young and old; who, through their dedication and conviction, stand guardian over many of the world’s last wildlife sanctuaries at a time when we seem powerless to halt the progress of our own destruction.
What is a safari?
The word ‘safari’ originates in East Africa from the Arabic verb safara meaning ‘to make a journey’, with implicit connotations of discovery. The derived noun safariya – a voyage or expedition, becomes the Swahili synonym safari.
Once long and arduous, fraught with danger and requiring both stamina and a significant amount of time and money, today’s safari is now within the reach of many, is safe, and considerably more luxurious.
The modern safari has evolved to offer a vast array of possible styles; from the more basic participatory camping safaris through to privately guided fly-in safaris where your every comfort is catered for. Yet the modern safari still incorporates many of the features from its long and exciting history...for a safari is at its heart an adventure.
This will not be like any holiday you have had before – and it is certainly not your sleep-in, lie-about-at-the-beach style holiday. It is more akin to the adventures of an intrepid explorer - prodded awake at 5am, made to walk, paddle or suffer countless miles of bumpy tracks in order to look for what? No one can say exactly! Each day brings its own rewards and excitement – and learning too.
A safari is about getting close to nature …and simplicity. You will either be enthralled by its simple comforts - or you may just be appalled. This depends on how adventurous you are! If you cannot bear the thought of not being able to get your favourite caffeine hit, or you miss the closeness of your mobile phone…then perhaps a safari is not for you.
A safari, especially the more rustic mobile tented or bush camp variety, can teach you much about how to reduce life to its more simple components…a hot shower, comfortable bed, hearty food, a cold beer and some good conversation around the camp fire. Revel in the clean, crisp morning air, the heat and the dust, the clear night skies, the cooling comfort of a shady tree at midday, the stark beauty of a panoramic sunset, the silence of the nights, and the sense of wilderness all around you. Then there are the sights, sounds and smells...all around you.
“What is a safari but the recreation of a dream, an intangible journey into the past and into the mind where this uncluttered world still exists, alive, harsh, vital, as it should be, and perhaps we all understand that deep down because we are all, each one of us. Children of Africa.” - Dereck Joubert (National Geographic film maker) 'Going on safari’ is the backbone of the tourism industry in many parts of Africa. In recent years, wildlife tourism has become an increasingly important industry in several African countries. This has brought with it an increasing awareness of the economic benefits from tourism, which in turn is driving a resurgence in conservation, employment and community involvement. Tourists bring much needed funding to wildlife areas and the people who live there. In this way, each safari goes some way to providing the economic justification for maintaining vast tracts of land in its original state, and for protecting animal and plant species for future generations - both Africans and visitors alike.
The essence of a safari is not just about seeing the bountiful wildlife – it should also be about the dramatic landscapes unique to this continent, its people and its cultures. For those who value getting closer to nature and being in the great outdoors, Africa is something special, something quite unique.
Africa combines the richness of its wildlife, its peerless landscapes and distinctive cultures with the added spice of adventure!
“All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.” - Ernest Hemingway, Green Hills of Africa
To Do List (before you go)
Some of this advice is general travel advice, somewhat pedantic, but run your eye down the list - I'm willing to bet there will be more than one suggestion that you will find useful:
Travel InsuranceEssential. You really must take out travel insurance. This is doubly important if you are travelling with children. I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Things do go wrong – baggage gets lost, flights are delayed, stuff gets stolen and on occasion, you might fall ill and need to go to hospital. Worse still, you might somehow be prevented, by unforeseen circumstances, from even leaving home. Get yourself covered. It really is well worth the added cost – I promise.
PassportCheck that your passport is current. Important: Your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into your destination country AND should have at least one blank page for each country you will be visiting (for visas and entry stamps), including a page for your home country. These are actual requirements and not merely precautions.
Tourist Visas (and tourism levies)Ask your Africa travel specialist which tourist visas you will need, and decide whether you would prefer to get these before you leave home, or on arrival. Most African countries will grant you a tourist visa on entry, either at the airport or border post although many are now encouraging visitors to utilise their eVisa services prior to travel. Not all countries require a visitors visa, but most do. You should be sure to check and confirm these requirements with your travel agent. Obtaining a visa on arrival does mean joining the visa queue first, before going through customs and immigration and this does add to the process – but it is usually just a revenue collecting exercise and not especially onerous. If you are short of time, have a tight connection, you might want to consider pre-completing the visa application forms prior to arriving in that country (you can get PDF visa forms for most countries from your travel agent). If doing so online, do start the process early – it can take a week or more to be approved. DO NOT LEAVE THIS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.
Dietary requirements & any medical issuesIf you have not already done so, be sure to make your travel agent aware of any specific dietary preferences or requirements you may have (and any medical issues that you may have that would be helpful for your hosts to know about, e.g. diabetic, sleep apnea or any walking difficulty re stairs or climbing in and out of safari vehicles). Most safari lodges and camps can cater for most dietary requirements or allergies if given prior notice, and will gladly reserve the closest room should you need it.
Communications & Recharging (phones, cameras, laptops)Try to check which of the camps/lodges on your safari itinerary will actually have mobile (cell) phone reception before you leave home, and do not forget to contact your telephone service provider to be sure that your phone is registered for international roaming (and to find out about any idiosyncrasies or incompatibilities that may apply in the countries you will be visiting). Remember too that voice and data roaming are two separate beasts – speak to your service provider about your options before you leave home. Wi-Fi is becoming more available in camps/lodges and this can be a real boon (and reduces your dependence on mobile coverage). Ask your travel agent for more information on the phone and Wi-Fi coverage throughout your itinerary.Be sure to purchase the necessary converter plugs/adaptors for recharging your mobile phone, video, digital camera or tablet/laptop. Each African country has its own plug type (more details below under Safari travel tips) and so a converter/adaptor plug will be necessary (possibly more than one type if you are travelling to multiple countries). If you only remember this at the last minute, you can generally get these at the airport – do not wait till you get to Africa – this is likely to be too late!
Immunisations & Prescription drugsMake arrangements to visit a travel clinic, tropical health centre or your family doctor (GP) for advice on which inoculations you might need, and get them done in good time. This may take a couple of weeks to complete, and some, like yellow fever, should be done up to 10 days prior to travel. Don’t
