PLANNING YOUR LUXURY AFRICAN SAFARI
The best way to organise your Safari is to contact us! We can talk you through the various options, make suggestions and send you some itineraries based on your interests and budget.
To help you in planning your Safari, here is a list of FAQ’s and answers that will provide you with some useful information:
How much time do I need for my Safari to Africa?
Safaris usually last from between 3 days (for guests visiting a specific area) up to 21 days (for a full exploration Safari covering various regions and/or countries). We recommend a minimum of 7 days travel in Africa.
At Africa Uncovered we specialise in customizing Safaris to suit our guests individual needs. The majority of our customized Safaris tend to be from between 10 to 15 days. This allows our guests to experience more than one area of this uniquely diverse region of the world and also the opportunity to visit a major attraction such as the Victoria Falls, Cape Town, The Garden Route or to relax after their safari on an exotic Indian Ocean Island such as the Islands off the coast of Mozambique, Zanzibar, Mauritius or the Seychelles.
When to go on safari?
For most visitors an African Safari is a once in a lifetime opportunity and so people want to maximize their game viewing experience.
Southern African Safari destinations (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa) have a rainy season during the southern hemisphere’s Summer months (November – April) and a dry season during the Winter months (May – October). The Winter months are considered the best time to go on Safari as it is easier to find and view the animals as they gather around the limited water sources. However, although game viewing is not as prevalent in the Summer months (November – April), it is still reasonably good and there are additional benefits of going on Safari in the Summer months. Firstly most of the antelope give birth to their young in the Summer months and the wilderness areas are literally full of young offspring. Viewing the young animals playing in the lush green vegetation is an awesome spectacle. The summer months are also considered the “low season” and so good deals and cheaper rates can be found.
East African safari destinations(Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda & Uganda) experience their main rainy season from late March to the end of May. This time is known as the season of long rains. East Africa also experiences short rains in November. A safari during the long rain season can still be highly rewarding especially in Tanzania as the migratory herds are on the move during this time. The cost of safari during this period is also significantly less than in the high season. You can also have a more exclusive safari experience at this time as there are far less people on safari than during the high season.
The high season in East Africa runs from June/July to October. Rainfall at this time is largely non-existent and game viewing during this period is at its peak. It is also the time that the Migratory herds have to negotiate the treacherous Grumeti and Mara Rivers which are an amazing event to witness.
It is important to remember that on safari there are no guarantees when it comes to wildlife sightings, but you will almost certainly see excellent game. Africa is not a zoo; it is wild and unpredictable and the animals roam freely, and for the most part, wherever they wish. Finding them in the huge African safari areas is part of the thrill of the African safari. But you will certainly see animals and birds and beautiful scenery. However nothing is for certain when you are dealing with the wild. We obviously cannot guarantee Lion sightings everyday, or a kill or Wild Dogs if you stay for a week, however animals are guaranteed and you will almost certainly see predators. Of course, the longer your stay, the better your chances. It’s why those of us who are totally passionate about African safaris keep going back. Every day is full of exciting surprises – and finding those Lions or Wild Dogs or witnessing a hunt is always the greatest of pleasures!
Does a Tailor-made safari cost more?
Tailor-made Safaris are Africa Uncovered’ recommended Safari option as this is our speciality. This involves liasing with our clients to ascertain exactly what their ideal Safari would be and then using our expertise to plan a Safari that focuses on a combination of the client’s interests and/or desired destinations.
This does not mean that a tailor-made safari is expensive as we have excellent negotiated discounted rates at many safari camps/lodges as well as beach hotels/lodges and so we are able to offer a tailor-made itinerary that is less expensive than if you were to book all the individual components of the trip directly. Basically our expertise cost you nothing and we are able to advise on the type of experience that different places offer based on personal experience.
