Question 1

How far in advance should I book my safari?

Accepted Answer

For the best lodges in high season — July to October in the Kruger region, and the migration months in East Africa — we ask for six to twelve months. The small camps that make a trip hold only a handful of rooms, and those go first. Shorter notice is workable, especially in green season or for Cape Town day tours, and we have put good trips together on four to six weeks' notice. The honest rule: the more specific you are about dates and a particular camp, the earlier you should talk to us.

Question 2

How many days do I need for a safari?

Accepted Answer

Three nights in one reserve is the shortest trip we are happy to send you on — that gives six game drives and a real chance at the Big Five. Four to five nights is the sweet spot for a first safari. If you want two different landscapes, say Kruger plus Cape Town, or a bush-and-beach finish, think seven to ten days. We would rather you spend longer in fewer places than rush a new camp every night.

Question 3

How does booking with you actually work?

Accepted Answer

You send us an enquiry, we reply within a day — usually much sooner — with a tailor-made plan and a clear price. We refine it together until it fits. A deposit holds your rooms and flights; the balance is due before you travel. From there we handle the lodge contracts, the light-aircraft legs and the transfers, and you get one point of contact the whole way. Quotes and planning are free, with no obligation to book.

Question 4

Can you tailor a trip, or are these fixed packages?

Accepted Answer

Every trip is built around you. The itineraries on the site are starting points — real routes we run — but dates, lodges, pace and budget all move to suit you. Tell us who is travelling and what matters most, and we shape the rest. If you have seen a lodge elsewhere, name it and we will price it.

Question 5

Which country is best for a first safari?

Accepted Answer

South Africa is the easiest first safari: strong Big Five viewing in the Greater Kruger, malaria-free reserves if you want them, excellent lodges across every budget, and Cape Town on the same trip. Kenya and Tanzania are the choice if the great migration is the dream. Botswana is for a second trip or a bigger budget. We will steer you by who is coming and what you want to see.

Question 6

Do I book flights before or after the safari?

Accepted Answer

Talk to us before you book international flights. Arrival and departure times change which light-aircraft legs and transfers are possible, and the wrong landing time can cost you a night or a connection. Once your ground itinerary is set, we confirm the internal flights and transfers, and you book the long-haul leg around those times.

Question 7

How much does an African safari cost per day?

Accepted Answer

As a working range, mid-range lodges run roughly US$350 to US$600 per person per night, premium lodges US$700 to US$1,200, and the top private camps US$1,500 and up. That is normally all-inclusive in the bush: room, all meals, two guided game drives a day, park fees and often drinks. Light-aircraft flights, international flights and visas sit on top. We quote the full number so there is no surprise later.

Question 8

What is included in the price you quote?

Accepted Answer

In the bush, nearly everything: accommodation, all meals, two game drives a day with a guide, park and conservation fees, and usually local drinks and laundry. Our quotes also fold in the internal flights, road transfers and the planning itself. What normally sits outside: international flights, visas, travel insurance, premium imported wines and personal spending. Your quote spells out line by line what is in and what is out.

Question 9

Why is a safari more expensive than a normal holiday?

Accepted Answer

You are paying for space and people, not marble lobbies. A good camp keeps only a few rooms on a huge private concession, runs a guide and tracker for every vehicle, flies supplies in, and pays conservation and community fees that keep the land wild. That ratio of staff and land to guests is the cost — and it is also exactly why the experience is what it is.

Question 10

Can you do a safari on a tighter budget?

Accepted Answer

Yes, without pretending it is something it is not. Travel in green season, choose a well-run mid-range lodge over a flagship, drive instead of fly where the distance allows, and pick a malaria-free reserve closer to a city. We will tell you honestly where a lower price costs you game viewing and where it costs you nothing but a fancier bar.

Question 11

Is a deposit refundable if my plans change?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the lodges and airlines in your trip, because their terms become yours once we confirm. We set all of that out in writing before you pay a cent, so you know the cancellation and refund rules for your specific booking. This is the main reason we recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation from the day you pay the deposit.

Question 12

Should I bring cash or will cards work?

Accepted Answer

Bring some cash and rely on cards for the rest. Cities, airports and most lodges take Visa and Mastercard. Cash matters for tips, curios, roadside stops and the odd small camp with no card machine or signal. US dollars are widely accepted across the safari countries; in South Africa the rand is king. Tell us your route and we will tell you how much cash to carry.

