African Safaris - any tips or advice?

[soccerdad72]

So, my wife and I just put down a deposit on a true bucket list trip - we're taking our boys on a safari for our older son's college graduation and younger son's delayed (by a year) HS graduation presents. We're spending 8 days in Botswana at four different camps, plus two days at Victoria Falls and wrapping up with 4 days at aa beach resort in Mozambique.

We don't leave until next May, but are trying to figure out anything we will want to bring with us, plus how to pack lightly but enough to cover all of what we need. We know we'll need to get visas and malaria shots, but that is a while down the road.

Anyone done a safari tour? Any tips or tricks or general suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Dan Murphy]

So, my wife and I just put down a deposit on a true bucket list trip - we're taking our boys on a safari for our older son's college graduation and younger son's delayed (by a year) HS graduation presents. We're spending 8 days in Botswana at four different camps, plus two days at Victoria Falls and wrapping up with 4 days at aa beach resort in Mozambique.

We don't leave until next May, but are trying to figure out anything we will want to bring with us, plus how to pack lightly but enough to cover all of what we need. We know we'll need to get visas and malaria shots, but that is a while down the road.

Anyone done a safari tour? Any tips or tricks or general suggestions? Thanks.

No tips, no tricks, no experience. But sounds great, have a super time, both planning and also enjoying the fruits of your labor. You guys and the kids should certainly enjoy, and probably learn a lot along the way. My best.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I wish I had advice, but I have nothing but good wishes! What a trip of a lifetime for your family and a great way to celebrate those two milestones. Looking forward to living vicariously through the tips you receive, your planning, and a trip report after next May! You and your family are going to make so many great memories...happy planning!

 

[easyas123]

My parents took our boys, and my two nephews (then all between the ages of 9 & 12) to South Africa to visit friends and then go on to a Safari w/ the kids. The boys are all in their mid to late 20's now and they STILL talk about that trip!
So while I have not personally done this trip (yet) it was a highlight of my sons & nephew's youth and I'm sure your family will have a blast!

 

[Karin1984]

My brother did just a similar trip. I think the best tip is: listen to locals and follow their advice. When you are on a safari or visiting something the locals will know much better how to deal with certain things than you do. You are in a completely new environment where nothing is as it is at home.

Example he gave. During their trip they went camping, this included setting up your own tent. One of the Western couples in the group thought they knew better how to do this. The local guides let them fumble around till it was getting dark and the tent now really had to be up. And they set it up in a couple of minutes.

And that of course is even more important when on safari. Do not get out of a vehicle if the guides tell you not to. Do not get too close to animals and do not bother them. I did a walking safari in Kenya once, in an area with 'safe' animals like giraffes and zebras, some types of small deer. But still the advice is do not approach the animals. They are not domesticated.

Invest in a good camera.
And also bring something warm to wear, it can get chilly during the night.

 

[lynxstch]

@tcufrog might have some tips or advice for you. They had a post this morning looking for hard cover photo albums, since they recently came back from a safari in Kenya.

 

[tcufrog]

We recently got back from a safari in Kenya and had a blast. Get a book or printout of the animals you might see so your kids can keep track of what they see. Set aside money for tips for anyone because that is their main source of income. Take a really good DSLR camera and get used to using it before you go. Take a warm hooded coat because it can get surprisingly cold at night and early in the morning.

Are you taking a safari flight? Those planes are often very small and have smaller luggage weight limits. Find out what season you'll be there and whether malaria is actually a concern where you're going. When we went in early and mid-July it was winter in Kenya where we went. We took heavy-duty insect repellent and anti-malarial medicine and never needed either. We saw almost no insects because it was winter and chilly even at the Equator. That may not be your experience though.

Leave some room in your luggage for souvenirs. We got some amazing locally-made artwork and jewelry for very low prices. I was able to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Shipping stuff home though would have been really expensive. Encourage your kids to keep a journal during the trip and leave spaces in the journal for photos taken during the trip. I have the kids create journal pages that I print out on cardstock and get bound at Kinkos ahead of time. They're a really cheap momento. My older son has at least 10 now.

