PLANNING A SAFARI

CHOOSING AN AFRICAN SAFARI HOLIDAY CAN BE DAUNTING, EVEN IF YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED TRAVELLER, SO LET LUSH AFRICAN SAFARIS HELP !

Which reserve should I look at? When is the best time to travel? How adventurous do we need to be? The questions are endless…… If you have not yet been on safari in Southern Africa before, then we at Lush African Safaris would urge you to read this page thoroughly. If you would prefer to talk through everything on the phone, we would love to hear from you on +27 72 299 2865 and one of our specialists will be able to answer your questions and get you started. Alternatively, you can Contact Us via email at res@lushafricansafaris.com. The first and most important step is developing a reasonable idea of what kind of holiday you are looking for. We specialise in individually tailoring your holiday, starting with a completely ‘blank canvas’ and building an itinerary to suit your interests, requirements and budget. This gives you amazing flexibility, but does mean that we need your input from the start.

BASIC LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS

To begin with, key logistical information we will always ask you about will be:

1) when you wish to travel

2) how many of you are travelling (ages can be relevant)

3) are there any heath conditions / allergies to be considered

4) how long you wish to travel for

If you have set dates of travel, then your destination options may be dictated by these dates, taking into account local seasons and game viewing conditions. However, if you are flexible on when you can travel, we can begin by focusing on what you wish to do and where you wish to visit, and then advise on the best times to travel.

WHERE TO VISIT

You may already have a good idea of which reserves in Southern Africa you would like to visit, but if not, there are several key considerations to help you decide.

The time of year you are travelling could be a crucial factor, as could budget or specific interests.

Our specialists are widely travelled across safari destinations in Southern African and have worked in many of the reserves, not only in one region, so they can therefore talk you through what each reserve has to offer, and the differences between them.

ACCOMMODATION REQUIREMENTS

Whether you spend three days or three weeks on safari, you will need to consider what level and style of safari accommodation you would prefer. Comfort levels vary from adventurous tented camps to sophisticated luxury lodges or even private villas, and whilst we would always encourage you to get as ‘close to nature’ as you feel comfortable with, everyone needs to enjoy their safari and sleep well at night.

BUDGETING FOR A SAFARI

Africa is generally expensive and whilst you may not know exactly how much you are prepared to spend, Lush African Safaris will be able to assist with any budget, as interests and requirements develop, but in order to give relevant advice and make appropriate suggestions, we definitely need to have a rough idea of what you are happy to spend.

GENERAL

When considering the above factors, and your safari options in general, you may also wish to bear in mind the following:

The tourism industry in Southern Africa is very developed and standards are high. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by the general quality of hosting, guiding, food and service that can be enjoyed in the middle of the African bush.

Value for money is a key component of any holiday, but we would advise you not to try and visit Africa ‘on the cheap’. Even if you spend more money than you would normally consider for a holiday, provided you get good advice it should be one of the best holidays you will ever take, with money extremely well spent. Where five star accommodation is preferred, it can usually be provided.

However, where more traditional tented camps are used, we often find guests feel more comfortable than they expected to, especially once they get used to it. It is crucial that you feel comfortable and secure on safari, but you may surprise yourself in terms of how adventurous you can be. Once you leave your ‘home comforts’ behind and spend a few nights in the wilderness, it becomes quite normal to sit around the camp fire in the evening and sleep under the canvas of a stunning luxury tent. Many of us actually revel in the chance to get ‘back to nature’ and the more authentic safari camps offer a better chance to do this than ‘luxury lodges’. Our specialists can discuss different options with you in detail, but in general we would advise you to prioritise the overall safari experience ahead of pure comfort.

SUMMARY

Lush African Safaris tailor-make all our safari holidays for our customers, calling on a very wide range of safari products. It is therefore possible to build the perfect safari for you based around your interests and requirements. You do not need to choose from a catalogue, or choose from a very limited number of safari options. You can travel for any duration of time, spend as long as you like on safari, be as active or adventurous as you choose, specify particular species you are keen on seeing, vary your accommodation options and combine a wildlife safari with a variety of other activities or attractions.

Welcome to Lush African Safaris, we are more than a travel agent, we are your support for your next African experience.

Get ready to live the Lush African Safari adventure!