My top ten tips for that once-in-a-lifetime safari.
Why should you take this advice?
I am Steve Braker and I have lived in East Africa for the last twenty years. I am an avid safari-goer and have taken my wife and four children on many different adventures across East Africa. I know and understand what will make your African Safari a success.
“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.” ~ Mark Twain
An African Safari is a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people, so planning is the key.
1. The first and foremost item to tick off your list is, what do you want to see?
If it is the best chance of seeing the big five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and buffalo) then either Massai Mara, in Kenya, or the Serengeti, in Tanzania are your best options. Out of the big five, the leopard is the hardest to spot and is more of a nocturnal animal. However, some camps create a special area for the leopards to come in the evening when you are having dinner– It is worth asking about.
Where and Why
2. If you want to combine a safari in Africa with a break on the beach, then Nogorogo Crater in Tanzania and Tsavo East and West in Kenya are great choices. I have arranged many safaris where my clients want to spend the whole time searching for animals and others where after a three or four-day trip in the game parks they are desperate to find a white sandy beach!
3. Insurance
Once you have decided on the type of safari you are looking for, make sure you get the right travel insurance to cover your stay. When you are discussing your travel insurance with your insurance carrier make sure you tell them the number of days you will be on safari and the location. Africa is not the same as Western countries. When you are on safari you could be hours from the nearest hospital. It is important to ask if an air ambulance service is available.
4. Type of Company
Always book a reputable Safari Company for your trip. This sounds obvious, but you have to remember in the countries where you get the best safaris the rules and regulations governing the companies are not so rigorously enforced. And there is nothing worse than coming out of the airport only to meet a person with a broken down matatu offering his five-star luxury African Safari trip.
5. Accommodation
Lodges are number five; Lodges and Camps can vary in price and amenities from simple backpackers’ accommodation, sleeping in a tent you pitched, to seven-star luxury tents that overlook some of the most stunning real estate in the world. Make sure you scrutinize what exactly the lodge is providing and what extras you have to pay for. There is no supermarket five minutes away!
6. Typer of Parks
Government Park or Private Parks. Over the last twenty years, I have noticed a growing number of private or community-based parks. Do not shy away from these parks. Most are very well run and can be more competitive in pricing than the government-run parks They are usually smaller, which is not a bad thing, and more friendly. I recently spent three nights at Leopard’s Lair Lodge in Tsavo which is in a private conservancy called Lumo. I found the views to die for, the food was wonderful. A major bonus was they only had four cottages; it was so peaceful.
7. Hydration:
This is very important when on safari. You will be couped up in a vehicle for the majority of the day with glass all around and an open roof. The sun is hot here in Africa and the wind dries your skin and sucks the moisture from your body. Kenya and Tanzania have a non-single-use plastic policy. Make sure you bring a refillable water container that holds at least 1.5 Liters. The good news is, that all lodges now provide free water refills.
8. Clothes
Surprisingly, Africa can get cold at night. Always make sure you carry a good quality fleece and long trousers for the evening get-togethers around the campfire or meals. Once the sun goes down you will feel a definite chill in the air.
And a hat is always good. Ask your safari driver to stop at one of the many shops outside of the park to buy a great safari hat that will also double up as a great memento.
9. To Tip or Not To Tip
Tipping is a difficult subject when it comes to safaris. For most African countries we do not have a tipping culture. There is no requirement to leave a tip and most Africans won’t even bother. However, on a safari living closely with the driver you can be mildly coerced into giving a large tip. If you are in a group have a chat about what you think is appropriate and always remember the exchange rate and the average salary of someone from the country. Do not be bullied into a large tip. In East Africa, people rarely show appreciation for a tip so don’t be concerned if you don’t get the reaction, you expected and stick to your guns.
10. DownTime
A good book. I always carry my Kindle reader with me wherever I go. On your flight, and your safari there will be plenty of downtime. So always have your Kindle or your paperback on hand to pass the time. Sitting on the veranda in front of your tent overlooking the Galana River and reading a book is a wonderful experience you will never forget.
As it happens, I am an author and have written an Action Thriller series based in Africa. So, while you are waiting to catch that plane or sat in a traffic jam you can pick up the William Brody series and learn about Africa as you read an exciting adventure. The first book in the series is free so why not download it today just click this link.
Whether your safari is in Tanzania in the Serengeti or Kenya in the Massai Mara, Tsavo, or one of the many other parks you will have the time of your life. I have camped beside a river in Tsavo West and stayed in a Luxury African Safari Tented camp. Both have their appeals and neither of them compared to Africa’s beautiful sights and sounds.
If you have any questions about your safari trip to East Africa, drop me a line at [email protected] and I will do my best to help you
Tutaonan baadaye
Steve.
