Safari trip - where do I start!?

[VacationQueen]

We want to book a safari trip for 2027. Where do I start? So far, every website I click on takes me to a form to be completed with our details. This, and not recognising the websites has me worried! Some of the websites don’t even have details of where we would be staying.

We have been told to book Botswana and Mozambique, some have made comment about Zanzibar and it not being the nicest place and another family member mentioned going to the Seychelles and opting for an East African safari. It’s all added to the confusion. We’ve been told to budget £30-50k, does that sound about right? (2 adults)

Elephants and giraffes are probably the animals I am most looking forward to seeing in the wild but I think I’d be just as in awe with seeing lions, cheetahs etc.

I am thinking 10 days split 50/50 so 5 days safari and 5 days beach. It sounds as though £20k budget is on the low side for botswana but is very doable for South Africa. I would rather go next year with the 20k budget we have than wait another year to boost that up any higher.

I wouldn’t do 5 day safari in same place - I’d split 2 nights/3 nights

another option is couple of nights in the Mara then a couple of nights in tsavo/amboseli and then do your 5 nights in the south Kenya coast

fly to Nairobi and stay in one of the lodges on the edge of the national park. Good chance of seeing rhino!

I've booked Namibia for this year OP. It's about £25K for 4 of us, including flights, car rental, hotels/ /lodges half board and all excursions. All 4* or above with pools.
This was with Namibia tours and safaris.
They have been brilliant to deal with. Its a very safe country and we are managing to tie in sightseeing in the Kalahari Desert, Salt pans, Kayaking with seals, ballooning, Africat Foundation, the largest sand dunes and plenty of down time as well as joining organised Safaris in different National Parks. I also didnt want 2 weeks of wildlife spotting so I'm hoping this is something for everyone.

This sounds perfect!

Will be amazing! Make sure you know how to change a tyre and be prepared for the dust in the boot!!

you won’t see hippos or crocs unless going to the caprivi strip.

Thanks for the tips! We've booked an 'off road" driving morning locally for next month to cover the basics.
Really looking forward to it. We've been fortunate enough to visit Kenya and Tanzania previously so looking forward to seeing different species.
It generally works out that we drive for 4hours, then stay at a lodge / hotel for 2 nights where we'll park the car for 48 hours and use local guides and experts to see the sights. And no malaria tablets either!

We went to Kenya, safari and beach. Organised by trail finders. Everything included, apart from a couple of meals in Nairobi (and the tip for our driver on the Safari). Very good for first timers, we got to see all the animals and it is still my favourite holiday.

You need to consider the time of year you want go go, budget, number of days etc. Pull all this info together and then contact a specialist company - I would recommend Aardvark Safaris, or Audley. They will put together some suggested itineraries for you, with costings.
For a first time safari, I would recommend South Africa - especially the And Beyond properties. But do spend the maximum you can afford, because you want the best guides and drivers. You also want a company who take no more than 6 guests per jeep, which means that you can see everything properly.

Can you remember the specific holiday title and how much did it cost if you don’t mind me asking

@Lazingsundayafternoon it was just before Covid, about £14k for 5. We spoke with someone from Trailfinders and she worked out an itinerary for about 12 days. Flights from Nairobi to the Safari and back (tiny plane), car (with driver) from Nairobi to the beach and back.

@VacationQueenSome of the smaller more beautiful lodges aren’t in your budget. &Beyond definitely not.

The Mara in Kenya gets very busy. The best lodges will have good access to a river for hippos and elephants. Lions, giraffes, and cheetahs all there but cheetahs can be elusive. The safari vehicle drivers are in contact with each other so guests don’t miss anything. However they don’t restrict vehicle numbers and 20 around a lion kill won’t be unusual. On a recent trip to Botswana, it was just us. Amboselli is ok for first time but again very busy. It’s attractive though. Tsavo is semi arid and wildlife can be spread out. I’d say lake Nakuru is better if you aren’t doing a long safari.

Namibia is more of an interest holiday with wildlife options. It’s a few days in Etosha. You won’t get to Caprivi strip in 10 days. For me, I’d stay in the Mara and maybe add in Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley, or Lake Nakuru. The Mara is expensive during the migration in our summer holidays though. South Africa is easy travelling but its winter in our summer so beach not really an option.

