At one time, Kenya was THE African safari destination option, a country that boasted not only classic ‘Out of Africa’-style safari but also offered stunning Indian Ocean beaches at the end of the adventure. Indeed, Kenya has absolutely nailed it when it comes to quintessential ‘Big 5’ spotting safari experiences, whether it’s the sunrise or sunset game drive or something a little different, like tracking spoor and learning bushcraft from the Maasai tribesmen themselves. See our Kenya with Kids feature for a host of fun activities, and our family safari section, which is a great place to start when choosing the ideal adventure for you and your family.

You’ll also enjoy tales around the campfire under the desert sky and waking up to the roar of a lion. If your budget stretches, conservancies offer a more intimate safari experience when it comes to family travel in Kenya – check out Where to stay in Kenya.

It’s the combination of spectacular natural beauty, ‘classic’ safari and a wealth of family-friendly activities that makes Tanzania one of the greatest wildlife destinations on earth and the archetypal family travel experience in Africa. Like its East African counterpart, Kenya, it’s easy to get around, making it a hit with all age groups, including grandparents. See our Tanzania with Kids feature for ideas on family-friendly activities away from the safari jeep.

As for what animals you’ll see, there are two major wildlife ‘hotspots’: the Ngorongoro Crater, whose 600-meter-high walls create one of the highest concentrations of animals in Africa, including the Big 5, as well as rhinos. The other is the Serengeti, famed for its wildebeest migration (the largest mammal migration on earth), zebras, elephants, lions, gazelles, and more. What makes Tanzania such a consistent hit with families is also the opportunity for R & R on the palm-fringed Indian Ocean beaches and the ‘spice island’ of Zanzibar.

Parents, listen up! If you’re looking for a destination that offers not just a taste of safari life, but a gazillion different experiences for everyone as well, look no further than South Africa. Cape Town and the Garden Route showcase some of the country’s most dramatic scenery, while KwaZulu-Natal is a microcosm of everything South Africa offers. See our South Africa Top 10 feature for ideas.

If you are looking for an outstanding safari experience, with the flexibility to self-drive and explore at your own pace, check out Kruger National Park. Closer to Cape Town and the Garden Route, the Eastern Cape region is home to over 50 game parks and nature reserves where you can encounter everything, including the Big 5. Combine a ‘safari-lite’ trip with activities such as ziplining, canoeing, canyoning, whale-watching, and spotting penguins at Boulder Beach, Cape Town. Perhaps complete your trip with a quick trip to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, and you have the ultimate no-jet-lag all-rounder.

Come for the wildlife (not just lemurs, but those too), stay for the scenery. Madagascar is known as ‘The Island Continent’, a place which is so diverse that you encounter a far broader wildlife-people-and-landscapes-experience than you might think (take a look at places to visit and our sample Madagascar itineraries). There are powder white beaches, soaring tsingies (sharp limestone spires), jungle, rainforest, baobab avenues, lush rice terraces, and more in this truly fascinating yet comparatively little-visited destination.

A family holiday in Madagascar is less about the age of your kids and more about their adventurous spirit. While the country’s infrastructure is fairly basic, it’s an ideal destination for families seeking something unique and different. As one recent guest put it, “The best holiday of our lives, we never thought we could have an adventure like that with our young children!”

Thirty years ago, Zimbabwe (particularly Hwange National Park) was one of the biggest safari destinations in Africa, famed for its superb game viewing, elephant lodges, expert guides, and well-set-up camps. Mugabe’s tenure put paid to all of that, but now, thanks to a return to political stability and a far more stable economy, this Southern Africa country is welcoming tourists back with open arms.

If you want to experience an authentic, up-close-and-personal safari without the crowds, this is a sure-fire winner, as our Zimbabwe photo feature shows. No trip here would be complete without a visit to the Zambezi River and mighty Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest and most powerful waterfalls. It’s literally breathtaking.

Located on the northwestern tip of Africa, bordered by both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Morocco is one of the most accessible African destinations for families, and a firm favourite with Stubborn Mule travellers. Offering well-developed infrastructure and perhaps the most exotic, enchanting landscape and culture it’s possible to experience in a three-and-a-bit hour flight time. You can pack an enormous amount into a week-long Morocco family adventure, making it a brilliant half-term holiday option.

Younger children will be just as fascinated by the souqs of Marrakech as teenagers practicing their bargaining skills. Hiking in the Atlas Mountains can be adapted to mule trekking for youngsters, whilst soaking in a pool at a desert camp, or sitting around a campfire under the stars has ageless appeal. See our Morocco with Kids feature for more.

If you want to get away from it all – and we mean pretty much everyone and everything – Namibia is the place to head, and a road trip is the way to do it. You can literally travel thousands of miles exploring Namibia’s vast, open landscape, a place where huge skies dominate, sand dunes are the world’s largest, roof-tents are an option (although most people choose hotels and lodges), and you’ll be flanked by the eerie Skeleton Coast or ocean. There’s wildlife, of course, at Etosha National Park, Okonjima, and Damaraland (see Places to visit in Namibia).

Given the distances involved, we think Namibia best suits older children, those who can make the most of adrenaline-fuelled activities like fat-biking and sand-buggying, surfing down dunes or kayaking with seals, as well as not asking ‘are we there yet?’ every ten minutes. Check out our Top 10 Namibia with Kids feature for more.

Egypt sits within the continent’s huge borders, at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East. It’s a ‘bringing history to life’ destination when it comes to family travel in Africa. It is a stand-out destination that needs little introduction, absolutely ideal for families with children whose legs can withstand a few hours of temple and archaeological site exploration.

With a relatively short flight time and some great value hotels and experiences, Egypt can also be an affordable option, ideal for week-long half terms in particular, which is long enough to experience pretty much everything from Giza’s Pyramids to Nile River boat cruises, hot air ballooning, and trips to the Valley of the Kings. Take a look at our Egypt with Kids Top 10 feature and some great customer photos of Egypt.

Rwanda’s description as ‘the land of a thousand hills’ gives some clue to the landlocked African country’s topography, located as it is along the Great Rift Valley. Whilst the thought of rugged volcanic mountains and lush tree-clad valleys may be tempting enough, it’s what lives there that is the country’s biggest draw: primates or, to be more specific, one of the world’s largest populations of mountain gorillas.

If you’re wondering why the country isn’t over-run by tourists flocking to see this bucket-list encounter, the $1,500 per person gorilla trekking visa and 15 year minimum age limit in Virunga National Park may explain it. But the price may be the necessary hurdle to help keep these fascinating mountain creatures safe, and the lands around them pristine.