Guide To Planning An African Safari Vacation For First Timers

How to Plan An African Safari Vacation for First Timers?

Planning an African Safari involves choosing the right African safari Tour destination, Knowing how long your African safari holiday will take, Choosing the right African safari company, Finding out which travel requirements you will need, Finding the right packing list, knowing the wildlife and gorilla viewing rules, Choosing the right safari lodge and Finding the right camera for your African safari.

These 8 easy steps to planning an African Safari provide first time Safari Goers the ideal opportunity to get inspired and start planning an unforgettable Gorilla trekking, adventure and wildlife safari to Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and and Congo.

How to Plan An African Safari Vacation for First Timers?

Africa offers a variety of cultures, landscapes and experiences. East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and DR Congo) in particular is home to some of the world’s most stunning wildlife like Gorillas, Chimpanzees, wildebeests and is famous of being home to the “Big 5” mammals making it a go-to destination for safaris. However it’s expensive, far and requires a lot of careful planning and to help you make the most out of your first gorilla trekking or wildlife safari in East Africa, here are our top tips and advice to make sure that your first African safari is a memorable trip;

How to Plan An African Safari in 8 easy steps

1-Choose the right safari destination

2-Know how long your safari will take

3-Choose the right African safari company

4-Find out which travel requirements you will need

5-Find the right packing list

6-Know the wildlife and gorilla viewing rules

7-Choose the right safari lodge

8-Find the right camera for your African safari.

1-Choose the right Safari destination or where to go on safari in Africa.

While planning a safari trip to Africa and East Africa in particular, the very first question that lingers in every travelers mind is where should I go on safari in Africa? Or which is the best safari destination in Africa? For starters, Africa is home to numerous safari experiences that vary from country by country, region by region and season by season.

Here’s how to find your perfect safari destination in East Africa:

Decide exactly what animals are on your wildlife checklist and how much you would want to spend because each East African country offers its own unique charms and wildlife encounters and experiences. For example Uganda and Rwanda are famous for Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park respectively, Tanzania and Kenya are famous for great wildebeest migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara respectively, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are also known for the “Big 5” mammals and finally Kilimanjaro and Rwenzori Mountains are famous in Tanzania and Uganda respectively. Contact a dedicated travel planner from Engabi Tours and Travel about precisely what you’d like to see or do while on safari in Africa.
Get a Calendar and start checking when your preferred Africa safari experience is happening and the best time to go during the year in terms of weather. For example January to March and July to September are the best times to experience the most thrilling wildebeest migration activity in Serengeti-Tanzania while the dry season (June-October) is the best season to go on a Uganda and Rwanda safari and Gorilla trekking tour as Uganda and Rwanda Safari activities such as gorilla trekking become easy and at the same time it’s during the dry seasons that Safari goers are in position to spot all the “Big 5” mammals in their natural habitat as a lot of wildlife animals are moving around all over the park looking for food and water.
If you’re traveling along with younger children you might want to place more importance on choosing a malaria-free destination though that’s not so alarming as there are many malaria forms of prevention measures to rely on.

Read here the best time to go for a Migration safari

Read here the best time to go on a Uganda safari

Know how long your first Safari will take.

It’s important to know how long you actually want to be on safari though this depends on a number of factors to consider such as the kind of safari experience you want and your safari budget among others. For example most travelers need a safari introductory part and we think a short 3- 5 days will be perfect to prepare them for longer trips in future. For first time travelers whose passion is wildlife we think a week or two is sufficient for example for wildlife viewing, gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda followed by a beach stay on the shores of Lake Victoria on Ssese Islands.

On the other hand a first time safari goer can combine Uganda Gorillas and Tanzania wildebeest migration safari or Kilimanjaro hiking for two weeks with an extension to Zanzibar islands. However note that a safari doesn’t have to be very long to be memorable and that the pace of a safari can be exhausting for first time travelers hence you need to allow yourself some time to relax on arrival or from the long game drives and hiking encounters.

Choose the right East Africa Tour Operator to book your first Safari with.

To avoid the hustle and bustle of planning and booking an African safari specifically a Uganda or Rwanda Gorilla trekking safari tour or a Tanzania great migration safari or even a combination, you need to book your first African safari via a professional local tour operator especially if you’re planning on visiting more than one destination. This ensures safety, easy communication, and responsible travel and above all saves you time and money as the local tour operator will get you discounted and comfortable accommodations, transport means and comprehensive itineraries.

