“Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all.”
The quote by Brian Jackman could not be truer. It is a type of trip I could take over and over. However, there are many different types and styles of Safari, from romantic luxury vacations to fun adventures for families with tighter budgets.
So you want to go on Safari but don’t know where to start?
Firstly, figure out your budget, time of year, size of group, and almost most importantly- how much time can you dedicate to planning it.
We take our vacations pretty seriously and luckily have quite a lot of down time between work to research where we are going as well as the most economical ways of getting there.
What is a Safari?
“an expedition to observe animals in their natural habitat”
Lets break it down into 3 different categories of Safari
Self Drive Safari
Guided Drive Safari
Luxury Safari
Within these categories there are plenty of other types of safari- cycling safari, walking safari, photographic safari, water safari, mobile safari (we will get into this one in another post) and so many more. For the purpose of this post, we use the term “safari” to describe a few days being adventurous in Africa.
Self Drive Safari
A self drive safari requires time for research and planning, but it is one of the most rewarding ways to travel around Africa. You independently rent a 4×4, have a route and accommodation planned and you set out on your own. So if you are going to dedicate that time to planning you own safari, what are the advantages?
1- Affordability and budget flexibility
Often, the whole trip can be cheaper if you organize it yourself. You can find deals on rental trucks, pick cheaper accommodation options, not worry about included meals and adjust locations to fit your budget.
2-Have your own Schedule and be in control
Although you may be following a similar itinerary to many guided safaris, you can change the time spent at each location. If you find you don’t like the idea of rushing through a certain area, or feel like perhaps the kids might benefit from a few days in one spot, you have the flexibility to do this.
Without anyone else to consider except you family, your schedule is entirely your own. No need to cut short a stop to see elephants, or if the kids are getting a little tired, you can time your driving to help with that.
3-Accomodation flexibility
This is the biggest advantage as far as I am concerned. We want to be able to vary our accommodations between camping and some interesting looks lodges. Keeping in mind our overall budget, we are able to plan everything from wild camping in unfenced site to more luxury lodges after a few days.
4-Privacy
This one is very much to your own taste. For those introverts wanting to get out and explore, a self drive is for you. When Will and I did our first self drive safari, we barely spoke to another person for days. Perhaps if, as a family, you really need some time to reconnect, this would work. Alternatively, it doesn’t mean you don’t still interact with people at campsites, tour guides etc. It just means you can choose when to.
5- The potential for better game viewing … possibly?
This is location dependent. In Etosha, we spent approximately 6 hours on the road meaning we had plenty of time to see the elephants, cheetahs, zebras, giraffe and many other species of wildlife. Alternatively, going on a guided game drive would only be a few hours, but a guide would be far better at spotting and pointing out wildlife.
Overall, a self drive Safari is probably the best choice if you have kids. Picture roof top tents, campfires, flexibility, and wildlife, with only your schedule to stick with.
Guided Safari
Wondering whether to take to the road yourself or prefer having some experience on the road? A guided safari will often include a guide who doubles as a driver. They will follow the designated route but cater to what you need. Driving through the national parks they will be knowledgeable on the wildlife and best viewing spots. The advantages to a guided driving safari
- No need to drive yourself and confidence in some of the lesser travelled roads
- No need to stress about navigation
- Knowledgeable guides that know the behavioral patterns on local wildlife
Luxury Safari
When you initially think of Safari, the luxury lodges are probably what you picture. With a larger budget there are some great kid friendly options for luxury safaris. A safari of this type can be astonishingly expensive, easily coming in at $1000 per person per night, but that all depends on where you are. And what you get for your money, often cannot be matched. All inclusive with outstanding food, game drives, luxury accommodation, perhaps even WIFI and based in remote locations. (From a business owners point of view, the logistics of being offered all of this, including food and drink for any taste, in countries where resources are scarce is worth the price tag.)
Another advantage of some luxury safari’s is often it takes out the need for a rental car. Some lodges will have their own private air strip or offer transfers from close by airports. Not having to worry about driving could be the luxury experience you are looking for and the only time you will be in vehicle is for the morning and evening game drives.
On my bucket list of luxury lodges to visit is Ship Wreck Lodge in Namibia. Its extremely remote location on the Skeleton Coast means that the lodge will transfer you form Mowe Bay or Mowe Bay Airtstrip. So when you think you are pretty isolated, they will pick you up and drive you another 45km further into the middle of nowhere.
A luxury safari can also be part of a vacation and not the main focus. With less planning and gear, it is easy to put 2 or 3 days into an itinerary that involves other activities such as golfing, or a visit to Cape town. Our first Safari as a family was part of a 2 week road trip in and around Cape Town that involved driving through the winelands to the game lodge.
Where to go for a luxury Safari
By far, the most well known safari destination is probably South Africa and in particular Kruger. With easy links from Europe and USA, it definitely has its vast rage of choices of luxury lodges. If you willing to transit through South Africa, looking at Botswana or Namibia may offer slightly cheaper, but equally as great options.
Its worth noting that when you do spend a lot of money for a luxury experience you are giving back to nature. Many of these businesses will have programs or invest in conservation and community development. After all their business relies of a thriving ecosystem. So making a conscious choice to support the top end businesses that have an ecofriendly persona, could help take the sting out of the price tag.
For the 10 best luxury safari lodges in Namibia check out GotoAfrica.
