Tip 1: The spa ladies Bongiwe Xaba massaged both kids into a deep sleep. Safari days start early and end late, but we’d never have got them down for a nap, so this worked great

Tip 2: Water-related activities keep kids entertained for hours, so don’t underestimate how much time they’ll spend in the pool.

Our son loved a pre-game drive bubble bath in the open air, with elephants just a stone’s throw away, and spent hours happily playing and relaxing in the water.

Technology on Safari

Serondella has Wi-Fi, Sonos speakers, and charging points, though rooms are TV-free.

We chose to leave our kids’ tablets at home to allow them to immerse themselves in the safari environment. However, it’s understandable if you bring a device for downtime and nobody will judge! If you do, just make sure you have earphones, but for the most part, you’ll likely be surprised by how much more fun they have without their familiar distractions.

The TV in the library is a lovely option for limited screen time, and kids can watch wildlife documentaries there if they need to decompress or you want to have a quiet dinner without them. We also kept good old paper lists of bird and animal sightings to log in to apps after the trip.

Tip: Safari is an excellent opportunity to introduce kids to other tech tools, like cameras. My children enjoyed using my old cameras to capture their surroundings.

Packing Tips for Kids on Safari

• Loose or zip-off trousers for chilly mornings and sunny afternoons
• Caps (provided in the welcome pack) stay on better than bucket hats. As it gets hot, these should be non-negotiable on drive
• Swim gear – including goggles if your child is particular about this
• Avoid bright colours
• The lodge offers a laundry services, so pack light but efficiently
• If you bring a tablet, include earphones and chargers
• Closed shoes for drives and open shoes for lounging
• Puffer jacket or jumper for cool mornings; beanie and gloves in winter
• Some crayons, markers or a small pallet of water paints and some extra paper
• Binoculars, cameras and torches. A scorpion torch can be fun for a supervised nighttime walk around camp
• A familiar toy that can come on safari with them. When they were smaller, ours loved little animal figurines so they could play their own safari games and enact all kinds of wild adventures.
• Some favorite snacks for in your bag. Kids get hungry at weird times.
• Wet wipes
• Preferred brands for allergies, tummy upsets, or headaches. A chewable probiotic is also helpful.
• Sunscreen
• Lipbalm
• Insect repellent

Safety and Practical Tips for Safaris with Kids

Serondella’s guides are well-trained in safety and first aid. Their top priority is the well-being of guests, especially around wildlife. The kitchen staff is accommodating to dietary needs, and malaria precautions are advised, so consult with a paediatrician about recommended prophylactics. In case of allergies or sensitive tummies, bring preferred brands for medication, probiotics, or other essentials.

Tips especially for younger kids and babies

• The lodge can arrange camp cots for babies and toddlers.
• Consider confirming an exclusive-use vehicle. It’s the best way to ensure everyone has a great safari experience. Some lodges charge extra for this, but others will accommodate you if there are enough guides and vehicles, so just be sure to ask.
• If you have your own vehicle, shorten drives. One hour of fascinated engagement is better than three hours with a border toddler. Remember, they will love all the little and common animals, too—don’t go just for the big sightings or the big five.
• Feed little kids on the drive with a packed dinner. Our kids have occasionally fallen asleep on the drive, and then it’s just a case of getting them into bed. If this is likely to happen, ask if someone can sit with them in the room while you have dinner as the rooms are too far from the dining area.
• In the same vein, bathe them before the evening game drive and even pop their pyjamas on for the drive.
• Brief kids on common dangers—its possible to encounter snakes and scorpions in camp, so make sure kids know what to avoid and when to call adults. Also, talk about how to behave at sightings.
• Pack some favourite books, or other toys for familiarity.
• Encourage your guide to let them touch leaves, dig in river beds (when safe and dry) and look at fascinating details – like animal tracks. Or even better – animal poop!

At the end of your stay, your family will leave with memories not just of incredible wildlife sightings but also of new foods, friendships, and unforgettable moments shared together in nature.