A Guide to booking a tailor-made African safari Planning an African safari can be a daunting undertaking. There are so many countries and types of safari to choose from, all with their own character and something slightly different to offer. Factors to consider include: your travel dates (and thus climate), the composition of your travelling party (any children?), your budget, the types of activities you would like to experience, and the remainder of your itinerary (Cape Town? / Victoria Falls? / beach extension?). Every trip we arrange is entirely tailor-made to suit your individual requirements. This guide gives you the low down on what to expect when booking a luxury safari in Africa, where to go and when, what to pack, and a thousand tips and hints. For free tailor-made advice about your safari, please just give us a call!
East Africa or Southern Africa? Where to go and what to do? The first big decision is: East Africa (Tanzania / Kenya / Uganda / Rwanda) or Southern Africa (Botswana / Zambia / Zimbabwe / South Africa / Namibia)? East Africa includes the Masai Mara, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, as well as the gorillas of Bwindi and Kigali and the chimpanzees of Nyungwe. Beach extensions are easily accessible from here, with both Tanzania and Kenya having their own Indian Ocean coastlines, and Zanzibar is just a short hop away. East Africa has an equatorial climate, with little seasonal variation in temperature, and it is dry in our summer. Kenya is the home of the safari: vast plains teeming with game; the Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra and accompanying preying animals; pink flamingos on Lake Nakuru; Masai warriors in red cloths carrying spears. And there are also some great beach options for some R&R at the end of your safari. Tanzania is also home to the Migration in the huge Serengeti, with a backdrop of the highest mountain in Africa: Mt Kilimanjaro. You ve got the remarkable Ngorongoro Crater; chimps in the mountains of Mahale; the Spice Islands, and the lesser known parks of the Selous and Ruaha. And, like Kenya, you re never far from the beach for some sun, sand and sailing. Uganda and Rwanda are the destinations in Africa where you can trek to find Mountain Gorillas. With less than 900 left in the world, sitting on the rainforest floor a few feet away from one of these great primates is as special as it gets. Rwanda works well as a tack on with Tanzania with a handy connecting flight whilst Uganda lends itself for a longer circuit of the country where you can also see Chimps and plains game in the many national parks. Southern Africa includes the Okavango Delta and Chobe, Kruger and Luangwa National Parks, all excellent safari destinations. Extensions to Victoria Falls and/or Cape Town are popular. Beach extensions from here include Southern Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles (the latter two particularly being very child-friendly), but these are slightly less accessible than the corresponding East African beach extensions. Southern Africa has different climate zones, but bear in mind that as it is south of the equator, their summer time is the December March period. South Africa: think abundant wildlife in amongst bushy, hilly and rocky scenery. This is a good choice for first time safari-goers, because it s easy to get to, it s easy to get around, and chunks of the country are malaria- free. Botswana is best recognized by the sparkling floodplains of the Okavango Delta, where, uniquely, you can game-view by dug-out canoe. The Chobe River is where you ll get your shot of huge herds of elephants, and for the adventurous who head into central Botswana you ll find pretty much nothing: in fact the perfect nothingness of a dried up saltpan, ideal for quad bike safaris and unfathomably quiet sleep-outs under the stars.
Namibia is easily recognized by the huge red sand dunes of Sossusvlei and the aptly-named Skeleton Coast. It s the place for skies and vistas that seem to reach to the end of the earth. Namibia is not the place to take new safari-goers or kids looking for a big game experience as it pales in comparison to its neighbours when it comes to wildlife, however it does offer fab big game viewing in the rather manicured Etosha. Zambia is the place to find the remote and wild experience for those who have already earned their safari colours. Zambia is the world-leader when it comes to the walking safari, and you can walk with elephant, lion and all manner of beast perfectly safely! A popular itinerary is to spend 4 nights in the bush and 4 nights at Victoria Falls for white-water rafting, bungee-jumping and other extreme activities which these days we in the Africa Odyssey office tend to leave to the young. Activities The types of activities on offer vary slightly between countries and areas. In particular, the national parks tend to have more regulations and restrictions than reserves and private concessions. Safaris in Northern Tanzania and Kenya are predominantly based on (daytime) game drives, with perhaps an occasional walking or boating safari. Zambia and Botswana, by contrast, offer a wide range of activities, including walking, boating, night drives and possibly fly camping. There is no such thing as a typical day on safari, and with Africa Odyssey, the day s rhythm is yours to dictate (but if you don t get up early, you won t see as much!). Having said that, most days on safari follow a pattern: game viewing in the morning for 2-3 hours, led by a qualified guide and stopping whenever there s something interesting to see; then back for late breakfast or lunch and a relax until afternoon tea; then you re off out into the bush again for a few hours and a sundowner somewhere scenic; after your evening game drive it s back to camp for drinks, dinner and a camp fire.
