Traveling with a toddler can be challenging, but after recently completing an adventurous trip to Kenya and Rwanda with their 22-month old daughter, our YPA founders, Nick and Ashley, consider themselves pros.

Here’s their list of must-haves to bring along on a safari if you have little ones traveling with you:

1. Sleep easy. An inflatable seat and/or bed is so useful for both domestic and international flights. Ashley – “My favorite kids’ travel purchase to date; we call it baby business class.”
2. Safety first. A car seat (that comes with a cute matching backpack). “When it gets a bit bumpy on the Land Rover game drives, we popped our daughter into her car seat and belted her up – just for a bit of extra safety.”
3. Bug off. A kid-friendly anti-itch stick, like this one from Kinfield, will always come in handy.
4. Favorite snacks. Safari lodges and camps are happy to accommodate food requests from parents and kids, but sometimes you want to have some reassuring food items that your child knows and loves. “We took along Goldfish crackers, roasted chickpeas, and freeze-dried fruits. Also, if your kids love Ranch dressing or a certain ketchup, try packing a stash of little packets for your trip because it can be difficult to find specific condiment flavors if your kids are picky.”
5. Playful snacks. For long flights, we love this ‘Match Up Memory Snack Tray’ from Amazon. It has lots of small compartments to fill, and because it relies on your little one remembering where similar snacks are hidden within the tray, it should keep them busy for a while.
6. Airplane activities. “We kept Savvy amused by having a new activity to open up or start on every plane trip (even the small planes).” Ideas include animal-themed puzzles, sticker books, mess-free coloring sets, which are perfect for airplanes and transit lounges, plus downloading a few movies for the kids to watch on your phone or iPad.

When you’re well prepared and know what to expect, traveling on a safari with your little ones can be an incredibly special and rewarding experience. “We were shocked; our daughter never missed a game drive; she loved driving around searching for animals… even at 6:00am!” Ashley reminisces about their recent trip. 

If you need help planning a child-friendly safari that still ticks all your dream holiday boxes, get in touch!