What are the top 10 African safari mistakes?
20/11/13 17:52 Filed in: African Safari Holiday
Howard Hillman is a New York based travel writer. He wrote thousands of pages of travel reviews and now he made the efforts to summarize the top 10 African safari mistakes.
It is quite a read, but can be helpful for your own African safari holiday planning. Some reflections might also make you smile.
From the blog:
1. Group tours
If you book a group tour on less than a luxury or high-quality one, you risk suffering vehicle mates who incessantly talk, argue, tell bad jokes, irritatingly laugh, whatever.
Crowding - Your vehicle may be crammed. Not only will this be uncomfortable, it will obstruct your panoramic view while seated.
Lower-quality guides - Group tour driver-guides are generally less friendly, accommodating, articulate and knowledgeable than private tour safari guides. They are more likely to recite dull memorized spiels instead of spontaneously tailored commentary.
Undesirable vehicle mates - You risk suffering travellers who, for example, incessantly talk, argue, tell bad jokes, or irritatingly laugh.
2. Cost
Spending too little is a common safari mistake. Your adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so you could later regret it if you skimp. When planning your adventure, make the most of it.
Skimping - A safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so you could later regret it if you skimp. When planning your safari, make the most of it. While we’ve found that some travelers go beyond their doable budget, most do the opposite.
Rate range - Some travellers have only a hazy idea of safari rates. To give you a rough idea of them, I list below current safari-tour prices. They are the typical per-person-per-day rates based on double occupancy for the high season (and will vary by locale). Low-season prices are about 25% lower.
For packaged bare basic camping safaris, plan on US$150 to US$200.
For packaged mid-range lodge or camping safaris, count on US$250 to US$400.
For packaged luxury lodges and camps, expect a US$450 to US$650 charge.
For a private tour safari for two people, increase the packaged tour prices by 25 to 33% – and for a foursome, by 10 to 20%.
What’s included - Learn ahead of time exactly what’s included before you book. Normally, these are covered by the rate:
- Accommodations
- Meals
- Game drives
- Park fees
- Lodge/camp transfers
And these normally are not:
- Tips
- Laundry
- Alcohol
- Phone calls
- International airfare
Different safari operators have different inclusion and exclusion policies. Always check first.
3. Timing
During the middle of the day, many mammals take shelter in the bushes and tall grasses. Early morning and late afternoon are the best game-viewing times.
Best & worst - Early morning and late afternoon are the best game-viewing times. During the middle of the day, many mammals are hard to spot because they take shelter in the bushes and tall grasses.
Late sleepers & pool lovers – Safari-goers who sleep late and head off late on their morning game drives literally miss a lot of what they paid a lot to see. The same is true for those who return early from their afternoon game drives to take a dip in the lodge’s swimming pool.
Animal behavior – Although a full moon is romantic, its brightness can alter both the predator’s and prey’s normal behavior. This makes it more difficult to spot wildlife on night drives.
Going on an ill-paced safari tour -Too much, too little - Some tours cram in too much (or offer too little) game viewing in a given number of days. Analyze the itinerary.
Not going on a safari if you have only several days to spare - Better to see than not at all – A long safari is obviously better than a short one. But it is also true that a short one is better than no safari. If you are on a business trip in, for instance, Dar es Salaam and have several days to spare for a safari, go for it. You may never have the opportunity again.
4. Vehicle type
A tour in a minivan may make you feel like a sardine in a can – and your ride will be bumpy and your view, obscured.
Going on a safari in a minivan instead of in a four-wheel-drive safari vehicle: Minivan tours – One will save you money. However, you’ll feel like a sardine in a can – and your field of vision will be noticeably obscured.
Jarring ride – Moreover, a safari normally requires many several-hour-long rides down bumpy, rutted dirt roads. This will prove quite uncomfortable to passengers because while the suspension systems of Land Rovers and Land Cruisers are built to handle the jolting bounces, those of minivans are not.