When to Go? Once you have decided on where you want to go, the next big consideration is when to go, the time of year will determine the weather and therefore how good the wildlife-viewing will be at that time. When it comes to weather in Africa, there are 2 distinct seasons which are characterized as rainy or dry. Most countries in Southern and Eastern Africa experience some type of rainy season from November through to about April. The rains tend not to linger each day, but rather come in a fit of thunder and then move on, so you are still likely to see a great deal of sun even if you visit during the rainy season. The Dry: May to October When it comes to wildlife viewing, as an extremely general rule, the best time to see wildlife tends to be at this time; there is little rain so the bush is sparse and provides little camouflage for animals which are out looking for water. This time of year also coincides beautifully with school summer holidays which is great if you want to take the kids, but not so great if you want to avoid families. Talk to us to get the timing right! The Rains: November to April Christmas is the rainy season in most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, but it can be a great time to opt for a safari / city combination in South Africa where Cape Town and its surrounds follows the summer-winter cycle of Europe, rather than the rainy-dry cycle, except Christmas time is their summer and is beautifully hot and sunny. Kenya is a good bet for Christmas as it is often dry. And even if it s not dry, it very rarely rains all day during the rainy season anywhere in safari Africa. Botswana s Makgadikgadi can be exciting at this time of year as the wildlife returns, following the rains. Malawi s lake vistas are sparkling throughout the year but are particularly dramatic at this time of year. At this time of year, there are some reliable places to visit in South Africa and the beaches in the Indian Ocean. Easter can be hit-and-miss depending on when it falls and the rains that year. April tends to be the shoulder season when it s not one season or the other much like our weird April showers in the UK. This is not the time to head into the depths of Zambia or Tanzania (indeed some camps are shut during this period, and airline schedules are paused.
Where to stay? The next consideration is which national park / reserve / concession will offer the best game viewing and activities for your travel dates. There is usually a good range of accommodation to choose from according to your budget and personal taste, including mobile camps, small tented camps, permanent lodges and large hotels. Tented camps can still be extremely 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 do lack permanent plumbing. Camps and lodges are the obvious choice and are the set-up of most luxury safari operators. The layout is scattered rooms (tents of canvas or bandas of reed or wood, or even brick) and a central mess tent or communal area where you come to eat, sit around the fire and chat into the night. The tented accommodations that we sell at Africa Odyssey are ensuite, with proper beds usually with feather duvets, electricity etc. There s no roughing it and it definitely isn t like camping as you d do at a camp site in the UK or America! Houses are great for taking exclusively for a big group where you don t have to worry about other guests and your schedule is completely your own. You ll get your own chef, butler/host and safari guide if you re in the bush; you can find exclusive-use houses throughout the wilderness and at the beach. Mobile Camping is a different experience all together, and reflects the yesteryear of safaris. A mobile safari refers to sleeping in a temporary campsite for a night or two, and packing up your things to explore onwards the next day. This is a seriously exhilarating adventure reserved for the serious wildlife adventurers and works brilliantly as a walking safari, or on horseback. And don t think mobile safaris are about roughing it in a little dome tent! Just as a permanent safari camp is much plusher than its name suggests, mobile camping accommodation can also be ridiculously luxurious: real beds in ensuite tents with flush loos. And you won t be packing up the campsite and setting up the next one: it s all done for you after you leave, and ready when you arrive at the now spot. We mention hotels really because of the beach option, as we wouldn t recommend staying in a hotel to see wildlife. You will see wildlife, sure, but you will see it rather like you d see lions in a zoo: with a hundred other people on a drive-by. It s not authentic, in the main, seeing wildlife as a tourist, and you don t tend to get the feeling of being in the wild. However, there are some lovely hotels on the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic for that matter. Our MD, Marc, has made it his mission to visit pretty much every good beach accommodation in Africa over the last few years, so we will hand you over to him when you want to talk beach hotels!