Here's my luggage tips: use lightweight duffle bags that don't have wheels instead of suitcases. Each family member traveled with a duffle bag and a backpack that they were responsible for (my kids are 12 and 16). We got one of these in a different color for each family member and they worked great. DS12 already wears adult-size clothing so he needed the same size duffle as everyone else. The bags are great because they have a built-in pocket at either end that is perfect for dirty clothes or shoes. They also come in smaller sizes. I also carried a lightweight purse. I invested in heavy-duty luggage tags for our backpacks and duffle bags. Each person was assigned a different color so we could easily ID each person's luggage.

Find out which places have laundry services and get your clothes washed when possible so you can carry a lot less clothing. Invest in a convertor plug for each person and make them responsible for their own plug and cables. We found some on Amazon that have built-in USB outlets. The roads can be very rocky so bring anti-nausea meds for any family member who is prone to motion sickness.

I'm happy to answer any other questions you have.

 

[Minnie1222]

Have a wonderful trip! If you have time, please visit the CDC for an updated list of vaccine requirement and potential pathogens you may encounter at your destination. Malaria vaccine comes in horse sized pills (not shots) with a strict regimen to be followed before the trip.

 

[rlk]

We took our boys to Kenya and Tanzania in 2018; best trip ever. Besides Malaria, find out what other vaccinations are required. We set an appointment with a Travel vaccination company to get our Yellow Fever and Typhoid shots, plus a prescription for malaria pills.

 

[tcufrog]

We took our boys to Kenya and Tanzania in 2018; best trip ever. Besides Malaria, find out what other vaccinations are required. We set an appointment with a Travel vaccination company to get our Yellow Fever and Typhoid shots, plus a prescription for malaria pills.

Were you ever asked to show your Yellow Fever shot records? I was surprised that no one ever asked to see them even though you were required to get it before you entered Kenya.

 

[rlk]

Were you ever asked to show your Yellow Fever shot records? I was surprised that no one ever asked to see them even though you were required to get it before you entered Kenya.

I think we had to show our vaccination booklet along with our passports.

I read your tips and agree with bringing money for tips. We each had a rolling duffel bag and a backpack. At each resort, 4 porters would take one rolling bag each and leave us to lug our backpacks. It was pretty comical after awhile, and we were happy to be able to tip all of them.

 

[soccerdad72]

We recently got back from a safari in Kenya and had a blast. Get a book or printout of the animals you might see so your kids can keep track of what they see. Set aside money for tips for anyone because that is their main source of income. Take a really good DSLR camera and get used to using it before you go. Take a warm hooded coat because it can get surprisingly cold at night and early in the morning.

Are you taking a safari flight? Those planes are often very small and have smaller luggage weight limits. Find out what season you'll be there and whether malaria is actually a concern where you're going. When we went in early and mid-July it was winter in Kenya where we went. We took heavy-duty insect repellent and anti-malarial medicine and never needed either. We saw almost no insects because it was winter and chilly even at the Equator. That may not be your experience though.

Leave some room in your luggage for souvenirs. We got some amazing locally-made artwork and jewelry for very low prices. I was able to get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Shipping stuff home though would have been really expensive. Encourage your kids to keep a journal during the trip and leave spaces in the journal for photos taken during the trip. I have the kids create journal pages that I print out on cardstock and get bound at Kinkos ahead of time. They're a really cheap momento. My older son has at least 10 now.

Here's my luggage tips: use lightweight duffle bags that don't have wheels instead of suitcases. Each family member traveled with a duffle bag and a backpack that they were responsible for (my kids are 12 and 16). We got one of these in a different color for each family member and they worked great. DS12 already wears adult-size clothing so he needed the same size duffle as everyone else. The bags are great because they have a built-in pocket at either end that is perfect for dirty clothes or shoes. They also come in smaller sizes. I also carried a lightweight purse. I invested in heavy-duty luggage tags for our backpacks and duffle bags. Each person was assigned a different color so we could easily ID each person's luggage.

