Tips for Planning an African Safari

An African safari is a real adventure– envision countless zebras migrating across emerald grasslands, flocks of florescent flamingos creating a field of color across a shining lake, and lions feasting on a hard-earned kill.

With 54 various nations more than 11 million square miles between them, Africa is a large and very varied place. The types of safaris are unlimited. And while there’s no right method to go on safari (everything boils down to individual choices), there is a lot to consider when it concerns selecting your best experience. Here’s how to make the best choice.

Many travelers travel to Africa looking for the “Big Five”: buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants, and rhinoceroses. The possibility to get near these animals in their natural habitats is an unbelievable experience, however your trip to Africa is anything but a trip to the zoo. Safaris can be physically taxing and strenuous, and you might not see all the animals you anticipated. Considering that most safari destinations remain in developing sub-Saharan nations, tourists should take specific security and health safety measures. If you’re planning a safari (or just dreaming about it), be as prepared as possible. Get some excellent manuals, speak to pals who’ve been to Africa and research study, research study, research. We have actually outlined some essential African safari pointers, from selecting a destination to getting vaccinated, to help you begin preparing a successful experience.

Types of Safaris

For the most part, safaris are a pricey sort of getaway. However as with any other type of travel, you can tailor your safari to suit your individual budget plan. The length of your safari will impact its expense– although you may wish to cut your trip short to save money, the longer you stay, the less you will probably pay on a per-night basis. If you’re trying to find luxury digs (believe private butler or plunge pool) on your safari (or perhaps just hot water and a comfy bed), prepare to pay more. Budget-minded travelers should seek self-drive or overland safaris (see listed below) rather than all-encompassing plan tours– but be prepared to camp in camping tents or browse a 4×& times; 4 through the African bush. If you’re taking a trip alone, you’ll most likely have to pay a single supplement, as a lot of plan prices is based upon double tenancy.

Also don’t be afraid to extend your trip in Africa to consist of an island getaway in Zanzibar, a possibility to see the roaring Victoria Falls, or discover ancient history in Egypt– many trip operators will provide extension programs to their safari offerings.

Luxury Safaris

A high-end safari used by a well-known tour operator normally costs thousands (in some cases 10s of thousands) of dollars per individual, weekly, with complete rates covering trips, food, beverages, and excursions. Completely catered luxury bundles provide tourists the comforts of house in the wilderness. Accommodations range from air-conditioned suites to stylish tents (you’ll feel almost like you’re camping– aside from the hot running water, abundant linens, and premium service). Ultra-luxurious safari lodges can cost more than $1,000 a night.

Belmond Safaris provides luxury safaris bundles in Botswana. Orient-Express provides three safari camps, each with its own unique character: Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Camp, and Savute Elephant Camp.

Book a tour with Abercrombie and Kent if you’re searching for a broader variety of destinations, including Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, and more. This company has actually been operating upscale African safari trips considering that 1962.

African Travel, Inc. works in 17 locations in Africa, the bulk of which you can find the Big Five, along with endangered types. For a cost effective luxury safari journey, look towards Lion World Travel; at a $5,000 price point, you can delight in luxurious lodges and incredible wildlife experiences.

River Cruise Safaris

A river cruise might not be the first thing that enters your mind when you’re considering a safari, but spotting wildlife along the river banks is a fantastic sight to see. The Chobe and Zambezi Rivers in Southern Africa are bursting with wildlife and are home to the largest elephant population on the continent. There are plenty of companies that sail on these rivers, however CroisiEurope’s African Dream boat and Amawaterway’s Zambezi Queen stand apart as two of the most glamorous river cruise options in Southern Africa.

Self-Drive

Are you the daring sort? Select a public game park, lease a cars and truck and trip the African bush on your own. Considering that self-drive safaris are only possible in public parks that usually have paved roadways and indications, you need not fret about getting lost in the plains of Africa or ending up being food for a hungry lion. For the least expensive possible safari, self-drive is your best choice. You can pay for a la carte for meals, trips, and lodgings, enabling you to choose for the most inexpensive lodging you can discover or explore the bush by yourself instead of hiring a guide.

One possible drawback of a self-drive safari is that without an experienced regional guide, you might miss out on some wildlife. To correct this issue, read manuals on finding wildlife in your location, bring a field guide or stop and ask other tourists where they have actually seen the very best video game (this is simpler to do in the popular public parks).

