For most travellers, going on an African safari is high on their bucket list. Maybe you just watched the Lion King for the 20th time or saw breathtaking pictures in a copy of National Geographic. Whatever your reason, going on an African safari will not disappoint. You probably have a lot of questions and don’t know where to begin, and that’s where we come in.
We are here to help you prepare for your first African Safari!
Having both been on safaris separately, we knew that going together needed to be a part of our honeymoon plans. Angela and I stayed at Motswari Private Game Reserve, a luxury safari lodge located near Kruger National Park in South Africa. We hope to share our experiences with you. This post is intended to give tips and act as a guide for beginners on your first African safari.
Getting There
Getting to Kruger National Park and the surrounding areas can be a daunting task. Leaving from Johannesburg, you can choose to make the nearly 6 hour long drive yourself. We recommend taking a quick 30 minute flight to the Hoedspruit Airport. When booking your stay with Mostwari or any other safari lodge, make sure you arrange for an airport transfer to the lodge and back at the end of the trip. Most places will include this in their pricing.
Upon arrival to the airport, you will see lots of drivers holding up signs with the names of their guests. Look for someone holding up your name, confirm they are your driver, and get ready for the drive to the lodge. Be sure to be on the lookout because you never know what animal will be crossing the road. Our driver even pulled over a few times for us to take pictures along the way.
5-Star Hospitality
The service and hospitality you receive on your first African safari will keep you coming back for more. It all starts upon your arrival when you are greeted with a welcome drink. Most lodges will offer a fresh fruit juice or small alcoholic beverage, such as port or South African brandy. A receptionist will explain the basics of the camp while a porter takes your luggage to your room. Their job is to make your life as easy as possible while on safari and they do a fantastic job in doing so. Chefs, bartenders, security, guides, room service, and all staff in between greet you with a smile and make you feel welcome the whole time.
Rise and Shine
The best time to see animals on your African safari is at sunrise and sunset. This means you will need to wake up very early in order to make your first game drive of the day. Depending on the time of year, you might need to be up as early as 4:30AM. Don’t worry, a lodge staff member will come by and make sure you are awake in time to grab a small bite to eat and hot coffee or tea to start your morning. It won’t take long driving in an open-aired jeep to wake up in the crisp morning air. As soon as you see your first wild African animal, your adrenaline will keep you awake the rest of the day!
Keep Your Head on a Swivel
The reason you decided on an African Safari in the first place is to see all the animals you can in their natural habitats. Kruger National Park and the surrounding areas are home to the African Big 5: lion, leopard, cape buffalo, rhinoceros, and elephant. Having a professional guide and tracker will help increase your odds of seeing all of the Big 5, and a host of other animals too.
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for animals all around you. You never know what you might stumble upon. In addition to the Big 5, we saw kudu, zebra, warthog, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, python, and even a honey badger, just to name a few animals. Look all around you, but make sure you even look up, especially at night. It is hard to beat the view of all the stars while on an African safari. You are far from light pollution, so the pitch black night sky is quite a spectacular site.
Ask Lots of Questions
Both the guide and tracker are experts in their field and carry a vast amount of knowledge about the animals and local area. Our guide happened to have quite a lot of knowledge of astronomy too. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as they are always happy to help. Your guide will give you lots of cool animal facts. If you see something before they do, point it out and they will likely try and get you closer to the action.
Our tracker was world class at his job. From his seat at the front of the jeep, he was able to guide us to each and every animal we wanted to see. He was incredible! At one point, he motioned for our guide to stop the vehicle so he could smell the air. After taking a big whiff of the air, he changed our course and within minutes, we found the leopard we were looking for. We later learned that leopard pee smells like buttered popcorn!
The Bush is Your Bathroom
After spending a couple hours in the back of a jeep, your guide will usually pull over for a break. This is a great time to stretch your legs and walk around a bit. Remember, there are still wild animals everywhere, so don’t wander too far from the vehicle. If you can’t wait for the toilets back at the lodge, behind the nearest tree will have to do. We suggest bringing a travel sized hand sanitizer along for the ride. The break during the morning drive will typically be accompanied by coffee or tea and snacks such as dried fruit or biscuits. The afternoon drive has more options for your break including alcoholic beverages, juices, coffee and tea along with pretzels, nuts, dried meat, etc. Enjoy your snacks, but be sure not to ruin your appetite for the meals.
Time to Eat
When you arrive back at camp, it’s always time to eat. Most lodges offer a brunch-style buffet after the morning drive. At Motswari, we had the option of several breakfast meats, cheeses, fruits, juices, granola, pancakes, breads, etc. They also had a made-to-order egg station with a chef whipping up omelettes. You will not leave that area hungry.
A second meal is usually held in the early afternoon right before your second game drive. This is also a buffet style with salads, meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies. We had a very cool experience at lunch everyday. The staff would parade the food into the dining area singing and dancing. We made it a point to get to the dining area early to enjoy the show. Following the afternoon game drive, you have time to wash up and get refreshed before dinner. Dinner for us was a sit-down dinner with a few options for main courses every night. If you are lucky, they will have a nice warm bonfire going as you enjoy your meal. Remember to stick around for dessert!
Down Time
Between drives and meals, you will have a lot of time to yourself. Don’t worry, there is plenty to do around the lodge. Whatever you decide to do, the choice is yours. Here is a small list of things to do:Bushwalk – If you are feeling really adventurous still, there are guided walking safaris at some lodges. Your guide will take you on a hike near camp and point out smaller plants and animals you might miss driving. It is a great time to see snakes, bugs, birds, and other tiny creatures. We recommend you try to do this at least once.
Sleep
If you are just worn out and need to relax, you can head back to your room for a nap. Waking up before the sun rises is not for everyone. Grab some shut-eye and prepare for the rest of the day.
Swim
Many safari lodges offer small swimming pools for guests to enjoy. Depending on the time of year you go, it might be warm enough to hop in for a cool down. While it was a bit too cold for our comfort, we still enjoyed sitting out by the pool.
Read
Safari lodges offer the perfect tranquil setting to enjoy a good book. If you didn’t think to bring your own book or ran out of room in your luggage, lodges typically have a small library on site to borrow a book.
Make Friends
Whether you are traveling as a couple or in a group, African safaris are a great place to meet fellow travelers. We were paired with a British couple also on their honeymoon for our game drives. We enjoyed swapping stories of our weddings and travels, and we all exchanged Facebook friend requests before leaving.
Relax
The downtime is a chance to regroup, reset, and relax. Sometimes grabbing a cold beer to enjoy while sitting outside is all you need.
Don’t Forget to Tip!
Before you officially check African safari off your bucket list, make sure you show your appreciation for the staff members that made your time memorable. We were given the option to add a general tip to our bill while checking out with the receptionist. This would be split evenly between all staff members. We chose this route to ensure we didn’t miss anyone with the gratuity. It is also a welcomed gesture to put cash in an envelope and personally hand it to anyone that stood out, like your tracker or guide. Just remember, many of the staff rely on tips to supplement their wages, so whenever possible, be generous.