We booked our Feb safari and time in Cape Town through DialAFlight. Did 3 days safari at Amakhala Woodbury Lodge. Can recommend DialAFlight who will tailor make your holiday and organise private drivers/transfers etc. Our holiday with flights, accommodation and private transfers came in under £8k for the two of us.

Lurking for ideas

Adding on to what I said earlier, you need to budget for tips for guides and trackers, which can add on quite a bit!

Try travel counsellors. They came up with a fabulous safari/beach combo for 2 adults, and a 14 year old and 15 year old for a fraction of that - and we certainly didn't slum it - have a look at Safari plains in Limpopo, south Africa to get the idea. https://safariplains.co.za/accommodation/

As soon as I have the money,we're going back - wherever you end up, I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time.

Maybe consider going around Easter instead of looking at South Africa.
We’ve done self drive a few times around Hluhluwe/Imfolozi and although I’ve nothing to compare it to, I love it.
plenty of Elephant, and each time we’ve been lucky to see Wild Dogs too.

As I said I’ve only experienced Hluhluwe, but my father in law had a timeshare in Mabula, which I’ve heard lovely things about.

I had a phone call with one of the travel agents and I definitely need to look at everything and have more of an idea of what we want to do because they listed off loads of options. Explained weather/ when is best to go to each area.

Maybe a silly question but does it get repetitive? I don’t want to overdo the safari bit and end up on a 4x4 all day for 5 days. I don’t know what else you do at the lodges? Are there other activities we can do? We are doers and I think I need to be realistic about how bored we might get stuck in a vehicle for hours on end and potentially not seeing anything.

We went to Kenya - Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Zanzibar. Always stayed in National Parks. £30k family of 5. 2023.
Absolutely amazing trip as a first safari experience - 3 totally different parks. Had 2 amazing drivers who really made the trip extra special. All the accomodation was fabulous.

You’ll have an amazing time!

Hayes and Jarvis to kenya for us, was amazing, last few days on Diani beach

so a day on safari will normally be an early morning drive and an evening drive. Middle of the day you can rest or swim etc. some lodges offer cultural tours if that interests you

You can also do all day drives but that can be tiring. Some offer walking safaris too

personally I don’t get bored on game drives - even if not seeing much. However, the longest I have gone is 6 nights and that was split between two lodges with different ecosystems

i would far rather spend a week on safari than on a beach!

The range of animals you can see makes every drive different. Did some general drives, so many elephants, giraffes, lions etc but also just picked one animal to find ….we followed the Masai Mara ‘ 3 brothers’ cheetahs for one drive. Totally mesmorising watching them play and hunt. Lucky enough to be there on the first day of the Masai Mara migration. Went out on a boat to see hippos. Saw a black rhino, Did a hot air balloon ride. All the camps we went to had pools. The fact that 3 well travelled teens still talk about as one of the best ever experiences says it all!

Oh wow! This sounds perfect, mixture of boat, hot air balloon and drives. Where did you go?

2000km across Namibia and not a single puncture. Get a 4x4

We didn’t get one either but we met a couple who turned up in the pitch black because they’d had 2 within 4 hours!

the roads are actually pretty good

@Pandersmum The first day of the migration? Really? You cannot possibly have any idea!

Yes, I enjoy the Mara but it’s very very busy snd you simply cannot get away from other vehicles due to the sheer number of lodges. They have multiplied around the reserve even if they are controlled within it. At a migration crossing I saw 100 vehicles. The migration isn’t just across the Mara River. You can see the animals crossing the Talek River which is always quieter.

There are very few rhinos in the Mara and leopards are difficult to find. You can get lucky but you could go 5 times and never see either of these. Rhino are far easier to see in South Africa and leopards too. Reserves are known for certain animals. Most safari holidays we have done have been memorable for one reason or another. Cheetah cubs, wild dog puppies, lions hunting, seeing a serval or a wild cat, having a hyaena lope through camp, watching a herd of elephants cross the Luangwa River, seeing lions on a walking safari (they ran away!) and also seeing life and death in the raw. Everywhere has plus points. The key is knowing what you want most.