Safari Blog

Travelling during pregnancy is possibly the last chance for a unique and intimate holiday before your life gets turned upside down!  For me, a safari holiday was a must and was planned before the pregnancy. We were disappointed, last October, when we thought we had to cancel our trip to South Africa due to the risks associated with malaria, injections and long-haul flights. However, with a little research we realised that, by compromising a little on location, we could still enjoy a very unique and game rich safari holiday, with a little bit of city and beach thrown in! 

I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, which is considered the best time to travel. The nausea subsides and it is not yet too uncomfortable to travel.

Anti-malaria drugs or the risk of infection of malaria during pregnancy are not recommended, but this does not mean that one has to miss out on an African Safari holiday. Malaria is only prevalent in specific areas and at certain times of the year. Any good tour operator will be able to advise you of malaria free areas in South Africa and the best times to visit. We travelled with Sun Safaris and we found their knowledge of South Africa to be excellent.  They were also particularly helpful in changing our destination to suit our 'condition'!

Our holiday started in Cape Town.  We had a few days of sunshine on the beach and had a chance to explore this small friendly city. Cape Town city centre has over recent times evolved into a bustling, eclectic and uniquely stylish location. We sampled a huge range of lifestyles here; from coffee at the 'Afro Cafe' on Church St; epitomising contemporary urban Africa, to sundowners at the exclusive Radisson Waterfront hotel, the perfect end to a beautiful South African day. Cape Town really has it all, with a diversity of places to visit on day trips. We climbed Table Mountain (actually, it was the cable car for the pregnant lady, my husband climbed!).  We also hired a car and visited the winelands, Cape Point and got the ferry out to tour the infamous Robyn Island.  These trips and many more can be easily organised independently with a bit of research, or if you prefer it hassle free, by your tour operator. 

Following three days in Cape Town we caught a flight to Durban with Kulula. We had a hire car waiting at the airport for our journey to Ballito, KwaZulu Natal, a beachside village. Here we were accommodated in The Boathouse Guesthouse, a beautiful guesthouse by the sea that curiously enough, gave us the feeling that we were staying on some fabulous yacht. Falling asleep to the tune of the sea was the ultimate in relaxation and refuelled us for our considerably long car journey to our next port of call: Isibindi Zulu Lodge. Zulu Lodge is situated in the 4000 acre private Isibindi Eco-Reserve, close to Rorke's Drift, site of the infamous Anglo-Zulu battlefields. At Zulu Lodge we enjoyed a chance to explore the rugged landscape of Zululand in a 4x4 and we were treated to a cultural show at sunset by local children.  Over a dinner, spent getting to know fellow guests, the manager, a local and a resident owl, we were particularly struck by the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and the affinity that it seemed to have with its local landscape, culture, people and animals. Our evening came to a grand finale with a spectacular thunder storm viewed from our private balcony. 

The next day, we had a short visit to Rorke’s Drift, and then departed to Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg. This is an island of comfort set amidst some of the most incredible mountain scenery we have ever witnessed.  The hotel hosts a variety of activities and specialises in guided walks and hikes catering for all, from strollers to hiking enthusiasts. Whilst being a perfect honeymoon retreat, the hotel is also quite family orientated and it was something we duly noted for a holiday in the future! From here it was on to the highlight of our trip, our safari. Our destination was malaria free Madikwe Game Reserve.

Madikwe Game Reserve is situated in the far north of the North West Province, on the Botswana border. Three hours drive from Pretoria or Johannesburg - this is quickly becoming one of South Africa's prime safari destinations, and, more importantly, is malaria free. This is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa and boasts a variety of game and the eminent 'Big 5'. What we found made Madikwe unique, was the fact that it is run as a joint venture between the state, the private sector and local communities. The success of this approach has made Madikwe the role model for similar ventures being started up elsewhere in South Africa. We stayed in two lodges: Buffalo Ridge Lodge and Thakadu River Camp, both run using this community based partnership approach. The welcome was warm and the atmosphere, service, accommodation and attention to detail in both these lodges was impeccable.  We enjoyed memorable game drives as we carefully notched up our 'wild animal events' score; mating giraffe, fighting giraffe, lions fighting for their territory, hyena pups and bathing elephants. Add this to being woken up in our tent by a nearby lions roar and you will get the idea of the amount of adrenalin that pumped through my Irish veins in those few days! Our journey drew to an end with a night of bright lights and action in the world renowned Sun City, a complete and welcome contrast to the peace and soul restoring bushveld. 

Fortunately being pregnant did not impede or impact the quality of our safari experience. I was four months pregnant at the time and I had absolutely no problems with travel or the safari trips in the 4x4.  With hindsight, if I was more heavily pregnant, I would have had to limit the game drives somewhat as the 3 hour bumpy rides twice a day would have been a bit too much for me. There are some dietary restrictions during pregnancy (e.g. no seafoodblue cheese, etc. ). If there was any of these on the menu, the lodges were more than happy to accommodate me by preparing something more suitable.With regards to flying during pregnancy, there are some restrictions. Generally, women who are having a healthy, normal pregnancy are free to come and go as they please. However, there are recommendations that women should not fly after their 36th week of pregnancy. Airlines have their own flight restrictions for pregnant women which can vary according to whether you are flying domestically or internationally and which airline you will be flying. Often Airlines require a letter from your doctor stating your due date for this purpose. And lastly, it is important to consult your own doctor before travelling, as they are aware of your medical history and will advise if there are any risks applicable to you. Remember, you cannot have injections for Yellow Fever, Hepatitis or Typhoid when you are pregnant. Fortunately, these are not required for travel to South Africa.