A New Zealand family’s first safari: from Kruger to Chobe

Ian and Paula Holding, from New Zealand, came to us wanting to mark two milestones: their 20th wedding anniversary and Ian’s 60th birthday. A safari had long been one of Paula’s dreams, so Africa was the obvious choice — and with teenagers Lochlan (Lochi) and Scarlett along for the ride, they wanted a trip the whole family would remember.

We helped shape the journey, building an itinerary that took them from Cape Town and the Greater Kruger to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park. Along the way, there were plenty of moments they hadn’t anticipated. Here, they share a few that stayed with them:

Tell us a little about your very first morning on safari in Kruger.

Ian: We were at Simbavati, and it was winter, so pretty cold. Thanks to you guys, one of the villas overlooked the waterhole. Everybody was asleep and I heard a snuffling sound.

I opened the slider and went outside onto the deck. When my eyes adjusted, I saw four hippos, literally 20 feet away, chewing grass at the water’s edge.

It was freezing and amazing! So I woke everybody up, and we stood there in various degrees of clothing, watching the hippos have their breakfast. We looked at each other with big smiles. It was a really cool moment. Before the day’s even started, you’ve got a safari right in front of your lodge.

Which place were you most looking forward to?

Paula: The Kruger was the epitome of South Africa for me. The animals were the number one thing on my list, and seeing them gave me such elation. At one point, a lioness walked right alongside our safari vehicle— it felt like we could reach out and stroke her. To me, female lions’ majesty supersedes the males; they carry such a sense of awareness, both of themselves and of their cubs.

Ian: Simbavati in the Greater Kruger, because it was our first true African safari. I knew we were staying in high-end lodges, but until you’re there, it’s hard to know the level. The suites were gorgeous, the views fantastic, the service unbelievable. You guys knocked it out of the park.

We were very lucky, as the guide explained, because we saw the Big Five on our first evening safari — well, four-and-a-half, as there was only half a buffalo! After that, it got better and better.

Was there a moment that demonstrated just how extraordinary the guides and trackers were?

Ian: We were driving back from a safari in Sibavati in the dark. The kids asked lots of questions and the guides didn’t mind at all. The tracker moved a big headlight across the track, looking for the reflection of eyes at night. All of a sudden, he goes, “Stop!”

He hopped off the jump seat at the front of the vehicle. We couldn’t see anything, but he reached into a bush, and there was a chameleon about four inches long, wrapped around a leaf. From six feet away, you couldn’t see it at all. We were amazed he’d spotted that in the dark, on the move, with one flashlight.

Did any destination surprise you?

Ian: Two places really surprised me: Victoria Falls and Chobe.

Paula and the kids wanted to go to Victoria Falls, but bizarrely I had no great expectations — and it really surprised me! First, because of the amazing place you booked us into, Mbano, a luxurious boutique hotel with really friendly people.

But the falls themselves were absolutely incredible! It was an emotional moment — the sheer vastness, the volume of water. We got soaked. The noise of the falls, baboons walking around — we were fully immersed and didn’t care that we were wet.

The helicopter flight gave us another perspective, and watching the kids’ faces as they looked down at the falls was extraordinary. We also walked the markets, bartered, and Lochi had a crocodile kebab at Three Monkeys Café.

The second place that surprised me was Chobe. The lodge, up on the hill overlooking the river, was incredible — you could see elephants crossing right from the lodge.

Our water safari was in a boat that only took four to six people, so it was very exclusive. We enjoyed nibbles and a glass of wine while watching herds of elephants feeding on the grass. It was very, very special.

Paula: I had no idea! Botswana was a nice-to-have, not on my list — that’s where your company really came into its own by suggesting we go. Chobe was amazing! The river cruises, so close to the elephants, were another take-me-by-surprise moment.

For other Leopard clients dreaming of their next getaway, what is your number one piece of advice for an African safari?

Ian: The thought of borders, transferring between cars and taxis, moving luggage, and immigration between countries stressed me out. That was the part I wasn’t looking forward to.

Paula, who was a traveller even before we met, helped, and so did the support from Leopard’s WhatsApp group — with all my thousands of questions, that was amazing for a detailed person like me.

Over time, I learned to embrace the African experience — going through immigration and transferring between places is part of the adventure. At the busiest immigration point, moving between Zimbabwe and Botswana, I noticed baboons walking around the back of the buildings. I got the kids to photograph the border signs, and it changes things. You’re in it, so enjoy it — it’s all part of the experience.

We also ended up chatting to a South African family of nine, doing their annual trip from Zimbabwe into Botswana, which was great. So what could have been stressful ended up being quite enjoyable. My advice to anyone travelling to Africa for the first time: embrace those moments — they’re nowhere near as bad as you think, and as long as you’ve read the preparation Leopard sent through, it’s pretty smooth.

Africa has a reputation for changing people. How do you think this journey has shifted the family’s perspective on nature, conservation, or travel itself?

Ian: It’s an immensely proud moment, where you feel grateful for all the decisions you’ve made to put yourself in a position as a family to do something like that and give the kids that experience and open their minds to other countries, cultures, adventures.

So there’s a much greater life feeling attached to that. Seeing the kids’ faces, the constant smile on Paula’s face because that was her dream come true. It wasn’t just a holiday; it was a much greater life experience.

Paula: Before we’d even left Botswana, Lochi and I knew that we definitely wanted to return to Africa — to see the gorillas and the Great Migration in the Serengeti. It’s opened our eyes to so many other opportunities. Of course, we’ve invited Ian and Scarlett to join us!

Africa is beautiful and astonishing, and so different. Africa is red and yellow, which is so unlike New Zealand, with its blue skies and lots of greenery and no wild animals.

We had a giggle when people asked us what animals New Zealand has. “We have birds,” we’d say. Ian was trying to describe a kiwi bird to one of the guests, and we gave up because it can’t compete. A flightless, nocturnal bird that many people have never seen in the wild… just cannot compete with lions and elephants and rhinoceroses.

Happy travelling,

The Holding Family