Anyone considering or planning an African safari will be faced with a number of difficult choices.
Questions that must be answered include:
Costs - for most this will be the major consideration (except for a lucky few!)
Destination - where do you most want to go on safari?
Duration - how much time do you have?
Time of year - rain and wind can wreck your safari
Getting there - what's involved?
Once there - self-drive or join a tour group?
What to take - travel light or dress for dinner?
The list is by no means exhaustive. Other questions will arise (can we take the children?),
while for some the answers will be more clearcut.
You may, for example, have seen a National Geo program on Botswana's Okavango
Delta - or the Serengeti migration - and that's where you're determined to go.
For others, it's particular birds - or the desert scenery of the Kalahari - that appeals.
The choices - in destination, type of accommodation, and costs - for an African safari are enormous, so the
more you can limit the variables, the easier it will be to make a decision.
We recommend a browse through our online
Travel Center, hosted in association with The Africa Guide,
to explore the many
Africa Travel and Safari Deals
that are on offer.
Been There, Done That
Cutting through the sales talk of safari operators' brochures and web sites can be a chore. A more reliable source
of valid information is often provided by those who've been there and done it. The articles below will help
anyone looking for tips and advice about going on an African safari:
Test Your Safari Knowledge - Take our
African Safari Quiz to check how much you know about some of Africa's more popular game parks and safari destinations.
Note: You need to open the quiz in Internet Explorer with javascript enabled for it to function fully. If you'd like to see the
answers before taking the quiz and learn more about African safari destinations, see Safari Quiz Answers
Safari Web Sites to Whet Your Appetite:
(Note: Clicking on safari sites listed below will open the web site in a new window)
OnSafari.com -
the website of African Portfolio, which was named one of the Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth by National Geographic Adventure Magazine; awarded
a perfect score for Client Satisfaction.
Offers a range of niche options, including Honeymoon Safaris, Family Safaris, First Time Safaris, Small Group Safaris, and Beach and
Bush Safaris to countries like Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
Africanhorizons.com -
offers over 60 safaris and tours to Kenya,
Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia,
South Africa and the Seychelles. The safaris "are geared toward the leisure and adventure travelers". .
Contains a comprehensive FAQ section that'll prove useful to anyone visiting Africa for the first time
Also allows you to choose by destination or price.
Africaguide.com -
comprehensive guide to the whole African continent with detailed
travel information, daily news headlines, a People and Culture section plus
"Travel diaries by travellers for travellers"
Also useful, up-to-date forums "visited by thousands of people interested in Africa". Definitely recommended to browse through the forums to find out
what other travellers have recently experienced, both the good and the bad.
Game-Reserve.com -
a site "dedicated to wildlife -
the mammals, birds and reptiles of the great African tableau,
to the national parks and game reserves which are home and
habitat to these myriad creatures...".
Offers comprehensive descriptions
of the top African wildlife preserves and regions. Good photo gallery plus useful mammal and bird checklists.
Travellers Guide to Victoria Falls -
A comprehensive travel guide to the Victoria Falls and surrounding areas, including a wealth of information about Zimbabwe,
its people, art, culture, history, and folklore.
The site is compiled by a couple with many years of experience working in the Zimbabwe travel and hospitality industry. Their hands-on knowledge, passion,
and birds-eye perspective provide unique insights indispensible to anyone planning a visit to the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders Of The World.
Winston Safaris -
specializing in Tanzanian Safaris, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, Ngorongoro Highland Trekking, plus safaris to Serengeti,
Ngorongoro Crater, Manyara National Park etc.
Winston Safaris is a ground operator, not a marketing organisation and does not subcontract tour packages, so
takes direct responsibility for all aspects of clients' safaris. The experienced native safari guides are fully trained, offering
specialist local knowledge and dedication.
As local, African safari operators, Shoor offer "the best holidays with quality, value for money and personal service".
CCAfrica.com -
is comprehensive and well presented with lots of info, though it naturally focuses on the lodges
owned by the company (Conservation Corporation Africa).
From the site you can get the latest on the "Greatest Show on Earth" - the Great Migration of more than
2 million herbivores on their epic East African journey. Fascinating reading with first-hand accounts of the migration.
Wilderness-Safaris.com -
a well-established, very experienced tour operator with lodges and camps across a range of countries, including
Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, ande Seychelles.
Wilderness also cater for special interest safaris.
Discover-Botswana.com -
comprehensive info on this popular safari destination, the
site provides an opportunity for Botswana to showcase the
uniqueness and diversity of the tourism industry and its investment opportunities.
TravelAfricaMag.com -
online version of Travel Africa Magazine. Many useful articles and comprehensive travel information,
but access to articles is limited for non-subscribers.
Also worth visiting:
Toursaa.com-
browse & book safaris, tours, nature and adventure travel in Southern Africa
Over 2500 products to choose from.
SouthAfrica.net-
the official South African Tourism website, providing
"the most comprehensive online source of information on travel to and in South Africa".
Parks-sa.co.za-
official website of South Africa's national parks
KZN Wildlife.com - official website of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
(the former Natal Parks Board), offering a huge amount of information about the parks and nature reserves it controls
in KwaZulu-Natal Province.
