How to plan an African safari : The best country to do on a safari usually depends on a variety of factors, such as your vacation dates and the temperature they will bring, if you are travelling with kids, whether you want to spend extra time at the beach, your budget, and lastly the kinds of safari activities you are interested in to give you everlasting safari memories.
Should I visit East or Southern Africa?
The main choice to be made is whether to travel to East or Southern Africa; every safari we plan will vary based on the type of experience you are seeking.
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda are the principal countries of East Africa; these countries are home to the world-famous Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Masai Mara, Great Migration, Volcanoes national park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Zanzibar and many others.
East Africa has numerous beach variations with the Indian Ocean being a short hop away from a world-class safari. East Africa is Equatorial and dry in our summer.
South Africa is a major safari destination with the main countries of Southern Africa are Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa and include the world popular Okavango Delta, Chobe, Kruger, Luangwa, and Victoria Falls. Beach excursions, which include Southern Mozambique, Mauritius, and the Seychelles, are typically more inaccessible. It is valuable remembering that our summer is their winter and that Mauritius and the Seychelles are very child-friendly.
Timings and how much will it cost.
The length of time you wish to spend on safari and (if at all) at the beach should be carefully considered. It goes without saying that the longer your journey, the less money you can spend on quality, but it’s important to note that most tourists only do shorter (3–4 days) or longer (7-8 days) safaris; longer safaris are fairly uncommon. Keep in mind that safaris require a lot of energy—long drives, early starts, etc.
In general, safaris in Southern Africa cost between $700 and $1,500 per person per night, whereas those in East Africa typically cost between $400 and $800. Most visitors usually to take a short (3-4 days) or longer safari (7-8 days) and it is very rare to take more than 8 days on safari; remember that safaris are tiring; early starts, huge distances, etc., so getting the balance between safari and beach is important.
Where to stay on your safari.
The main objective is to select the park or parks that offer the best game viewing and choice of activities for your time of year. After that there is usually a good range of accommodation ranging from mobile tents, small tented camps, and larger permanent lodges to large hotels. Tented camps can still be very luxurious (often with private plunge pools and all the bells and whistles), though the semi-permanent mobile camps that track the path of the migration lack permanent plumbing.
Safari Activities to do.
Each country and park follows different rules. Northern Tanzania and Kenya are overwhelmingly game drive countries with walking and boating safaris being the odd a single exception. Zambia and Botswana offer the full gamut of activities; walking, boating, night and day game drives. And Namibia is mostly a destination to visit for the landscape.
To have the amazing African safari Its really is an excellent idea to talk to one of our tour consultants at Focus East Africa Tours, even if just for a couple of minutes. We like to assume that we know the correct questions to ask based on our experience, and this will enable us to develop a variety of suitable itineraries. We will then be able to improve the itinerary till it is ideal after receiving a little bit more feedback.
It is also interesting that booking with us will cost less than if you were to take the time to contact all the individual lodges direct and we have a price-match guarantee to match the price from any other reputable tour operator to have unforgettable safari experience.
