Most common mistakes people make on their first safari holiday

• Two safari travel agents shared common mistakes travelers make on their first visit to Africa.
• Mistakes include sticking to overcrowded destinations and overpacking your itinerary.
• The experts encouraged travelers to get off the beaten path and approach their trips with an open mindset.

There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to having one safari holiday.

According to the travel organization, the average holidaymaker spends between €5,500 and €6,500 on a safari Go2Africa’s 2023 Safari Report.

Many North American travelers who go to popular safari destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, South Africaand Botswana spend more than 30 hours to reach the destination.

And trips are typically planned months, if not years, in advance.

The effort means that there is of course hope that the trip will go smoothly.

While Meg van Niekerk, safari planner for Go2Africasaid this isn’t always the case, she added that it’s impossible not to fall in love with the holiday style.

Van Niekerk and Shaun Stanley, the owner and founder of the luxury safari planning company Stanley Safarisshared with Business Insider, some common mistakes travelers can avoid on their first safari vacation.

When it comes to planning, don’t do it alone

Travel agencies help customers come to destinations all over the world, but a safari in particular benefits from the help of an expert. That’s because planning a safari involves endless possibilities and often confusing logistics.

Stanley said working with a travel planner allows you to create the best vacation for you. That could mean a trip focused on adventure and adrenaline, or relaxation and… luxury of the highest level.

“We don’t send a quote to a guest unless we’ve spent time talking to them and understanding who they are,” Stanley told BI. “And that gives us the opportunity to really offer them that personal service.”

In addition to finding the best lodges for a traveler, travel agents know which places have a positive impact on the surrounding communities and ecosystems and the best times to visit for specific animal sightings.

Travel agents will also coordinate transfers and work with budgets since then Safaris often have hidden costssuch as conservation fees, park fees and tip expectations.

Van Niekerk added that the travel agent’s support goes beyond securing the right itinerary for the traveler.

An agent ensures their clients don’t forget timely tasks as the trip approaches, such as arranging visas, booking vaccination appointments, and sharing packing guidelines.

Finally, if part of your trip doesn’t go as planned, your travel agent is here to help. Van Niekerk communicates with her customers via WhatsApp, so if my flight is delayed or something goes wrong, she is just a message away.

Some guests don’t consider off-the-beaten-path destinations

Many parts of Africa are overpopulated with tourists. Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve increased entrance fees to the park to combat overtourism. Other places, such as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania or South Africa’s Sabi Sands, also struggle with overcrowding.

Not alone overtourism brought negative stressors environmentally friendly, but it is often not the ideal holiday destination.

“There are some really cool places that aren’t in the mainstream,” Stanley said. He encourages travelers to look beyond Africa’s most popular parks and destinations and to places with fewer tourists.

Stanley might recommend the Republic of Congo to a traveler aiming for adventure over more popular destinations such as Kenya or Tanzania.

If you insist on traveling to a popular area, consider where you will stay. Many luxury lodges operate in private game reserves, protected nature reserves or in private concessions.

For example, TAASA Lodgeon the edge of the Serengeti National Park, is set in a private game reserve where travelers can go off-road, take night game drives and avoid crowded wildlife viewing.

Don’t try to pack too much into your trip

Both Van Niekerk and Stanley encouraged this First-time visitors travel slowly.

“You don’t want to spend half your trip on transfers,” said Van Niekerk.

Instead, she recommends evaluating your top vacation priorities and setting aside enough time to truly experience them. If you really want to see leopards or cheetahs, make sure you spend enough time in the region where these animals live. This could mean visiting just one country for a week-long safari instead of checking off two or three countries.

“We’re trying to tell people to take it slow, spend time in each place and get to know it,” Stanley said.

Stanley said travelers will feel more connected to a place, its people and its animals. Avoiding on-time transfers and flights will also make the trip less stressful.

Don’t just stick to car safaris

While it may be tempting to stick to a schedule of daily game drives, Stanley encourages travelers to try other ways to explore the bush.

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For example, a safari lodge can offer walking safaris. Here, guests can walk into the bush with a guide and gain a new perspective on the landscape. They might learn about medicinal plants, spot insects and new creatures up close, and observe animal behavior that can’t be seen from a car.

“Bringing all of that to life is incredible, and you can do without that on a vehicle,” Stanley said.

In addition to guided walks, Stanley says visitors should also consider night game drives, boat safaris and visits to villages, where travelers can interact and learn about new cultures.

“I try to help guests understand that Africa is more than just spotting the big five, sitting in a car, checking boxes and trying to find animals,” Stanley said.

Van Niekerk said she also encourages travelers to know what lodges have to offer.

Some luxury lodges include massages or sauna visits in their rates. Other lodges may offer sunset drinks in the bush or laundry services.

“Take advantage of everything you pay for,” she said.

Unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment

Finally, Van Niekerk and Stanley emphasized that visitors should enter with an open mindset. Because aspects of safaris, such as animal sightings and weather, are unpredictable, they encouraged visitors to manage their expectations and enjoy their time in the bush.

“It starts with it being a one-time trip, but you’ll be back,” van Niekerk said. “There is something incredibly special about Africa.”