It’s only natural to have some burning questions before you book your once in a lifetime trip. We’ve answered the most commonly asked ones below. This way, you can understand more about who we are, what we do and what we stand for.
Ideally, the dry season is the best time for wildlife viewing in the African bush. During this time, the vegetation dries up, giving safari goers a clearer view of the wildlife. In addition, animals congregate around the water sources, which are in shorter supply during the dry months. In contrast, the wet season is the best time for bird watching in several African countries plus the landscape blossoms from dry plains to lush grasslands so it’s a very beautiful time to visit. The verdant landscape during the wet months attracts thousands of migrating bird species, making it a bird watcher’s paradise. Keep in mind that often during the wet months, the African park roads may become inaccessible so bird watching safaris may need more planning. The best time to visit an African country depends on your plans. Some people want to explore the wilderness, while others want to go on cultural and historical adventures. Then there are adrenaline junkies who want to scale Africa’s tallest mountains or white water raft on thrilling rivers
Africa is a safe place to visit on a wildlife safari arranged by a reputable safari agency chosen by you. Make sure you find out about the safari agency and the African country you want to visit as much as you can, and once there, follow some common-sense guidelines.
Safari visitors need to pack light, there isn’t any need for fancy clothes in the bush, and laundry is often available so things can be washed regularly. You can pack 2-3 sets of neutral coloured clothes and some layers for the cool night and early morning temperatures. Also, pack some gloves, scarf, and hat for the colder months. Don’t pack camouflage clothing. During the safari, you should bring along a daypack to carry items such as:
An estimated 2,000 languages are spoken throughout Africa. In several African countries, English is used for official documents and formal written communication. Many African countries have several official languages, one of them being English. Hundreds of millions of people speak English in Africa: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya have the highest number of English speakers. Safari guides are very likely to speak English as well as other languages. If you have a preference for a language, ask your safari operator to arrange this in advance.
Foreign currencies such as US Dollars, Pound Sterling and Euros are accepted at accommodations, hotels, and shops throughout Africa. They also accept credit cards, but it isn’t accepted everywhere. If you want to convert your currency to local currency, use banks, Forex at the airport or ATMs.
Every African country has its own set of visa and passport requirements. The official embassy website of the respective country will provide you with information as well as the process of application. In some African countries, visitors can get their visas on arrival, either at the airport or the border entry posts. Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia are some African countries that provide visas on arrival. In 2021, Kenya declared that it wouldn’t be issuing visas on arrivals so there are now two advance options, applying online or at the Kenyan embassy. Other countries, for example Tanzania, also have efficient online visa application schemes.
Basic visa and passport requirements for entering African countries:
Food is a big part of a safari experience and meals are often one of the highlights. Hearty meals are served at your accommodation and packed lunches often provided if you’re out and about all day. You might have the chance to taste some African delicacies, the speciality of the respective country. Avoid drinking tap water in Africa, stick to only bottled water.
Africa is home to over 2,300 bird species, of which 64% are endemic to the continent. We have put together a list of Africa’s top birding destinations, where you can expect to see remarkable bird species such as African fish eagle, African pygmy-kingfisher, Böhm’s bee-eater, great cormorant, golden oriole, grey crowned crane, hooded vulture, lilac-breasted roller, silvery-cheeked hornbill, white-bellied go-away bird, and white-faced duck. Coincidentally, these destinations also offer excellent wildlife viewing spots. You can watch the great wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara and Serengeti, go gorilla tracking in the heart of Uganda, or explore marine life in the coastal getaways.
A lot of people um and err between Kenya and Tanzania, they are a lot the same while also being very different. Both are great for seeing the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, and rhino). Although Kenya is definitely better for seeing Rhino than Tanzania. Tanzania has a popular safari circuit where you will go to the famous parks including Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara the parks are conveniently close together so you can plan a circuit that doesn’t involve being on the road for days without seeing any animals. However, don’t get me wrong, there are still days of driving 5 or more hours to reach your destinations, don’t underestimate the travel times.
