There is an alchemy that happens at Londolozi that is difficult to explain before you have felt it, and impossible to forget once you have. It lives in the quality of the light at the boma fire. In the way a tracker reads the sand as if it were a newspaper written that morning, in the silence after a leopard moves through the darkness and disappears.
Three generations can sit around that fire, and each find something different in it. The grandparent who first came decades ago and has been quietly counting the years until they could bring their grandchild. The parent who thought they understood this place, and discovers at dinner that they had only scratched the surface. The child who will spend the rest of their life measuring wild places against this one.
Londolozi has been in the Varty family since 1926. In that time, it has become something rarer than a great safari lodge. It has become a place of generations – where the land has healed, the leopards have multiplied, and the families who return find that the bush holds their history as carefully as they do.
Some trips are taken. This one gets planned, together. Tell us who is coming, and we will begin shaping it around them.
We recently returned to Londolozi for a second visit, this time with our adult children… From the very beginning, we were greeted like family. Thank you to our camp managers for making us feel so welcome… We were fortunate to be paired once again with our 2023 ranger and tracker. They remembered highlights from our previous visit and used that knowledge to shape new goals for this trip… Leaving Londolozi was, once again, bittersweet ~ Ellen M, TripAdvisor, September 2025
Some trips are taken. This one gets retold, around fires not yet lit, by children not yet born.
Every trip to Londolozi has abounded in incredible Big Five sightings. The kind of sightings that get your pulse racing and excitedly make their way to dinner party conversations around the magic of the bush. Lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, wild dog – we’ve been treated to all of them across our trips. What sets Londolozi apart for us as a family however, are the little moments, out in the bush and in camp, that give depth and colour to our experiences and leave us with a sense of connection to the bush and its animals. ~ Lauren Tunstall
A family safari is rarely a single destination. Most multi-generational journeys we welcome unfold over ten to fourteen nights, and Londolozi sits at the heart of them.
Many families begin in Cape Town, where the pace is gentle and every generation finds its footing: the mountain, the winelands, the sea. Then the Lowveld. Four or five nights at Londolozi is where the trip becomes the one that gets retold. Time enough for the leopards, for the tracker to learn each child’s name, for the fire to do its slow work on three generations at once. Some families split their stay across two of our camps, giving grandparents their quiet and teenagers their independence, with dinners shared. From here, some journeys continue: the Cape’s coastline, Victoria Falls, the islands of Mozambique.
It’s hard to put into words, but there’s a powerful force of nature at Londolozi that draws us in time and time again. It’s not just about the stunning landscapes or incredible wildlife; it’s about the deep compatibility of our family values with the ethos of this place, its people and animals. The overall Londolozi experience has a way of making us feel alive, connected, and inspired in ways that are truly indescribable. ~ Rhett Barker
Barker family trip 2024
Our travel partners can help you design the whole arc, from the first flight to the last. Tell us who is travelling and we will begin there.
Our family had been to Londolozi on a few occasions prior to the pandemic and we recently spent an incredible few days together… We were always offered so many options that more than covered the age differences of our family (10 – 63 years)… If there is another lodge out there that is better than Londolozi’s, then I have not found it yet. It’s certainly an unforgettable mzemory for all the family… Thanks to all at Londolozi for our special time together as a family ~ Doug, London. TripAdvisor, August 2023. Third family visit.
FAQ
Each of our camps tells its own story, and each holds families differently.
The minimum age requirement depends on the specific camp you choose. Varty, Founders and Pioneer Camp welcome children from aged 6 and older, while Tree Camp and Private Granite suites have a minimum age of 16. Children must also be at least 6 years old to join standard open-vehicle game drives.
Yes, a private vehicle can be booked. A private vehicle and dedicated ranger and tracker team means the day moves at your family’s rhythm: longer at the sighting for the photographers, back to camp early for the youngest.
