Knee High ‘Explorers’ Hear Africa’s Call

Would-be explorers can now get a taste for life in the African bush thanks to the Young Explorers Programme put together by Great Plains, the tourism conservation organisation founded by National Geographic filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert.

From child-friendly treatments at the Bush Spa to guided expeditions in search of wildlife big and small, explorers of tomorrow can be treated to a family holiday of a lifetime at Tembo Plains Camp, Zimbabwe.

"We can all remember the liberating freedom, as kids, when we could run about outside all day long, making stuff from sticks, catching tadpoles, and climbing trees,” said Great Plains CEO Dereck Joubert.

“And where better to recreate (and elevate!) that magic than at our majestic Tembo Plains Camp, against a backdrop of the Zambezi, joined by elephants, hippos, giraffes and more?

"As children, we explore, we discover, we get lost in our adventures, but we always return wiser and more enlightened. Safaris with kids are much the same, and we hope to ignite what will become a lifelong passion for wildlife, conservation and – above all - adventure!"

Suitable for families with children aged six and up, Tembo Plains Camp is tucked away into a thick riverine forest on the edge of the Zambezi River, in the private 128,000-hectare Sapi Private Reserve, east of Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park.

A family unit featuring two tented bedroom has been created with a shared lounge, dining area and pool, providing luxurious accommodation for little adventurers to recharge their batteries after a day spent exploring the bush.

Activities on offer as part of Great Plains’ Young Explorer Programme include guided bush walks to find the smaller local creatures and learn all about plants, bugs and more while seeking out tracks and decoding the daily behaviour and routines of wild animals.

Active adventurers will adore the opportunity to canoe down the Zambezi – spotting wildlife as they go – or indulge in a spot of bush cricket on the sandbanks of the river.

Nightly rates in the new family unit at Tembo Plains start from $ 2,685; a guest tent at the new Tembo Plains begins from $1,030 per person per night. Nightly rates at Mpala Jena Camp start from $842 per person per night.

For more information on any of the Great Plains camps and experiences, please visit www.greatplainsconservation.com