Your first safari! Are you ready for it? Safari is an african word meaning “journey”. So when you go on safari you are just experiencing an incredible journey, in one of the most charming continents in the world. But every journey, every trip, is an adventure and needs information and advice so to be prepared. You must be prepared when you go on holiday very close to your home, when you move to a nearby region. So you better be ready to face an adventure like a safari in a wild land like Africa.
Some tips will not surprise you, because they shall sound as normal recommendations. Others will sound new to you and you must pay good attention and understand them very well, before planning your first safari. If you love nature, safari is your perfect adventure. Are you ready to consider a new way to live life and the environment around? Safari is your trip, then! Love and respect for nature and animals must be the most important rule to respect. Otherwise, do not even try.
Your first safari, things to know before you go
Before you go, and even before you plan your first safari, you must be sure to have clear ideas in your mind. Africa is a huge continent, and every single region is different from the other. First of all, decide what you want to see. Then look for it on the map. That will be your goal!
Look for information about the Country/region you are going to visit. Some parts of Africa only have two seasons, rainy and dry. The southern part of the continent has all seasons, just like Europe, but … reversed! Summer is in December, winter in July and so on … . Depending on where you go and when, you shall decide about what to wear and bring.
The appropriate clothing is the secret to have a good safari. Some clothes depend on the climate and temperature of the place you shall visit. Others are a strict rule, and must always be there with you. Comfortable shoes, large hat, long trousers, sunglasses and neutral-coloured clothes are the most important things to have. Never forget any. Neutral colours – white, sand, gray, beige – will help you to hide in the vegetation so animals will not spot you and will not run away. Never forget a rain jacket, a waterproof bag for your equipment. A must for your equipment are: binoculars, photo camera with zoom lens, portable chargers, lamps. Moisturizers, bottle of water, sunscreens and insect repellent must be in your bag all the time.
Also be informed about all vaccinations needed for the places you are going to visit.
Tips for your trip when you are there
Usually you shall plan a safari before you leave. But you can still change your mind or add a second safari when you are already there, in Africa. You can decide whether to go to land safari or water safari – on the islands, or on the rivers and lakes. You can try a mountain safari, or experience a trip that will show you the great migrations of wild animals.
If you go to the mountains or in the desert, remember that temperatures can suddenly change. Africa can be also very cold! Depending on the length of you stay and on the money you can spend, you can decide to go on a one-day longer safaris. You can try a weekend safari, a three-day safari or even a seven-to-ten day safari.
When you are in Africa, make sure you remember you are experiencing different cultures, languages, traditions. So be respectful and attentive, never feel superior or arrogant. You are a small part of universe, there. And you are in the womb of the land where the whole human universe just started!
