Planning an African Safari can seem like a daunting task. It’s not inexpensive, almost halfway around the globe, and there are a lot of potential countries and lodging/touring options to research. Here are a few simple steps to get you started:
Step 1—Set your budget. Your budget will help set ranges for several key planning choices. The two biggest planning variables are 1) length of trip and 2) choice of accommodation(s). You can make lodging choices ranging from rustic tent camps to well-appointed villas to high-end, luxury wildlife resorts. In reality, you may very well end up mixing and matching the length of the trip with the number of destinations and individual lodging choices to build the initial framework for your safari.
Step 2—Decide what you want to see. This may sound to some like a silly or obvious question, but it is actually quite important. Does your vision of the quintessential African Safari include watching an epic river crossing by the wildebeest and zebra herds? Maybe you have always dreamt of seeing mountain gorillas or chimpanzees in their diminishing natural habitat. Where are the best places to maximize your odds of spotting (and/or photographing) the Big Five?
Beyond wildlife, perhaps you want to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 28 years, or visit Victoria Falls, or tour the Stellenbosch wine region. These choices will significantly impact your trip routing, duration and choice of countries visited.
Step 3 – Determine when you can travel. After you set your budget and decide what you want to see and do, the final key piece of the puzzle is incorporating when you want to travel. Understand this can also become an iterative part of the planning process – for example, if you absolutely must see the Great Migration, you will need to be flexible (and available) to travel during a specific time period.
Step 4 – Select the right travel planner. My greatest single piece of advice is to make this trip your own. It is a big investment, and can truly be the trip of a lifetime, so don’t rush into your selection when it comes to finding the perfect travel planner for you and your family. We have several travel advisors at Wayfinder Destinations with substantial experience planning custom African Safaris.
Contact us here to start your trip planning!
- By Rob Provost