National Parks vs. Video game Reserves

Whether you’re choosing a trip guide or planning the journey yourself, you’ll need to get more particular about the type of environment you desire for your safari. You can’t just vaguely drive into the wild, so it is very important to know the difference between a national park and a personal video game reserve.

A national forest is landmass safeguarded by the government and can be rather large, like South Africa’s Kruger National forest (which is the size of Israel and has six different environments). With a location like this, there’s no chance you’ll have the ability to see it all on a brief journey, so you’ll have to do your research to make sure you’ll be going to the regions of the park that you wish to see. The benefit of going to a landmass of this size is the possible to see large herds of animals in their migration, like the Great Wildebeest Migration in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

On a personal video game reserve, the fenced-in land is much smaller than the national forests (though it should still be big enough for the animals to gladly roam) and the population is mostly managed by the owners. For instance, the Karongwe Reserve uses 21,000 acres of land. Your video game drives are included in the cost of your lodging, and since the reserve works as one operation, the safari guides interact with one another about the animals’ whereabouts, making sure that you’ll see as many animals as possible. Private reserves likewise do not operate under the very same guidelines as national forests, which implies a chance to safari in an exposed lorry and even stay out past sundown.

Where to Go

Each nation in Africa is various. We acknowledge that it is impossible to record the spirit and culture of an entire nation in one paragraph, but below is a short introduction of some popular African safari destinations to get you started. The best and most popular locations in Africa for safaris are East and Southern Africa, which use vast plains and roaming packs of amazing wildlife. We spoke to specialists from Lion World Travel, African Travel, Inc., and smarTours for their suggestions and suggestions.

Kendra Guild, Director of Operations & & Product at smarTours breaks down where to go based on what wildlife you desire to see: For elephants, head to Chobe National Park in Botswana; for gorillas go to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda; for lions go to Serengeti in Tanzania; for rhinos go to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and Kruger National Forest in South Africa; and for rare birds, Kruger National forest has the largest and most varied collection of birds in South Africa.

East Africa

Kenya: Kenya’s most abundant wildlife can be discovered in the Masai Mara National Reserve (a part of the large Greater Serengeti), where massive herds of animals make a yearly migration across the plains. However beyond Masai Mara and the Serengeti lie plenty of other quality parks with abundances of wildlife, including the soda lakes of the Great Rift Valley and Lake Bogoria, where countless vibrant flamingos live. You can also find the “Samburu Special 6” in northern-central Kenya which are Grevy’s zebra, the Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, the long-necked gerenuk, Guenther’s dik-dik, and the beisa oryx. Though Kenya is among the more popular safari locations, make sure to examine State Department advisories prior to planning a trip to Kenya or any other developing nation.

Tanzania: Like Kenya, Tanzania houses part of the Serengeti National Park– the finest park in which to see fantastic herds of wildlife in Africa. Other noteworthy websites include Mount Kilimanjaro; marine parks off the coast; and the Ngorongoro Conservation Location, website of the Ngorongoro Crater and Oldupai Canyon (also understood as the Cradle of Mankind). The Ngorongoro Crater is among the biggest volcanic craters on earth. Over 30,000 animals reside in the crater; it has the densest lion population on the planet.

Uganda: The most well-known safari destinations in Uganda are the country’s numerous primate reserves. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Ngamba Island offer visitors the memorable opportunity to get a close take a look at gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates in their natural environments. Travelers can also see crocodiles, hippos and exotic birds, and witness the thundering water of Murchison Falls at Murchison Falls National Park on the Nile River.

Rwanda: Many people safari in Rwanda for the country’s exceptional gorilla trekking along with for the over 600 bird types. “There’s also the incredible return Rwanda has made after the genocide 25 years earlier– that in itself, is reason to check out,” states Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel, Inc.

Southern Africa

Botswana: Probably the most costly location in Africa due to the federal government’s push for high-end tourism, Botswana has smaller sized crowds than most other safari locations, and is a typical area for luxury packages. See wildlife in video game reserves such as Chobe National forest, well-known for an abundance of elephants, or Moremi Wildlife Reserve, which offers lots of the popular “huge 5.” You can also visit the Okavango Delta in Botswana– look for crocodiles, buffalo, zebras, hippos and numerous other animals in the delta’s tangled waterways and islands.

