Luxury safari lodge Cheetah Plains, located in South Africa's Sabi Sand Nature Reserve near Kruger National Park, introduced a new policy to attract families: Children under 12 can now stay free with their parents in either of the property's exclusive-use villas. The offer is valid through May for eligible stays.
The move marks a shift for high-end safari travel, where age restrictions are common. "Safari is one of the most enriching experiences for children. … We wanted to create an opportunity that ensures families can share this transformative journey together," said NJ van der Merwe, general manager of Cheetah Plains.
The South African lodge has redesigned its programming to accommodate families, introducing Junior Ranger programs where children track footprints, identify bird calls and participate in hands-on bush activities. Game drives in the property's solar-powered Land Cruiser Electric Safari Vehicles can be shortened or modified based on children's attention spans.
Additional family activities include stargazing, wildlife photography workshops, catch-and-release fishing and interactive cooking sessions with the villa's private chef. Each villa features inter-leading suites, private pools and dedicated staff to accommodate multigenerational travel.
The lodge offers complimentary child-minding services and provides nightly children's hampers with safari-themed treats. Meals are customizable to accommodate allergies, dietary restrictions as well as young palates, with options including wood-fired pizzas and mini-biltong platters (biltong is a dried, cured meat snack not unlike jerky).
Cheetah Plains operates two exclusive-use villas in the 65,000-hectare Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, adjacent to Kruger National Park.
Reservations are available at www.cheetahplains.com or [email protected].