Find out which places have laundry services and get your clothes washed when possible so you can carry a lot less clothing. Invest in a convertor plug for each person and make them responsible for their own plug and cables. We found some on Amazon that have built-in USB outlets. The roads can be very rocky so bring anti-nausea meds for any family member who is prone to motion sickness.

I'm happy to answer any other questions you have.

Thanks for all of this! Yes, we’ll be taking a number of small flights, as we’re flying from camp to camp every couple days when in Botswana.

We planned on duffels and backpacks. We just have to figure out what we have already and what we need to buy. Our boys will be 23 and 19, so they certainly will be responsible for their own bags.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

So, my wife and I just put down a deposit on a true bucket list trip - we're taking our boys on a safari for our older son's college graduation and younger son's delayed (by a year) HS graduation presents. We're spending 8 days in Botswana at four different camps, plus two days at Victoria Falls and wrapping up with 4 days at aa beach resort in Mozambique.

We don't leave until next May, but are trying to figure out anything we will want to bring with us, plus how to pack lightly but enough to cover all of what we need. We know we'll need to get visas and malaria shots, but that is a while down the road.

Anyone done a safari tour? Any tips or tricks or general suggestions? Thanks.

Bring a good camera and binoculars. Always carry a roll of toilet paper with you. Pack both warm clothes and quick drying clothes. Wear neutral earth tone colors — bright colors scare the animals, dark colors attract tsetse flies, and camo is illegal. Check toilet stalls for roosting bats before use.

Were you ever asked to show your Yellow Fever shot records? I was surprised that no one ever asked to see them even though you were required to get it before you entered Kenya.

I think they only check proof of vaccination if you’re coming from a country where there’s a Yellow Fever risk. So, flying in from the US/UK they didn’t check, but they were definitely checking once we started crossing borders within Africa. I distinctly remember holding up the line while frantically digging through my bag looking for my YF vaccine card for re-entry into Kenya, because I hadn’t expected to have to show it at both flight boarding and deplaning.

 

[dvcgirl67]

No advice, only good wishes....sounds amazing! Are you going with a tour company?

We have a similar bucket list trip next September to South Africa. We're going for 16 days...and while the 9 nights at three different safari lodges is in stone (many book out a full year in advance), we've played a bit with the first 7 nights in the Cape Town area. We're working with a travel advisor, but not doing a group tour. She's helped us set us accommodations, transportation and has set us up with excursions in the Cape Town area including historical tour, sea marine "safari", a wine tasting day when we stay at a resort/spa in Franschhoek (wine tasting region in SA). For the safari portion of the trip we've chosen lodges at three different game reserves in the Greater Kruger area.

We also looked at the Phinda reserve in South Africa and an option that included Botswana, but the lodges that interested us required flying in to their private airstrips and the "soft-sided" luggage deal. We're not big packers, but the luggage can't even have wheels, and without a place to stow another bag (because we're flying into Cape Town and out of Johannesburg), we couldn't figure out how it would work. This is our first trip to Africa and so we decided on a cushier trip for this first time.....figuring we're not going to hate it and will likely want to go back. There are some people on the Trip Advisor forums who go again and again....some must be fabulously wealthy as they're staying at incredibly expensive lodges. But...they say it's addicting.

 

[soccerdad72]

No advice, only good wishes....sounds amazing! Are you going with a tour company?

We have a similar bucket list trip next September to South Africa. We're going for 16 days...and while the 9 nights at three different safari lodges is in stone (many book out a full year in advance), we've played a bit with the first 7 nights in the Cape Town area. We're working with a travel advisor, but not doing a group tour. She's helped us set us accommodations, transportation and has set us up with excursions in the Cape Town area including historical tour, sea marine "safari", a wine tasting day when we stay at a resort/spa in Franschhoek (wine tasting region in SA). For the safari portion of the trip we've chosen lodges at three different game reserves in the Greater Kruger area.