Tanzania is also a great place for cultural tourism, from hunting with the Hadzabe tribe to leaping with Maasai and melting metal with the blacksmiths, there is a lot to learn from the wonderful people of Tanzania. Kenya’s parks are a little more spread out so driving distances can be longer, however, it also has so much to offer, from the predator-filled plains of the Masai Mara, the unbeatable views of My Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park to the flamingo-filled lakes of Naivasha and Nakuru. Kenya also has some great private conservancies which offer a more exclusive safari feel. Uganda is of course most famous for seeing Gorillas and chimpanzees but not the best for more traditional safari, so if you can it’s good to combine Uganda with Kenya or Tanzania for the full safari experience. Whichever one you choose you will have an amazing time. So just consider if there is somewhere specific you wish to go.
For many the flight to Eastern/Southern Africa is a long one and can involve jet lag. The traveling distances are long and the roads are generally not great. Therefore to enable you sufficient time to enjoy your safari I wouldn’t recommend coming on safari for less than 10 days. If your time frame is 2 weeks then I recommend just one country, although it is possible to do a combination of two countries but it will be a bit of a rush. For example, you can see the Gorillas in Uganda and then go to Tanzania to see the great wildebeest migration. Ideally, you should be traveling for longer than 2 weeks to consider visiting 2 countries to be able to enjoy them fully and maybe get a bit of beach time at the end.
As a benchmark aim to spend 2-3 nights in each place, this will ensure you get a good amount of time actually enjoying the lodge and the area and not just going between lodges all the time. There are lots of safari options, particularly on the northern circuit in Kenya or Tanzania where you only spend 1/2 nights in each place before moving on. This is doable because the places are close enough together but I would still recommend spending at least 2/3 nights in at least one place so you have some time to settle in and relax and not be moving constantly.
The biggest pro, of course, is the price, if you travel with others then it will be cheaper as there are more people to divide all the costs with. For example, the cost of the car, fuel, and driver are all split between more people making it cost less per person. The cons are that you have no flexibility in your itinerary, you can’t stay an extra night at a lodge or change the destination to suit your liking and you will be on holiday with people you don’t know. This, of course, can also. be a plus, if you get along with them or a minus if you don’t.
The safari guide is the most important person on your whole trip. You will be spending most of the day with the guide and they are the ones who will be providing you will all the information about the animals and nature. If you end up on a safari with a bad guide it will really affect the quality of your trip. Make sure you go on safari with a reputable company that employs suitably qualified guides and who pay their guides well, to ensure you have the best experience. If you are particularly interested in photography ask for a guide who is familiar with photography who will be experienced in getting the best angles and understands lighting
A ‘full board’ safari is where you have the same guide throughout your trip. Your guide will meet you at the airport and drive you from lodge to lodge as well on all the game drives. At the lodges, you will be there on a full-board basis. This means you will get all your meals from the lodge but will not be doing activities with the lodge. Drinks are sometimes included and sometimes not, it depends on each individual lodge. With a full board safari, you will do your safaris and drive between lodges in a closed land cruiser vehicle. ‘Game package’ is where you will go between lodges, usually by airplane. Once you land a guide from the lodge will pick you up and you will do your game drives with the guides from the lodge. Either in an open vehicle or a closed vehicle depending on the lodge.
There are pros and cons to each. With a game package, you usually have to share the vehicle with other guests at the lodge (unless you have paid for exclusive use of the vehicle). This means you have less flexibility in terms of what time you go out when you come back, and how long you spend at each sighting. With the full board, you will remain in your private vehicle so you can decide on times and activities etc. On the plus side for the game package, the guides are usually experts in that particular area as that is the only place they guide. In addition, the vehicles are usually open vehicles which I personally find more fun.
Planning a safari alone is no easy feat, some places don’t even accept private bookings and only take bookings through companies. You will also be responsible for paying and organising all the park fees, car fees, planning your route, booking accommodation and much more. Contrary to popular belief going through an agent or a tour company does not make the price more expensive for you. Companies get good deals on accommodation, know the best places to go and provide quality guides. Rather than taking a gamble on a lodge you have never been to with a guide you have never met before it is usually better to go through a trusted company who understands the country, the travel distances, the lodges, and the parks.
