What to expect on your first safari in Africa
SAFARI, right cold for game drives. Take a light windproof jacket, maybe even fleece-lined. Because of high elevations, some parts of Africa are much colder than you realize.
Take a good camera with the best longrange lens available, even if you must borrow or rent one. Don’t rely on your phone’s camera. While the game trackers often can get unnervingly close to wildlife, sometimes great shots are flat-out impossible without long-range lenses.
You will not see the Big Five of Cape buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion and leopard every day. These are not safari parks.
The stronger animals — the lions, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs — feast upon weaker game including gazelles, warthogs and zebra. Kills happen, and likely you will see one. It’s just the circle of life, and game trackers will not “save” an animal. Just look away.
If possible, take at least one safari by hot air balloon. Seeing giraffe or zebra scurrying across the savanna hundreds of feet below and kicking up dust is a thrill that you cannot even begin to imagine.
Days start early, before sunrise. Go on every single game drive that you can, or chance missing something magical and wonderful that you may never get a chance to see again.
Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information about country-specific immunizations, including yellow fever. If you can’t provide proof of immunizations in some countries, you may be denied entry. And anti-malarials are recommended in some regions. I know several people who didn’t take antimalarials because of the side effects of crazy, vivid dreams and sleeplessness, only to end up with malaria. People die from it every single day. Don’t be one of them.
Check with a country’s embassy beforehand to determine if you need a visa. If you do, try to obtain it beforehand, or you may face absurdly long, cash-only queues in steamy airports.
Travel insurance is an excellent idea. No matter how good your medical insurance is at home, it probably does not cover sickness and accidents outside of the U.S.
Pack a small flashlight. Power outages happen frequently, and electricity is often turned off purposefully at night. In a pinch, phone flashlights are OK, but a flashlight is better.
Most countries in Africa run 220 to 240 voltage, so converters or adapters are necessary.
Take medication or a first-aid kit tailored to your specific needs, including those for anti-diarrheals, antibiotics and anti-motion sickness. And take enough prescription medications for at least three or four days after your trip ends. Flights get delayed. Storms interrupt airport operations. Don’t take chances on not having enough lifesaving prescription medication with you.
While you may love your travel agent, consider booking with a safari-only tour operator. Many U.S.-based operators are either from Africa, have lived in Africa or have traveled extensively throughout the continent. They sell what they know.
Roads and even highways are often unpaved and rutted and can get bumpy. Plus, flat tires happen often in the blistering heat. These things are to be expected.
Just because a lodge has internet capabilities doesn’t mean it will always work. That said, tell your loved ones at home that you’ll be in touch when you’re in touch and not to worry. Besides, you’ll be having the time of your life and won’t even care about back home.