With so many first-class countries to consider, and so many different companies enthusiastically selling all destinations, many of our clients approach us having attempted their own research on the internet – and often they are completely confused!
So, first things first – talk to us!
Without doubt, the best way to start researching your holiday is to talk to one of our safari specialists. Safaris are highly specialist trips designed for clients with very different expectations and demands. Our team have worked across the continent as professional safari guides and camp managers, or we are simply passionate Africa travellers – we will be able to break down the different areas and refine the search for you. Only then is using the internet a good idea – you need to have a basic knowledge of the different destinations before you start researching on the super-web!
First Time Safari Tips
One of the first suggestions we will make is that you choose between East Africa and Southern Africa. If you have longer than two weeks for your holiday, combining Southern and East Africa is possible, but for less than a two-week trip we recommend clients choose between one area and the other.
East Africa consists of Tanzania and Kenya as well as the mountain gorilla countries of Rwanda and Uganda. Southern Africa consists of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, and Mozambique.
Weather and time of year are obviously two important considerations. East Africa’s long rains happen in April and May, so this tends to be the time we encourage clients to stay away from the country. In Southern Africa, the rains fall between December and March, so January, February and early March are the months we prefer to avoid. Interestingly, Cape Town, being so far south, is excellent at this time of year, but the safari parks of Southern Africa are not nearly as good as they are during other periods.
Many of our clients phone up asking, ‘What game will I see?’ The first thing to note here, is that we are a company that specialises in getting you into the thick of it all wherever you go, so please do not worry about seeing game – we guarantee it!
The reality is that the wildlife species found across the vast majority of ‘Safari Africa’ are essentially the same. Getting technical, there are different species in East Africa and Southern Africa, but overall the predators and big game animals are the same across all the countries where we operate safaris. However, if you are passionate about particular species, by all means let us know! There are certain camps that are better for lion, for elephant, or for rare species such as African wild dog, for example.
Some countries cater well for first timers, whereas others offer an experience that’s better for experienced safari hands, or simply adventurous travellers. Here’s an introduction to their differences: