What to Pack For an African Safari

Packing for an African safari can be a big undertaking, but with the right advice you can be prepared and comfortable on your safari. Don't over-pack (see left)--packing light is key!

It's important to remember that not all of Africa is tropical and hot year-round. Game drives often start before dawn and end after dusk when the temperatures quickly drop. The sun is very strong and having adequate sun protection in crucial. On a typical safari light weight hiking shoes or trail shoes tend to be a good option. Trekking trips and gorilla tracking require comfortable boots. Attire while on safari is casual, although people in Cape Town and other cities in Africa tend to dress nicely. Camps have shampoo and soap in the rooms, so pack light and remember to note the baggage limits on flights--many light aircraft transfers limit your bags to 33 lbs!

Expert Packing Tip from Lyndsay, our Director of Sales & Marketing: "Use a soft-sided rolling duffel with compartments so you can keep your "city" and "safari" clothes separate. And be sure to wear your heaviest jacket and/or shoes on the plane."

Here are several of our most highly recommended packing suggestions:

• Pack clothing that can be layered easily. The mornings are cool, but daytime temperatures are usually comfortably warm year-round. Taking off and adding layers is the best way to stay comfortable.

• Take a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunblock.

• Convertible (zip-off) pants and quick dry fabrics are a great way to stay cool and they also wash and dry quickly.

• Bring a day pack for your wildlife guides & binoculars. Vehicles do not carry binocs and wildlife guides for each traveler.
  

• Be prepared for rain showers with a light-weight poncho or waterproof windbreaker.

• During our summer months (May/June-August/September) Southern Africa is experiencing their winter and morning and evening game drive can be cold (in the 50F's) so be prepared with mittens and a woolen hat. Daytime is comfortable and short sleeves should be fine.

• Almost all camps and lodges offer laundry service (many include it in the rates) and will wash everything but womens' "smalls" (underwear). Pack light and plan to have your safari outfits washed every few days.

• If you like to use binoculars, we highly recommend taking your own as there are not usually enough sets in the vehicles for everyone to use them at the same time.

• Carry plug adaptor in East Africa, especially, many lodges in Southern Africa provide plug adaptor. All of Africa is on 220V power so if you are traveling with a laptop you may need a power converter, as well.

Every Africa Adventure Consultants traveler receives a detailed packing list prior to trip departure, and our staff is always ready and willing to assist with any packing questions.

Savanna Game Lodge - South Africa

On my recent trip in Southern Africa, I stayed at Savanna Game Lodge (Savanna Private Reserve) in the Sabi Sand area of Kruger in South Africa.

This is a great unassuming little lodge. It’s small, very personal and has just the right amount of luxury without being over the top. The staff is young, but experienced, energetic and excited. They really made the stay. Everyone came up and introduced themselves right away. The staff seemed genuinely happy to be working there, and it was very obvious. The manager has been there for 13 years – that says a lot right there.

The grounds are nice and the main lounge area is welcoming and comfortable with a couple fireplaces, overstuffed leather couches, a computer with internet (and complimentary CDs for downloading and burning your pictures at the end of the day – nice touch!), a smoking lounge and a small dining area and boma. There is a small watering hole in front of the lodge and wildlife comes right up to drink, I saw warthog and bush buck.

There are three levels of rooms: luxury suite (4 rooms) which is the smallest, but still has a huge bathroom with soaking tub, outdoor and indoor showers, double sinks, toilet, big bed at the front, chairs and double doors that open to the verandah. The roof is canvas, but the walls are cement. Since there are so few rooms--just eight--and the space is so large, everything is very private. The next level up is the executive suite (3 rooms) which also has the tented roof and stone walls, but it’s much bigger. Same bathroom set up. Great linens, nice decor, comfortable sitting area and small writing desk. Really nice attention to detail. The nicest room is the Savanna suite (1, but two adjoining rooms can be booked separately without use of lounge area) with two adjoining rooms, a kosher kitchen (if required), private plunge pools and added privacy of being surrounded by gardens.

At dinner we sat out under the stars at a big table (only 5 of us staying there that night, but the next three nights they were full). The BEST meal I had the entire trip was here. They were great with my diet restrictions (they also have a Kosher kitchen) and went well out of their way to make the steak without the sauce and to modify the side dishes. The cut of beef was incredible and the entire meal was just such a pleasure. Nice conversation with the other guests and the camp managers. Our guide, Mike, ate with us, too. The personal service was perfect and I felt like they answered by requests before I could even think to ask. It just seemed so genuine and almost as though I was staying at a good friend’s house who just knows me that well vs. a 5*game lodge where they have to provide that level of service.