Getting there The big international airports serving safari Africa are: Johannesburg in South Africa and Nairobi in Kenya. Other popular airports are Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Cape Town in South Africa, with Victoria Falls in Zambia broadening its international services as we write. From these airports you can reach the rest of safari Africa by flying cheaply and reliably with the national airlines. Popular destinations are: Maun, Botswana Johannesburg: 1.45hr flight Livingstone, Zambia Johannesburg: 1.45hr flight Windhoek, Namibia Johannesburg: 2hr flight Vilanculos, Mozambique J burg: 1.40hr flight Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Nairobi: 1hr flight Kigali, Rwanda Nairobi: 1.25hr flight Travel Documents Before you go You must make sure your passport is valid for 6 months beyond your departure date to be on the safe side. In fact this varies depending upon your nationality and the country you are visiting, but that s a good general rule to stick to. You also need sufficient pages for entry and exit stamps, and a valid return ticket. Visas Most countries will offer visitors a short-stay visa which you can usually buy online prior to your arrival. These vary in costs depending on the whim of the governments at any given time, but usually these aren t more than $50. Some countries do not require you to have a visa for short stays of fewer than three months if you are from the UK or USA. For up to date information on visas contact www.travisa.com, who have offices in the U.S.A and U.K. Other travel documentation Currently South Africa requires parents bringing children into or out of the country to show a full, unabridged birth certificate with parents names on, and if both parents are not present, then a signed affidavit stating that the child has permission from the absent parent to travel. Other countries are looking into this at the time of press. If you have recently been in areas with health warnings for diseases like Yellow Fever, you may need a record of your vaccination. If you have a short transit in a Yellow Fever area, for less than 24hrs, and you stay in the airport, you should not need a certificate.
Health Advice Vaccinations You need to plan ahead when it comes to vaccinations. Yellow Fever, for example, must be administered at least 10 days before travel. Advice on vaccinations changes regularly, but the most common list of vaccinations you ll need for everyone over 1 year old includes: Diphtheria; Hepatitis A; Tetanus; Typhoid. Malaria For most safari destinations in Africa, you will need to take malaria prophylaxis; indeed malaria precautions are essential in areas below 1800m, all year around in many countries (there aren t any mosquitos above 1800m). Don t think that if Africans don t take pills, you don t need to. Africans are well used to spotting malaria symptoms and critically they can treat the disease early and thus effectively. Your doctor and you may totally misinterpret the disease as flu, giving it time to get a hold of you and that s when it can be fatal. Consider that symptoms of malaria can take months or even years to show. If you are back home and feeling achey and fluey, are you or is your doctor likely to think malaria? The advice is to take malaria pills and plan to avoid mosquito bites by covering up with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers most importantly at dusk. Also use a good strong insect repellent with DEET on exposed skin and sleep under a mosquito net. How much will it cost and how long to go for? Safari is considerably more expensive than time on a beach, and as a general rule, safari is more expensive in Southern Africa (approx. $700-$1,500 per person per night) than in East Africa (approx. $400-$800 per person per night). We generally recommend between 3 and 6 nights on safari you need long enough to 'get' the experience, but safari can be tiring (early starts, long distances, lots of time in the vehicle) and you don't want to get safari-ed out. You will need to weigh up safari against the rest of your itinerary, and decide how to split both your time and budget between them.