Question 13

How much should I tip my guide and the lodge staff?

Accepted Answer

As a guide: around US$10 to US$20 per guest per day for your safari guide, a little less for a tracker, and roughly US$5 to US$10 per guest per day into the general staff box that is shared with the people you never see. Tipping is a thank-you, not a tax — adjust it to the service. Most lodges have a sealed box at reception and your guide is tipped directly.

Question 14

How much spending money do I need day to day?

Accepted Answer

Less than people expect, because the bush is largely all-inclusive. Your real spend is tips, curios, premium wines and anything you do between lodges. For most trips a few hundred dollars in cash across a week covers it comfortably. Cape Town and city days need more, since restaurants and shopping are on you there.

Question 15

What currency should I carry?

Accepted Answer

US dollars are the safe common currency across the safari countries, and small, newer notes are best for tips. In South Africa, use rand for day-to-day spending. Change a little into local currency at the airport for incidentals, keep the rest in dollars, and lean on your card for larger payments.

Question 16

When is the best time to go on safari?

Accepted Answer

For classic game viewing, the dry winter months are hard to beat: roughly May to October in Southern Africa. The bush thins out, animals gather at water, and the days are bright and mild. Green season — the southern summer — brings newborns, migrant birds, dramatic skies and lower prices, at the cost of taller grass and the odd downpour. There is no bad time; there is a time that fits what you want to see.

Question 17

When can I see the great migration?

Accepted Answer

It moves all year, so the question is really which chapter you want. The river crossings in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara run roughly July to October. The calving in the southern Serengeti peaks around late January to February. We plan migration trips around the herds' likely position for your dates, not a brochure month, because rain shifts the timing every year.

Question 18

Is green season worth it?

Accepted Answer

For the right traveller, very much. You get lower rates, fewer vehicles at a sighting, newborn animals, big birding and skies that reward a camera. The trade-off is longer grass that can hide game and short, heavy rains that usually pass fast. If value and photography matter more than guaranteed open-plains viewing, green season earns its place.

Question 19

What is the weather like in the bush?

Accepted Answer

Winter days are warm and dry; the surprise for most first-timers is how cold a pre-dawn game drive gets, so a proper jacket and a beanie earn their place in June and July. Summer is hot with afternoon storms. Mornings and evenings are the active hours for wildlife year-round, which is why drives are timed around them.

Question 20

Do I need a visa for my safari?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your passport and the countries on your route. Many nationalities enter South Africa visa-free for tourism; Kenya and Tanzania run electronic systems you apply for online before you fly. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirement for your passport and every country in your trip in writing, and flag anything that needs doing in advance.

Question 21

How many blank passport pages and how much validity do I need?

Accepted Answer

The common rule across the safari countries is a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, with two or more blank pages for stamps — more if you are crossing several borders. Check yours early; renewing late is the most avoidable trip-killer we see. We will tell you the exact requirement for your route.

Question 22

Is there a single visa for Victoria Falls and the Falls region?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the KAZA UniVisa covers Zambia and Zimbabwe on one visa and allows day crossings at the Falls, which is handy if you want both sides. It is not available to every nationality or at every border post, so we check it applies to you before building a Falls crossing into your plan.

Question 23

What do I need to travel with children?

Accepted Answer

Southern African countries can ask for an unabridged birth certificate showing both parents, and, when one parent or neither is travelling, consent documents. Requirements have eased in recent years but still catch families out at check-in. Tell us the ages and who is travelling, and we send you the exact document list for your trip.

Question 24

Do I need malaria tablets for a safari?

Accepted Answer

Only in malaria areas, and plenty of our safaris avoid them entirely. The Greater Kruger, Serengeti and Okavango are malaria regions where anti-malarials and evening cover-up are sensible. The Eastern Cape, Madikwe, the Waterberg and many reserves near Cape Town are malaria-free. Your pharmacy or travel clinic prescribes the tablets; we tell you plainly if your route needs them.

Question 25

Which vaccinations do I need?

Accepted Answer

There is no single answer — it turns on your route and your own history. Routine jabs should be current, and a travel clinic will advise on things like hepatitis and typhoid for longer or more remote trips. Yellow fever is the one with a border twist (see the next question). See a travel clinic four to six weeks before you fly so there is time for anything that needs doing.

