The major tourism destinations in East Africa include: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. I might have heard of the “big five”, primates, among other creatures and you might be longing to visit these countries. The good news is your dream can come true. A safari in East Africa will reward you with a chance to have a closer view of wild animals, birds, enjoy their sights and sounds, hike in the wilderness areas, and you will join a number of people who have made it a habit to go for a safari in these countries.

Choose carefully your ideal destination

There so many perfect tourist destinations in East Africa. The most important thing before you even schedule your safari is choosing a safari destination. Find out and come to terms of what you want to see. Is it the big five? Birds? Primates? Do you want a place that has wildlife birds, and mountains?

Another key thing when it comes to destinations is accommodation places. Some parks are located in remote places and travelers are only limited to the available few weather. In such a case, it doesn’t matter whether it luxury or budget category, you will have no choice but to use what’s available.

Accessibility also matters a lot. Some safari destinations are better accessed by air transport and this might really be costly for you. We aren’t trying to discouraging to visit parks in remote areas or to enjoy that charter flight, we are simply cautioning you to make better choices as you’re preparing your trip so that by the end of your trip, you will be happy for the choices you made.

So set your priorities right and then you can move on to getting an itinerary that is within your means, in terms of finances.

Don’t ignore local tour Operators

However much you want to cut your budget, ignoring tour operators might cost you your safari. You will come across local and international tour operators but the former will be of great importance to the fulfillment of your safari needs. And in terms of prices for their services, they are cheap and very conversant with the corners and the dynamics of the places you will be visiting, and accommodation places too. They generally has less bureaucracy compared to the international one. They know parks like the back of their hands. They can easily use different routes in can you find yourselves stuck in a muddy and none penetrable road. So when you’re planning for your trip, engage them.

Don’t ignore Group Safaris too

Safaris can be in different categories. Am sure you have had of tour companies organizing group safaris. Group safaris are normally arranged towards end of the year or anytime depending on a particular group they are targeting. Once you get an opportunity of a group safari to your dream destination, you shouldn’t waste the chance, they are normally announces timely to give travelers time to prepare themselves. The good thing about the safaris is are relatively cheap compared to individual safaris since parks have discounted rates for groups, and accommodation for groups is also low compared to individual charges. They are also passwords to social networking and friendships for a lifetime. The only challenge with group safaris is once you fail to connect with the group, the whole safari can boring. But all in all when you travel it’s better to clear your mind and to enjoy what nature has in store.

Self-drive safaris are good too

Some travelers have a preference of exclusivity. You may want to have freedom on your safari. This is so possible and the best way to earn this is to hire a vehicle, drive yourself to your ideal safari destination. This means that you will be in charge of your safari. The beauty about this is you have absolute control of where you will go, how much time you spend, taking photos or on any other activity. If an activity brings you a lot of fun, then you can choose to concentrate on it, and drive within your favorite routes. Normally rented vehicles serve the need perfectly. During this safari, you may control your spending and only concentrate on what brings you pleasure. However, for this kind of safari, you need to choose the best game reserve, or the one you could be dying to visit. Still, you need to choose one that I easy to access, with roads easy to penetrate even in the rainy season.

Be flexible on accommodation

Accommodation normally is provided in categories of luxury, midrange, and budget with a number of facilities to enjoy, from restaurants, self- contained rooms, constant water and power supply, camping grounds, in their categories. We do not know which kind of accommodation you will opt for, but on any safari it’s always good discipline to try and compromise on the category of accommodation you can use. May be you can afford luxury, but on your safari you can choose to go for the midrange option. Sometimes you can afford a room, but if an opportunity of sharing comes up, share and save some dollars.

Target traveling during low seasons

Low seasons in Africa come with advantages and disadvantages. Am sure you have read something about high and then low seasons. The good thing about low season is that prices are discounted for park tickets, transport, and accommodation, among others. In most cases it’s what attracts travelers. Wildlife can still be seen during this time though not with ease. This period is also a peak season for birds watching, the park is not crowded, and food is always in plenty, and the park has the best views of its vegetation. The disadvantage is that this season is rainy. Though it doesn’t rain the whole day, and sometimes it shines. There’s a lot of mud in the park, some parks in remote areas can have impassable roads that only need a 4×4 car. Some places of accommodation close down.

One National Park can do the magic

There a number of National Parks and Game Reserves with a lot in common. Most travelers most times want to have a moment with each and every park. Well this is okay still if it’s what the traveler wants. However, since we are looking for the best way to plan our safari, the best safari will be achieved once you concentrate on one conserved area. You can plan with you tour operator and they will allocate all your vacation days for an amazing time. And besides, a safari in several park might limit you to exhaust some of the important features at different times of day. For example, if your focus is on Uganda, you may choose to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, for Kenya, you may go for Masai Maraa, and for Tanzania you may enjoy Serengeti National Park.

Here are some tips that will enable you enjoy a safari in East Africa especially if it’s going to be your first time.

• Carry along sickness pills. During game drives, you will be bouncing, sometimes you get nausea, or dizzy or get sick. You will need to keep the pills with you if you feel any slight change in your health.

• Carry your camera with a fully charged battery, if possible bring spare batteries too, SD cards, so you would utilize your time taking photos and not running out of batter.

• Travel Insurance is a must have. You may ignore it but it will help you in case of theft, illness, cancellations, injuries, and in case of anything you will be protected.

• Have a variety of thin and light clothes. Whether you visit in the low or high season, parks always have low temperatures at night and sometimes in the morning. You will need that warm clothing.

• Dust in parks is a must in the park and also from the main roads to the park. So prepare for it. You can carry a scarf, or a bandana for your face and sunglasses for your eyes,

• Carry a lot of drinking water, snack, and food among other things. This will help you during game drives, and during hiking. These are normally carried out under the sun.

• Your driver must be ethical. You can only be assured of an ethical driver if you are dealing with a professional and trusted tour operating company. Unethical driver break rules and regulations of game reserves and most times it can get travelers into trouble. If you would like to go for a safari in East Africa, please contact us for the best services and a safari to remember.

In conclusion, you can get a safari of your dreams, either individually, with a group of friends or with you family. If you do proper planning. Yes safaris and adventures come at a price but the fun, the experiences, and nature will give you memories of a lifetime that are priceless.