Where to start when booking your first safari
For first-timers, starting to plan a safari may feel overwhelming, because of the sheer amount of choice. The biggest destinations in terms of infrastructure, variety of parks, breadth of lodges and big-five habitats, are South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Before interrogating an operator, or going down a Google rabbit hole, it can be helpful to start with vision-boarding the basics.
Is it a classic Big Five East African safari you’re seeking (‘big five’ refers to the term coined by hunters to describe lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo)? Or something wilder and more undefinable? Ask yourself what you are seeking from the trip, and how you want to feel. Write down the wish list and get as specific as possible. Is it important to have the best guides in Africa and to sate your thirst for knowledge? Or is the focus sumptuous lodges and a soft landing, as much as wildlife? Will the safari be combined with Robinson Crusoe-style beach-time, or an epicurean road trip? Or is the dream to drill down into the different habitats of a single country, with a camp in each region? Do you crave the bloody drama of the great migration that passes through the Serengeti and Mara ecosystems every July and August? Or is the answer a long chopper ride far away from CB radios and mobile reception, in a pop-up tent with a private guide? Is your ideal of wilderness the brutal expanse of the Kalahari? Or is the ideal landscape a watery delta, deep jungle, dense bush or grassy savannah?
How to book your first safari adventure
Now take it to a specialist operator. The Africa safari crew’s bread and butter is matching travellers’ nebulous desires with a concrete plan on the open grassy plains and acacia woodlands of the Masai Mara, amid the high drama of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, in the oldest desert on the planet, Namibia’s Sossusvlei – or somewhere else way off the radar. When it comes to safari, the expertise, knowledge and know-how of the specialists comes into its own. They know the granular details of animal migrations in various countries, the right seasonal information that will change the footprint of a trip, and can lead guests off the beaten track for a more remote, adventurous, or exclusive experience.
Major travel planners in the field include the likes of Journeys by Design, Aardvark Safaris, Africa Travel Centre, Green Safaris and Yellow Zebra Safaris. Expert Africa and The Explorations Company. They can advise with great expertise on lesser-known areas or parks to avoid the crowds, and may suggest game-rich countries that are less obvious – such as Zambia and Malawi, or even Congo, Gabon, Angola or Chad. They can tap into walking, horseback and bush-biking options, or air safaris, and know how to access the less iconic migrations – zebra crossings through Botswana’s Linyanti and Savute regions; or pink flocks of flamingos floating over Tanzania’s salt lakes. Major lodge operators (often booked by the operators listed further up) include Great Plains, African Bush Camps, Wilderness, andBeyond, Natural Selection, Ultimate Safaris, and Asilia Africa, representing some of the top echelon of lodge owners and operators.
Sustainability and conservation
Fortunately, the safari field is populated with largely excellent, responsible operators and impressive lodge owners committed to sustainable travel and cultural integrity, and extending their conservation footprint to guard against poaching and the effects of climate change – the likes of Expert Africa, Aardvark Safaris, The Explorations Company and Journeys By Design. Most of the major lodge players have extensive conservation foundations and philanthropic wings to their businesses. But a good way to check on the ethics of lodges and operators is by requesting published reports on their work and sustainability policies to gauge their meaningful engagement in local culture, livelihood and community.
Where to stay
Safari options tend to be built lodges (bonafide buildings of stone, timber, or concrete structures) or tented camps under canvas. There is also the possibility of mobile tented camps, or even pop-up tents on walking safaris led by private guides and trackers. In the past decade or so, some of the most glamorous camps have added exclusive-use villas serviced by private chefs, dedicated guides and vehicles. Multi-generational groups, privacy-hungry families and celebrities hiding from paparazzi tend to snap these up.
What happens on a safari day?
On a regular safari, days in the bush follow a predictable schedule. Expect to be awakened at the crack of dawn with a wake-up call and caffeine, before heading into the bush with a guide in an open-air game vehicle (probably wrapped in a warm blanket with a hot water bottle for warmth). In the early morning, the air is still cool and the big cats are heading home from a busy night on the prowl.
Breakfast or lunch is served out in the bush, or back at camp after the morning game drive. Then afternoons are for resting, massages, reading, or walking safari excursions, community visits or other cultural immersions, before heading out again in the late afternoon. Hot-air ballooning takes place at dawn or dusk and would take the place of the evening game drive.
