Travel - Top Safari Holiday Tips

Giraffe

I have been on a couple of holidays where I have spotted wildlife here are my top tips for going on a safari holiday.

Top Safari Holiday Tips

Take a good camera.

Person with a SRL camera with a lens taking a picture

Photo by sutirta budiman on Unsplash

Take a good camera, not just the one on your phone a proper DSRL camera, with a set of lenses (if you can afford them). A telephoto lens is the best one you can use for wildlife photography, as it gives you the best results even closer pictures of the animals, as you will be able to zoom in closer.

If you can take two cameras one for your wildlife photography and other one for more generally photography, I use a Panasonic DMC-FZ45 with Lens hood, a mini tripod and a polarizing filter for my wildlife photography. Although an older camera it still takes good wildlife pictures. For my generally pictures I use my Sony Camera.

You can use the auto settings on the camera, but for the best results, its sometimes okay to use the manual settings on the camera to produce good shots like the ones below.

A few of my favourite pictures taken on my Panasonic camera

A Girafee on the left with a group of Zebra in the left

Giraffe looking at the camera with a group of zebra in the background

White-backed vulture in a tree

Hippo on a island in the middle of a river, with a duck near by

Hippo sunning its self

African elephant walking across the african plain with a hot air ballon over head in the sky

African Elephant with a Hot air Balloon over head

Sunset over the masi maira with animals grazing

Sunset over the Maasai Mara, with zebra grazing

Giraffe with the unusal snack of animal bones

Giraffe with a unusual snack

Leopard in a tree with its kill

If you are looking to buy a DSLR camera, there are some good reviews, for them available on the internet and is specialist camera magazine. You can rent one as well, or get one second hand from a specialist shop or action sites.

Dress Appropriately

Its not a fashion show with bright colours, to show your best coloured dress, it’s trying to not to stand out to blend in the environment, neutral colours – greens & beige, whites, and some blues like light blue work. Choose cotton t-shirts, quick dry t-shirts (like work out t-shirts) , cotton shirts, walking trousers, light hoodies, cotton PJ's. No loud prints and def. not black

My favourite trousers to take on a safari trip are Nosilife trousers which are from Craghoppers, they have built in bug protection, I use them on all my trips were biting insects are on, I even wore them all the time in Laos and Cambodia. For a smarter option for dinners, I would choose linen trousers, or thin trousers than you can buy in Thai tourist markets.

A warm jumper for evenings where it can be chilly is a great idea, I love my Craghoppers Nosi life hoodie, although in purple its warm for colder evenings for every trip, plus with the bug protection as well, I always pack a silkscarf for the chillier evenings plus it makes a good shoulder wrap as well.

Shoes are important to on safari, walking shoes or trainers are a good idea as you might be on a walking safari, as the sand will be your feet with good socks, open toed shoes or walking sandals are not a great idea, but might be okay if your accommodation has a swimming pool or to use in bathroom or in the room or tent.

A light raincoat or a pack a mac is great to take on a safari trip, as if you get caught in a rain shower, its quick to find in your bag and to put on.

Giraffe taking a drink in a watering hole

Take a hat.

Taking a hat, even though not for everyone might be a great idea, as someone that has suffered from a burnt top of their head in the sun, bringing a wide brim hat is a great idea to protect your face from the sun if you on a full day safari.

Take suncream and bug spray

Like most trips I would take suncream and bug spray with me, the sun can be quite strong at the warmest part of day and as part of your trip you might be doing full days out, and in the sun, you don’t want turning a shade of red. Bug spray is also important, you don’t want to be bitten by any bugs at any time of day, the strongest deet or vegan equivalent will be good, use both day and night even though you might have a net at your accommodation and taken your medication to prevent anything you still need to use the spray to stop the buys from biting you and hole in the net or missing the medication can lead to diseases that will not be pleasant

Listen to your guide and don’t stray

Your Guide on your trip is to protect you and give your useful information whilst out, you don’t want to end up as a Lions breakfast, so listen to them, don’t stray when on walking safaris stay with your group and don’t get lost. If you don’t listen to your guide and do something silly the consequences can be not great for your insurance and your loved ones, so be save than sorry.

Bring a book.

A Hyena taking a nap

Bring a book or magazine, with you on your trip, sometimes the resort or camp you might be staying at might not have a Wi-Fi or an internet connection, or even any mobile phone signal, so bringing a iPad with might not be great if you spend all your time on the internet, so bring a something encase this is the case to read, stepping away from the modern pressures of the internet on holiday might be a change, but it might bring you calm, a connection with where you are.

If there is Wi-Fi at where you are staying, don’t use it all the time, just take the time to enjoy your surroundings even some camps have areas where you go for dinner and have lounge’s where board games are, books or you can chat to other guests about what you have seen that day, you might make a new friends from the discussions you have on what you saw that day or get to know them a lot more over a few pre dinner drinks.

Research your destination

A Lion

As I have said in many of my tips regarding holidays and day trips, do your research into the country that you are staying in, the camp or hotel that you are staying in, what are the local dishes that you might try, how much extra cash do you have to take for tips for the guides, extra food and souvenirs (but don't bring back banded ones like ivory and animal parts, wooden items, postcards, enamel mugs and t-shirts are fine)

Also research into what vaccinations and medication you have to take for your trip, your GP might have a travel clinic that might have the most recent medical advice for you. Print of your letter if you’re like me travelling with sharps as the rules on liquids have changed in the UK, but might not have changed in your destination.

Ask questions to your guides

Person on a jeep exploring the african bush, at sunset

Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash

Guides will take questions, not every question is a silly question, so ask away, they might have a great knowledge of the local area, the conditions and the animals in the area, were the best area to photograph them, the best shots to take and which animals are best to photograph

The guides are kind and very lovely, I was looked after so well, by the guides on my trip, when I was poorly on my trip. So always give you guides a tip they deserve it.

Have an open mind.

Always have a open mind when on a safari holiday or any holiday, you are not at home anymore you are around different people and cultures, they might not have the same opinion, living conditions as you are used to, so be grateful of that, don’t be rude about it and embrace it.

Enjoy your experience.

You on one of the best experiences you can have which is seeing wildlife in their natural surroundings, enjoy your time, don’t worry about the problems if anything you have, problems can be solved quickly, like most things. Wildlife holidays are one of the best experiences you can have, so enjoy yourself.