You would think after visiting more than 50 countries and blogging about those journeys around the world, not to mention offering travel tips and advice, that we would be pretty good at choosing our first safari. Well, travel is an adventurous and imperfect thing. The key, like falling off a horse, is to learn what you did wrong and get back on. (Disclaimer: I have never fallen off a horse.) So here is what we have learned to apply to the next safari.
1. We should have listened to friends’ recommendations
We have scores of friends who have traveled the world and, like us, believe in upscale travel on a budget. Why not ask them for recommendations? Here’s the sad part. We did. I wrote a Facebook post asking for advice and received nearly 30 suggestions on where to go, most of them very detailed. Constant travelers, Jessica and Scott, emailed a sample itinerary they had taken. Good friend, Mark, told us that the guide is the key and gave the name of a terrific one he had used. Travel author, Patricia, put us in touch with her friend, a well-known safari expert. Friends are terrific!
Mistake #1. We didn’t follow that excellent advice. Always, always listen to the people whose opinions you trust when you are venturing into unknown territory. Your friends are better than Trip Advisor or Yelp or other sources. (Note: I hope you trust the opinions of Journeys With Stephen, even if we aren’t friends.)
2. We rushed the decision
In late December, we were just contemplating an African safari, with the idea of actually traveling during Chinese New Year only 5 weeks later. This might have been a mistake waiting to happen.
First, most of the top safari providers were sold out by then, as smart travelers treat a safari like a major cruise and book far in advance. Second, your options also become more limited in critical areas such as airfare and pre and post accommodations. Third, vaccinations and visas take time, and you can’t opt out of either. We seriously worried about receiving our Kenya visas, which arrived just days before the trip (as of this writing, Kenya’s visa website is dreadful). Next time we will start the process much earlier. At least that’s the plan. OK, maybe the dream.
On the plus side, we did a fair amount of online research and avoided many of the mistakes others have written about, including over-packing and under-hydrating.
3. We wanted an upscale experience, but also to save money
Yes, we write about upscale travel on a budget, but an African safari is likely to be one of the most expensive trips you will take. Trying to cut corners by price shopping is a mistake. We are convinced that this is one travel experience where “you get what you pay for.”
You should look seriously into why one safari is cheaper than another. It is often because the group size is larger, the guide is also the driver and tracker, the agenda is not realistic, the transportation or accommodations are inferior – they are cutting costs some way and you will understand how too late.
4. We chose a safari company who outsources the experience
This was our biggest mistake. We chose Friendly Planet, mostly because they still had availability during the period we wanted to travel and the fact they were reasonably priced. The itinerary description from their website looked pretty good, as well. There would be 10 days of conservancies and game reserves, with one or more safari drives each day, covering both Kenya and Tanzania.
Our actual experience was not so good, largely because of an extremely rude and unprofessional driver/guide, an itinerary that didn’t play out anything like the website description, and traveling companions who left much to be desired. OK, travel often has its unforeseen challenges, so the answer is sometimes left to how the travel provider handles problems. In our case this is where things went from bad to worse.
We thought wrongly that by booking with an American company we would receive good customer service, but instead, we were met with finger pointing and refusal to acknowledge and fix a bad situation. This was a first for us in our extensive, worldwide travels. Sparing you the details (and my 6-page report sent to Friendly Planet), we can summarize the takeaway as simply: don’t select a safari company who outsources the experience.
5. We had challenging travel companions
We have come to the conclusion from traveling in groups over the years that the bigger the group the more challenges you face. Tour bus operators have admitted this to us. Trying to appease the whims of a few travelers becomes more difficult. Cliques tend to form among former strangers. Private people have problems interfacing with very public people. One person makes 20 people late. One grumpy person makes 20 people grumpy. Some people may be obsessed with sighting as many animals as possible, while others just want to go with the flow.
If you can take a safari with a group of people you know or whose travel habits you are familiar with, this potential mistake goes away. Of course, that is not always possible. Left to chance, at least choose a smaller group tour, as decisions are easier to make and privacy is easier to find. Can’t we just all get along?
6. We tried to see too many places
An African safari is not like some European cruises, visiting a different country every day. Africa is big. Driving from Nairobi to Cape Town would take more than 60 hours! Even distances between reserves in one country can be all-day drives over bumpy dirt roads. Slow down and enjoy more. Choose a South Africa safari or a Kenya safari or a Tanzania safari. And spend time with the local people, not just a manic search for animals.
Our mistake was in thinking that more game drives in more places would equal a richer experience. Quite the opposite is true. I have done a Nordic cruise, covering 5 countries in 7 days and can recommend that as a first-time exposure, scouting-out trip. Safaris really don’t work that way. Run away from a tour that claims to fill every day with multiple game drives. Double check the actual driving times between camps. By seeing fewer places you will experience more.
Also worth noting: allow yourself some time to acclimate to Africa prior to the start of the actual safari. For more on that advice, see my post “Visit Nairobi before and after a safari.”
7. We tried to cover by ground what could be done by air
We discovered well into the safari that, as upscale travelers, we should have flown between some locations that our cost-conscious safari operator tried to cover by vehicle. The result was several very long, arduous days driving too fast on unpaved, sometimes under-construction roads between camps. Kenya, at least, is famous for this. Some might call it an adventure. For me, it led to a bruised arm and a day sick in bed.
Faced with another one of those untenable driving days on the itinerary (though not on the website description), we finally ditched the tour and booked a flight to our next destination. It was great! We experienced Africa’s grand landscape and animals literally from another viewpoint. We shaved hours off the agenda and arrived in a good mood for once.
8. We shouldn’t stress about seeing the Big 5
There are more than 1,000 species of mammals in Africa and twice that many types of birds. Yet, there seems to be an obsession with spotting the Big 5 – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. It’s easy to get caught up in that quest, especially if your guide believes this is the group’s desire. Our recommendation is to chill and appreciate whatever you encounter.
We saw a cheetah devouring its kill, an ostrich protecting a nest of eggs, hippos floating in a pond, a baby giraffe trying to keep up with its mom – well, you get the picture. None of those wonderful memories involves one of the Big 5.
Have you made any mistakes that can help others? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post. See you in Africa!
What’s upscale?
Taking a safari from a reputable provider, with an expert guide, and top-notch accommodations and transportation is going to be an upscale experience. Don’t cut corners.
What’s budget?
There are do-it-yourself approaches that some people try for a first-time safari, but we don’t recommend it. View this as your most expensive travel experience and budget accordingly.
It makes sense that you should avoid spreading yourself too thin when on a safari and that refining the number of places you visit will make the trip more meaningful. My sister would like to visit Kenya next year so that she can write a college paper about her experience there, but she wants to visit as many places as she possibly can. I’ll let her know that she should consider choosing only a few locations to get the most out of her safari tour.
Yes, we made several mistakes, as the article notes. I hope people can learn from them. As you say, seeing fewer places will make the trip more meaningful; you will actually experience more.