Choosing a Safari
Going on safari can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience
It’s worth taking enough time to ensure a trip is not only memorable but satisfying.
Most travelers go to see wildlife, especially the Big 5 – lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard. Some want to view zebras, gorillas, or just as many animals as possible.
Considerations When Planning a Safari
Yet, there is much more to consider than animals when choosing an itinerary for clients. The season, the length of the trip, the budget, other interests, and the type of accommodations they prefer all figure into the decision about the safari to choose. Tour operators offer packaged itineraries at different price points that may include internal air fares. Or, a safari itinerary can be custom-designed based on client preferences.
The range of possibilities is varied depending on client interests and whether they wish to combine other destinations with a safari. Accommodations vary, and include luxury lodges, tented lodges, tented camps. Amenities can include plunge pools and private decks.
“East and Southern Africa are fortunate enough to have a wide variety of experiences and offerings in our part of the world,” Akash Baijnath, regional sales & marketing manager – East and Southern Africa, Abercrombie & Kent, advises. “Guests can enjoy fantastic safaris in both regions, but it always comes down to understanding what the client envisions as their safari experience.”
For example, if they want to view large, massive herds in wide open plains, it means going to East Africa, he tells me. In addition, determine what are their other interests beyond the safari. Do they prefer good food and wine and “love shopping?” If so, Baijnath recommends a southern Africa safari.
As with any itinerary, qualifying the client is essential. “Booking a safari is not simple and straightforward, because East and Southern Africa has so much more to offer than just a safari, which most guests are not aware of,” according to Baijnath. “This is why travel advisors are so important. They are able to have good qualifying conversations with clients, and based on these conversations, we are able to help determine where best to take guests.”
When it comes to specific countries for safari, Baijnath notes that the safari experience “is very similar across the region, and varying mostly in either the landscapes or animals endemic to a certain region.”
One significant difference is the kind of accommodations. Another difference, he says, is going to national parks versus private game reserves. Individual African countries own specific national parks such as Kruger National Park in South Africa, Serengeti in Tanzania, and Masai Mara in Kenya. Private game reserves can border a national park as is the case with Kruger National Park.
Private game reserves offer the opportunity to go “off road and get up close to an animal sighting” with fewer other game drive vehicles in the same place, he says.
The downside of a private game reserve is higher cost, he tells me. Clients are paying for the up-close experiences and more flexibility on the timing of game drives. The government-run parks and reserves are open to the public and allowing self-drive visits increasing volume. Private reserves are limited to those staying at the property.
On most safaris clients are likely to view the Big 5 – elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros, and buffalo – yet some locations are home to more of certain animals than other animals. Other animals you might view on safari are zebras, giraffes, gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons, and impalas.
It’s ideal to consider how important a certain animal is to the client, and plan the safari in a country and area where they are more likely to view it. Yet, there is never a guarantee of which animals and how many they’ll see. Typically, the high season, which is the dry season, means the greater likelihood you’ll see more animals. Peak safari season is typically from July through October in Africa, during Africa’s cool, dry winter. Yet, experts say there are other good times to go on safari.
“The first thing to do is to debunk any myths that Africa is only good at certain times of the year, according to” Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel, Inc. “The better question to ask is what are the experiences which clients would like to have when they are traveling in Africa.” The dry season typically runs from May through October. Yet, there are other good times to go on safari.
“We believe the green season (wet season) is Africa’s best kept secret and the opportunities to see wildlife when it is not crowded, where they can get great airfare pricing, and they don’t have to pay a single supplement rate which is the perfect time to go,” Banda tells me.
On safari, game drives typically take place early in the morning and late afternoon so find out how many game drives clients will experience on an itinerary and the kind of vehicle in which they’ll travel. Some itineraries include two game drives each day. Other options are hot-air balloon safaris and bush walks.
“Not all guests traveling together may be into a full-on safari intense itinerary, and hence you need to be able to cater/meet the needs of everyone, by including a variety of experiences to satisfy all traveler interests,” Baijnath says.
Budget Considerations
Safari specialists recommend knowing how much a client expects to spend so plans can be made within that parameter. “While everyone aims to travel over the traditional peak season, there is exceptional value in shoulder and low seasons as well,” he tells me. “Not only is the pricing more affordable, but our destinations are a lot more quiet, meaning less crowds and more opportunities to enjoy exclusive moments with wildlife.”
In terms of the products A & K offers, guests can expect to spend from $400 per person per day to more than $3,000 per person per day.
“The number one reason for going on a safari is to see wildlife and to be close to the wildlife,” according to African Travel, Inc.’s Banda. “A lot of clients say they want to go for the animals, but when we survey them upon their return, much to their surprise, they always say that if they go back to Africa, they are going to go because of the people.”