A day on safari for a family will always be a magical one. From observing elusive leopards draped in trees, spotting elephants drinking from a waterhole to enjoying a cup of coffee in a riverbed together – there will be many moments which will remain with you and your family forever. We believe that it is essential to aim the game drive experience at the children. That means that the time spent in the vehicle looking for animals becomes a wonderful learning experience for little ones and a place where the family can interact together. What we can promise: a child who has followed a tracker’s finger to a leopard in a jackalberry tree does not forget it.
And then there’s the Cubs Den. The ‘Cubs Den’ is where the children, if they’ve opted out of a midday swim, can run around in a safe environment. This is a creative station with tons of arts and crafts to get involved with. It’s a space to be creative, make a mess and have fun in between their game drives with their families. Londolozi’s natural treasures provide us with enough to work with – from river sand to build castles, fresh water to fill the moat, a wonderful array of grass species to make turrets, driftwood to add bridges and smooth colourful stones to make doors and windows with.
Every season at Londolozi has its own character, and each one has something worth knowing if you’re deciding when to bring the family.
Summer, from December through February, is when the bush turns every shade of green. Thunderstorms build dramatically on the horizon, petrichor hangs in the air, and newborn impala lambs and wildebeest calves are finding their feet across the reserve. The December school holidays fall right in this season, and it’s a particularly lively time to bring children: Londolozi’s own evening chorus of frogs and crickets provides a soundtrack to warm nights around the fire, and with more young guests on the property, kids tend to find playmates easily.
Autumn, March into April, is milder and quieter as the summer rains ease off. Wildflowers still dot the reserve, big elephant herds spend more time along the Sand River, and the impala rut brings plenty of dramatic (and easy to spot) animal behaviour. If your school holidays line up with Easter, this is a lovely time to visit: children are treated to a bush breakfast under the trees, and the occasional Easter bunny bearing hot cross buns and chocolate eggs has become something of a Londolozi tradition.
Winter, May through August, brings crisp mornings, clear skies built for stargazing, and shorter grass that makes game viewing easier for young eyes still learning to spot wildlife. The long June/July school holidays suit families well here, with days that stay comfortably warm even as evenings call for blankets and hot chocolate around the fire, and with wild dogs often denning nearby, sightings can become a daily highlight for kids to look forward to.
Spring, September through November, sees the bush turn gold before the first green shoots and migrant birds return in their brightest colours. By November, impala lambing season is in full swing, and there are few better introductions to the bush for a child than watching a wobbly-legged newborn find its feet for the first time. The September school holidays fall at the start of this shift, making it a good window before the summer crowds arrive.
Whichever month you choose, the bush finds a way to hold something meaningful at every time of year. But if young explorers are joining you, planning around the school holidays gives them the best chance to share the experience with other children on safari, turning a family trip into the kind of memory that lasts well beyond the drive home.
Londolozi lies in a low-risk malaria area, and we’d always encourage you to check in with your doctor before you travel. Once you’re here, we’ve got you covered: insect repellent is on hand throughout camp and on every game drive, and each suite is fitted with mosquito netting around the bed.
Londolozi camps are fenced, keeping the big game out, and once the sun goes down our night porters are on hand to walk you safely to and from your suite. Out on game drives, you will be with your experienced ranger and tracker who have extensive knowledge of the land and animals.
If you have a medical condition or mobility need, we’d ask you to let us know when booking so we can prepare properly, and we’d always recommend travelling with comprehensive medical and travel insurance, as with any remote destination.
Easier than you’d think. Londolozi has its own airstrip, so from Johannesburg it’s a short, direct one-hour flight straight into the reserve, no long hours on the road with restless kids in the back seat. Many International Airports have direct flights straight into Johannesburg (OR Tambo), so getting to Londolozi could simply be two flights.
There’s a full selection of mains at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks and drinks before and during every game drive. We just ask that families let us know about dietary requirements ahead of arrival so we can plan around them.
