Without a doubt the highlight of our time in Africa was the five day safari we took at Kruger National Park. It is my hope that families just might put down the Disney brochures (no offense to Mickey, he is the man) and consider bringing your animal loving, curious kids to an amazing continent to see the best nature has to offer! From the mighty elephant, to the fearsome lion, to the crazy cool dung beetle (they really are captivating to watch!), don't wait to experience all this until you are retired! Let go of your fear, read about how we did it and you will be rewarded with an experience of a lifetime!
Well, first order of safari planning business- know your parks! In Chobe (Botswana) we could not have done a self-drive. The terrain was too rugged and the danger factor, particularly with children, was not feasible. After extensive research (and being super chatty with a bunch of locals) I learned that Kruger is absolutely "do it yourself" friendly, meaning you do not need a guide or pre-packaged safari to take you through Kruger National Park. Two factors that contributed to our comfort and safety, particularly with young children were the excellent road conditions and the rest camps.
The roads throughout the park are paved, smooth and easy to navigate. Ironically, the experience was not altogether different than driving around your own suburban neighborhood! With a simple map any parent can figure out the few main drags going north to south with intermittent perpendicular roads to branch out and see different environments (and different animals).