The guiding was superb. Mike, a 25-year-old South African had guided extensively before coming to Savanna and has a degree in zoology and biology. Smart, smart guy and was by far the best guide I had. I learned things about wildlife that I had never heard before. We had incredible sightings with wild dog, leopard with cub (Mike was literally shaking with excitement when we pulled up to both), rhino with baby, lion and lots more. Savanna has shared traversing rights into the neighboring reserves, so that’s nice. It doesn’t feel “small.”

Over all, I would most highly recommend this lodge to the follow types of travelers:

1) Families looking for luxury accommodations in an atmosphere where kids are truly welcome.
2) Travelers requiring a kosher menu.
3) Travelers looking for a small and intimate camp – great for first timers and also return travelers because it’s something different, small and unique.

The Great Migration is on the move!

Our most recent wildlife updates from Tanzania, East Africa show the mega-herds of the Great Migration now grazing in the Belabela Plains and moving towards Musabi and Mbalageti in the Western Corridor. A few of the largest straggling herds are following behind in the Central Serengeti or Seronera area. The mega-herds number in the thousands and can be seen sprawling across the Serengeti plains as they graze on the green, young grass shoots. Overall, it is estimated that approximately 2 million herbivores (Thomson's gazelle, zebra and wildebeest, with the predators hunting close behind!) take part in this annual migration through Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara.


Over the next month or two prime game viewing will be in the Western Corridor and Mbalageti Serengeti, Grumeti River Camp, our private camping safaris, Serengeti Under Canvas and other Western Corridor camps and lodges will likely be the best places to witness this great show. Moving into late July and August, Sayari Camp should be an ideal location to catch the impressive river crossings on the Mara River.

Heavy rains have been reported in the Grumeti region and the Grumeti River is flowing at near flood levels. The high waters will help to create dramatic river crossings in the next month or two. Stay tuned for continued Migration updates!

Images courtesy of andBeyond and Asilia Lodges.

Elephant Experience at Stanley's Camp

On my recent trip to Southern Africa, I spent two nights at Stanley's Camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Stanley's Camp is situated on a 260,000 acre private concession, bordering the southern section of the famous Moremi Game Reserve. In addition to great game viewing, I was lucky enough to spot one of the packs of elusive wild dog that roam near the camp. This was truly a highlight of my trip!

One of the most unique activities available at Stanley's Camp is the elephant experience, during which you spend a morning with three semi-habituated elephants. This "semi-habituated" term makes them sound tame, when in fact they are still very much wild creatures. Doug Groves, co-owner of Grey Matters, has worked with the three elephants for years and has a very close relationship with them through training. He has an amazing interaction with the elephants and they really seem to think of him as a "dad" of sorts.

After the initial introduction, Doug begins teaching everyone about elephant behavior and different aspects of an elephant's life, body and habits. Throughout the experience we are able to take close-up pictures, feel under the elephant's ear, lift their trunk, etc. After, we begin our walk with the elephants through the bush. The walk was easy, but the sun was hot and we really had to keep our eye out for big holes in the ground made by the elephants. We watch the elephants drink from a channel, and were able to see up-close their teeth and mouth.

At the end of our walk, we had a little surprise - which I won't disclose here! My morning with the elephants was great. I learned so much about elephants and was able to see them closer-up than I ever had. My favorite part of the experience was that it felt natural, unrehearsed and real. The elephants are wild, you don't ride on them, you keep a safe distance from them and you watch them go about their daily activities--all under the close watch of Doug.

Feds halt Delta’s first direct flight to Nairobi

Delta Air Lines was forced to abruptly cancel Tuesday afternoon’s planned inaugural flight between Atlanta and Nairobi, Kenya, after federal security officials denied approval.

Delta said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified it late Monday that it would require more time to approve the direct flights to Nairobi. The flights are postponed indefinitely, Delta said. Delta said it is rerouting all passengers booked on the route onto other flights through its marketing partnerships with other carriers.

For more information: http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/delta/stories/2009/06/02/nairobi_flight_canceled.html

Beers and Safaris in Denver

Our last Beers & Safaris Event was so fun, we decided to have another one featuring a special guest from Africa. No, it's not Obama's Grandma...Come meet Kambona, an outstanding Maasai walking guide from Tanzania. (He took Kent up Kilimanjaro his first time a few years back!) Join us from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Lodo's Bar and Grill South in Highlands Ranch for a short presentation on our new walking safaris and lots of good conversation. We'll be serving free Flying Dog beers and plenty of yummy snacks. Sponsored by Flying Dog Ales and Africa Adventure Consultants.

Our new walking safari with Kambona was featured by National Geographic Traveler on their blog this month as a great deal in 2009. As the Nat Geo traveler blog states: "This year, 2009, may be the best year ever to travel on a tour." Come and chat with Kambona about this great new trip that takes you through the heart of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and into the homeland of Tanzania's last Hadzabe (Bushmen) tribes.

Give us a call tomorrow and let us know if you plan on coming by for some safari talk and beer after work. We're expecting a great turn out and hope to see you there!