Incongruous experience - Being on safari in a minivan does not create an “Out of Africa” feeling.
Driving your own vehicle on a safari or renting one: Penny wise, pound foolish – What you save in money usually does not compensate for the downsides:
Your lack of expertise – A knowledgeable guide or guide-driver is essential for getting the most out of your trip. He knows from years of experience where to find the rare animals. He teaches you insider insights. Without him, you would likely see, learn and experience comparatively little.
Misplaced focus - Your attention will be focused mainly on driving, not on looking for wildlife or catching up on your safari guidebook.
Wrong turns – You could get lost.
Emergency repairs – You could have a mechanical breakdown in the middle of nowhere.
Vehicle damage – Car damage caused by terribly bumpy, rutted roads could be costly.
5. Guides and drivers
People who drive their own vehicles miss out. Much of their attention is focused on driving, not on looking for wildlife.
Automatically blaming your guide for not spotting all the major animals - Some wildlife is not easy to spot – Wildlife doesn’t appear on cue. If the trained and sharp eyes of a nearby predator are unable to spot a camouflaged animal or bird, then how can we expect the less endowed eyes of your guide (even with binoculars) to do so?
Animal count - Don’t judge your guide just on how many different animals and birds he spotted. Wildlife is not confined in a zoo (on safari you are the one in the cage – the vehicle).
Under tipping your guide and driver
The need to tip app – Most safari guides and drivers receive meager wages. They depend on tips for their livelihood.
Tipping guidelines – Seasoned travellers tip their safari guides (or guide-drivers) approximately $7 to $20 per day per person, depending on their guides’ overall performances and the size of their parties. Tip the driver about $5 to $10 per day. If you are on a packaged tour, ask the tour operator for its recommendation.
Not considering the possibility of having a guide-driver instead of a guide and driver: Benefits either way – There are strong benefits in paying extra to have a separate guide and driver instead of a single guide-driver.
However, if there will be only 2 to 4 people in your vehicle, be at least aware of the several benefits in using a solo guide-driver:
Use of front passenger seat – The guide occupies the seat next to the driver. This is a choice place for viewing as you drive through the game reserves. If you have a combined driver-guide, you can alternate the use of that front seat with your vehicle mates.
Knowledge level – True, a guide specialist is usually (but not always) more apt to be more knowledgeable than a driver-guide. However, the difference in his knowledge may be valuable to only someone interested in learning academic details.
Cost – You will save money, sometimes a substantial amount.
6. Health and safety
Some visitors forget to pack eye drops. Carry them, particularly if you wear contact lenses. Air carries fine-particle dust.
Worrying that lions will jump into your vehicle
It’s extremely unlikely - You are more likely to be in an automobile accident back home than being attacked by a lion. Unless a lion’s traditional food (game) is scarce, it will seldom seek human meat, for various reasons, including the following:
Odor - We humans smell awful to lions – so do the gas fumes of your safari vehicle.
We’re not a menu priority - The flesh of safari animals like eland, wildebeests and wart hogs is considerably meatier and more abundant than that of humans in safari parks. It’s also tastier.
Provocation - In rare cases when a lion does attack humans in a game reserve, it is almost always because the beast was provoked or cornered.
Exception to the rule – Over the last few decades in Tanzania, lions have ended the lives of over 500 villagers, herders and farmers outside the animal-rich safari reserves. The primary reason is that the population of the animals such as eland and zebras that lions traditionally eat is quite low (due to hunting by the natives) in those human-inhabited areas. Hungry, the lions attack humans and their cattle.
Ignoring warnings
Be escorted at night – If you are instructed to call the main lodge for an employee to escort you between your cottage or tent and main lodge building at night, do it. Sometimes unescorted guests are knocked down, trampled, or at least severely frightened by elephants and other wild animals that pass through the grounds in the dark.
Stay in your vehicle - Don’t get out of your private vehicle if the reserve forbids it. You don’t know what might be lurking in the bushes.