Lucille Sive, president of Lion World Travel states her ultimate safari journey would be to Botswana, “it’s a bit rawer than South Africa or Kenya and Tanzania. Special experiences there consist of moving along in a mokoro in the Okavango Delta, or hanging out with meerkats at Jack’s Camp, or remaining at the ultra-luxurious Xigera Lodge. Most likely the supreme ‘second safari’ trip for anyone who has currently been to Africa!”

Namibia: Namibia is under the radar for numerous safari tourists– anticipate less upscale video game parks– and is dotted with amazing natural wonders from the Fish River Canyon to the Namib Desert. You’ll discover more than 100 species of mammals in Etosha National forest, consisting of threatened animals like the black rhinoceros, as well as the biggest cheetah population on the continent. Desert elephants and zebra roam the arid landscapes of Skeleton Coast National Forest in Nambia– the driest location in Africa.

South Africa: This is a particularly popular location for safari travelers, so you can expect an efficient and modern-day tourist facilities– as well as a lot of other tourists in the high season. Sive suggests South Africa as a perfect household destination because the game drives are shorter and there are malaria-free lodges and game parks. The best-known park is Kruger National Park, which is house to an outstanding variety of African animals and is positioned in the largest conservation area worldwide. Go to a private video game lodge if you desire a less-traveled safari, however prepare to pay– these expensive digs can run well over $500 per night. Other parks beyond Kruger include Sabi Sands Video game Reserve, Dinokeng Game Reserve and the Shamwari Private Video game Reserve (situated in the Eastern Cape).

When to Go

Africa is an immense continent with safari opportunities readily available across countless miles, so the very best time to travel to Africa depends upon your particular destination. In general, it’s best (but most pricey) to take a trip in the dry season, which corresponds with the area’s winter. Since safari locations are in the Southern Hemisphere, their seasons run reverse of North America. Winter season is from June to September, and summertime is from December to March. You’ll likewise wish to consider the migration patterns of animals, such as the Great Migration through Tanzania and Kenya. Yearly patterns of animal migration frequently differ, so it’s a great idea to research study animal migration predictions for the season during which you prepare to travel.

Some expert ideas from Sive: “If you love child animals and do not mind heat– go to Cape Town, South Africa from December to February. However if you don’t mind the rain– go to Kruger National forest to experience its rich, damp season– balmy but perfect conditions for spotting migratory birds and newborn wildlife. Africa’s winter (June through August) brings simply the opposite for both places.” And for those looking to go on a safari on a spending plan, Guild advises taking a trip during the shoulder or low season, which for South Africa is in May and October.

If you’re a bird-lover, it will be best to go to throughout wet-season (December to March), which is when birds make their nests and are more most likely to be seen at house.

However if nothing could make you happier than seeing the lovable infants of the animals you’ve taken a trip up until now to see, it’s best to time your journey appropriately. A lot of babies are born in November, so peak baby-watching season is December to February.

Likewise, ask about the “green season” for great value when you’re safari planning. This differs by each factor however “for East Africa, it’s the low season and a fun time to prevent the crowds and the value of the dollar is higher so overall you can remain longer,” advises Banda. “Also, not all the animals are migratory so you will see wildlife and spend more time with your guide viewing animals. While there can be rain, it is scattered which is why you deal with a safari outfitter like us to customize other experiences like high tea or health spa treatments.” African Travel, Inc. even waives solo traveler supplements throughout the low season on specific journeys, like this journey to Botswana and Zambia.

Visas and Vaccines

Obviously, you’ll need a passport to take a trip to Africa. However for some other countries, like Kenya or Tanzania, you will require a visa too. Go To the State Department website for more information on visa requirements. Request a visa a minimum of 2 months before your departure date.

Discover a medical professional who focuses on travel healthcare and inform him or her about your African travel strategies, or visit a travel clinic. You’ll need to get certain immunizations before heading to Africa. Malaria prevails there, however there is no vaccine for the illness. You can secure yourself from malaria by taking an anti-malaria treatment or preventing mosquitoes; use a mosquito-repellent spray and mosquito webs. You will need a yellow fever vaccination for travel to East and Southern Africa. Other vaccinations you might need include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and typhoid. Go to the Centers for Illness Control’s site for destination-specific health information. Keep in mind that numerous vaccinations take several weeks to supply complete security, so do not put off your shots up until the last minute.