Travel Articles: Safari

What is the best time to take an Africa trip? As such a huge continent, the optimal travel months vary by region. Travelers can use this helpful chart that gives an overview of when to visit various areas. Of course, weather & wildlife are not predictable - which makes your trip all that much more adventurous!

Africa seems to provide endless opportunities to observe diverse and unique wildlife. This chart helps determine the optimal locations for a safari depending on the specific wildlife you would like to see.

I spent two weeks spent exploring Durban's promenades and murals that line the streets. Then, I was joined by my mother where we explored Kruger National Park, Thornybush Game Reserve, Timbavati and Sabi Sands Reserves. We saw a wide variety of wildlife across many safaris such as elephants, lions, leopards and rhinos. This trip was action packed!

The Serengeti in Tanzania is one of the best places in Africa to go on safari to see wildlife. Among other reasons, there is never a bad time to explore the Serengeti. Both the wet and dry seasons have their benefits. The Serengeti National Park is dry and sunny from June through October, making this the best time for a safari in Tanzania.

I spent two weeks exploring Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. I went on safaris and saw plenty of wildlife such as elephants, cheetahs, lions and hyenas.. just to name a few. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery around me and took in every second I could. I also experienced the culture around me by staying in multiple lodges …

If you are considering going on an African safari, you'll have questions. Everything from where and when to go, what you'll see, and what you should pack. No worries. These posts can help.

A breathtaking journey through the northern safari circuit of Tanzania, including Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron and the Serengeti.

Too many people want to visit Victoria Falls but skip the rest of this amazing country. When I traveled there, yes I started out at Victoria Falls. It is impressively beautiful and an amazing site. But I'm so glad I traveled to other parts of the country, as well. I visited some great safari lodges in different parts of Zimbabwe and was amazed by …

Boma dinners are a component of all southern Africa safari lodges. What is a boma? A boma is a livestock enclosure or corral.For example, if a wildlife reserve were accepting new animals onto its property, it would keep the new animals inside a boma until they became acclimated to their new surroundings and were ready to be released onto the …

Rhino poaching is a big deal in South Africa. Both in that it happens frequently and that there is a lot of anti-poaching education and action. A lot of our trip was spent discussing rhino poaching with our rangers and lodge management. Rhino poaching is seen as being largely driven by demand from Asia. Traditional medicine uses rhino horn for a …

Most of this day was lost to heatstroke as well. I woke up at Camp Moremi and rallied myself just enough to get packed and ready to move to Camp Okavango. Camp O is located in the permanently inundated part of the Delta, so it has water year round. It's situated onNxaragha Island and it's one of the few camps that doesn't offer game …

What is it they say, "go big or go home"? I went big on my first night on safari. Mombo Camp is one of the most luxurious lodges in Botswana. Rates for high season in 2019 are running over $3,500 per person per night. And while the accommodations are perfectly appointed in every way and the hosts are beyond gracious, the wildlife is what …

The first thing I notice about Abu is elephants, baby elephants. Flying low over the airstrip, I feel as if we are going to land on a family gathered around a watering hole. We are hundreds of feet above them and they don't seem to even notice us coming in over their heads. After deplaning, my guide Tebla spares no time in getting us up close …

As I travel more in Africa and experience safaris in different countries,I start to pick up on the unique features of each country. In South Africa and Botswana, you are typically flying into an airstrip near your lodge and doing game drives in open air safari vehicles with guides that are based out of the game lodge. In Botswana, you normally fly …

I love safaris. They are one of the reasons I’m an Africa specialist here at Adventure Life. My love for African safaris goes back before I ever had the chance to visit the continent, when I knew little and had zero experience. Marlin Perkins was my guide as reruns of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom played on the family TV.

Back then, …

Travelers often ask me for a packing list when they go on safari. To some degree, packing is a bit personal, so here is my personal packing list for my Tanzania safari plus some important commentary:

Head:

* Tilley Airflo Hat - always comes with me to Africa

* Sunglasses - needs no explanation

* Scarf/wrap - I usually bring along a lightweight …

Being able to walk among the abundant wildlife and gorgeous savannah in Africa is a rarified treat. However, there are restrictions on walking safaris throughout sub-Saharan Africa—they can only be done in designated areas and guided by licensed experts. That’s the case in Zimbabwe, where it takes years to become a trained safari …

Let’s face it, Zimbabwe is probably a long way from where you live. If you live in Europe, there are a good number of long-haul flights to get you to Zimbabwe. If you are in North America, you’ll face far fewer options. Almost certainly, your best bet is to fly through South Africa.

Johannesburg, South Africa is a major airline hub …

Logistics for Tanzania safaris are a bit more convoluted than in other countries. I’ve already discussed the pros and cons of fly-in safaris versus driving safaris. Essentially, if you have the budget for it, flying will save you time and eliminate long drives. What you give up in a fly-in safari is having the same private guide from start …

Hot air balloon safaris are offered in many places in Tanzania – Tarangire, Serengeti, Ruaha, Grumeti, and more. I had never been in a balloon before, so I made sure to add this to my itinerary. My balloon safari was operated by Serengeti Balloon Safaris in Seronera (central Serengeti).

It is well known that night game drives are forbidden …

Tarangire was my favorite park, rather unexpectedly. I feel like it's the unsung hero of Tanzania; the little brother to the Serengeti. It's vast -- not nearly as vast as the Serengeti, but it almost felt bigger because we hardly saw another game drive vehicle in two days. It made me feel incredibly small to be out for an entire day and …

A lot of people skip Lake Natron and I'm really glad I included it. Natron is hard to get to. It took us 4 hours of driving to get between Tarangire and Natron. Only about 45 minutes of that is on pavement, then it's a dirt road the rest of the way. The first two hours on the dirt road was decent for us. The last hour and a half was ROUGH, …

I'm going to get flack for this, but Ngorongoro was my least favorite safari location on my trip. From a geological perspective, I thought it was fascinating and I liked driving along the rim, but when we descended the crater for our game drive, I was struck by how busy it was down there. It was far more crowded with game drive vehicles in the …

And here's what we all came for: Serengeti National Park. I half wish I could say it was overrated, crowded, didn't have much wildlife, etc. But that's no the case at all. The hype is real. Just driving in on the main road, we saw several lions sitting along the dirt highway.

This is where the Big 5 happened for us. We saw 2 rhino on …