Not bringing sunglasses, sunscreen, eyedrops and mosquito repellent: Sunglasses and sunscreen – You will be out on game drives for hours at a time – and the bare safari earth intensely reflects the sun’s rays. Protect your eyes (by wearing sunglasses that effectively block ultraviolet rays) and sunscreen (SPF rating of 15 or higher).
Eye drops – Pack them, particularly if you wear contact lenses. The safari air carries fine-particle dust.
Malaria medication – Take it. Normally, for it to be effective, you need to start the preventive medication a week or two before your arrival.
Mosquito repellant - Mosquitoes are the chief source of malaria (and dengue fever), so use a good repellent, one containing the ingredient DEET. For further protection, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts from after 3 p.m. and before 10 a.m.
Bush dinner germs
Sanitizer gel - In bush dinners and sundowners, you are in a wild setting, usually far from your lodge or camp. There will be no faucets for washing your hands – and not every event sets up a small table with soap, bowl and hot-water pitcher. So always carry a small bottle of hand-sanitizer gel.
7. Tents
Some travelers book a budget tent campsite out of a romantic notion that it would be adventuresome. If you don’t sleep well, you will doze during game drives.
Confusing the “tented camp ” with the “campsite” category
Different definitions - “Campsite” accommodations are spartan while “Tented camps” have at least a moderate level of comfort – and some are luxurious.
Staying in a basic campsite for the wrong reason
Undesirable featuress – A typical basic campsite has many drawbacks: Small, cramped tents (some with little or no standing room). Uncomfortable cots and chairs. Cold showers. Foul outhouses.
The only option for some – Such sacrifices make sense to those who truly cannot afford to spend a little more for better accommodations – it’s better to go on a basic campsite safari than none at all.
Nonsensical for others – Sadly, some people who can afford more choose a basic campsite tour out of a misguided romantic notion. They think it would be fun to “rough it”. They end up being heavy-eyed and tired during their long daily game drives, which are the underlying reason they flew thousands of miles to go on a safari.
Not realizing that tented camps can be luxurious
Mid-market tented camps – They are a world apart from a basic campsite. They are clean and comfortable – and the staff does all the chores (seldom so in basic tent camps).
Luxury tented camps - The tents are designer furnished, the service polished and professional, and the food well above par.
Being unfamiliar with walking safari camps
A memorable happening - A walking safari is one of my favorite safari experiences – and you will probably relish one, too. Consider:
You’re in the wild - As the name suggests, you hike in the wilderness populated with lions, elephants, and more. However, these outings are safer than they might seem.
Quality camping - Although you sleep in a traditional safari-style tent, they are large – and the bed is big and comfortable. Service and guide quality are luxury level.
Nightly encounter with nature - You smell the wilderness and hear the wildlife sounds at night in your tent. And sometimes passing four-legged visitors brush against your tent, magnifying the safari experience.
8. Booking
Many visitors select safari booking websites carelessly. While most websites are reliable and trustworthy, some go in and out of business, leaving customers in the lurch.
Booking without first vetting
Don’t take a risk - Never book with a budget-safari category operator or agent without first thoroughly checking it out. Incompetent and unscrupulous operators outnumber the reputable ones in that category. Book with the wrong one and you could possibly:
- Face departure delays, sometimes measured in days
- Have an inept or uncaring guide
- Ride in a crowded, run-down safari vehicle that breaks down in the middle of nowhere
- Camp out under conditions worse than promised
- Pay for extras that are normally part of a safari tour price
- Lose your investment
In contrast, virtually all high-end operators are reliable and trustworthy. The same is true for most (but not all) mid-range operators.
Best bets – It’s generally safest to book your safari tour through your local travel agent or directly with the safari operator via its website.
Safari-booking websites – Hundreds of safari-booking websites exist. Be aware that while most are reliable and trustworthy, some go in and out of business, leaving customers in the lurch. Select with care.