Question 26

Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

Accepted Answer

Possibly — not for the disease risk in most Southern African destinations, but because of where you have been. South Africa, for instance, asks for a yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from, or have recently passed through, a country where yellow fever is present. If your trip combines regions, this catches people out, so we check the order of your countries and warn you early.

Question 27

Can I go on a malaria-free safari?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is a genuinely good option for families with young children, pregnant travellers or anyone who would rather skip the tablets. Malaria-free Big Five reserves give you the full safari — lions, elephants, rhinos — without the risk. Several sit within a few hours of Cape Town, so you can pair city and bush on one easy trip.

Question 28

Is going on safari safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when you are with a professional operation. Guides are trained and licensed, they read animal behaviour for a living, and the rules on a game drive exist for good reason. Serious incidents are rare and nearly always trace back to someone ignoring their guide. Stay in the vehicle when told, keep your voice down, and let the guide set the distance.

Question 29

How close do you get to the animals, and is that dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Closer than you might believe, and safely so, because the animals in a well-run reserve see the open vehicle as one harmless shape they have known their whole lives. The moment you stand up, reach out or step down, you break that shape and the rules change. Follow your guide, keep still and quiet at a sighting, and the big cats and elephants simply carry on with their day.

Question 30

Is Cape Town safe for tourists?

Accepted Answer

Cape Town is a normal big city: wonderful, and worth the usual city sense. Stick to the well-trodden areas, use a car or a trusted transfer at night rather than walking unfamiliar streets, do not flash phones and cameras, and you will have a brilliant time. We arrange private transfers and guides so you are never guessing, and we give you honest, current local advice rather than fear.

Question 31

Is it safe for solo travellers and women?

Accepted Answer

Very — a lodge is one of the easier places in the world to travel alone, because the days are structured, the staff look out for you and you are quickly part of a small group at the vehicle and the table. We match solo guests to warm, social camps, handle every transfer so there are no gaps, and can point you to lodges that waive the single supplement.

Question 32

What does a typical day on safari look like?

Accepted Answer

Early. A wake-up before dawn, coffee, then out on the morning game drive when the bush is active and cool. Back for a big brunch and the heat of the day is yours — a nap, the pool, a book. Tea in the afternoon, then the evening drive into sunset and a sundowner in the bush, often followed by dinner under the stars. Two drives a day, and a rhythm you settle into fast.

Question 33

Will I see the Big Five?

Accepted Answer

In a strong Big Five reserve over three nights — six game drives — the odds are firmly in your favour, and most guests tick off lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Leopard is the shy one, though the private Sabi Sand reserves are famous for it. No honest operator guarantees a wild animal on cue, but we place you where the five genuinely live and give you the drives to find them.

Question 34

Self-drive or a guided safari — which is better?

Accepted Answer

Self-drive is cheaper and flexible, and fine in a big public park if you are happy to find your own sightings and miss what you do not know to look for. A guided safari in a private reserve puts a trained eye in the seat beside you, off-road access to sightings, and the freedom to just watch. For most first-timers the guide is the difference between seeing animals and understanding them.

Question 35

What is a fly-in safari, and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

A fly-in safari uses small aircraft to hop between remote camps, so you trade long road transfers for a twenty-minute flight over the wild. It saves a day of driving, reaches camps you cannot sensibly drive to, and the aerial views are their own reward. It costs more and limits your luggage. For the Okavango and far-flung camps it is the sensible way in; for the Greater Kruger a road transfer is often fine.

Question 36

What should I wear on safari?

Accepted Answer

Neutral, comfortable, layered. Khaki, olive, tan and brown sit well in the bush; leave bright white and black at home, and skip blue and dark colours in tsetse-fly areas. Mornings are cold and middays hot, so you dress in layers you peel off. A wide-brim hat, sunglasses and closed shoes round it out. Nobody dresses up — this is one holiday where practical wins.

Question 37

What are the luggage limits on light aircraft?

Accepted Answer

Small bush planes are strict: usually 15 to 20kg per person including hand luggage, and always in a soft, squashable bag — no hard cases, because they do not fit the hold. It sounds tight and it is plenty, since camps do daily laundry. If your trip has a fly-in leg we tell you the exact limit and the bag that works.

