Safari
Your first African safari, planned properly
Costs, countries, packing and lodges, from someone who has been.
Start here
A first safari has more moving parts than a city break: the country, the season, the kind of camp, and a budget that behaves differently from anywhere else you have travelled. One guide walks through all of it in order. Read that first; everything else on this page goes deeper on one part.
How to plan your first African safari →Planning & First Safari
How a first safari fits together: when to go, how long for, and the order to decide things in.
How to Plan Your First African Safari
The order to plan a first safari in: the experience, then the country and season, then the operator, with what it...
Packing, Clothing & Gear
What to wear, what to carry, and which camera you actually need.
Safari Packing List: What to Pack for an African Safari
What actually goes in the bag, and what has to be arranged before you fly: the baggage limit that really governs...
Cost & Booking
What a safari really costs, where the money goes, and how to compare quotes that aren't comparable.
African Safari Cost in 2026: From US$150 a Night, Before Park Fees
You have three browser tabs open, each quoting a different price for the same seven nights in the Mara, with no...