Deal with the best – The best safari operators are usually the most successful. Because they have healthy revenues, they can afford new vehicles, good maintenance and competent guides. Financially struggling firms are more apt to use old, ill-maintained vehicles and hire rookie guides who learn their trade literally at your expense.
Booking after you arrive
The cost of waiting – I recommend you book your safari before arriving in a safari country – and if you are going on a high-season safari, do it months ahead of time. If you don’t pre-book and the vehicles and driver-guides of all the reliable operators are fully booked (it happens), you may have to hang around town (no fun) for several days or more waiting for a tour opening. Or, in desperation, you end up booking with a disreputable outfit.
9. Clothing
Some people nowadays wear the cliche big-game-hunter safari outfit. Those who do get deserved smirks from the rest.
Wearing white, dark, blue, striking, or camouflage clothing
Fine-dust air - The safari plains are dusty. White or dark clothing quickly shows the accumulated fine dust in the air that settles on your clothes. Khaki is the best color because it is dust hued.
Avoid blue - Blue attracts the tsetse fly. Its bite is painful and could inflict dengue fever, a form of sleeping sickness.
Don’t alarm the animals - Large, asymmetrical patterned clothes can distress animals.
Shun camouflage clothes – You could be arrested in some countries for donning camouflage clothing if you are not a member of the military.
Dressing up “Hollywood safari” style
What not to wear – If you already bought a “safari wardrobe”, you might not like what I’m going to say. Nowadays, very few safari-goers wear the cliched big-game-hunter safari outfit. Those who do get deserved smirks from the rest.
What to wear – Today’s safari dress code is comfortable, everyday clothing – the kind you would wear to a casual country-club barbecue.
Not dressing for the climate
Seasons are reversed – Unlike in the northern hemisphere, June, July and August are the coldest months in the southern hemisphere.
Climate difference – The climates of Kenya and Tanzania are significantly different than South Africa’s because of geography. Kenya and Tanzania are on or near the equator while South Africa is on the southern tip of Africa.
Kenya and Tanzania – The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Masai Mara game reserves can be chilly at night. The land rises as high as 2200 meters (over a mile) above sea level. Pack a light sweater and jacket as part of your safari clothing wardrobe.
South Africa – It will be even chillier at night in the cold months in the Kruger National Park. Dress in layers. You may need gloves and a hat in addition to a thick sweater, especially for the late evening and early morning
10. Cameras
Many visitors shoot photos when their vehicle is idling. Unless their camera or lens has a quality image stabilizer, their photos won’t be sharp. It’s best to wait until the driver turns off the engine.
Blowing safari photo ops by being unaware of these fundamentals
Best hours - Safari shots taken in the early morning and late afternoon hours usually produce the best photos of the animals and landscapes. Mid-day photos often lack vivid colors and needed contrast.
Avoid camera shake – For sharp photos, don’t shoot when your vehicle is moving on a rough road or terrain. And unless you have a good image stabilizer, don’t expect crisp photos even when the vehicle is starting or idling.
Avoid telephoto shake – You can also prevent fuzzy photos by not using a telephoto lens in greater magnification than your practiced skill in holding the camera steadily.
Camera cleanliness – Keep your camera and lens sealed when not in use – and bring a lens cleaning kit. Fine dust is normal on a safari and could cause your camera’s circuitry or mechanics to malfunction.
Know your camera – Pre-test a new camera and master its basic features before the trip. It’s too late for this education on a safari.
Memory – Take enough digital memory. My rule of thumb for safaris: Estimate how many shots you think you will take. Then, double that number – likely you’ll need it. Locally bought memory for your camera is costly and sometimes unavailable or defective.
Batteries – Bring backup batteries for your camera. And bring a battery charger and adapter that is compatible with the local current and electrical outlets.
With courtesy from travel writer Howard Hillman.
Happy safari travel!
Ute Sonnenberg for www.rohoyachui.com