Read here reasons why you should book your safari with a local tour operator

Find out which travel requirements do you need to travel to Africa.

It’s important to know if visas are required to enter your preferred safari destination countries as some countries might be exempted, which vaccines are required, which currency is accepted and if you need insurance on the trip. Most countries require visas to allow entry and these can be got on arrival at ports of entry or online though we advise that you always use the country’s official immigration or visa websites instead of using commercial sites that charge extra fees while offering less or nothing.

Additionally always ensure to get administered with travel vaccines like yellow fever and others based on your doctors advice because you may need to present the certificate on arrival at your safari destination. Based on recommendation from your doctor, you should take anti-malarial tablets and immunity boosting medication to stop Covid-19.

About getting medical insurance ahead of planning your first safari trip, you may contact for example, AMREF- the flying doctors organization based in Nairobi which provides air evacuation services across East Africa as well as air ambulance transfers between medical facilities.

Read here the Tanzania safari travel requirements that cut across all East Africa safari destinations such as Uganda and Rwanda.

Find the right packing list for your first Africa safari

Packing ahead of time gives you time to shop for whatever thing is needed on an African safari without panicking. First time safari travelers to Africa often imagine that it will be hot all the time but the dry season (June- October) when game viewing is at its best tends also to be cooler and as the sun rises you’ll find yourself warming up and will want to remove fleeces and scarves in favor of t-shirts and sun hats. Therefore always pack sunglasses, a hat (washable and crushable), light closed shoes (snake and mosquito proof) ,sandals, long-sleeved shirts, scarf and sun cream. Avoid jeans as they are usually too hot and avoid dark blue since this color attracts tsetse flies also please leave your precious jewelry at home. Above all ensure you’re comfortable as you will be spending a lot of time in a vehicle traveling around. And don’t forget to bring a great pair of binoculars that can offer at least 8×30 magnifications to ensure that you comfortably view game from afar and the images appear crisp and vivid.

Read here the Tanzania safari packing list and Gorilla trekking packing list.

Know about the wildlife viewing and primates tracking rules and regulations

For your safety and safety of animals on your first Africa safari, always ensure that you know about the rules and regulations that will guide you on your safari.

Read here the precautions and safety measures to take on your African safari and Tanzania safari after Covid-19

Choose the right Safari Lodge to stay in on your first Africa Safari.

There are thousands of safari lodges and camps to choose from for your safari and while your tour operator will offer suggestions it’s also important that you do your own research and understand the difference between lodges and what they offer in terms of location. We advise first time safari goers to consider the exclusiveness and remoteness of the safari lodge and how it contributes to the wellbeing of the local people and the community.

Find out the right camera equipment to bring on safari

Ensure you do a quick course on how best to use your camera before you travel to make sure you get that special picture of your first game sighting. It might be as simple as spending some time playing with settings and taking photos around the house. You do not want to get to your first amazing sighting and be unable to capture the moment!. However instead of spending on your camera, you may just pack your camera body with standard lenses and hire the zooms from your lodge as some lodges rent out camera equipment .Ensure you carry extra memory cards and a portable battery pack for your smartphone as you may use it to take more pictures and videos than you expect. For your safety and the safety of the animals, refrain from using flash photography for close-up photographs of the animals.

Finally since you are ready to take off, don’t forget to travel responsibly because going on safari is as much about the people as it is with the wilderness. Therefore take sometime getting to know the local people and their culture. Try learning the local language and keep a diary so that all the wonderful things seen and experienced are kept and remembered. You can also find out from your tour operator if there are community projects you can support or volunteer in while on your safari holiday.

Read here some reasons why you should go on a volunteering safari in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania

Ideally we recommend that you devote the first safari experience to one country or region and immerse yourself in it especially in East Africa.

CONTACT US for Price Quotation or more information and inspiration for an African Safari Tour to Uganda,Rwanda or Tanzania.

Below are some of our suggested Uganda safaris, Rwanda safaris, Tanzania safaris and combined East African safaris you can take part in on your first Africa safari trip.