Why Tanzania Is 2024-2025 Africa’s Best Destination For Families

Tanzania is a wonderful, kid-friendly travel destination that is just waiting to be explore. Tanzania excels at family travel, whether you’re coming for a safari to see the incredible array of animals here or just want to kick back on a beach along the Indian Ocean coast.

Although people in Tanzania are generally pleasant, traveling with kids elevates the experience to a new level by creating opportunities for interaction and opening doors. Families visiting Tanzania are guaranteed an unforgettable experience thanks to family-friendly accommodations, delectable cuisine, and engaging activities. This applies to both safari and beach vacations.

IS TANZANIA GOOD FOR KIDS?

Tanzania may be a great place to start your family’s African adventure if you’ve ever considered doing so. To begin with, Tanzania offers top-notch attractions suitable for visitors of all ages. After visiting a safari park, your kids won’t be able to go to a zoo ever again. These parks provide some of the most fascinating creatures on the globe.

 With their accessible and protected shorelines, these beaches are equally unique. A lifetime love of the water may begin for your child when they snorkel among Tanzania’s islands and reefs’ vibrant marine life, even though some activities may be age-specific for safety concerns.

Tanzania is renowned for having a very skilled and well-run tourism sector. We highly suggest combining both activities, whether your goal is to go on a safari in one of the nation’s national parks or enjoy a beach vacation in one of the coastal cities and resorts. Travel agencies and lodging establishments are accustomed to hosting families and have done so for many years.

But above all, what makes this a unique destination are the Tanzanian people. You’ll understand what we mean when you observe the joy on your new guide’s face upon first meeting your kids. Tanzania might not have as many kid-friendly amenities as you’ll find in Europe or other places outside of the tourism sector. Sure, stores carry most of the necessities, but level walkways suitable for pushing strollers or changing diapers for young children are not as common in Tanzania. However, as soon as a local notices a visiting child or a family having difficulty navigating a particular part of everyday life, a flurry of assistance requests will ensue.

Where is the best place in Tanzania for kids?

It makes the most sense to travel with children in two primary areas. First, there are several national parks to choose from in northern Tanzania. Compared to their competitors elsewhere in the nation, local lodging and tour companies have greater expertise in serving families. In addition, the northern region of the nation boasts some of the best wildlife viewing in all of Africa. Zanzibar, which is mainly focused on beach and cultural tourism but has a tourism business with experience similar to that of safari, is the second main location that is perfect for families.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN TANZANIA WITH KIDS

Wildlife safari

Nothing compares to the pleasure of witnessing your first elephant or lion in the wild, something your kids won’t soon forget. With tiered seats and canvas tops, the majority of 4WD vehicles used for wildlife drives are open-sided, so nothing stands between you and the animals. Yes, it’s completely safe, but when a lion approaches a child from a distance of only a few meters, even the most composed child’s heart will race. One of the greatest places on Earth to go on a safari is Serengeti National Park. Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater are all easily accessible by car and offer equally exhilarating animal viewing experiences.

A beach holidays

A beach vacation is a considerably better idea if you’re traveling with a young child than going on a nature safari. It’s not at all pleasant to take a very young child into the wilderness; you’ll be busy making sure your toddler doesn’t crawl off into the unfenced area, blissfully oblivious to the hazards of both large and little animals (elephants, lions, and fire ants). Particularly in Zanzibar, there are first-rate beach resorts featuring restaurants, large lawns and play spaces (some with playgrounds), and kid-friendly swimming pools. The beaches in locations like Nungwi, on the northern coast of Zanzibar, face placid lagoon waters that resemble calm seas.

Maasai cultural visits

The Maasai people inhabit a large portion of northern Tanzania, and there are many chances to have a guided interaction with one of their communities. This is particularly true in the region surrounding the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is home to the Ngorongoro Crater, where hamlet visits allow you to experience a little Maasai community. Children are frequently brought into family homes and given special treatment, including the opportunity to take part in ceremonial dances. It can be an emotional experience that your children will talk about long after they’ve come home, provided you go with a Maasai guide.

Beach activities

Even though all you want to do at a resort is unwind, there are plenty of options for a little more. There’s always the chance of snorkeling because of the abundance of marine life and coral in the waters around Zanzibar and other coastal regions (such as Pemba or Mafia Island). The greatest of these trips takes you out on the sea with a picnic lunch in a classic wooden sailing boat called a dhow.

Numerous activities that are popular with children, such as snorkeling, animal safaris, and cultural exchanges, are also well-liked by teenagers and tweens.

 Discover how to hunt with Hadzabe.

There are several Hadzabe communities that continue to live according to their traditional ways in the region surrounding Lake Eyasi. Visits to the Hadzabe involve participating in the morning food hunt, which the Hadzabe would be doing whether or not the visitors were present. This is in contrast to other cultural interactions. Immersion in a culture that has managed to withstand the assaults of the contemporary world is interesting.

Cooking classes

Tours where you do market shopping with a local chef and then learn how to cook Swahili delicacies are a common topic in Tanzania, ranging from Arusha to Zanzibar. For a day or two, it’s a great change of pace and provides many insightful observations on daily life here.

 Diving

 There are a lot of dive schools in Tanzania, and some teenagers might like doing something a little more difficult than snorkeling. Imagine them coming home and telling their buddies that they learned to scuba dive while they were away—it will open up a whole new world for them.

Hot-air balloon safari

A genuinely amazing way to experience a genuinely wonderful area is on a hot-air balloon safari above the Serengeti. Whether you’re gazing down on a herd of elephants or admiring the boundless Serengeti savannahs as the sun sets over the horizon, this is an experience of a lifetime, despite the cost.

PLANNING TIPS

It may get costly to take a youngster on safari. To ensure that the cries of even the most well-behaved babies don’t terrify the animals and ruin other guests’ safari experiences, everyone will be happy if you arrange a private safari—something that some operators will even insist upon. Think of visiting during the off-peak months when there are fewer other tourists and cheaper prices for lodging and tours.

 No matter how old your children are, discuss proper safari behavior with them and make sure they always follow the guidance of their guides. These things are important when on safari. Avoid trying to cover too much ground when traveling, particularly if you have little children with you. Make time to visit a few locations.

Even when on a safari in the bush, the majority of accommodations these days have WIFI, although it’s frequently limited to public spaces. To help your kids know where they can stay in touch with friends back home, make sure you set reasonable expectations and find out ahead of time where you’re likely to have WIFI access.