Let’s Travel to Africa!
If it’s your first time to Africa, you probably have a million questions, and when those are answered, you might have a million mor.! But don’t let that stop you from packing your bag and jumping on that plane.
So let’s walk through the different things you need to do in order to have the best travel experience. Possibly of your life!
Don’t try and fool yourself… Africa is a BIG place. The United States, China, India, UK, Japan and a few other European countries can all fit into the size of the African continent.
Egypt and Morocco, both in the north of the continent, are very unique, dreamy and popular destinations but for the sake of my blog, I’m going to be talking about the countries where you can experience a really amazing safari experience.
- Botswana
- Kenya
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zimbabwe
- Zambia
Now that is a pretty full list to choose from, and there are still more countries that I haven’t included such as Malawi, Ethiopia, Congo and more… but then you might start to wonder WHY you should go to those countries.
It could be because you are wanting to see one of the great African migrations (yes, there is more than the most famous one in East Africa), or you might want to try and see the Big 5.
Think about it, and decide what it is you want to see, do, and ultimately experience on your safari.
You’re one step closer. You’ve chosen a country, or countries, that you want to travel to.
Are you going to book this yourself, or are you going to book your safari through an agent or tour operator?
There are pros and cons to both, BUT, I would suggest you chat with someone who has lots of experience in this area as there are many rules and things you need to know about booking a safari.
You also need to work out how you are going to get to Africa. In other words, which airline and which flight.
International Flights
This will depend on where you are flying from, and where you are flying to. There are actually quite a lot of direct flights from the USA, UK, Europe and Dubai that will fly you into Africa. It all depends on where you want to go.
Just remember, that if you should have a hiccup with your flight (there is a flight delay, or you miss a connection, or you want to change a flight due to an emergency) ONLY YOU (the traveller) AND THE PERSON WHO BOOKS THE FLIGHT (AGENT), CAN MAKE THE CHANGES.
So if you don’t mind hassling with airlines, then go ahead and look for the cheapest flight online and book it yourself. But remember, that means any changes will have to be done by you directly with the airline.
If you really couldn’t be bothered with that stress, then definitely book your flight through an agent.
The Safari Portion
The easiest way to get this done is to book with one agent or consultant or operator. They can book everything you need from the lodges, to city hotels, to transfers, flights within African, tours, activities, meet & greets, and even restaurant reservations, spa treatments and more.
If you want to chat to me about a trip you’re planning, I am very happy to help you.
If you have an agent that you use and they have the knowledge and experience, book through them.
Top tip: Try and book your safari trip at least a year in advance.
You can start talking about your budget at this stage, especially if you’re planning a year in advance.
You’ll also be able to find out about safari specials that are available.
But your budget could also be the first thing you want to work out, and you do this right at the beginning of your planning stage where you say, “Right, I have US$10,000 per person available for this trip, excluding my international flights.”
It all depends on the type of person you are, how you plan, how you save, how you spend, and how you travel.
You will need to think about the following items when you consider your budget:
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visas, medical requirements, passports and other legal paperwork
- The actual safari package
- Additional items like a massage, dinner or a day tour
- Tipping & gratuities
- Emergency money for unforeseen expenses
- Curios and shopping
The reason I am suggesting to plan your budgeting at this stage and not right in the beginning, is because by now you would have done some research.
You might have received some quotations already, and have an idea of the type of safari you want to do, when you want to go, how long you want to go for, the standard of accommodation you want and so on.
If you are travelling for a specific reason, then there might be very specific times that you have to travel.
For example, some events, festivals and migrations only happen at certain times of the year:
- Bat migration in Zambia
- Carmine bee-eater migration
- Africa Burns festival in South Africa
- Comrades Marathon in South Africa
Other migrations happen all year round, but be aware that they do move:
- Great Migration in East Africa moves constantly, and even crosses borders between Tanzania and Kenya
Then you also need to consider if you are going to travel on safari during the best game viewing times which is in the southern hemisphere’s winter (but more expensive) or when it’s low season, or green season (also known as shoulder season).
It will also matter when you can get time off work.
You’ve done your homework, you know where you want to travel to, you know when you want to travel and you are now ready to book.
READ THE TERMS & CONDITIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO YOU.
MOST (not all) companies require a 20% NON-REFUNDABLE deposit payable on confirmation to secure your booking. Sometimes you are given up to 14 days to make this payment and if after this time your deposit isn’t made, any provisional bookings that have been made will now be released.
Once your deposit is paid and your trip is secure, you can book your international airline tickets.
The balance payment of your trip is usually due 6 weeks (sometimes 8 weeks) prior to your travel date.
You will NOT receive any final documents until this payment has been made in full.
Your trip is booked and air tickets are secure.
It’s time to get your paperwork in order.
- Passports
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Confirmation itinerary
- Air tickets
- Leave at home itinerary
- Download the travel apps you need
The thing about travelling on most safaris, is that you need to be aware of the type of luggage that you can and can’t travel with.
If you have small bush plane flights included in your safari package, you will be restricted to soft-sided luggage only. The weight limitations are also very specific.
Make sure you find this out before you rush out and buy your bags and waste your money. The airlines are strict about this due to safety and logistical reasons.
Once you have your bags, you can start planning your packing. I have put together a comprehensive list that you can use.
- Safari packing list
That is a run down of the process of booking your safari trip to Africa. If you do have questions, you are welcome to reach out to me and I will gladly try and help you.
Happy safari planning!
