How to Plan a Safari

Written by: Dan Musyoki, Local Expert

Vast open plains, breathtaking mountain peaks, and iconic watering holes provide a wilderness haven for incredible wildlife to roam. The word ‘Safari’ means ‘journey’ in Swahili, and planning your safari should be an exhilarating experience from beginning to end. The chance to travel to intriguing Africa and embark on a safari, to witness wildlife, and natural wonders, and to experience understated luxury or intimate escapes, is high on the travel wish list of many people. To ensure your African wildlife adventure is everything you hope it to be is vital, and there are a few key facts to consider, right from the start.

Where to start your African Safari

An African safari offers various options when it comes to where to embark on your wildlife adventure. With so many incredible game reserves, national parks, and community-focused conservancies, choosing where to enjoy the wonderful animal sightings and diverse accommodation, may include some exciting research.

The East African safari circuit is immense, Kenya and Tanzania are home to some of the world’s most incredible wildlife species, grand numbers of animals, and breathtaking scenery. The diverse landscapes make it the ideal safari destination for a combination itinerary, a journey through valleys, craters, vast savannahs, and forested sanctuaries. The Southern Africa safari regions focus on remote wilderness, private concessions and game reserves, and the option for intense off-road adventures.

Key Destinations

When considering where to enjoy your African safari, ‘getting there’ is a key factor as well as how best to combine various safari destinations within the country or region, as well as any combination options with regards to extending your African adventure. Beach and bush itineraries are extremely popular in both Southern and Eastern Africa. Idyllic islands such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Zanzibar, and Kenya’s east coast offer incredible and pristine beach escapes, a perfect addition to an African safari.

International flights into key cities and hubs such as Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, make it easy for clients to connect with internal flights to game parks scattered around the continent.

Best Time for your Safari Experience

When to travel may play a part too, as depending on your safari goals, certain events occur at certain times of the year. If witnessing the “Great Migration Crossing” is high on your list, you may wish to go on a safari in July/August or late September/October. If you consider yourself a true bird enthusiast, January and February can offer peak bird viewing options. Perhaps your focus is purely a wildlife discovery and with so many safari destinations to choose from, having an idea of your safari ‘must-sees’ will help you choose exactly where to stay and when to visit that region. Some travelers may wish to.

Wildlife Viewing

When we talk about the amazing wildlife in Africa, this does not only include the larger animals, the ‘Big Five’ which comprise lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and leopard but also wilderness wonders such as baboons, hippos, crocodiles, and array of buck. It refers to the vast range of bird species, from the Malachite Kingfisher to the pink Flamingos in East Africa.

Iconic plains Game such as zebra, giraffe, and cheeky warthogs share space with tiny termites and the fascinating dung beetle. Flora and fauna are diverse, with open savannahs comprising golden grasses and the occasional Acacia tree, riverines hiding lush vegetation, and rocky outcrops providing the perfect hiding place for hyenas and leopards, while offering captivating views.

Waterholes, natural or manmade, offer a clear source of water for animals to gather and refresh, the perfect place for safari-goers to take a moment to watch from a short distance, often while enjoying a beverage of choice and watching the sky turn orange and pink as the sun sets on another day of wildlife adventure.

Choosing an Accommodation

When planning a safari, another consideration pertains to accommodation options, the list of outstanding stays ranges from large, classic African lodges to intimate chalets dotted around a wild landscape. From eco-friendly, luxury canvas tents to breathtaking and elegant Hemingway tents privately set along a riverbank.

All rooms and suites offer extreme comfort, a space decorated mostly with a blend of traditional colors and flavors and modern designs and textures. Lodges and camps can be compared to ‘art galleries in the bush’, with exquisite artwork and sculptures perfectly placed for guests to admire and appreciate during their stay. Outstanding service levels and attention to detail are always adhered to and present from the moment guests arrive to the day they depart, an important part of the overall experience.

Budgeting for your Safari

Pricing may play a part in your choice of where to stay when planning a safari. There is a wonderful array of accommodation options to choose from in a variety of safari destinations, from private game reserves to national parks and nature conservancies. In East Africa, large hotel chains have secured safari lodges in various locations, the abundance of rooms making it a little more affordable to enjoy a safari compared to the exclusive and ‘one-of-a-kind’ lodges or camps located in a private wilderness sector.

Choosing to visit a safari destination close to main cities just as those accessible by road from Johannesburg in South Africa or Nairobi in Kenya, may help with overall cost as no internal flights will be required. Staying in a National Park where game drives are a little more controlled may also help your safari budget.

Ready to go?

When you start to plan a safari, working with a Natural World Kenya Safari safari expert will enhance your overall experience. With outstanding local knowledge, tour operators can work with you to create your personalized dream safari. With their first-hand experience of game reserves, lodges, and camps, they will be on hand to answer any questions you may have concerning when to travel, which African destination to choose to visit, how long to spend in a destination, and how best to pair a ‘beach and bush’ adventure, that suits your budget.

Whether your ideal experience includes a fly-in safari or a 4×4 road adventure between destinations, you will be under the guidance of exceptional safari guides on the ground, well-versed in every detail of the wilderness and its resident wildlife. You are always assured of support from the planning process until the moment you touch down at home.