What to pack? Packing tips The most important tip we re going to give you about packing is about your suitcase: you need to pack in a soft holdall/duffel bag if you are flying on any light aircraft, with hold luggage weight at no more than 15KG for most airlines! You simply won t be able to get on a small plane with a big hard case, it will be physically impossible to squeeze it into the little hold because of the size of the hole to squeeze it through. Packing dos and don ts - Don t bring high heels, no one wears them and they don t work well on rough ground - Don t bring your whole wardrobe, there will be laundry service - Try to do without a hairdryer / straighteners because there isn t much power in the bush - Don t bring your jewellery leave it at home! - Do not put anything of value in your hold bag (cameras, documents, medicines); keep it in your hand luggage - Do bring closed in shoes - Do pack light colours to blend in with the natural environment and to avoid tsetse flies who love black and blue - Pack layers: t-shirt, shirt and a warm jumper (it can get very cold on the vehicle early morning and late at night and then very warm when the sun is out) - Do keep copies of your important documents in your main bag and your hand luggage - Do pack as little as possible you won t need half of what you take
FAQs Is it safe? Africa is as friendly a place as anywhere else and you need to be sensible just as you would anywhere else. You won t be spending much time in cities which tend to be the problem areas, and when in a city we ll put you in hotels that we know well. Can I drink the water? We wouldn t recommend it! Bottled water is preferable, especially when on the road. How do I avoid getting malaria? Cover up at dusk when the mosquitoes are out, use spray with DEET in it, and take malaria pills. How much should I tip? We recommend $10 per person per day for the camp staff, and $10 per person per day for your guide. Are all lodges eco-sensitive? Almost all safari lodges are very much in tune with what can be done to conserve the environment, as you can see by looking at any safari lodge website. Ask any lodge manager about their carbon footprint and you will be taken on a journey (metaphorically or often literally) to show you how they use solar power; recycle waste; invest in the local eco-infrastructure; educate local people about carbon footprints etc. How do we choose which reserves to visit? This is a tricky one and you ll want to pick up the phone with us to chat about it. Each reserve has its advantages and disadvantages and you simply won t know this by looking online. Will there be other people on our game-drive? Not if we can help it! Most of the lodges we recommend offer private vehicles for a small extra cost, or for free. Otherwise we recommend lodges which keep the numbers of guests per vehicle very low. Will my mobile work/will there be wifi? In all likelihood your mobile won t work in the middle of the bush. However, most camps have wifi and will have a spot where you can get connectivity. But try to take advantage of being off-grid. Can we request certain food? Yes, absolutely, and particularly if you have any intolerances. We are well-used to looking after all sorts of weird and wonderful diets. How do we pay for the trip? Once we have agreed and booked your itinerary we will require a deposit of 20% with the balance due 12 weeks before your departure. Credit cards are accepted, though are subject to a fee of 3%. (we waive this fee for the deposit) As you can see from this guide, we love talking about Africa; get in touch and let s chat about your plans to get out to Africa.
Why Africa Odyssey? Let s kick off by dispelling a myth commonly held by those who don t understand how it all works: You are won t get a cheaper trip by going direct and booking it all yourself. In fact, it will likely cost you from a bit more to a lot more. We know you want to avoid being sold to, and you may think it is straightforward to book it all yourself. These are the exact reasons you should book your trip through a reputable operator like yours truly: Independent advice from experts We really know our stuff. We have been arranging luxury travel to Africa since 1999, and we have close relationships with all the suppliers. We have stayed at all the lodges many a time, so we can match an itinerary to your requirements very precisely. You may have come across a fabulous lodge on Tripadvisor but if there's an even better (more intimate, more authentic, less expensive) one just round the corner, we'll tell you about it. And if anything goes wrong during your trip, we know who to call and how to get things sorted. And we save you both money and time by putting together itineraries with you that make sense, using our knowledge of how things work or don t work; things that you could not possibly know by looking online Independently owned and operated We are not accountable to anybody but you. We don't work on commission. Our only objective is to arrange the best possible trip for you, within your budget, and to ensure that you have a wonderful time. Industry credentials Our MD, Marc, is a board director of the Africa Travel and Tourism Association, the UK trade body covering all aspects of travel and tourism to Africa. He is also a judge of the highly respected Good Safari Guide. One of our consultants, Annie, has written the Cadogan guidebook to Tanzania and Zanzibar, now in its 2nd edition. Testimonials Countless thousands of clients have been delighted with our service. Here is what some past clients have had to say about their trips and about us, and we receive regular reviews on Trust Pilot Your money Booking through us will cost no more - and often considerably less - than booking the same trip with all the individual suppliers directly. We are able to negotiate excellent rates with suppliers, which results in savings for you. In the very unlikely event that you get a cheaper quote for the same trip from a reputable UK bonded tour operator, we will match that quote. We will make all the payments to Africa on your behalf which is cheaper and more reliable and we know who to chase it up if it doesn t arrive. Financial protection We are ATOL (ATOL 5397) so whatever might happen to us, your money is protected. We are also insured up to the eyeballs which is reassuring when life and Africa - throws up its challenges. No surcharge for currency fluctuations Once your trip is deposited we guarantee that we will make no surcharge for currency fluctuations, whatever happens to exchange rates before you actually travel. In summary, we are able to package a holiday for less than you will be able to arrange directly, without any exchange risk, and you will benefit from our decades of experience in arranging similar trips, our impartial opinions, and the financial security that our ATOL bond offers!