Be open-minded and flexible
Every safari drive is unique and therefore unpredictable, so try not to stress about the things you cannot control. Sometimes you won’t see much, sometimes you’ll see a lot, sometimes the ride will take longer than expected, and sometimes it will be tougher than expected. Be prepared for warm and for cold, for wind or sun, for mosquitoes and flies, and mostly for a rough ride. While most of the time you will be driving on gravel or sand roads, sometimes the driver might decide to cross a river, drive through the bush, or cross a stone field… We did all of this when following a herd of desert elephants in Namibia and it was an amazing experience!
Follow the rules and stay safe
Stay in your car at all times, the rules are there for a good reason. Animals are very well camouflaged and often you don’t see them until it’s too late. Don’t approach the elephants too closely, don’t make noise, keep your hands and your camera inside the car near the cats, and never stand between the hippo and the water. In fact, hippos are very aggressive and are the most dangerous African animals after mosquitos, so you don’t want to get them upset.
Ask questions
Most safari guides are very knowledgeable and you can learn a lot about animals and their behavior.
Ask to stop
You think you see something in the distance, but are not sure, or you want to take yet another picture of a zebra? Don’t be afraid to ask to stop the vehicle. The guides are there to give you the best safari experience.
Take lots of pictures
The first time you see a zebra you’ll probably take 25 pictures of it, the next time – 10, and by the end of the week you’ll hardly notice it. You can always delete the pictures afterwards and only keep the best, but take pictures when you can because you may not get a chance for a better shot. Sometimes, you might get extremely lucky and see some incredible wildlife on the very first game drive. Don’t think that it will always be like that! Make sure to take pictures of everything you see because you never know if you’ll have another opportunity.
Pack Light
This is honestly probably my biggest recommendation or biggest of my tips for your first safari. You are going to be moving between parks and/or conservation areas every day or every other day, and the last thing you will want to be doing is packing and carrying big, heavy luggage every day.
Go for One Week Minimum
There’s truly SO much magic to experience on your first African safari, that you’re going to want to go for as long as you can. One of the most common African safari tips you’ll hear is exactly that, and my personal recommendation is at least one week minimum. In a week you can see multiple parks with different types of wildlife in each. We asked our safari guide when we were there how long he would recommend and he said at VERY, VERY least five days, but I personally think that’s not enough. So for your first safari, try to schedule at least a week to get the variation you deserve on your first safari ever!
Give Yourself a Day Between When Your Flight Lands and When Your Safari Starts
Do not plan on starting your safari the day you arrive just in case there are flight issues. You do not want to be out a day of this amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience because of something completely out of your control, so pad a day into your itinerary before you start your first African safari.
Bring Meds and Make Sure to Get Appropriate Vaccines
When planning for your first African safari, you’ll want to plan ahead for medical or health-based situations.
- You’ll need to get any required vaccines well in advance of your trip to make sure the vaccines have inoculated for the appropriate amount of time
- Do not delay on this because depending on what vaccines you need, you may need to travel a fair distance within your home state/country to get them
- Bring medication for any potential stomach issues, such as Immodium in case you don’t agree with food
- Whatever other medication you need
Prepare for Early Mornings and Long Days
Even though you’re spending your first African safari mostly sitting in a jeep and driving around, the days will be long and you’ll get surprisingly tired. Each day of your first safari, you’re going to be getting up pretty early, so make sure you are getting enough sleep each night!
Bring Cash for Tipping and Souvenirs
Make sure to have cash not just for tipping lodge staff and your safari guide, but also for souvenirs you want along the way. You absolutely cannot count on having a credit card accepted in any or all of the shops you want to stop at, so having cash is imperative.
Bring a Backup Credit Card
Having cash is a super important first timer’s trip for a safari, BUT hear me out. You’ll definitely want a credit card to be safe, and because you’ll likely be able to use them for larger purchases where they will allow a credit card, like some add-on excursions or jewelry, for example. And to make sure you’re even safer and guaranteed to make any of these big purchases, bring a backup. Where Amex card is not accepted, Visa or Mastercard may work vise versa.
Listen to Your Guide and Follow Their Rules
Your safari guide is going to give you some ground rules when you start your experience together and make sure to follow those to the letter. Their rules are set for a reason and for your safety, so it’s very, very important to follow them throughout the duration of the safari.
Be Quiet Around Animals
This is almost certainly one of the rules your safari guide will tell you when you start, but you’re definitely going to want to be quiet when you’re out looking for or watching wildlife. When it coes to safety, this is probably the most important African safari tip. You don’t want to put yourself or your jeep in danger by making a lot of noise and accidentally antagonizing wildlife in any way. So make sure you keep your voice at an appropriate level depending on how close you are to the wildlife.
If You Have a Camera, Bring a Zoom Lens
If you’re a photographer of any skill level, bring a zoom lens! You will not regret this!
