Five Kid-Tested Family Travel Ideas for Off-the-Beaten-Track Africa Safari Fun from Africa Adventure Consultants' Kent Redding

Denver, Colorado – August 16, 2012 – Taking the kids on safari may be second nature for Kent Redding and Kelly McElroy, owners of Africa Adventure Consultants (AAC): Their first Africa safari as parents involved the Serengeti and their then-seven-month-old son swathed in mosquito netting. But the continent offers enough unique kid-accessible opportunities to suit any family, and "unlike some family travel where parents suffer through it so the kids can have fun, the wonderful part of an Africa safari with kids is everybody has fun," says Redding, just returned from walking his talk on a South African safari with McElroy and their two sons, now 7 and 8.

African safari vacations featuring the Big Five and tented camps can be great for families, but the variety of experiences – from voluntourism adventures like AAC's AfricAid Safari to a multi-day hike for active teens – sometimes surprises people, says Redding. He offers these five unexpected kid-friendly picks from his family's recent Africa safari:

Pony-trekking in Lesotho. Riding gentle ponies through scenic mountains and valleys while experiencing the culture up close was a highlight. Other favorites in the tiny mountain kingdom included playing soccer with local kids and enjoying children singing and area herdsman dancing to homemade instruments.

Monkey antics at Monkeyland. The boys loved the attractions of this Garden Route stop – as well as building elaborate sandcastles on white sand beaches in nearby Plettenberg Bay.

Riding ostriches in Oudtshoorn, "the ostrich capital of the world." Also fun near this charming Mayberry-like town was spelunking Cango Caves.

Planting an indigenous milkwood tree at Grootbos Private Reserve in the fragile fynbos ecosystem on the whale coast. The boys named their tree "Bubby Ketchup."

Catching high-flying cable car views on Cape Town's Table Mountain. More adventures around the popular city: penguins in Betty's Bay and whale-spotting on the ferry to Robben Island.

Redding and McElroy founded Africa Adventure Consultants in 2001 after living and working in Africa. Today AAC arranges private and group trips such as safaris and cultural and active itineraries for people from all over the world, including expertly customized family safaris. "We can create a family safari for any ages," says Redding. "Teenagers, young children, grandparents, and parents all enjoy going on safari."

Africa Adventure Consultants is a leading safari company specializing in custom itineraries to 13 countries in Africa. For additional information, visit www.adventuresinafrica.com.