How to build the African safari vacation that's right for you

If you've always wanted to take that big adventure in Africa but weren't sure where to start, consider this a guide to taking your first step.

A safari can be a new, potentially life-changing journey, but it's also a big investment—so you want to be sure your trip will deliver the experiences you find most rewarding. Luckily, Africa has plenty to offer every traveler, not only in its diverse wildlife but also in where you stay, how you get around, what you eat and drink, how you connect with your inner self, and how to do it all sustainably. With so much available, how do you choose?

Exclusively focused on Africa, the luxury safari operator African Travel, Inc. lives and breathes everything Africa. When asked for planning tips, their safari experts shared questions  for you to answer first to help shape your dream safari, along with a few examples of different travel options to help make a trip a reality. With this first step under your belt, a AAA Travel Advisor and African Travel safari expert can help you put it all together. 

If nothing that specific comes to mind, ask yourself more broadly how much of your trip you want to spend on different activities. There are itineraries—especially in South Africa—where you get a little bit of everything, but if you're generally into food, hiking, wellness, or something else entirely, you can build a trip that puts more emphasis on that. 

2. What kind of transportation do you want to take?

The destinations themselves aren't the only amazing experiences in Africa; how you get to and around them can be just as memorable. On land, open-top jeep safaris can bring you right up to the action and move you from highlight to highlight. Walking safaris offer a slower but more in-depth experience with the chance to soak in the surroundings with all your senses.

If you want a bird's-eye view, flying by bush plane or helicopter gives more time to explore more regions quickly and offers a whole new perspective on the continent's vast landscapes. For example, African Travel's World’s Greatest Show itinerary includes flights between the country's premier wildlife sanctuaries, giving you a chance to see the Ngorongoro Crater, snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, and a choice between the Serengeti and Maasai Mara.

Or maybe the relaxed rhythm of a river cruise on the Nile or Zambezi or the romance of the rails is more your style. (As always, you can pick more than one of these for your dream trip!)

3. What kind of places do you want to stay in?

Like with transportation, accommodations in Africa are as diverse as the landscapes. Choose from treehouse suites, spacious glamping tents, overwater bungalows, legendary lodges, historic trains, and more. To name just a couple unique spots:

• Kruger National Park in South Africa features the Kruger Shalati, an upscale hotel built inside a historic train that once brought visitors to the park. It's now permanently parked on a bridge over the Sabie River, where it used to stay the night back when it operated as a train.
• Botswana sets the gold standard for luxury and sustainability. For the ultimate safari experience, a night spent in Xigera Safari Lodge’s Baobab Treehouse is unforgettable with each level opening to something new including an open-air, king-size bed to sleep under the stars surrounded by the sounds of nature. This experience can be added to African Travel’s Platinum Botswana itinerary.

4. How do you want to make your trip matter?

It's important to make sure your visit is sustainable and as beneficial to Africa as it is to you. Most visits to parks, game reserves and sanctuaries will include a portion of the costs invested directly into wildlife conservation and helping local communities. To help guide you to the most sustainable experience, African Travel has curated Make Travel Matter Experiences that meet one of the UN Global Goals and are enriching for both the travelers and local wildlife or people.

A forest trek to see chimpanzees and gorillas (like with African Travel's Discover Rwanda itinerary) supports conservation efforts for these endangered primates. A visit to a cheetah or elephant sanctuary can help give orphaned and hurt animals a better shot at survival. And while animal conservation is the most common way to make your travel matter, there are also trips that visit local artisans and villages.

5. Do you want to add on any experiences?

Just because your main itinerary might focus on one part of Africa doesn't mean you can't see the rest! Add-on packages are a great way to make the most of your time on the continent (not to mention those long trans-Atlantic flights) and mix things up. 

• Add a beach bungalow getaway in Mozambique or Zanzibar to the end of your trip as a vacation-within-a-vacation. 
• Take a break from game drives to soak in the rich history of the Nile on a leisurely cruise from Cairo to Aswan with an Egyptologist. 
• Consider following your passion—if you love food and wine, spend extra days in Cape Town’s Winelands, add rounds of golf at the world’s top courses and Instagram-worthy spots, or add a few days volunteering with your family before connecting with each other on a safari.

6. What kind of pace are you looking for?

There is more to see and do in Africa than anyone could fit into one lifetime, so pacing your trip is important. Every traveler has their own ideal balance of activity and relaxation, and even the most ambitious of explorers should be careful to build downtime into their trip for self-care, free exploration, or the occasional nap.

Fast-paced adventurers may want to consider trips that fit more destinations into less time, such as African Travel's 16-day Cape to Cairo itinerary spanning South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Egypt.

Travelers looking for a slower, rejuvenating pace while exploring one country thoroughly can consider trips with fewer and shorter transfers such as African Travel's 10-day South Africa at Leisure that includes a 4-night stay at the malaria-free Shamwari Game Reserve.

7. How can you get more value out of your trip?

Once you've answered the questions above, your planning can shift to how to prioritize what to do and how much it costs. Consider the following:

• Fully private trips are the most luxurious, and usually cost more but are tailored to your exact needs. For the best value, consider intimate small-group tours. They share the cost of transfers and guided experiences, plus you'll meet other travelers who are passionate about the experiences you've picked.
• Talk to a travel advisor. They'll be more familiar with when and where there are deals to be had, and which packages or travel options offer more value for the same money. AAA Travel Advisors have access to special deals and can organize air, transfers, selecting the right room (so you get something better than the picture). 
• Advisors also have access to a local team to assist with any needs while traveling so you don’t get hit with surprise extra costs later. 
• Advisors can help customize special experiences for friends and family, a honeymoon, or other occasion.

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