Why a safari is the ultimate holiday with your teenager
If your teen is 16, you have two more summers of guaranteed family holidays before they finish school. Two more years before university schedules, internships and independence start to pull them in new directions.
If you’d like to slow down and savour some of this precious time together, one of the best ways we’d recommend is an African family safari.
Besides the incredible wonder that comes with seeing wild animals from an open game drive vehicle, a safari vacation also naturally pulls you (and them) away from WiFi and into a place where the rhythm of life is dictated by birdsong and distant lion calls, not phone alerts. No matter how resistant they might be to the idea at first, something shifts when you’re together watching elephants cross a river at dusk.
For teenagers, especially those navigating the pressures of exams, social media and the intensity of school life, time in nature can be incredibly restorative.
Research consistently shows that immersion in wild landscapes improves mental well-being, lowers stress, and increases focus. Add to that the thrill of spotting a lion in the wild or walking through the bush on foot, and you’ll have a family holiday that leaves a lasting impression. Getting them into the bush might be the best reset you can give them.
The wonder of Africa for teens
Although you’ll almost certainly take photos and videos on safari, sometimes it’s about the moments that can’t be captured on a screen, but will live on in your teen’s memory long after the trip ends.
Picture witnessing one of nature’s greatest spectacles, the Great Migration across Tanzania and Kenya, together. Thousands of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River in a thunderous display. If you add in a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti at sunrise, it becomes something you’ll talk about for years.
Or, enjoy an alternative to a safari that you’ll also recount around the dinner table for a long time to come. Imagine you’re trekking through the Rwandan rainforest as a family and suddenly your guide stops and points to his right. The forest stills. Just beyond a curtain of vines, a mountain gorilla emerges. He’s watchful, curious and powerful. For a moment, it’s as if time folds in on itself. One of the younger males ambles closer, wide-eyed, stopping just a few metres away. You lean into the foliage, hardly breathing. Then, slowly, he moves on, unbothered and majestic. To meet a gorilla’s gaze like that is not just a sighting; it’s a moment that changes you.
Take them to Southern Africa to see the Big 5 and enjoy other adventures
Southern Africa has no shortage of teen-friendly safari adventures. In South Africa, the Kruger National Park and its private reserves deliver Big Five sightings in style. Seeing lions up close from an open safari vehicle is certainly ‘a flex’. Combine that with a helicopter ride over the Okavango Delta in Botswana or white water rafting on the Zambezi below Victoria Falls, and you’ve got a holiday filled with stories to tell.
Even the journey to or from your safari can be enhanced with activities your teenager will enjoy. Cape Town is one of the perfect pre- or post-safari stops, offering everything from seeing penguins on the beach at Boulders to ziplining through mountain gorges and even shark cage diving in Gansbaai. Cape Town also boasts a trendy food and health food scene, beautiful coastal drives, and numerous photogenic moments. And nearby Hermanus offers the opportunity to watch whales from land between August and November.
A chance to reconnect
While a family trip to a European city has its value, Africa provides the space to reconnect. It’s a place to share laughter, conversations under a starry sky, and make extraordinary memories. It’s the antidote to the over-scheduled, always-on teenage (and often adult) lifestyle.
At Leopard, we’re African experts. We take care to understand what your family values most and create seamless experiences that are deeply memorable, even life-changing. As a result, we love receiving reviews like this on TrustPilot…
“The team at Leopard were great from our first interaction until the last day of our trip. They helped us plan the perfect trip for our family and were always there to answer our questions and make adjustments (our fault–not theirs!). They even helped me track a lost suitcase so I didn’t have to worry about it. Highly recommend!” – Jill
If you’re curious about how a safari might work for your family, let’s explore the possibilities together. You may even get the chance to watch your teenager light up with real-world awe as they watch a leopard hoist an impala into a tree.
Happy Travelling,
The Leopard Team
P.S. Stay inspired by African travel content by following us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
To receive more blog posts like this, straight to your inbox, subscribe to the Leopard newsletter here.