
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.