Safari in Eastern or Southern Africa ? Which suits you best?

Safari and Destination Overview

Eastern Africa is the home of safari. The place where it all started. Today, a safari experience in this region is still very much similar to the original way of years gone by. All National Parks are unfenced and animals are allowed to migrate naturally without any interference.

For this reason, a typical safari in Eastern Africa will combine a few National Parks and game reserves in order to fully appreciate the diverse beauty and wildlife each region holds. Commuting between the areas will either be with your own private guide for the entire journey or you can choose to do a fly-in safari between areas and let the resident guides at your lodges showcase each destination.

The main highlights of safari in Eastern Africa are:

• Witness Large numbers of animals in their natural habitat (think 1.5 Million Wildebeest migrating through the Serengeti or a pride of 20+ lions lounging in the Ngorongoro Crater)
• The ability to experience multiple national parks during your journey
• A day of safari activities can easily last from morning to late afternoon with frequent breaks in between.
• Option to have a single guide for your entire journey

Vehicles
?The main method of transportation from one game rich area to the other, if not making use of bush planes, are specially adapted safari vehicles. Unlike the counterparts in Southern Africa, the safari vehicles in East Africa are closed 6 seater land cruisers. They generally have 6 panorama window side seats with a pop up roof which can be opened when inside a national park or reserve.These vehicles are as tough and comfortable as they get ? they even have their own fridges in the back and padded ridging for the avid photographer.

Seasons
Generally speaking, safari activities are at their best during the cooler, drier seasons as animals tend to congregate at watering holes, making sightings more accessible.

November ? March: Warm and dry. Best time to catch calving season
April ? May: Rainy Season. Less crowds and more affordable price tag
June ? October: Cool and dry, excellent for general game viewing and migration hunting

Average length of safari
We recommend a safari trip of at least 7 Nights to get a good overview of either Kenya or Tanzania?s numerous National Parks and reserves. If combining with some beach, mountain climbing or gorilla tracking, an additional 4 ? 7 days is recommended.

Budgets
Planning a safari experience is an extremely personal endeavor. By making use of an experienced specialist, you will reap the benefits of a professionally crafted journey suiting your exact requirements and wishes. East Africa has a wide variety of options available and we know exactly how to combine them the best way possible.

Add On Destinations
Safari is not the only thing East Africa is famous for. You can easily add any of the following destination experiences before or after your safari

• Hike Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest free standing mountain on planet earth
• Relax on the idyllic beaches of Zanzibar just off the coast of Tanzania
• Get up close and personal with the rare mountain Gorillas in Rwanda

Safari and Destination Overview
Safari in South Africa is mainly restricted to the rich game reserves and National parks in the north of the country bordering Botswana. These Game Reserves are fenced areas and were created with the aim of conserving wildlife. Generally you will fly into Johannesburg and take a small plane to a nearby Game reserve lodge and spend 3-5 days exploring the area with your in house guides. Afterward you have the ability to head to one of the many recommended add on destinations Southern Africa is blessed with.

Safari in Botswana and Namibia is similar to an East African Safari with multiple destinations available to visit. The main exception being the recommendation of commute between game rich areas to be by small plane. The areas are remote and far from one another.

The main highlights of safari in Southern Africa are:

• Smaller numbers of animals, but sightings are much more personal and intimate with the ability to get really close.
• The in-house guides usually have a close relationship with the wildlife as they focus on specific areas only and get to know each animal over time.
• Safari activities are normally scheduled for early morning, late afternoon and evening. This opens up an entire new experience when the nocturnal animals come out!
• Safari in Botswana is pretty unique with the split between land and water based activities being 50/50

Vehicles
Unlike the heavily modified vehicles used in Eastern Africa, your safari will mostly be concentrated within a designated game reserve in Southern Africa. Therefore, you are awarded the luxury of going into the bush on open top vehicles! These vehicles are typically long-based Land Rovers or Land Cruisers with a canvas roof and steeped seating so nobody misses any action.

Seasons
Generally speaking, safari activities are at their best during the cooler, drier seasons as animals tend to congregate at watering holes making sightings more accessible.

November - March: Rainy Season making animal spotting difficult along with fairly large crowds and thick vegetation
April - October: Cool and dry, excellent for general game viewing with less crowds

Average length of safari
In South Africa your safari experience generally last for 3-5 days after which you hop down to Cape Town and surrounds

In Botswana or Namibia your trip is recommended to last around 7 days or longer

Budgets
Planning a safari experience is an extremely personal endeavor. By making use of an experienced specialist, you will reap the benefits of a professionally crafted journey suting your exact requirements and wishes. Southern Africa has a wide variety of options available and we know exactly how to combine them the best way possible.

Add On Destinations
No Safari in Southern Africa is complete without making a stop in Cape Town and the surrounding winelands!