A safari in Africa is on most travellers bucket lists. Whether you dream of chasing down migrating wildebeests on the Serengeti, or catching a glimpse of an elusive black rhino at Etosha, the experience of seeing these incredible animals up close and in the wild can not be beat. Seeing the Big Five in Africa is trip to remember.
However there are many options to consider when choosing exactly where you will have your safari, and then, even more to consider when booking with a company.
Before I even delve into that though, here are a few tips to make sure your safari is as amazing as it should be!
1. Time your days with the sun:
While on safari, you should plan to be in the parks as early as you can, as often as possible. The animals are most often out and active in the early morning (think sunrise). They sleep in the afternoon, and are awake and active again in the early evening. Thankfully, most companies understand this and are sure to include at least a few evening/early morning game drives.
Early evening rhino sighting
2. Understand that anything is possible
Car trouble? Check. Flat tires and broken axels? Consider yourself very lucky if you don’t have any car trouble. The roads into and out of the Serengeti are in rough shape and the damage it does to the vehicles is unimaginable. This is Africa, and the sooner you adopt a laid-back attitude, the better your trip will be.
Seeing these roads, it’s amazing that more vehicles aren’t broken down everywhere… fortunately, when someone runs into a problem, there is always someone close to help. Within five minutes of a punctured tire, we had four vehicles around us to help replace it. 😲
strong>3. You are not in a zoo<
hese animals are WILD. Sure, they may be somewhat accustomed to seeing the jeeps, but no one is feeding them, no one interferes when a lion picks off a poor baby wildebeest. It is wonderful, and wild, and can not be predicted.
Sure, make a list of things you'd like to see. But know that you'll see some of the items on your list, but also probably some you weren't expecting, and also, some you just won't get to see. It just gives you a reason to return 😉
I really wanted to see this lion roar/yawn. It just wasn’t his plan, though it wasn’t for lack of waiting on my part 😝
4. Have a solid photo-backup plan. Just how important this is became apparent to me on a short, two-hour game drive (admittedly, my first), when I took 276 photos….of the Exact. Same. Lion. In the exact same pose. In probably under 20 minutes.
In fact, it was only when my first memory card was full on the SECOND DAY of my six-week adventure that I realized I needed to actually think about the photos I was taking, and to have a solid backup plan.
Whether you choose to back up to an external device, over the internet, or something in between (and hey, if you don’t know where to start, there’s a blogpost for that here), make sure it’s in place before you arrive in Africa.
Also, worth noting. The wifi in East-Africa is notoriously bad. If you depend on a good connection to back up, it may be worth researching alternatives.
5. Dress for Comfort, in Beige, Tan and Brown<
Dress for comfort, and for the weather. If you’re heading out on an all-day game drive, it’ll be cold in the morning (somewhere between 2-12°C), hot in the middle of the day (between 28-35°C), and again, cooler in the evening. If you’re doing a night drive, it’s as cold as the morning. Remember that most safaris are long day of being in the car, sitting and occasionally standing.
Layers, layers, layers. I know people say it a lot, but that’s because it’s true!
But equally important is the colour you choose to wear. Leave the vibrate reds, blues, oranges at home. The Serengeti is the place to wear your dust-coloured-clothing. Think beige, brown, tan, khaki. If you bring anything white, it’ll be tan before long.
Certain bright colours attract bugs (mosquitos and tsi-tsi fly bites are things you want to avoid – no blue or black clothing!), and if you want to get close to the animals, a bright red colour is the best way to scare them away.
Cover up. The sun is strong by the equator, and while sunscreen provides some protection, a tightly woven shirt will provide that much more. Additionally, only bare skin needs a thorough spray of mosquito repellent, so you’ll avoid putting that stuff all over yourself if you have more clothing coverage.
6. Research, research, research! A safari is undoubtably a bucket list item. You may actually only go on a safari in the Serengeti once in your lifetime.
It is also an expensive activity. Don’t pay 100$ a day and be disappointed with this experience.
Research the company you’re thinking of booking with. Get honest reviews and make solid connections with contacts on the ground. Don’t entrust thousands of dollars to someone on the other side of the world from where you need them to be when things go wrong.
Go with a company that cares about what they do, respects the animals, and will give you the kind of tour you’ve dreamed of!
I was a little disappointed when my guide started driving away from these cheetahs, before they’d left. It wasn’t until after when I realized why he had left – because he recognized the animals discomfort – that I realized I’d made an excellent decision for my Safari operator.
7. Be clear about what is actually included in your safari package. Don’t wait to find out you haven’t actually got any early morning game drives planned until the morning you leave. Know what you’d like, ideally, and know what’s included.
Items like bottled water during the day, meals at your accommodation, time-specific, and duration–specific game drives.
On my game drive in the Chobe National Park, I went away disappointed, because the game drive had been less than an hour. It was over so quick, and the guide rushed us past stunning photo ops, due to the time constraint. It was a somewhat disappointing experience, but it wasn’t specified in the itinerary how long the drive was. Lesson learned.
8. Consider a private tour <
will find that first zebra you see absolutely magical and will want to spend an hour just watching it eat…)
By booking a private tour, you are assured of having more control of the time and pace of the day. Want to search only for elephants and spend the day watching them? On a private tour, you can do this. Your guide may roll their eyes at you, but there’s no one else to complain and insist on moving on to other animals or places.
You will also have a far better chance of seeing the things on your (imaginary or not) list. If you’ve come to the Serengeti to see a lion roar, you can spend the day looking for that. Flexibility to do what you want is all yours.
If you’re going on a safari, you’ve probably resigned yourself to the fact that this is an expensive trip. Don’t take the cheapest way out once you’ve got yourself there.
Any safari has the potential to be an incredible adventure and magical experience, and especially one in the Serengeti, one of the largest, most diverse national parks in the world. Follow these little guidelines, and I’m sure your trip will be one to remember!
Have you been on a safari in Africa? Any tips you would add? Leave a message in the comments 🙂
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