Question 38

What camera gear should I bring?

Accepted Answer

A zoom lens changes everything — something in the 100-400mm range brings a distant cat right to you. Bring more memory cards and batteries than you think, because charging in camp is limited, and a beanbag or soft support beats a tripod on a moving vehicle. A phone still takes fine wide shots at a sighting. Dust is the enemy, so a simple cover or bag earns its place.

Question 39

What is the minimum age for a safari?

Accepted Answer

It varies by lodge, not by law. Plenty of family camps welcome all ages and run children's programmes; others set a minimum of six, eight or twelve on shared game drives for everyone's safety and enjoyment. A private vehicle often opens up a lodge for a younger child. Tell us the ages and we match you to camps that genuinely want your family, not ones that merely tolerate it.

Question 40

Is a safari suitable for young children?

Accepted Answer

It can be excellent, with the right choices. A malaria-free Big Five reserve removes the tablet worry, a family lodge keeps meal times and activities geared to children, and a private vehicle lets you set the pace and head back when little legs tire. Short drives, a pool at midday and a kids' programme turn a safari into the trip they talk about for years.

Question 41

How do you plan a honeymoon safari?

Accepted Answer

We build it as two halves that play off each other: a few nights in the bush for the drama and the early mornings, then somewhere to slow right down — the Cape Winelands, an Indian Ocean island or a beach finish. Private dinners, a room with a view worth lingering in, and no rushing. Many lodges add honeymoon touches when we tell them you are celebrating.

Question 42

Can I do a Big Five safari from Cape Town without flying?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Several private Big Five reserves sit within two to three hours' drive of the city, so you can leave in the morning and be watching elephants by lunch — day trip or an overnight. It is the neat answer for travellers who want the safari without an internal flight to the Kruger. Many of these reserves are malaria-free too, which suits families.

Question 43

How do I get around Cape Town and the Winelands?

Accepted Answer

A private driver-guide is the easy, safe way to see the city and the wine country — no parking, no wrong turns, and local knowledge in the front seat. Metered taxis and ride-hailing apps work well in town. We generally steer guests away from public transport for sightseeing and set up private transfers and guided days instead, so your time goes on the views, not the logistics.

Question 44

How many days do I need in Cape Town?

Accepted Answer

Three full days is the comfortable minimum — Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and a day in the Winelands. Four or five lets you add the beaches, a food-and-wine day or a trip down to the penguins and Cape Point without watching the clock. Pair it with a few nights in the bush and you have a complete first trip to South Africa.

Question 45

What power plugs and adapters do I need?

Accepted Answer

South Africa uses its own large three-pin plug (type M, and increasingly type N), so bring a universal adapter — the standard 'South Africa' head on a multi-adapter covers it. Most of the region runs on 230V, so UK and European appliances are fine and US devices need to handle dual voltage. Lodges usually have a mix of sockets and often lend adapters, but bring your own to be safe.

Question 46

Can I charge my phone and camera in the bush?

Accepted Answer

Almost always, just not always in your room. Main lodges have mains power and in-room sockets. Smaller and more remote camps run on solar or a generator with set hours, and charging is sometimes at a central point rather than at your bed. Bring spare camera batteries and a power bank and you will never be caught out. We flag any camp with limited power before you go.

Question 47

Is there Wi-Fi and phone signal on safari?

Accepted Answer

More than there used to be, and less than at home — which is rather the point. Most lodges have Wi-Fi in the main areas and many now reach the rooms; mobile signal comes and goes with how remote you are. You can stay reachable for the people who need you. We recommend telling work you will be slow to reply and letting the bush do its job.

Question 48

How reachable am I in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

Fully. Every reputable lodge has a reliable way to reach the outside world — satellite, radio or phone — and clear medical evacuation procedures, and you travel with our contact details and a local back-up the whole way. Day to day the signal may be patchy, but in a genuine emergency, help is never out of reach.

Safari questions, answered straight

Planning & Booking

Costs & Value

Money & Tipping

Best Time & Seasons

Visas & Paperwork

Health & Vaccinations

Safety on Safari

On Safari

Packing & Clothing

Family, Kids & Honeymoons

Cape Town & Getting Around

Power & Connectivity

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