First time safari

[pilates]

Looking to go in June, was thinking about 5 days in Kenya for the safari and then may be on to Zanzibar for 3 days? Any tips?

From my experience, you will save a lot of money organising your safari with a reputable local operator than going with a UK operator - I would say we are paying 60% of the quotes I had from UK operators.

From my research, Zanzibar would generally be tagged onto Southern Tanzania (Selous for example) rather than Kenya - suggest you research flight durations etc.

I think you have to decide what you want out of the Safari and if the Wilderbeast crossing is important to you or not?

Kenya to Zanzibar? Mainland Tanzania to Zanzibar? Its all six of one and half a dozen of the other really and I wouldn't let getting to Zanizibar from Kenya put me off a Kenyan Safari.

Have you got a name for a reputable local operator?

The wilderbeast crossing would be good to see but not imperative.

Is five days long enough?

If you look on Tripadvisor, you will find tour operators listed there with reviews.

If you want to see the Wildebeest migration, you would need to safari in Tanzania - Google search suggests Western corridor of Serengeti.

Re duration, depends what you want to see. My 11 day safari was considered short on Tripadvisor!

Have to re-iterate though that distances are important in Africa - especially if not going there for long.

To get from Serengeti to /Kilimanjaro to transfer to Dar es Saalam for transfer to Zanzibar is 9 hours drive (not all on tarmac) or a 3 hour bush plane flight. This is why most safaris combined with Zanzibar would take you to Southern Tanzania. If the migration is not important to you, would be worth considering and parks are quieter and less expensive.

Ok, looks like I need to do some homework on exactly where and what is feasible. Thanks.

I have done a few Safari's (South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe) and looking at Tanzania for this year as seems a good option for a mix of Safari and Beach and my son (older teenager) a first taste of Africa. Really interested to hear any experiences or operators locally. Would be flying into Dar es Salam and would end our trip with a cheeky beach break in Zanzibar.

I haven't been yet so it is difficult to provide any recommendations as such but I would advise going onto Tripadvisor and researching via there. Contact about 5 - 6 well rated companies and obtain itineraries, then post them back onto the forum for feedback. I did this and obtained valuable advice and made some further itinerary changes as a result. I would ask your chosen operator for a copy of their TALA licence and ask questions about the vehicles/seatbelts. It is customary to pay a deposit in advance - pay this by credit card for extra security.

Just one point: the wildebeeste migrate from Tanzania to Kenya in July/August. June will still be quite quiet at the Mara River in Kenya’s Masai Mara. In this reserve, you can stay in excellent camps in the reserve. There are also many outside the reserve but driving is longer and you have less time to see the wildlife.

You will find Kenya prices are quoted in US $ for decent camps and you really won’t find savings. Safari lodges are very expensive because they are inclusive of meals and game drives. Many tour operators get discounts and you need transport to get to them if you book direct. Standards of driving in Kenya are awful. Go with a safari expert and avoid the hassle. You can fly into the Mara though. Companies like Expert Africa have lots of info about countries and camps.

Tanzania isn’t really cheaper. There are lovely camps and the Ngorongoro crater is a must. June would also be good for Zambia.

We have been on safari loads of times and I am good at itineraries! Trip Advisor is ok but some travellers don’t want what you want so views can be odd. The main thing is to be where the animals are at the right time of year. Good safari companies will tell you this. If a poster on here doesn’t know when the Migration takes place, I would be careful of advice given!

Thanks bubbles, very helpful 👍

We’re looking at doing a safari in May. I’ve been looking at South Africa due to weather at that time of year - the eastern cape reserves - Amakhala in particular. Does this sound ok for our first safari experience? We’d be flying into johannasberg then on to port Elizabeth. Most reviews are amazing but some say the smaller private reserves feel like a zoo rather than safari which has me worried? Don’t have a huge budget as tagging a 8 nights in Mauritius on the end. Any advice would be great :)

This is exactly what we did - a one week stay in SA with a 3 day safari at Kariega near Port Elizabeth. it was great and we saw loads of wildlife, fab rangers etc and not too expensive. Then after 4 days in Cape Town we flew to Mauritius for a week of beach!
We found the Kariega to be a fab first safari, yes not too big, but doable and great for the kids. Enjoy!

Thanks nannymcphee. How did you find Mauritius? It looks beautiful but has featured a few times on the underwhelming thread! We’re thinking of spending 3 nights in a hillside retreat then 5 by the beach on the northern coast