We also looked at the Phinda reserve in South Africa and an option that included Botswana, but the lodges that interested us required flying in to their private airstrips and the "soft-sided" luggage deal. We're not big packers, but the luggage can't even have wheels, and without a place to stow another bag (because we're flying into Cape Town and out of Johannesburg), we couldn't figure out how it would work. This is our first trip to Africa and so we decided on a cushier trip for this first time.....figuring we're not going to hate it and will likely want to go back. There are some people on the Trip Advisor forums who go again and again....some must be fabulously wealthy as they're staying at incredibly expensive lodges. But...they say it's addicting.

Yes, we are going with a travel company. We got three different quotes, but the one we went with did a ton of customization for the trip, we really liked them. I think the itinerary we went with was like version 9.

We do have a number of private small plane flights on our Botswana portion, but we're pretty light packers and most of the places we're staying includes laundry service as well, so that will help. We're also going in and out of Johannesburg.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yes, we are going with a travel company. We got three different quotes, but the one we went with did a ton of customization for the trip, we really liked them. I think the itinerary we went with was like version 9.

We do have a number of private small plane flights on our Botswana portion, but we're pretty light packers and most of the places we're staying includes laundry service as well, so that will help. We're also going in and out of Johannesburg.

Ha....we had five versions presented to us and then we customized that even more. What travel company are you using? Someone else around here recently posted a trip they were taking...Tanzania I think, and for the price it looked quite nice. I've heard Botswana is amazing....and so I'm hoping we get back to Africa after this trip. I'm always planning the "next trip" in my mind...lol.

 

[soccerdad72]

Ha....we had five versions presented to us and then we customized that even more. What travel company are you using? Someone else around here recently posted a trip they were taking...Tanzania I think, and for the price it looked quite nice. I've heard Botswana is amazing....and so I'm hoping we get back to Africa after this trip. I'm always planning the "next trip" in my mind...lol.

https://safarionline.co.za/

The Botswana portion is primarily using properties through https://desertdelta.com/ It's all either permanent lodges or "glamping" - luxury tents with full bathrooms, etc. My wife wasn't about to pitch her own tent or use shared bathrooms / port a potties, etc.

 

[wvjules]

https://safarionline.co.za/

The Botswana portion is primarily using properties through https://desertdelta.com/ It's all either permanent lodges or "glamping" - luxury tents with full bathrooms, etc. My wife wasn't about to pitch her own tent or use shared bathrooms / port a potties, etc.

You either, Steve, you either! lol

 

[soccerdad72]

You either, Steve, you either! lol

True - guilty as charged.

 

[dvcgirl67]

https://safarionline.co.za/

The Botswana portion is primarily using properties through https://desertdelta.com/ It's all either permanent lodges or "glamping" - luxury tents with full bathrooms, etc. My wife wasn't about to pitch her own tent or use shared bathrooms / port a potties, etc.

Yep, I'm with your wife! We stayed at Nayara Tented Camp in the rain forest of Costa Rica. The resort was designed by a firm that builds luxury tented camps in Africa....there was nothing "tent-like" about it.....it was incredible. Looks like the company you went with is essentially doing what our TA is doing....just on a grander scale. Everything is customizable. You're going to have a great time!

We're so far out that we can't even book our fights until October, but I've been watching them for a long time....and will book the first day we can as the price only goes one way after that...and it's up. We're able to fly direct on United from Newark to Cape Town...and again direct from Johannesburg to Newark. In country we're using AirLink to get from Cape Town up to the Kruger area and again from Kruger to Johannesburg. We have a trip in between this trip....to Panama this winter and I'm trying to focus on that and not overlook it...but it's hard because we've been looking forward to the South African trip since it got cancelled in May of 2020.