Planning a Luxury Safari Holiday

Planning your African safari can be a daunting undertaking. There are so many countries and types of safari to choose from, all with their own character and something slightly different to offer.

So where to start? Factors to consider include your travel dates (and thus climate), the composition of your travelling party (any children?), your budget, the types of activities you would like to experience, the type of safari accommodation you would prefer (permanent lodge / tent?), and the remainder of your itinerary (Cape Town? / Victoria Falls? / safari and beach combination?).  We talk a bit more about each of these factors below.

The ideal way to sort though all the options is by talking to us, whether over the phone, by a virtual presentation which simply requires you to be sitting in front of a computer, or ideally face-to-face over coffee at our offices in Putney.  However, for those who like to do lots of online research themselves, this website will help you to start thinking start thinking about your Africa safari holiday – all the information given here has been written by us, so it is absolutely impartial, though we do have strong opinions!
 
The very first question to consider is East or Southern Africa?

Safari Holidays - East Africa (Tanzania / Kenya / Uganda / Rwanda)

include the Masai Mara, the Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Selous Game Reserve; all world-famous safari destinations. Depending when you travel, you may also have the opportunity to witness the extraordinary Great Migration. Beach extensions are easily accessible from here, with both Tanzania and Kenya having their own Indian Ocean coastlines, and Zanzibar is just a short hop away. East Africa has an equatorial climate, with little seasonal temperature variation, and it is dry in our summer.  For more detailed information on Tanzania safaris and Tanzania honeymoons please see our dedicated Tanzania site.
 

African Safari Holidays - Southern Africa (Botswana / Zambia / Zimbabwe / South Africa / Namibia)

includes the Okavango Delta and Chobe, Kruger and Luangwa National Parks, all excellent safari destinations. Extensions to Victoria Falls and/or Cape Town are popular. Beach extensions from here include Southern Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles (the latter two particularly being very child-friendly), but these are slightly less accessible than the corresponding East Africa beach extensions. Southern Africa has different climate zones, but bear in mind that as it is south of the equator, their summer is December to March.
 

Where to stay on safari

The next consideration is which national park / reserve / concession will offer the best game viewing and safari activities for your travel dates. There is usually a good range of accommodation to choose from according to your budget and personal taste, including mobile safari camps, small tented camps, permanent safari lodges, large hotels, and lusury safari lodges. Tented safari camps are often still extremely luxurious (often with private plunge pools and all the bells and whistles), though the semi-permanent mobile safari camps that track the path of the migration are a little more basic.  As a rule of thumb tailoring a safari to suit you will cost no more than a package safari tour

    Show me more >

    Planning a Luxury Safari Holiday

Planning your African safari can be a daunting undertaking. There are so many countries and types of safari to choose from, all with their own character and something slightly different to offer.

So where to start? Factors to consider include your travel dates (and thus climate), the composition of your travelling party (any children?), your budget, the types of activities you would like to experience, the type of safari accommodation you would prefer (permanent lodge / tent?), and the remainder of your itinerary (Cape Town? / Victoria Falls? / safari and beach combination?).  We talk a bit more about each of these factors below.

The ideal way to sort though all the options is by talking to us, whether over the phone, by a virtual presentation which simply requires you to be sitting in front of a computer, or ideally face-to-face over coffee at our offices in Putney.  However, for those who like to do lots of online research themselves, this website will help you to start thinking start thinking about your Africa safari holiday – all the information given here has been written by us, so it is absolutely impartial, though we do have strong opinions!
 
The very first question to consider is East or Southern Africa?

Safari Holidays - East Africa (Tanzania / Kenya / Uganda / Rwanda)

include the Masai Mara, the Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Selous Game Reserve; all world-famous safari destinations. Depending when you travel, you may also have the opportunity to witness the extraordinary Great Migration. Beach extensions are easily accessible from here, with both Tanzania and Kenya having their own Indian Ocean coastlines, and Zanzibar is just a short hop away. East Africa has an equatorial climate, with little seasonal temperature variation, and it is dry in our summer.  For more detailed information on Tanzania safaris and Tanzania honeymoons please see our dedicated Tanzania site.
 

African Safari Holidays - Southern Africa (Botswana / Zambia / Zimbabwe / South Africa / Namibia)

includes the Okavango Delta and Chobe, Kruger and Luangwa National Parks, all excellent safari destinations. Extensions to Victoria Falls and/or Cape Town are popular. Beach extensions from here include Southern Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles (the latter two particularly being very child-friendly), but these are slightly less accessible than the corresponding East Africa beach extensions. Southern Africa has different climate zones, but bear in mind that as it is south of the equator, their summer is December to March.
 

Where to stay on safari

The next consideration is which national park / reserve / concession will offer the best game viewing and safari activities for your travel dates. There is usually a good range of accommodation to choose from according to your budget and personal taste, including mobile safari camps, small tented camps, permanent safari lodges, large hotels, and lusury safari lodges. Tented safari camps are often still extremely luxurious (often with private plunge pools and all the bells and whistles), though the semi-permanent mobile safari camps that track the path of the migration are a little more basic.  As a rule of thumb tailoring a safari to suit you will cost no more than a package safari tour

     

Safari holiday activities

The types of activities available while on safari vary slightly between countries and areas. In particular, the National Parks are subject to strict regulations restricting activities to daytime game drives, while the private reserves and concessions have no such restrictions. Safaris in northern Tanzania and Kenya are predominantly based on (daytime) game drives, with perhaps an occasional walking or boating safari. Zambia and Botswana, by contrast, offer a wide range of activities, including walking, boating, night drives and possibly fly camping.

How much will a safari holiday cost? How long should I go on safari for?

Safari is considerably more expensive than time on a beach, and as a general rule, safari is more expensive in Southern Africa (approx $700-$1,500 per person per night) than in East Africa (approx $400-$800 per person per night). We generally recommend between 3 and 6 nights on safari – you need long enough to 'get' the experience, but safari can be tiring (early starts, long distances, lots of time in the vehicle) and you don't want to get safari-ed out. You will need to weigh up safari against the rest of your itinerary, and decide how to split both your time and budget between them.   Show me less