First Time on Safari?
Everything you need to know before your journey begins
Everything you need to know before your first journey into the wild
Your first safari is unlike any other journey — a balance of adventure, comfort, and immersion in nature. While the experience feels effortless once you arrive, thoughtful preparation ensures you can fully enjoy every moment. Here is everything you need to know before setting off.
Seamless connections to Africa’s most remote landscapes
Reaching Africa’s leading safari destinations is far more straightforward than many travelers expect. Most journeys begin with international flights into major gateways such as Nairobi, Arusha/Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, or Cape Town, depending on your itinerary.
From there, your journey continues with carefully coordinated regional flights and light aircraft transfers, connecting you directly to remote reserves and safari camps. These smaller aircraft are part of the experience — offering a unique aerial perspective over landscapes you will soon explore on the ground.
Every transition is thoughtfully arranged to feel smooth and effortless, allowing you to move between destinations with ease. From arrival to your final departure, the journey is designed to feel as seamless as the experience itself.
Timing your safari for the experience you want
The ideal safari is never rushed. Most journeys are designed to last between 7 and 12 days, allowing enough time to explore one or two regions in depth, while longer itineraries can combine multiple destinations across East and Southern Africa, often paired with the Indian Ocean Islands.
When to travel depends on what you would like to experience. The dry season, generally from June to October, offers exceptional wildlife viewing as animals gather around water sources and vegetation is less dense. This is often considered the classic safari period.
Green season
The green season, from November to May, brings a different kind of beauty — lush landscapes, fewer travelers, and excellent opportunities for birdlife and photography. In regions like Serengeti and Masai Mara, this is also when key stages of the migration unfold.
Ultimately, there is no single “best” time — only the time that best aligns with how you want to experience Africa. Each season offers its own rhythm, atmosphere, and sense of discovery.
Practical essentials, thoughtfully chosen
Packing for safari is about simplicity and functionality. Neutral tones such as beige, khaki, olive, and soft browns are ideal, blending seamlessly with the environment while keeping you comfortable in warm climates.
Lightweight, breathable clothing works best during the day, while early mornings and evenings can be cooler, so layering is key. A light jacket or fleece is always recommended. Comfortable walking shoes, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are essential for daily game drives.
A few additional items make a meaningful difference:
- A good camera or smartphone with storage
- Binoculars for wildlife viewing
- A small day bag
- Personal medications and basic toiletries
Health & Safety: What Travelers Need to Know
Health requirements vary depending on the country and your travel history. For destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, a yellow fever vaccination may be required or recommended, particularly if you are arriving from an affected country.
For Southern Africa – including Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – requirements are generally less strict, though malaria prevention may be advised depending on the region.
We always recommend consulting your doctor or a travel clinic well in advance of your trip, as guidance can vary.
Money & Tipping: Simple and flexible across regions
The US Dollar (USD) is widely accepted across most safari destinations, particularly for lodges, park fees, and tipping. In addition:
- Kenya – Kenyan Shilling (KES)
- Tanzania – Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
- Uganda – Ugandan Shilling (UGX)
- Rwanda – Rwandan Franc (RWF)
- South Africa – South African Rand (ZAR)
- Botswana – Botswana Pula (BWP)
- Zambia – Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)
- Zimbabwe – USD commonly used
Credit cards are widely accepted in lodges and hotels, though it is always advisable to carry some cash for smaller expenses and tips.
Connectivity, Power, and Plugs
Staying connected, wherever you are.
Power outlets vary across Africa, but most safari lodges are well-equipped with international adapters or USB charging points. In many regions, you may encounter Type G (UK-style) or Type D/M plugs, so a universal travel adapter is the simplest solution.
While many lodges offer Wi-Fi, connectivity may be limited in more remote areas — something that often becomes part of the appeal.
Environmental Policy
Much of Africa is almost the ‘last frontier’, and is one of the few places on Earth where the effects of climate, rainfall, seasonal variations and human impact are not readily noticeable. We wish our guests to leave Africa more informed and ecologically aware than when they arrived. We try to make travellers more appreciative not only of Africa but also of their homes and the world.
As a responsible tour operator, we are cooperating only with companies that work hard to ensure that the tourism operations we have benefit the host communities and local and national economies as well as having a minimal impact on the natural environment. To us that doesn’t mean high-profile gestures, it means working responsibly with our suppliers on a continuous day-to-day basis, and giving them long-term support in lost of ways.
The commitment to be environmentally and sustainably-minded was in the DNA of the companies we work with from the beginning. This commitment is of growing importance to all of us, especially those in the tourism industry – where we consider we have an important role to play in ensuring positive and sustainable development in all the regions we serve. Our service providers have worked with the Wilderness Foundation in South Africa to establish an independently audited Green Leaf Environmental Standard (http://www.greenleafecostandard.net/) which has gained recognition throughout the African continent.
It continues to be a core element of Adventures Africa to promote and develop tourism products and services that are environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable.
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Toll-free: (800) 333-5533
Email: info@adventuresafrica.com