By late afternoon, the predators are waking up from their afternoon snooze, ready for action anew. There’s usually a sundowner at a beauty spot before the game vehicles return just before dark, in time for pre-dinner drinks and dinner. If it’s a private reserve and nocturnal game drives are permitted (which is prohibited in national parks), then a late-afternoon drive may morph into a night-time one, in search of more elusive night-time creatures such as leopards. Dinners can be private or communal, sometimes including a gathering or a celebration in a boma enclosure. There might be a fireside chat or a spot of astronomy. There may also be the possibility of bush or tree house sleep-outs, or star beds for galaxy-gazing. Whilst the days and nights are structured, each drive, day, moment and season is different – and that’s the beauty of safari.
The lowdown on safari guides
Being a top-notch safari guide is a life-long vocation of honed skill. These are the people who bring the experience alive with their lived knowledge and understanding of the ecosystem, its wildlife and the landscapes. The best lodges and ground handlers run ranger schools and training programmes across the continent that are second to none. Some of the top lodges host visiting experts and conservationists for even more magic.
Other practical tips
• When picking a safari lodge, think about how remote it is, and if other lodges are close by. Private reserves on the edge of parks tend to be more intimate, as there’s the chance to go off-road during the day (and night), instead of sticking to a pre-ordained track.
• Having a private vehicle is ideal and in terms of wildlife viewing, for some, it’s more important than the lodge, as it means being free to decide which sightings to prioritise.
• Think hard when it comes to getting from A to B. That perceived romantic road transfer might just be a nine-hour spine-shuddering journey from hell.
• Check what the baggage allowance is and choose a suitcase accordingly: if travelling in a small plane such as a Cessna, luggage will have to be rationalised, possibly to between 12-15kgs.
• A safari (unless it’s a biking, riding or walking safari) is not about exercise: there’s a lot of sitting around. Those who get restless when not able to do cardio should choose a lodge with a small gym or yoga on offer. One can’t go running off into the bush, and guests are accompanied by guides (Masai in parts of Kenya and Tanzania) back to the tent at night.
Taking pictures
Now is the moment to crack out that single-lens-reflex camera gathering dust in the wardrobe, and perhaps a 300mm lens, beanbag or monopod (easier to fiddle with in a game vehicle). Consider the season of the country as this will affect photography prospects. Zambia in the rain, for example, is green, lush, and beautiful, but the nellies like to hide in the undergrowth. In October, everything is the colour of mud and sludge, but the wildlife viewing is premium. Just pointing and shooting with an iPhone will produce incredible images and reels.
Can I take my children on safari?
Bringing children on safari imbues in them a sense of grand adventure and an understanding of the natural world and the importance of protecting it. There are generally no hard and fast rules, but most lodges welcome children from about the age of six, though families may be expected to have a private vehicle. To simplify travelling with younger children, it may be easier to pick a malaria-free destination (to avoid having to medicate them), from Madikwe Reserve in South Africa to Etosha National Park in Namibia (but check the NHS’s Fit For Travel web pages to check the malaria maps of each country). Ideally, choose a lodge with a kids' programme. Most of the major lodge players take children into account. Wilderness’ programmes, for example, are designed for ages 6 to 12 and include walking safaris, star identification, treasure hunts, football games, basket weaving, helping in the kitchen and drumming lessons. Fifth-generation family-operated Cottar’s 1920s Camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara, one of only nine accredited Global Ecosphere Retreats, recently developed a special Budding Conservationist experience for kids to join the female conservation rangers on their daily patrolling, identify vulture nests, join a Masai warrior “school” and visit a local primary. &Beyond has launched WildChild Eco-Guide Challenge Itineraries for teenagers (14-18 years) along with their parents, including trips to Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. Stubborn Mule creates worldwide family-led adventures, including off-radar safari adventures from gorilla trekking in Rwanda to fly camping in the wilds of Northern Kenya. Whichever journey you choose, encourage the children to keep a diary for posterity.
A tipping point
As a rough guide, up to 10-15 per cent of the total cost of the safari should be budgeted for tips. The guide is generally tipped US$15-20 per person per day, which can also be handed directly to the guide at the end of the trip. Although voluntary, it’s routine to tip and lodge staff, from cooks to cleaners. This can be added to the bill at the end; lodges then distribute it to all staff members. Pre-check if the bill excludes alcohol, or includes tips, to avoid surprises or confusion.
Immunisations and medicines
Some African destinations require yellow fever, typhoid or hepatitis A and B jabs. Malaria is a risk in some countries, but as this is a shifting scenario, it’s best to check the NHS’s Fit For Travel web pages for the malaria maps of each country. A one-size-fits-all approach to a country is rarely needed. Refer to our safari packing list to find out more about what to pack and for tips from safari old hands.
Visa requirements
For current and up-to-date information about visas refer to the government’s foreign travel advice pages.