From Ethiosports.

Traveling with young children, luxury safaris, romance and volunteer trips are trends in African travel for 2013, a Denver-based African travel expert says.

More family travel to Africa, particularly with young children, was identified as one of the top travel trends this year on the continent, according to Kent Redding, president of Africa Adventure Consultants.

People are often surprised to learn how many unique, kid-accessible adventures there are in Africa, Redding said in a January report in Ethiosports.

Redding and wife Kelly McElroy took their first Africa trip as parents to the Serengeti with a 7-month-old son in tow, “swathed in mosquito netting.”

“For those primarily interested in wildlife viewing, a trip like our nine-day malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve itinerary works well for younger families,” he said.

Luxury safaris are another trend, including high end camps like the Singitas, the Mombos, and the Ngorongoro Crater lodges, Redding said. His company has a new eight-day “Maasai meets Versailles” Tanzania luxury safari with amenities like personal butlers, infinity pools with Serengeti views, chandelier-lit bathtubs, rides on indigenous African horses and black rhino tracking.

Culinary tours have become popular, Redding said in the report. South Africa’s Cape Winelands have attracted visitors for years and now South Africa’s craft breweries are elbowing in on the tourism business. Redding offers a South Africa Hops and Hippos Safari. 

Then there’s the romance trend, with recent high-profile visits like Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake’s Tanzania honeymoon and reports of Jennifer Aniston scouting Kenya locations for a possible wedding, according to Ethiosports.

More travelers are also embracing travel with a purpose, doing volunteer work while on vacation. Redding suggests checking out nonprofit Pack for a Purpose for suggestions on turning extra suitcase space into much-needed gifts. His company is offering a tour in June    to support the education of Tanzanian girls. 

Read more at Ethiosports.